Asymmetry In Evaluation Research Articles

Positive—Negative Asymmetry in Evaluation of Natural Stimuli: Empirical Study in the Contrast Model of Similarity Extended to Open Sets

Abstract The current work shows empirical verification of the similarity theory extended to open sets of features, which states that an increase in similarity between 2 objects results from the deletion of distinctive features or the addition of common features, albeit with different effects. To date, theoretical simulations and empirical demonstrations using real features have shown how the model works. However, to test the validity of the model we conducted an experiment where direct judgments were used. A total of 188 participants were evaluated at 3 different levels related to similarity, affect, and willingness to live, in reference to cities that differed in terms of their amounts of positive and negative features. The results revealed that when their initial similarity to the ideal was greater than 0.5, deletion of distinctive, negative features had a stronger effect on the object evaluation and was more effective than adding positive features of the same value. When the initial similarity to the ideal was less than 0.5, opposite results were obtained; that is, the addition of common, positive features had a stronger effect on the object evaluation than deleting negative features of the same value. The results have shown a positive-negative asymmetry in the evaluation process, which supports the similarity theory extended to open sets of features. In addition, the findings revealed that the positive-negative asymmetry derived from the theory can be explained by the ratio difference principle.

Differential Reactions to Male and Female Gender-Role Violations: Testing the Sexual Orientation Hypothesis.

Previous research has found that gender-atypical males are evaluated more negatively than gender-atypical females. According to the sexual orientation hypothesis, this asymmetry in evaluations occurs because the feminine characteristics taken on by males when they violate gender roles are more closely tied to perceived sexual orientation than are the masculine characteristics of gender-atypical females. The current series of studies were designed to confirm the existence and generality of the asymmetry phenomenon (Study 1), the preconditions for testing the sexual orientation hypothesis (Study 2), and then to test the hypothesis itself (Study 3). Study 1 found that, as predicted, adults (N = 195, females = 97) displayed more intolerance of males than of females committing gender-role violations across a wide variety of characteristics within multiple domains, although the existence of asymmetry varied somewhat depending on the domain. Study 2 revealed that, as predicted, adults (N = 196, females = 117) believed that gender-role violations indicate homosexuality more so for males than for females overall and across all four domains studied (occupation, activity, trait, and appearance). Study 3 directly tested the sexual orientation hypotheses by examining the relationship between intolerance of specific gender-role violations (scores from Study 1) and the perceived homosexuality associated with those violations (scores from Study 2). Overall, there was a positive relationship between intolerance and perceived homosexuality, indicating that the more a given gender-role violation is thought to implicate homosexuality, the more negatively/less positively people tend to react to the violation, consistent with the sexual orientation hypothesis.

It pays to be nice, but not really nice: Asymmetric reputations from prosociality across 7 countries

AbstractCultures differ in many important ways, but one trait appears to be universally valued: prosociality. For one’s reputation, around the world, it pays to be nice to others. However, recent research with American participants finds that evaluations of prosocial actions are asymmetric—relatively selfish actions are evaluated according to the magnitude of selfishness but evaluations of relatively generous actions are less sensitive to magnitude. Extremely generous actions are judged roughly as positively as modestly generous actions, but extremely selfish actions are judged much more negatively than modestly selfish actions (Klein & Epley, 2014). Here we test whether this asymmetry in evaluations of prosociality is culture-specific. Across 7 countries, 1,240 participants evaluated actors giving various amounts of money to a stranger. Along with relatively minor cross-cultural differences in evaluations of generous actions, we find cross-cultural similarities in the asymmetry in evaluations of prosociality. We discuss implications for how reputational inferences can enable the cooperation necessary for successful societies.

Worth Keeping but Not Exceeding

Promises are social contracts that can be broken, kept, or exceeded. Breaking one’s promise is evaluated more negatively than keeping one’s promise. Does expending more effort to exceed a promise lead to equivalently more positive evaluations? Although linear in their outcomes, we expected an asymmetry in evaluations of broken, kept, and exceeded promises. Whereas breaking one’s promise is obviously negative compared to keeping a promise, we predicted that exceeding one’s promise would not be evaluated more positively than merely keeping a promise. Three sets of experiments involving hypothetical, recalled, and actual promises support these predictions. A final experiment suggests this asymmetry comes from overvaluing kept promises rather than undervaluing exceeded promises. We suggest this pattern may reflect a general tendency in social systems to discourage selfishness and reward cooperation. Breaking one’s promise is costly, but exceeding it does not appear worth the effort.

