Journal of Articles in Support of the Null Hypothesis

Environmental Sensitivity and Digit Ratio (2D:4D): Negative Results

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:11:56 -0800

The current study explored the associations between different levels of developmental plasticity factors—specifically, prenatal androgen exposure and personality traits related to environmental sensitivity. We recruited participants from Japan (184 females and 90 males) and India (94 females and 86 males) and measured their personality traits of environmental sensitivity and an indirect indicator of prenatal androgen exposure, the ratio of the lengths of the index (2nd digit: 2D) and ring (4th digit: 4D) fingers (2D:4D). Overall, the analyses stratified by country and sex did not reveal a clear correlation between environmental sensitivity and 2D:4D ratios in any of the subsamples. In one subgroup, the environmental sensitivity of Japanese females showed a weak positive correlation with the left- and two-handed mean 2D:4D ratios; however, this correlation approached zero when outliers were removed and the data were reanalyzed. Finally, we considered possible explanations for the inconsistent findings regarding the associations among different levels of plasticity factors.

Keywords: environmental sensitivity; sensory processing sensitivity; digit ratio; 2D:4D; developmental plasticity; androgens

Improving Expository Reading Comprehension in College Students

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:11:21 -0800

This study investigated the impact of the Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) method on reading comprehension and psychological well-being among college students, addressing a gap in research on expository reading comprehension at the post-secondary level. A total of 47 students from Introduction to Psychology courses participated in the study. Participants initially completed pre-test assessments, including a cloze test, the Wide Range Achievement Test, and scales for self-worth, depression, anxiety, and stress. Of these, 23 students underwent CSR intervention sessions, conducted over three weeks with bi-weekly 50-minute sessions using their course textbook. Post-intervention data from 44 students were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Results indicated no significant mean differences on the variables of interest among individuals who received CSR intervention and those who did not.

Keywords: reading comprehension, college students, Collaborative Strategic Reading

“I Don’t Care About Social Control”: Watching-Eye Effect Does Not Reduce Illegal Pedestrian Behaviour in France

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:10:48 -0800

Pedestrians often risk accidents by crossing at red lights. This study examines whether this behavior stems from risk awareness and tests the effectiveness of visual “nudges” using eye images. Conducted in Strasbourg with 2967 pedestrians, the study compared 'child’s eyes', 'woman’s eyes', flower images, and no signs. Results showed that eye images did not significantly reduce red-light crossings. Unexpectedly, the ‘child’s eyes’ sign decreased waiting time, while the flower sign increased risky behavior. Jaywalking was influenced by gender, age, distraction, peer presence, and location. Unlike previous research, this study specifically examines pedestrian crossings, highlighting the limited impact of visual nudges and the need for further research into urban pedestrian decision-making and safety measures.

Keywords: Nudge, illegal crossing, social control, waiting time, risk taking

Influence of Intimate Partner Violence on the Nutritional Status of Children: Insights from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, 2017-2018

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 10:18:36 -0700

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a hidden pandemic affecting all regions and cadres of the society. The Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS), 2017–2018 suggested that 30% of ever married women aged 15 to 49 years suffered from IPV. Literature suggests that IPV negatively impacts health of children under five years of age. We performed a secondary data analysis of PDHS 2017–18 to determine the association of emotional and physical IPV with nutritional status of children under five years of age. Stunting (height-for-age) and underweight (weight-for-age) were estimated using z-scores for defining chronic and acute malnutrition. Socio-demographic characteristics including age, education, and working status of mother and father, wealth index, and age and gender of child were included in purposeful variable selection. A total of 1,072 woman-child dyads were analyzed. No significant association was observed between emotional or physical IPV, and acute or chronic malnutrition. Mother’s working status was positively associated with acute malnutrition in children U5Y. The study findings should be interpreted cautiously due to limitations in data availability and under-reporting of IPV in Pakistan.

Keywords: Violence, Domestic; Partner Violence, Intimate; Pakistan; Nutritional Status; Child, Preschool

What’s Belief Got to Do with It? A Quantitative Examination of the Tarot, Paranormal Beliefs, and Fantasy Proneness

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 10:18:04 -0700

The tarot’s history dates back to the mid-15th century in Italy where it originated as a playing card game; however, as it traveled across Europe and into America, it became a tool for divination within Western occultism (Farley, 2015; Sullivan, 2008; Tyson, 2020). Decks like the Tarot de Marseille and the Rider-Waite have historically been utilized for cartomancy (Jodorowsky & Costa, 2009; Waite, 1966). However, with the New Age movement, a diversity of decks and practices associated with the deck have emerged to meet a rapidly expanding consumer market (Johnson, 2023; Rindfleish, 2005). While it may seem intuitive that engaging with tarot, like other occult tools (e.g., Ouija Boards, pendulums, crystal balls), would require some degree of paranormal belief, the researchers argue that due to the commodification of spirituality via the New Age movement, the tarot has become a secularized and disconnected from its esoteric origins. The present research reports the findings of a study conducted to assess the relationship between paranormal belief, fantasy proneness, and perceptions of a tarot reading from a group of participants immediately after receiving a reading. The findings suggest that no such relationship exists, which supports the notion that the tarot has indeed lost its mystical essence in the popular imagination.

Keywords: tarot, paranormal belief, fantasy proneness, New Age, occult

Physical Activity Does not Prevent Academic Difficulties for Youth Exposed to Individual and Family Vulnerabilities

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 10:17:38 -0700

Previous studies focusing on psychological adjustment have shown that physical activity has a protective role, particularly in young adolescents exposed to individual vulnerabilities such as difficult temperament or family adversity. This study examined whether the protective role of physical activity is replicated in the academic dimension of adjustment in these at-risk adolescents transitioning from primary to secondary school. Participants (N = 1,312; 47% boys) were selected from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. The results showed that physical activity did not protect against academic and engagement difficulties among adolescents in general nor among those identified as high-risk. To adequately guide practice, further replication studies are needed to determine when physical activity acts as a protective factor and when it does not.

Keywords: Difficult temperament, family adversity, physical activity, academic adjustment, early adolescence, longitudinal

Does Dietary Intake Meet the Recommendations? A Focus on Neighborhood Disadvantage Level in Hispanic Families with Unhealthy Weight

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 10:16:53 -0700

This study aimed to examine whether individuals living in disadvantaged neighborhoods have higher weight status, their dietary intake meets recommendations, and if this varied by neighborhood disadvantage level in Hispanic families with high prevalence of overweight/obesity. Participants were 280 Hispanic adolescents with overweight/obesity and their parents. Neighborhood deprivation was examined using Area Deprivation Index. Height and weight data were collected by trained researchers. Dietary intake and socio-demographic characteristics were self-reported. Adolescents weight status was associated with neighborhood deprivation, but no significant group differences were found in post hoc tests. Regardless of participant neighborhood disadvantage level, both parent and adolescent dietary intake were significantly poorer than the recommendations. Although not significant, adolescents in more advantaged neighborhoods had higher intake of all dietary items; and parents in moderately deprived areas reported the highest intake of all food items.

Keywords: Neighborhood disadvantage, diet, dietary pattern, Hispanic, youth, family

Using a false feedback paradigm to create a sense of competence or incompetence in one’s heritage language: Testing effects on second-generation adults’ sense of belonging and multicultural identity negotiation (Taing, Yampolsky)

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 09:39:17 -0700

Second-generation people face unique cultural experiences, such as learning to navigate between their family's heritage culture and mainstream society's culture. Previous research has shown that fluency in one's heritage language can foster a sense of belonging and identification with one's heritage culture. However, these studies were primarily based on correlational or qualitative designs. This experimental study (N = 46 second-generation Americans) examined the effect of manipulating one’s sense of heritage language competence or incompetence on one’s heritage culture belonging and multicultural identity negotiation using a false feedback paradigm. Although several reasons may explain that no significant results were found, this study proposes experimental methods that can contribute to new experimental research on the language experiences of second-generation individuals.

Keywords: cross-cultural psychology, heritage language, belonging, multicultural identity, second-generation

Examining the Association Between Trust and Fear of Negative Evaluation (Meyers, Fergus)

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 09:37:42 -0700

Fear of negative evaluation, the belief that there is high cost associated with negative evaluation by others, is a core risk factor for social anxiety. Fear of negative evaluation is considered to originate from personality and this study sought to better understand causes of fear of negative evaluation by extending existing findings that trust correlates with fear of negative evaluation. This study examined the association between trust and fear of negative evaluation in a cross-sectional study and then provided the first known examination of whether low levels of trust may be a causal factor of fear of negative evaluation in a subsequent randomized experimental study. A sample of 590 undergraduate students completed self-report measures and trust was examined at a trait level in relation to fear of negative evaluation. Although trait trust shared a small negative bivariate relationship with fear of negative evaluation, contrary to study predictions, trait trust did not explain unique variance in fear of negative evaluation when accounting for statistical overlap among neuroticism and extraversion. Among a subset of those participants who chose to participate in a subsequent in-person randomized experimental study (N = 161), trust was manipulated to examine its causal role in relation to fear of negative evaluation. Although the experimental manipulation evoked a large increase in distrust, there were no group differences in state fear of negative evaluation. Implications of study findings and future directions surrounding the potential relevance of trust to social anxiety are discussed.

Keywords: fear of negative evaluation; personality; social anxiety; trust

The Impact of Peer Observational Learning on Honesty Following a Transgression (Simon, Noell)

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 09:37:02 -0700

Parents and teachers worry about how lying affects children’s development and socialization, as research links persistent lying to delinquency, aggression, and conduct issues. To investigate this, we examined two groups: Honest and Praise versus a Control Group, exploring how exposure influenced children’s honesty and confession after transgressions. The study aimed to see if observing peers receive praise for honesty could promote truthfulness. Gender’s impact on reporting honesty was assessed. Results showed no significant difference in honesty between the HP and CG groups; children confessed at similar rates in both conditions. Gender did not affect honest reporting. These findings differ from previous research in this area and suggest that factors beyond praise might be more influential in fostering honesty in children.
Keywords: Honest, Lying, Transgression, Observation, Peer Influence

Testing an Empathy-Based Intervention to Improve Children’s Gender-Related Attitudes (MacMullin, Wong, VanderLaan)

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 09:36:04 -0700

Despite past research showing that children hold less positive attitudes toward gender-nonconforming (vs. gender-conforming) children, few studies have evaluated possible approaches to limit biases. Previous literature suggests empathy-based interventions can improve intergroup attitudes and reduce stereotyping. Thus, we designed a novel empathy-based intervention aimed at reducing children’s gender stereotyping and improving their attitudes toward gender-nonconforming peers. We tested our intervention among 186 (51% girls, 48% control condition) 8- to 11-year-old Canadian children. The intervention was not effective at reducing children’s gender stereotyping or their bias against gender-nonconforming peers. In girls, children’s trait empathy was positively related to their attitudes toward target children. The Discussion outlines possible reasons why the intervention was ineffective and considers how future work can be strengthened.

Keywords: empathy intervention, gender nonconformity, gender stereotyping, trait perceptions

Examining the impact of system threat on evaluation of the poor (Kakimoto, Kitamura)

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 09:35:17 -0700

This study investigated the impact of system justification motivations on evaluations of the poor. Using online experiments, we examined whether, under system-threat, people rate the association between the poor and causally related negative traits (e.g., lazy) more highly, and whether they also rate causally unrelated positive traits (e.g., honest) more highly as a form of compensation. In Study 1, we used explicit scales to measure these associations, while Study 2 employed implicit measures (Single Category-IAT). We also explored the effect of system-threat on perceived relative poverty rates. Both studies showed no impact of system-threat on evaluations of the poor and on perceived relative poverty rates. However, system justification tendency was associated with perceived relative poverty rates.
Keywords: system justification, system threat, blaming the poor, discourse of self-responsibility

Investigating the Effect of Two Mood Induction Procedures on Arousal and False Memory (Alexa Tringali, Justin Wise)

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 16:18:33 -0700

The present study sought to compare the efficacy of two MIPs in inducing arousal to investigate arousal’s role in memory accuracy. This study used a 2 (Mood Induction Procedure: MIP) × 3 (Arousal State) between-subjects design to test how MIPs and arousal states interact to affect memory accuracy and false memory rates. One hundred and five college-age participants were assigned to one of three arousal conditions (low: sad, control: neutral, or high: fear). Half of the participants were induced via movie clips and half via guided imagery + music. Following mood induction, participants were instructed to memorize six wordlists and were tested with recall and recognition tasks. Arousal did not significantly change in any condition. There was no measurable effect of arousal state on memory. Results suggest MIP materials used in previous studies may be outdated and not effective.

Keywords: mood induction procedures (MIPs), arousal state, guided imagery + music, DRM paradigm, false memory

Can Autobiographical Writing Tasks Effectively Induce Discrete Shame and Guilt?

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 13:23:31 -0800

Though shame and guilt are closely related self-conscious emotions, they have been validated as distinct constructs in their subjective experience, action tendencies, and association to psychopathology. Due to frequent interchangeable use of shame/guilt terms, experimental findings accounting for empirically- backed distinctions between these two emotion states are sparse. A recently-developed writing task sought to effectively induce discrete shame or guilt states, producing promising results. In the present study, we aimed to extend prior shame-guilt induction research by replicating this writing task with consideration of audience and population effects that may have impacted its validity in the prior study. Southern U.S. undergraduate students were randomized to one of three induction groups: shame (n = 121), guilt (n = 125), or control (n = 125). A state measure of shame and guilt was administered to assess state shame and state guilt following the emotion induction tasks. Results indicated that the shame and guilt inductions each evoked greater state shame and state guilt than the control, but no differences were seen between those two inductions. Overall, writing tasks did not differentiate shame from guilt as expected based on results of prior published work. Based on the inability to replicate previous findings, it is unclear if consistent and discrete guilt/shame evocation via this experimental task is feasible. Future directions for the improvement of guilt and shame experimental inductions are discussed.

Keywords: experimental manipulation; guilt; shame; writing task

The null effect of recalling an experience to elicit disgust: A replication and extension of Sato and Sugiura (2014)

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 11:40:28 -0700

The amplification hypothesis of disgust, which proposes that incidental disgust causes harsher moral judgment, remains controversial due to mixed results in previous studies. However, some studies have investigated further effects based on the hypothesis. This may be problematic, because it is not guaranteed that an amplification effect will occur first. Therefore, the present study tested whether the amplification hypothesis is itself supported by replicating a previous study conducted and published in Japan. This study was conducted as an extension of the original study’s methodology, with a few modifications due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Our results showed small, non-significant effects. This study offers a valuable contribution to introducing replication to international readership.