Buying and Selling Risk -- An Experiment Investigating Evaluation Asymmetries

Experimental studies of the WTP-WTA gap avoid social trading by implementing an incentive compatible mechanism for each individual trader. We compare a traditional random price mechanism and a novel elicitation mechanism preserving social trading, without sacrificing mutual incentive compatibility. Furthermore, we focus on risky goods - binary monetary lotteries - for which asymmetries in evaluations are more robust with respect to experimental procedures. For both elicitation mechanisms, the usual asymmetry in evaluation by sellers and buyers is observed. An econometric estimation sheds new light on its causes: potential buyers are over-pessimistic and systematically underweight the probability of a good outcome.

Worth Keeping but Not Exceeding: Asymmetric Consequences of Breaking versus Exceeding Promises

Promises are social contracts that can be broken, kept, or exceeded. Breaking one's promise is evaluated more negatively than keeping one's promise. Does expending more effort to exceed a promise lead to equivalently more positive evaluations? Although linear in their outcomes, we expected an asymmetry in evaluations of broken, kept, and exceeded promises. Whereas breaking one's promise is obviously negative compared to keeping a promise, we predicted that exceeding one's promise would not be evaluated more positively than merely keeping a promise. Three sets of experiments involving hypothetical, recalled, and actual promises support these predictions. A final experiment suggests this asymmetry comes from overvaluing kept promises rather than undervaluing exceeded promises. We propse this pattern may reflect a general tendency in social systems to discourage selfishness and reward cooperation. Breaking one's promise is costly, but exceeding it does not appear worth the effort.

A Very Simple Model of Conflict and Conflict Management with Asymmetric Evaluations and Institutional Constraint

This paper considers a partial equilibrium model of conflict where two rational and risk-neutral opponents conflict in order to appropriate a positive fraction of a stake. This paper is intended to extend the literature on conflict dealing with two main points: (1) the incentives to settle peacefully under an institutional constraint; (2) the impact of asymmetry in evaluations of the stake on such willingness to settle. In formal terms, this paper introduces a crucial modification of the Contest Success Function (CSF) which is commonly used as cornerstone of both rent-seeking and contest models. Such a crucial modification of the CSF is intended to capture the impact of an institutional constraint. The results show that (a) both agents prefer to settle if and only if an institutional fee is fixed under a critical value; (b) the critical value of the institutional fee is directly related to the evaluation of the stake each agent does retain; (c) the agents with a higher evaluation of the stake has a higher willingness to settle.

The interactive effect of positive and negative occupational attributional styles on job motivation

Research on attributional style in the work setting has generated inconsistent results concerning the effect attributional styles for positive and negative events have on job motivation and performance. This study set out to examine whether attributional style for positive and for negative work-related events, and their interaction, are related to job motivation. One hundred and sixteen working adults completed questionnaires measuring positive and negative attributional styles, and job motivation. The findings showed that both positive and negative attributional styles, as well as their interaction, were predictors of job motivation. The interactive effect suggests that a negative attributional style is negatively related to job motivation in the absence, but not in the presence, of a positive attributional style. It was also found that employees who have stayed for a reasonably long time with an organization (more than 4 years) are particularly vulnerable to negative attributional style. These findings are discussed in terms of the theoretical framework of positive – negative asymmetry in evaluations. Implications concerning the measurement of occupational attributional style are presented, as well as practical applications for organizations.

Ketamine-induced rotational asymmetry in evaluation of motor disturbances in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Intraperitoneal injection of ketamine in subanesthetic doses to Wistar rats with unilateral occlusion of the middle cerebral artery caused ipsilateral rotation (2-10 rpm), which was recorded in an automatic rotameter. The optimal dose of ketamine was 50 mg/kg. The animals were examined in an automatic rotameter for 40 min. Motor asymmetry persisted for no less than 2 months after surgery. According to the neurological test (Menzies scale) motor asymmetry in animals with focal brain ischemia persisted for no more than 30 days. The degree of ketamine-induced motor asymmetry in intact rats was 0.10 0.03 rpm.

Positive-Negative Asymmetry in Evaluations: The Distinction Between Affective and Informational Negativity Effects

(1990). Positive-Negative Asymmetry in Evaluations: The Distinction Between Affective and Informational Negativity Effects. European Review of Social Psychology: Vol. 1, European Review of Social Psychology, pp. 33-60.