Keywords: disgust, moral judgment, amplification hypothesis, replication

Impact of Religious and Spiritual Activity on Risk of Dementia and Cognitive Impairment with Differences across Race/Ethnicity and Sex

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 11:40:05 -0700

Religion and spirituality (R/S) are positively associated with cognitive function and individual dementia risk factors, yet few studies have examined R/S association with dementia. Identifying possible protective factors against developing dementia is needed to decrease the rising dementia burden. We examined the frequency of religious attendance on the risk of developing a cognitive condition over time, adjusting for race/ethnicity and age in U.S. older adults (N = 103). A higher frequency of religious attendance and a higher percentage of dementia was found among non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and female older adults. However, religious attendance was not associated with developing a cognitive condition over time. More research is needed to examine these associations with consideration of a bi-directional relationship between stress and R/S practices and with consideration of premature mortality. In addition, examining if R/S could delay dementia onset should be explored, especially among a large, diverse sample.

Keywords: Religion, spirituality, aging, coping, older adults, Alzheimer’s

The Role of Gender and COVID-19 on Attitudes Toward Justice-Involved Adolescent Substance Users and Harm Reduction Policies

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 11:39:32 -0700

Adolescent substance use remains a serious legal and health concern. The current study examines whether reminders of decarceration and health risks that occurred with COVID-19 influence attitudes toward harm reduction policies and justice-involved adolescents with substance use disorders, and whether effects vary by gender. Participants (N = 363) were randomized to one of four vignettes describing an adolescent (male or female) with a substance use disorder arrested for drug use, with or without a description of COVID-19 risks and subsequent decarceration. Attitudes toward the adolescent, harm reduction policies, and justice-involved youth were assessed. COVID-19 nor gender influenced participants’ attitudes. This is the first study to investigate COVID-19’s impact on attitudes toward drug policy. Limitations, implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Keywords: gender, COVID-19, substance use, justice-involved youth

The Effect of Owl Feces on Rat Operant Responding: Can Rats Recognize a Conspecific-Eating Predator?

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 11:39:03 -0700

Exposure to canid or felid odor has often been reported to elicit distinctive anti-predator behaviors in laboratory mice and rats (e.g., Apfelbach et al., 2015a), including avoidance and suppression of operant responding. Recent research has also shown that rabbits (Prada et al., 2018) and dwarf hamsters (Apfelbach et al., 2015b) differentially respond to the presence of conspecifics in their predator’s feces or urine. The present study examined whether laboratory rats had the ability to recognize conspecifics in a predator’s diet through their feces. Rat (Rattus norvegicus) subjects were exposed to great horned owl feces after a meal of conspecifics (rats) or heterospecifics (rabbit and squirrel) in an operant conditioning chamber. Response rates decreased during the first minute of operant sessions when predator odor was present, but the same effect was produced by perfume, and whole-session response rates were unaffected by owl feces (regardless of owl diet), perfume, or coyote urine. Our findings suggest that rats may show no fear toward owl feces regardless of what the owl ate. However, because coyote urine also did not suppress operant responding, another interpretation of the current results could be that rats’ responsiveness to predator odor is a small or inconsistent effect, and failures to replicate such findings are not often reported.

Keywords: predator odor, suppression of operant responding, anti-predator behavior

Limits of the Bogus Pipeline Condition: An Examination of Null Findings in an Experimental Study

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 16:11:50 -0800

This study examined the impact of three experimental conditions on antisemitism, right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), religious fundamentalism, and social desirability. Participants (N = 102) were university students (74.5% women; 49% non-Hispanic White/European American). Participants were randomly assigned to experimental conditions (i.e., control, bogus pipeline, altered bogus pipeline) and completed measures of demographics, social desirability, antisemitism, RWA, and religious fundamentalism. Analyses were conducted to examine differences in study variables across experimental groups. Results revealed significant differences in social desirability across bogus pipeline and altered bogus pipeline conditions, with social desirability being significantly lower in the bogus pipeline condition. Results were nonsignificant for antisemitism, RWA, and religious fundamentalism. Findings highlight potential limits in the efficacy of the bogus pipeline condition.

Keywords: Antisemitism, Authoritarian Personality, Experimental Study, Socially Desirable Response Bias, Prejudice responsiveness, psychological safety, educational psychology

Does More US Education Foster Racial Cooperation? Lessons from a Study of Formal Education and Intergroup Behavior

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 16:11:27 -0800

Prior research demonstrates that those with more formal education tend to report less intergroup prejudice towards many outgroups, including racial/ethnic outgroups, which is largely mediated by two intergroup ideological attitudes: right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation. This study investigated the link between formal education and intergroup behavior displayed in an economic game, and how these two attitudes mediated this relationship. A continuous variant of the Prisoner’s Dilemma game with racial/ethnic ingroup and outgroup members was employed as a behavioral measure because it requires a player to cooperate despite a risk of defection to get better payoffs. Given the null results that emerged, explanations and recommendations for future studies that draw from the lessons of the present study are discussed.

Keywords: formal education, prisoner’s dilemma, RWA, SDO, intergroup prejudice

Can Brief Interventions Improve Functioning in Engineering Student Dyads?

Sat, 13 Aug 2022 14:33:25 -0700

Poor interpersonal dynamics can hinder collaboration, but engineering educators have failed to address this problem. Short interactive exercises may ameliorate such problems. We introduced an introductory lecture and interactive exercises into engineering classes to evaluate their effects on interpersonal outcomes in student dyads. Two large-sample quantitative studies and one small qualitative study were conducted (N = 227) to evaluate the exercises. Although the qualitative results (Study 2) indicated mixed effects, we found no evidence in the large-sample studies that the intervention improved any outcomes. The results suggest that cohesion and similar factors are enhanced through collaboration, and short exercises do not cause any further enhancement. Intensive long-term interventions may be necessary to produce stronger effects than acquaintance.

Keywords: teamwork, problem-based learning, collaborative learning, cohesion, perceived partner responsiveness, psychological safety, educational psychology

No Emotional Stroop Effect from Masked and Unmasked Stimuli in Non-Clinical Young Adults Tested Online

Sat, 13 Aug 2022 14:28:08 -0700

Emotional Stroop effects (“murder” slows color identification) produced by briefly presented, pattern- masked word stimuli have not replicated well. A masked emotional Stroop effect study was conducted with an improved, more informative experimental design. In Experiment 1, neutral or emotional words were presented in color (red, yellow, green, or blue) for a short (21 ms), medium (38 ms), or long (103 ms) duration. The prime words in Experiment 1 were backward-masked to decrease visibility, whereas Experiment 2 had unmasked words that were easily visible. Neither experiment produced the anticipated emotional Stroop effect. The emotional Stroop effect may be an example of fragile data: a psychological phenomenon that depends upon very narrow experimental parameters.

Keywords: emotional Stroop effect, subliminal, unconscious perception, backward masking, attentional bias

The Impact of Summaries by Judges and Juror Characteristics on Juror Decision Making

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 09:32:58 -0800

As judges in the UK provide a summary of the evidence to juries during criminal trials, the study aimed to investigate if this had the potential to influence the verdict given by mock-jurors. One hundred and thirty-three mock-jurors (M = 21.30 years, SD = 6.70) were asked to read witness statements from a genuine rape case, as well as the closing remarks made by the defence and prosecution. The participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Only one group read the summary made by the judge in the trial. All participants were asked to rate how reliable they found each witness and how likely they would be to render a guilty verdict. There were no significant differences between either group, though female mock-jurors were significantly more likely to render a guilty verdict than male mock-jurors.

Keywords: mock-jurors, rape, judge's summary, juror-age, juror-gender

Does word order predict ethnocentric helping behavior? Results of a ‘lost letter’ field experiment in Berlin

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 09:32:31 -0800

Word order in intergroup labels may strengthen ethnocentrism as people tend to name their in-group first and perceive it as more important than the second. To test for corresponding helping behavior in a realistic intergroup setting, a lost letter field experiment was conducted. In a 2 × 2 between- subject design, 680 apparently lost letters were labeled with German-Turkish vs. Turkish-German ordered indications and dispersed throughout Berlin, Germany, in a district with low vs. high Turkish population rates. Descriptively, German-Turkish letters were returned more often than Turkish- German ones. Yet, these differences were not statistically significant, neither was the interaction of word order and district. Thus, we did not obtain evidence for ethnocentric bias in helping behavior due to mere word order.

Keywords: word order, ethnocentrism, lost letter technique, helping behavior

Young Carers' Self-Compassion and Subjective Well-Being Relative to Non-Caregiving Youth

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 09:30:51 -0800

Young carers (YCs) provide unpaid care for their family members due to several circumstances within the family. Caregiving can be time consuming and quite difficult for some adolescents. By meeting others’ needs, their needs may be neglected, thereby potentially affecting their levels of self-compassion (SC) and subjective well-being (SWB). Due to a lack of studies in these areas, this descriptive, exploratory, quantitative, and comparative study aimed to fill in this gap. This study sampled 55 YCs and 107 non-YCs between the ages of 12-18 years. Multivariate analyses (MANOVA) were carried out. Results revealed that YCs and non-YCs had similar levels of SC and SWB. Implications for what it means for YCs and further support were discussed.

Keywords: Young carers, self-compassion, subjective well-being, non-caregiving youth, comparative study

The impact of group collaboration and performance on interpersonal trust and cooperation

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 10:50:23 -0700

Can group collaboration and decision-making lead to increased interpersonal trust and cooperation? Prior research suggests that collective problem solving can increase interpersonal trust and cooperation. However, measuring the impact of group collaboration in observational studies is very difficult due to confounding variables. Using an innovative laboratory experiment involving the optimal stopping problem, we test whether collaborative institutions increase trust and cooperation in groups. An especially useful feature of our design is that it allows us to separate the impact of group success and group collaboration. We find no evidence that group collaboration or success in the task affect interpersonal trust and cooperation.

Keywords: groups, performance, trust and cooperation, optimal stopping problem

Does the position and emotional valence of decorative pictures (in multimedia learning) influence learning performance?

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 10:49:59 -0700

Mathematical know-how is critical for numerous university students. This experiment examined whether decorative pictures in mathematical online learning could enhance learning. Although many experiments indicated a negative impact of decorative pictures, the pictures improved students’ learning when they activated learning-relevant emotions and were connected to the learning materials. An experiment was conducted and included two sections, each with decorative pictures, learning materials, and questions. Overall, there were 92 participants. A 2 × 2 between-subjects design was used, employing the factors “picture in the first section” (positive vs. negative), and “picture in the second section” (positive vs. negative). The results showed that pictures neither enhanced nor hindered learning. Possibly, the pictures were overlooked, because they were combined with learning materials.

Keywords: mathematical online learning, decorative pictures, learning emotions, emotion and motivation, multimedia learning.

Bedtime Habits in Adults with and without Type 2 Diabetes

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 10:49:36 -0700

This study aimed to identify determinants of objectively-estimated bedtime habits and to determine if these bedtime habits differed between adults with and without type 2 diabetes. Adults with accelerometry data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 cohorts were classified as having no diabetes or type 2 diabetes and matched for age, gender, and BMI across the two groups. Multivariate linear regression models assessed bedtime habits (time-in-bed, early versus late bedtime periods, regularity), chronotype (mid-points), and type 2 diabetes status. While the results indicated no differences in bedtime habits between adults with and without type 2 diabetes, an interesting finding was the support for an association between objectively-estimated earlier bedtime midpoints and greater physical activity.

Keywords: sleep, sleep behavior, chronotype, bedtime, social jetlag, type 2 diabetes

Attempts to Impact Global Citizenship Identification

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 10:49:13 -0700

Global citizenship identification is associated with a variety of prosocial beliefs (e.g., social justice, valuing diversity) and behaviors (e.g., environmentally sustainable behaviors, intergroup helping). We report the results of 11 studies in which we attempted to shift participants’ degree of global citizenship identification (e.g., educational activities, subliminal priming, self-generated persuasion). None of the experimental manipulations reported worked to significantly increase identification compared to other conditions (e.g., control condition). Taken together, the results highlight the difficulty in manipulating global citizenship identification and the possibility of examining interventions that take place over a longer period of time.

Keywords: Global Citizenship, Identification, Social Identity, Global Education

Has Endrew F. improved the chances of proving a FAPE violation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act?

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 10:48:49 -0700

We attempt to determine empirically what effect the Supreme Court’s Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District decision has had on case outcomes where parents challenged the substantive adequacy of a special education program offered to their child. To determine Endrew F.’s impact, we contrasted 108 FAPE claims decided in federal district courts before Endrew F. to 80 similar claims made by parents in the post-Endrew F. era but commenced prior to issuance of Endrew F., using FAPE violation versus no FAPE violation as the dependent variable. Applying conditional logistic regression to account for circuit fixed effects, we found no empirical support for a more favorable climate to plaintiffs following the ruling.

Cognitive Correlates of Anxiety: A Study on Attentional Bias for Mild/High Threat and Neurocognitive Functioning

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 00:40:43 -0800

The current study extended investigations on anxiety-related cognitive processes. There were two testing phases: an online study, and a laboratory session. Emotional attentional bias was assessed on both counts using an extended dot probe task. A neurocognitive test battery was administered in the laboratory session with the end goal of examining whether neurocognitive impairments would mediate the association between attentional bias and anxiety. Results showed attentional bias was associated with anxiety only when indexed based on sadness- (mild threat) but not fear-related (high threat) scenes. However, this selective association was apparent only in online data. As further contraindication against pursuing mediation analyses, laboratory-based neurocognitive performance did not correlate with anxiety. Implications for the measurement of anxiety-related cognitive processes are discussed.

Keywords: anxiety, attentional bias for threat, CogState, dot probe, cognitive assessment

Do non-native and unfamiliar accents sound less credible? An examination of the processing fluency hypothesis

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 00:40:10 -0800

Many studies have demonstrated that stimuli that are easy to process are generally better evaluated compared to stimuli that are harder to process. It is, however, an open question whether people speaking with a foreign accent are judged to be less truthful compared to native speakers due to the greater difficulty of decoding their speech. In this paper, we provide new data to this debate by comparing the credibility of speakers of French, both with a familiar or unfamiliar native accent, and with a familiar and unfamiliar foreign accent. Our results indicate that native Native-speakers do not evaluate statements uttered with a foreign-accent as less truthful compared to a native one.

Psychological area: psycholinguistics
Keywords: processing fluency, foreign accent, familiarity effect, credibility,
regional accent

Individual Differences in Conflict Detection, Numeracy, and Processing Preference

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 00:39:36 -0800

Conflict detection is a phenomenon in which an individual detects when there is a difference between an intuitive and a logical response. Few studies have investigated the underlying factors that contribute to conflict detection. Possible factors include a preference and an ability to use numerical information during a judgment task. In the present study, participants estimated subjective probabilities, and completed the Subjective Numeracy Scale and the Fuzzy Processing Preference Index which assess numerical ability and preference for using numerical information respectively. We found no differences between detectors and non-detectors in terms of numeracy or processing preference, suggesting that conflict detection is not influenced by either an ability or tendency to use and understand numerical information.

Keywords: Conflict Detection, Numeracy, FPPI, Probability Judgement

Investigating the Effect of Locus of Control, Sex and Age on Perceptions of Petty Crime

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 00:38:34 -0800

The present research investigated locus of control, sex and age to identify which influenced crime perceptions and to what extent. A 2 (internal versus external locus of control) × 2 (male versus female) × 3 (young, middle and older adult) between groups’ design was used. Sixty participants completed Rotter’s (1966) Locus of Control Questionnaire and a perceptions of crime questionnaire. A 3×2×2 MANOVA was conducted. Only one main effect of sex was present, with males reporting themselves to be less likely to report suspicious behaviour than females. No other main effects were present across the remaining eight crime perception questions. Only one significant interaction existed, which suggested that older males and younger females were in favour of increased punishment for petty crimes. When investigating petty crime perceptions, locus of control is a less important consideration than sex and age differences.

Keywords: crime perceptions, locus of control, sex, age comparison, causality

Does Level of Education Make a Difference? An Examination in Emotion-based Decision-making

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 21:42:55 -0700

This study examined the correlation between participants’ level of education and their performance on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Emphasis is placed on the complexity of the task with the idea that the participant must use emotion-based learning to deal with complex decision-making. Previous research suggests that more-educated participants should perform better on the IGT than those with less education. To test this prediction, twenty-eight participants from a small Midwestern town were recruited. Participants completed the IGT via computer administration. While there was a tendency for participants with more education to choose from the advantageous decks more often, the relationship was not statistically significant.

Swallowing the pill and being laid to rest: No advantage for metonymic over metaphoric idioms in primed lexical decisions?

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 21:42:18 -0700

Idioms are often metonymic or metaphoric, thus different in non-literalness. Is this reflected in their automatic processing? As metonymic idioms are perceived as more literal and partly read faster, it is possible that reactions to metonymic idioms are generally faster and that this advantage is greatest for literally related words. We conducted two primed lexical decisions with metonymic and metaphoric idioms as primes and literally and non-literally related adjectives. The expected effects were not found. A Bayesian regression analysis suggests there are no differences in metonymic vs. metaphoric idioms. Regardless of idiom type, we found largest processing advantages for non-literally related words and smaller advantages for literally related words. We conclude that processing of non-literal structure is not part of automatic processing.

Bilingualism: The foreign language effect does not extend to rational decision making

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 21:39:46 -0700

This research investigated if the foreign language effect extended to rationality. Four groups (English speaking monolingual group; Polish speaking monolingual group; Bilingual Polish group who were presented with decision task in English; Bilingual Polish group who were presented with decision task in Polish) completed a series of decision scenarios. The results highlighted that: 1) bilingual individuals did not display more rationality in general (or in specific decision scenarios); 2) the presentation of a decision in a non-native language did not aid rational decision making in bilinguals. The paper suggests that the foreign language effect may not increase the chances of bilingual individuals being more rational decision makers in general, but may promote more rational behaviour in specific decision contexts.

Does touching information on a surface tablet affect how it is evaluated?

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:47:57 -0800

Actual as well as virtual touch have been shown to increase object valuation. The current study investigated its impact on information evaluation, perceived ownership of information, and information recognition. In a preregistered experimental study 69 participants controlled the presentation of information items by touching them on the screen (ntouch = 36) vs. via keyboard (nno-touch = 33). We tested our hypotheses using both a within- (touched vs. untouched items) and a between-participant approach (touch vs. no-touch condition). Analyses did not support any of our hypotheses; bootstrapped confidence intervals for the statistical parameters narrowly enclosed zero. These results suggest that potential effects of touch-based interaction on judgments of verbal content are likely very small.

Response-Order Effects for Self-report Questionnaires: Exploring the role of Overclaiming Accuracy and Bias

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:47:20 -0800

Primacy effects refer to the tendency for participants to choose questionnaire response options that are closer to the beginning of a list. We sought to replicate this effect using measures of personality and well-being. We also explored accuracy and bias on the Overclaiming Questionnaire (OCQ) as moderators. Participants were undergraduates (N = 774; 79.2% female; 73.1% Caucasian). We used a two-group, between-subjects design which manipulated the presentation order for response options on a 5-point Likert scale. The two conditions were ascending (Strongly Disagree first) and descending (Strongly Agree first). We did not find support for OCQ accuracy/bias as a moderator. Because effect sizes were very small, primacy effects may be of little practical importance in this context.
Open Data/Methods: https://osf.io/aec25/

How Do College Classes Matter? Political Knowledge, Attitudes, and Engagement

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:46:43 -0800

Education predicts a variety of politically-relevant psychological variables, but there are competing hypotheses to explain why. We conducted a panel study of students enrolled in either a political science or a non-political psychology course, measuring their political knowledge, attitudes and engagement at the beginning and end of the semester. Political knowledge increased for both groups. Attitudes and engagement remained stable. After accounting for pre-existing differences between the students, course content was never a significant predictor of knowledge, attitudes or engagement. The study suggests that explicitly learning about politics does not drive the relationship between education and political-psychological variables.

No Implicit-Explicit Racial Attitude Correlation in a White Sample from the rural South of the United States

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:45:38 -0800

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) shows little to no correlation with explicit attitudes for a wide range of social groups. A sample of white participants from the rural, southern United States (Sumter County, Georgia) was used to investigate the possibility that more extreme scores on the IAT and the Modern Racism Scale (MRS) would lead to a stronger implicit-explicit attitude correlation. The white sample from rural Georgia scored higher on the MRS than a comparable sample from rural Pennsylvania. However, there was no significant implicit-explicit attitude correlation in the Georgia sample, which replicates the findings from early IAT studies. This negative finding suggests that restriction of range does not explain zero or small implicit-explicit attitude correlations.

Extending the Dual Effects Model of Social Control to Non-Targeted Health Behavior

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:43:37 -0800

The Dual Effects Model of Social Control posits that individuals can influence the health behavior of their partners, but research has not yet tested whether its influence can spread to non-targeted health behavior. This study tested influence of control on targeted (diet, physical activity) and non-targeted (sleep) health behavior. Participants (N = 66) completed a 7-day in-home assessment in which perceived control, diet, physical activity, and sleep were measured. Analyses revealed no significant effect of positive control on targeted or non-targeted health behavior. Although results were non-significant, this study provides a novel contribution to the literature, in that it is the first study to test the effect of control on non-targeted health behavior.

Vol. 16, No. 1: Effects of a Self-Affirmation Intervention on Grades in Middle School and First-Year College Students

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 16:33:04 -0700

Stereotype threat has been shown to negatively affect grades in school for underrepresented minority students. Interventions aimed at buffering stereotype threat have been developed with the goal of reducing racial achievement gaps. The self-affirmation intervention has been found to positively impact grades for potentially threatened students; however, recent results examining its efficacy have been mixed. This study tested the effect of the self-affirmation intervention on grades for two samples: (1) at-risk Latino middle school students; and (2) diverse first-year college students. Cognitive ability, perceived control, self-efficacy, belonging, and stress were also tested as potential moderators. We found no evidence of intervention effects and no moderation, suggesting that more research should be conducted before this intervention is implemented more broadly.

Vol. 16, No. 1: Does a bias toward the present influence exploratory choice?

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 16:32:23 -0700

Time is a central aspect of exploratory choice. People must balance the immediate rewards of exploiting known alternatives against the long-term rewards of exploring uncertain alternatives. However, little research has investigated how this temporal aspect affects the exploratory decisions people make. In other intertemporal choices, people display a bias towards immediate rewards. We hypothesize that in exploratory choice, this present bias will cause them to under-explore. Across three experiments, including a preregistered design, we find no evidence that present bias influences exploratory choice, but also conclude that our stimuli may not effectively induce present bias. We discuss how present bias might better be investigated, and possible reasons that present bias may not affect exploratory choice.

Keywords: exploration, decision making, intertemporal choice, present bias

Vol. 16, No. 1: Narcissism and Social Media Usage: Is There No Longer a Relationship?

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 16:31:04 -0700

In previous studies, narcissism has been found to relate to social media behaviors, such as how often one posts and how many friends or followers one has (McCain & Campbell, 2016; Singh, Farley, and Donahue, 2018). The present study attempted to create a model of social media use predicted by narcissism and self-consciousness. A sample of 397 adults with a mean age of 29 years was collected using MTurk. Participants completed a social media use survey, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Raskin & Hall, 1979) and the Self-Consciousness Scale (Scheier & Carver, 1985). Results showed that while narcissism and self-consciousness were correlated, narcissism was not significantly related to social media use. Several explanations for the present study’s findings are discussed.

General Area of Psychology: Social Psychology
Specific Area: Personality Psychology

Keywords: narcissism, social media, self-consciousness

Vol. 16, No. 1: Applying an implicit approach to research on the uncanny feeling

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 16:31:14 -0700

Contradictory findings with regard to the nonlinear relation between human likeness and affective reactions have characterized psychological research on the uncanny valley hypothesis (Mori 1970/2005). In the present study we explored the phenomenology of the uncanny feeling (UF) by assessing implicit associations between uncanny stimuli (by android faces) and two emotional responses previously associated with the uncanny: fear and disgust. Further, we tested whether perception of uncanny stimuli would facilitate cognitions of deviant (“sick”) morality and mental illness, as suggested by previous literature. Across five Single-Target Implicit Association Tests we found support only for a slight association of the UF with moral disgust (relative to fear). We found no evidence of an implicit link between the UF and fear or general disgust, nor did the UF implicitly facilitate cognitions of psychopathy.

Keywords: Cognitive psychology, emotion, uncanny feeling, fear, disgust, implicit measures

Vol. 16, No. 1: The Effects of Stage of Onset and Type of Abuse on Cooperation and Aggression in Children

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 16:31:10 -0700

This study evaluated effects of stages of child maltreatment onset and types of maltreatment on cooperation and aggression. Data from a previously conducted study at Cornell University were used. Participants (N = 300) experienced an onset of abuse at one of four stages (infancy, toddlerhood, preschool, school age) and experienced one or more forms of childhood maltreatment. Outcome measures included Pupil Evaluation Inventory (PEI), Behavior Ratings (BR), and Peer Nominations (PN) of Cooperation and Aggression. To avoid small cell sizes, the predictors were dichotomized into infancy or later for stage of onset and single or multiple maltreatment forms for type of maltreatment. All effects were non-significant, excluding one. Higher levels of aggression, as measured by the PN and BR, were observed for stages after infancy, however only at Year 4. Although mostly concluding with non-significant findings, they still emphasize consequences maltreatment has on social functioning. Instead of differentiating between age of onset or types of abuses experienced, these findings reveal that any type of abuse at any age detrimentally impacts children’s social interactions.

Keywords: child maltreatment, cooperation, aggression, peer interaction, sociability, attachment

Vol. 15, No. 2: No longer a threat: a failure to evoke stereotype threat using the race IAT

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:57:12 -0700

Previous research has argued the Implicit Association Test (IAT) can be used to demonstrate stereotype threat, specifically the fear of white individuals to be perceived as racist. To establish the extent to which this tool can evoke physiological anxiety surrounding the threat, participants completed the IAT under three separate threat conditions while both behavioral and arousal measures were recorded. Results did not show evidence of the stereotype threat, nor any changes in arousal. However, participants did show implicit biases favoring European Americans. These findings suggest several experimental considerations before attempting to use the IAT to evoke a stereotype threat.

Vol. 15, No. 2: Black sheep are not black in Wikipedia: Comparing descriptions of perpetrators in the language version of the perpetrator in-group to other (out-group) language versions

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:56:33 -0700

People often evaluate in-group members, who deviated from socially accepted norms, more harshly than outgroup members who performed the same misconduct. The present paper investigates whether or not this so-called Black Sheep Effect also occurs in Wikipedia – a context that operates on strong non- evaluative norms and is the result of collaboration among diverse authors. To this end we conducted automatic text analyses for articles about N = 149 perpetrators (e.g., homicidal maniacs, terrorists, serial killers) and compared the relative use of negative emotion words (and anger, in particular) in in-group and out-group articles. With a Bayesian approach we found no support for the Black Sheep Effect, but much more support for the null-hypothesis.

Vol. 15, No. 2: Renewal of Fear Following Immediate Extinction in a Passive Avoidance Paradigm

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:56:04 -0700

Understanding the mechanisms of extinction, which is the foundation for exposure- based therapies used to treat anxiety disorders, is of theoretical and clinical importance. Recent research suggests that extinction occurring shortly after fear conditioning attenuates the renewal of fear. This experiment investigated whether extinction shortly after fear conditioning would prevent the renewal effect using a passive avoidance paradigm. Female rats received extinction either immediately (10 minutes) or one day (24 hours) after fear conditioning in either the same context as conditioning or in a different context. When testing for fear occurred in the same context as extinction, both the immediate and the delayed extinction groups showed a significant reduction of fear. However, those tested for fear in the context that differed from extinction demonstrated a significant amount of fear, i.e., the renewal of fear, regardless of extinction occurring immediately or after a delay. These results conflict with other findings that immediate extinction attenuates renewal, as well as show that the mechanisms of immediate and delayed extinction may be similar.

Vol. 15, No. 2: Measuring the Impact of Substance Use on Standardized Test Score Averages

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:53:49 -0700

Literature on substance use and academic performance suggests, overall, that students’ use of alcohol, marijuana, or other illicit drugs has a negative effect on academic performance, but generally has not included the full range of substances or incorporated statistical controls in a single model. Using school-level data, multilevel regression analyses are performed to explore the relationship between the prevalence of substance use in a school and standardized test scores. Results suggest that substance use does not contribute to low performance and that low standardized test scores are more strongly correlated with social inequality and poverty in the school system.

Vol. 15, No. 2: Effects of Cross-cultural Communication Competence on Tennis Performance

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:52:12 -0700

This research addresses the impact of cross-cultural communication competence on the performance of 24 (14 female, 10 male) collegiate doubles tennis pairings. The aims of this study were to: (1) determine if the cross-cultural communication competence of collegiate tennis players impacts their performance, (2) observe if there are any gender differences in the way cross-cultural communication competence influences performance, and (3) verify if cross-cultural communication competence within collegiate tennis teams differs depending on the number of international players on a team. Pearson’s correlations and a Mann-Whitney U test were run, and revealed non-significant relationships between the level of cross- cultural communication competence and doubles performance, and between the number of international players on a team and their doubles performance. However, results showed that players are aware of the importance of effective cross-cultural communication, and they provided suggestions for improving it.

Vol. 15, No. 2: Self-Affirmation Ineffective for Promoting Positive Skin Cancer Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions Among Female College Students

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:51:46 -0700

Few studies have examined self-affirmation interventions to improve receptivity to information related to skin cancer prevention. The current study aimed to understand if value or trait affirmations are effective for improving receptivity to sun safety messages. Participants were 310 female college students reporting ever (44%) or never (56%) tanning indoors. The design randomized participants to one of two types of self-affirmation interventions or one of two matched control writing conditions. Skin cancer information was presented and attitudes about skin cancer and behavioral intentions to tan were subsequently measured. A behavioral measure involved giving participants the opportunity to request free sunscreen. Neither values nor trait self-affirmations were effective; indoor tanners reported higher intentions to tan in the future across all manipulation groups.

Vol. 15, No. 2: The Role of Age in Combination with Cultural Values in In-Group Bias

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:53:24 -0700

In this paper, we examined the role of age in combination with cultural values in in-group biases in an experimental study. By manipulating uncertainty avoidance from Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (1983, 2010), we compared in-group biases between two age groups (7-9 and 13-14). The results revealed that age has a significant main effect for only explicit in-group bias measure whereas there was no causal effect of cultural values along with age in any of the in-group bias measurements. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed further.

Vol. 15, No. 1: Effects of Spacing and Testing on Inductive Learning

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 10:19:21 -0700

The current study aimed to replicate the results of previous studies examining the spacing and testing effect by showing a benefit of spaced practice and repeated testing on inductive learning. Seventy-four participants practiced diagnosing 36 case studies of six psychological disorders and tested in a posttest phase. Although learning occurred, there were no significant differences found in posttest scores between the stimuli that were practiced in a massed versus spaced format. There were also no differences found in posttest scores between stimuli that were practiced as study versus testing trials. The results of the current study necessitate a discussion about how spacing and testing can be most effective and if the effectiveness is conditional on the material being studied.

Vol. 15, No. 1: Reproducibility of Incentive Motivation Effects on Standard Place Task Performance of the Virtual Morris Water Maze in Humans: Neuropsychological Implications

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 10:18:46 -0700

The Virtual Morris Water Maze (VWM) is a computerized task used to assess spatial learning and memory in humans. Previous research indicated that monetary incentives increased performance in the VWM task (Murty et al., 2011). The present study attempted to replicate positive effects of incentive on spatial memory in the VWM (Murty et al., 2011) and to determine if competition and levels of monetary incentive would have a differential effect upon overall escape latency performance in the standard place task used in the majority of published studies. The present series of studies did not find any facilitating effects of incentive on escape latency. We conclude that the virtual spatial navigation performance using the standard place task (single platform goal) in the VWM is unaffected by incentive/motivation.

Vol. 15, No. 1: Implicit sound symbolism effect in lexical access, revisited: A requiem for the interference task paradigm

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 10:18:09 -0700

Sound symbolism refers to a systematic association between phonemes and meaning. It has been claimed that continuant consonants are associated with round shapes, while stop consonants are strongly associated with sharp shapes. Westbury (2005) developed an implicit measure of this effect, asking participants to make lexical decisions to strings inside round or sharp frames. Decisions to all-continuant strings were faster when they were presented in compatible curvy frames and vice versa. Several unpublished attempts at replication have failed to replicate this effect. Here I re-analyze the original data and report a failure to replicate my own effect. Although the re-analysis supports the original conclusions, it also uncovers some problematic features of the original effect.

Vol. 14, No. 2: State Mindfulness and the Red Bull Effect

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 10:17:00 -0700

Data have shown that participants primed with images of a can of the drink Red Bull tend to show an increase in risk taking activities, such as increased recklessness (Brasel & Gips, 2011). Mindfulness-induction has been shown to increase attention and awareness (Brown & Ryan, 2003; Lueke & Gibson, 2015, 2016) and increased levels of attention and awareness have been shown to greatly decrease automaticity (Chambers, Low, & Alan, 2008; Kang, Gruber, & Gray, 2013). Decreasing automaticity should disrupt the increase in negative primed behaviors such as risk-taking. In the present set of experiments, however, priming participants with Red Bull did not lead them to a higher association of self with risky self-concepts, nor did the Red Bull primed participants display an increase in any of the negative (i.e., risk-taking) and aggressive behaviors that were measured. Also, state mindfulness did not decrease any negative behaviors compared to the control group.

Vol. 14, No. 2: Responses to the Perceived Stress Scale are not Associated with Cortisol Levels or Insulin Resistance in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 10:16:04 -0700

To determine if perceived stress is a risk factor for higher cortisol levels and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients using archival data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS II, Project 4). Type 2 diabetic participants (n = 115) were included in the analyses with a comparison sample of non-diabetics (n = 1,091). Greater perceived stress was not associated with higher cortisol or insulin resistance for type 2 diabetic participants. The perceived stress/cortisol relationship was not statistically significant for non-diabetic participants and was essentially the same as the type 2 diabetic sample. Methods used to measure stress may differ in their utility for assessing the physiological impact of stress.

Vol. 14, No. 2: Incidental Haptic Sensations May Not Influence Social Judgments: A Purely Confirmatory Replication Attempt of Study 1 by Ackerman, Nocera, and Bargh (2010)

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 10:15:19 -0700

This preregistered replication attempt focuses on the finding from Ackerman, Nocera, and Bargh (2010; ANB) that holding a heavy object triggers concepts related to importance. ANB reported that participants who were holding a heavy clipboard rated a job candidate as better overall and more seriously interested in the job than participants holding a light clipboard. We failed to replicate ANB’s results; instead, Bayes factor hypothesis tests indicated evidence for the absence of a difference between the heavy and the light condition in the overall evaluation and perceived seriousness of the candidate, and in participants’ perceived task importance. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting preregistered replication research and illustrate the theoretical and practical advantages of Bayesian inference in psychological research.

Vol. 14, No. 1: Guilt, Shame, Sympathy, and Prosocial Behavior

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 14:41:03 -0700

The present study was designed to replicate and extend the original research on the negative state relief model linking guilt, shame, and sympathy to prosocial behavior. Participants were 202 students from a Southern regional university in the USA. Results showed no differences between the emotion-eliciting conditions (“breaking” the researcher’s computer when alone—guilt condition, “breaking” the researcher’s computer when another participant is present—shame condition, or watching another participant “break” the researcher’s computer—sympathy condition) and the control group (the computer did not break) with regard to prosocial behavior (agreeing to help a professor out by filling out an additional questionnaire after completion of the experiment), even when taking the personality variable of social value orientation into account.

Vol. 14, No. 1: Assessing Narcissism in At-risk Adolescents with a Single Item: The Importance of Multidimensionality

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 14:38:38 -0700

Research on narcissism in adolescents has established the validity and utility of inventories such as the 40-item Narcissistic Personality Inventory for Children (NPIC; Barry, Frick, & Killian, 2003) and the 52-item Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI; Pincus et al., 2009). However, a series of studies with adults has reported the psychometrics of the Single Item Narcissism Scale (SINS; Konrath, Meier, & Bushman, 2014). The present study examined the SINS in 158 at-risk adolescents (122 males, 36 females) ages 16-18. Ratings on the SINS were not significantly correlated with total scores on the NPIC or PNI, with self-esteem, or with aggression. Potential explanations for the general lack of convergence of the SINS with broader narcissism scales and assessment implications are discussed.

Vol. 14, No. 1: The influence of social stigmas on observers’ eye movements

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 14:36:55 -0700

Some social stigmas are associated with clear visual cues (facial scars, tattoos). Eye tracking has shown that such social stigmas influence the eye movements of other people. Other social stigmas often go without clearly visible cues (e.g., a mental illness or a criminal record). The present study investigates whether providing information about such stigmas affects eye movements of observers. Participants were presented with video clips and advance information about one of the actors that was either stigmatizing (related to mental health or a criminal past) or non-stigmatizing. The results show that eye movements towards the target actor were not systematically affected by stigmatizing advance information and were not associated with explicit attitudes from questionnaires. Results therefore suggest that stigmas without clear visual cues do not draw attention to or away from the person involved.

Vol. 14, No. 1: Using Wikipedia to study global suicide patterns

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 14:37:59 -0700

We conduct much of our lives online, and these activities leave traces that may be useful in epidemiological research. This study evaluated if global, seasonal and weekly variability in suicide incidence is reflected in the number of visits to Wikipedia’s article on suicide. Data on daily visits to the Wikipedia article on “suicide” were obtained for 36 languages, and compared to the literature on regional suicide incidence, and to seasonal and weekday patterns when available. There was no correlation between suicide incidence and the number of visits to Wikipedia’s article on suicide in respective language regions. Further, suicide incidence and article views according to season were found to be different across all language regions. Free and publically available information sources on online behavior holds promise to complement traditional epidemiological methods. However, at present, the publicly available Wikipedia user data does not appear to provide a good proxy for rapid assessments of global trends in the epidemiology of suicide.

Vol. 14, No. 1: Failure to Replicate Ego Depletion in the Mechanism Underlying Teacher Aggression: A Conditional Process Analysis

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 14:35:05 -0700

The ego depletion effect refers to the hypothesis that self-control is vulnerable to short-term deterioration after it is exerted, causing subsequent performance on other unrelated self-control tasks to diminish. A large number of published studies since 1998 have provided empirical support for the depletion effect. However, there is considerable debate in the literature about its actual cause. Furthermore, a recent series of meta-analyses indicate that the effect is substantially smaller than previously reported, and may even be zero. The present study investigated whether ego depletion influences the mechanism underlying teacher aggression, and specifically whether depleted teachers are more likely than nondepleted teachers to respond aggressively to students who misbehave. Participants included 110 Australian primary and secondary school teachers who completed five online procedures. Results revealed that ego depletion did not influence the mechanism underlying teacher aggression that was tested. Possible reasons for this null finding are discussed.

Vol. 13, No. 2: Influencing factors of materialism among residents of the UAE: The role of mortality salience and spirituality

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:55:29 -0700

According to the Terror Management theory, the management of existential insecurity critically influences human behavior. In philosophical schools, spirituality is viewed as a contrast to the acquisition of materialistic possessions. We investigated whether experimentally priming participants with spirituality-related, mortality-related, and neutral texts, affects materialistic attitudes among UAE residents. We did not find any significant differences in mean self-reported materialism scores between conditions (mortality salience vs. spirituality vs. neutral prime) using a repeated-measures analysis of variance (F (2, 58) = 1.143, p = .326, η_p² = .04). In view of these surprising results, reflections on the nature of materialism in a diversified domain of cultural and economic viewpoints are offered, along with implications for the conceptual foundations of TMT.

Vol. 13, No. 2: An absence of attentional bias: Statistics anxiety is unique among anxieties

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:53:03 -0700

The purpose of the study was to examine the role of attentional bias in statistics anxiety in two experiments. Participants were 99 (68% females) and 104 (67% females) psychology undergraduates at James Cook University, respectively. These participants had either never taken a statistics course before but will enroll in one in the future, were currently enrolled in a statistics course, or had successfully completed at least one statistics course but were not currently enrolled in a statistics course. Participants completed the emotional Stroop task and the dot probe task, the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale, Social Desirability Scale, and State- Trait Anxiety Inventory. Across the experiments, participants high in statistics anxiety had the same levels of attentional bias as their low-anxious counterparts, indicating an absence of attentional bias in statistics anxiety. Implications include a reconsideration of the cognitive mechanisms underlying statistics anxiety. Specifically, individuals with statistics anxiety might be interpreting danger based on the absence of safety indicators instead of the presence of danger indicators. Alternatively, another form of cognitive bias, such as an interpretation bias might underlie statistics anxiety. Future research should be conducted to compare the plausibility of these two explanations.

Vol. 13, No. 2: Effect of Ego-Depletion Typing Task on Stroop Does Not Extend to Diverse Online Sample

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:52:27 -0700

One of the most commonly reported effects in ego-depletion research is that ego-depletion worsens performance on the Stroop Task. The present study attempted to replicate the effect of ego-depletion (using a common ego-depletion typing task) on Stroop Task performance in a large, diverse online sample. The results did not yield a significant effect on any measures of accuracy or reaction time on the Stroop Task. One measure (change in reaction time from congruent to incongruent trials) was marginally significant, but it was so in the opposite direction predicted by ego-depletion research and reported in other papers. These results suggest that the ego-depletion effect may not yield as robust results in highly motivated online samples as it is with typical undergraduate samples.

Vol. 13, No. 2: Exposure to Animal Welfare Regulations Does Not Influence Attitudes Toward Animal Research Procedures

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:51:29 -0700

This study explored whether exposure to facts about the Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations (AWA/AWR) would impact participant’s perceptions of a fictitious research scenario using either rats or dogs as subjects. Participants read AWA/AWR facts or generic research facts and then read a research scenario. After, they completed a questionnaire that measured the value of the research proposal and their concern for animal subjects. Participants responded significantly more favorably to the research scenario when rats were used, but exposure to AWA/AWR regulations did not have an impact on their favorability ratings. This finding is contrary to Metzger (2015) who reported knowledge of regulations protecting the welfare of animals in research settings favorably impacted perception toward animal research.

Vol. 13, No. 2: The Relationship between the Big 5 Personality Traits and Eyewitness Recognition

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:50:54 -0700

The aim of the current research was to identify which, if any, personality traits are related to recognition in an eyewitness task. A correlational design was used with the co-variables being personality traits and correct (false) recognition. Eighty participants viewed a video clip, which showed a female being robbed. Participants completed a personality inventory. They were then supplied with misinformation, and finally completed a memory recognition task relating to the video clip. Spearman’s correlations were run identifying Openness as the only personality trait to be significantly associated with correct recognition scores. No predictor variables were found. The study may have highlighted that recognition is a favourable way to evaluate eyewitness testimony as it is not linked with, some, estimator variables.

Vol. 13, No. 2: A Test of Numerology: Do Birth Numbers Predict Nobel Prize Winners?

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:56:05 -0700

This paper tests a claim made by numerologists – the belief that the digits of a person’s birth date summed to a single integer, called the birth number, has predictive power. In order to test this claim the birth number was calculated for persons winning Nobel Prizes between the years 1901 and 2010. The distribution of birth numbers for prize winners did not differ significantly from chance (χ² = 4.92, df = 8, p = 0.77). The distribution of birth numbers between winners of different prize categories also did not differ significantly from chance (χ² = 28.9, df = 40, p = .90). These results provide no support for the claims of numerology.

Vol. 13, No. 2: An analysis of measurement invariance in work stress by sex: Are we comparing apples to apples?

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:45:58 -0700

This study explores whether instruments used to measure Job Control and Psychological Job Demands function differently by sex. We evaluated the comparability of these measures by sex using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. All estimates were invariant by sex, except for the intercept for the item assessing how "hectic" a worker perceives his/her job (which contributes to the Demands measure). This item intercept was statistically significantly higher for women than men, but not practically so. These findings suggest that the differences observed between men and women in the impact of work stress on health cannot be explained by measurement bias (when using the work stress measures employed in this study). Further research is needed to understand why work stress appears to a ect the health of men and women differently.