Congruency Effect Research Articles

Pupil size correlates with heart rate, skin conductance, pulse wave amplitude, and respiration responses during emotional conflict and valence processing

AbstractPupil size is a non‐invasive index for autonomic arousal mediated by the locus coeruleus–norepinephrine (LC‐NE) system. While pupil size and its derivative (velocity) are increasingly used as indicators of arousal, limited research has investigated the relationships between pupil size and other well‐known autonomic responses. Here, we simultaneously recorded pupillometry, heart rate, skin conductance, pulse wave amplitude, and respiration signals during an emotional face–word Stroop task, in which task‐evoked (phasic) pupil dilation correlates with LC‐NE responsivity. We hypothesized that emotional conflict and valence would affect pupil and other autonomic responses, and trial‐by‐trial correlations between pupil and other autonomic responses would be observed during both tonic and phasic epochs. Larger pupil dilations, higher pupil size derivative, and lower heart rates were observed in the incongruent condition compared to the congruent condition. Additionally, following incongruent trials, the congruency effect was reduced, and arousal levels indexed by previous‐trial pupil dilation were correlated with subsequent reaction times. Furthermore, linear mixed models revealed that larger pupil dilations correlated with higher heart rates, higher skin conductance responses, higher respiration amplitudes, and lower pulse wave amplitudes on a trial‐by‐trial basis. Similar effects were seen between positive and negative valence conditions. Moreover, tonic pupil size before stimulus presentation significantly correlated with all other tonic autonomic responses, whereas tonic pupil size derivative correlated with heart rates and skin conductance responses. These results demonstrate a trial‐by‐trial relationship between pupil dynamics and other autonomic responses, highlighting pupil size as an effective real‐time index for autonomic arousal during emotional conflict and valence processing.

Where does the processing of size meet the processing of space?

AbstractPrevious studies revealed an S-R compatibility effect between physical stimulus size and response location, with faster left (right) responses to small (large) stimuli, respectively, as compared to the reverse assignments. Here, we investigated the locus of interactions between the processing of size and spatial locations. In Experiment 1, we explored whether stimulus size and stimulus location interact at a perceptual level of processing when responses lack spatiality. The stimuli varied on three feature dimensions (color, size, location), and participants responded vocally to each feature in a separate task. Most importantly, we failed to observe a size-location congruency effect in the color-naming task where S-R compatibility effects were excluded. In Experiment 2, responses to color were spatial, that is, key-presses with the left and right hand. With these responses there was a congruency effect. In addition, we tested the interaction of the size-location compatibility effect with the Simon effect, which is known to originate at the stage of response selection. We observed an interaction between the two effects only with a subsample of participants with slower reaction times (RTs) and a larger size-location compatibility effect in a control condition. Together, the results suggest that the size-location compatibility effect arises at the response selection stage. An extended leaky, competing accumulator model with independent staggered impacts of stimulus size and stimulus location on response selection fits the data of Experiment 2 and specifies how the size-location compatibility effect and the Simon effect can arise during response selection.

Susceptibility to online misinformation: A systematic meta-analysis of demographic and psychological factors

Nearly five billion people use and receive news through social media and there is widespread concern about the negative consequences of misinformation on social media (e.g., election interference, vaccine hesitancy). Despite a burgeoning body of research on misinformation, it remains largely unclear who is susceptible to misinformation and why. To address this, we conducted a systematic individual participant data meta-analysis covering 256,337 unique choices made by 11,561 US-based participants across 31 experiments. Our meta-analysis reveals the impact of key demographic and psychological factors on online misinformation veracity judgments. We also disentangle the ability to discern between true and false news (discrimination ability) from response bias, that is, the tendency to label news as either true (true-news bias) or false (false-news bias). Across all studies, participants were well above-chance accurate for both true (68.51%) and false (67.24%) news headlines. We find that older age, higher analytical thinking skills, and identifying as a Democrat are associated with higher discrimination ability. Additionally, older age and higher analytical thinking skills are associated with a false-news bias (caution). In contrast, ideological congruency (alignment of participants’ ideology with news), motivated reflection (higher analytical thinking skills being associated with a greater congruency effect), and self-reported familiarity with news are associated with a true-news bias (naïvety). We also find that experiments on MTurk show higher discrimination ability than those on Lucid. Displaying sources alongside news headlines is associated with improved discrimination ability, with Republicans benefiting more from source display. Our results provide critical insights that can help inform the design of targeted interventions.

The gender congruency effect in sentence context depends on gender transparency and L2 proficiency: A self-paced reading study with Polish–German bilinguals

Aims and objectives: The gender congruency effect, and so the facilitated retrieval of grammatical gender for translation equivalents of the same gender, has been documented in the recognition of isolated words in L2. Our study investigates whether this effect extends to word recognition in sentence context and whether it is modulated by gender transparency and L2 proficiency. Design/methodology/approach: Sixty late unbalanced Polish–German bilinguals completed a self-paced reading task with noun phrases manipulated for lexical gender congruency with L1 (congruent, incongruent) and noun-internal gender transparency in L2 (transparent, non-transparent). L2 proficiency was assessed through the Dialang test. Data and analysis: Reading times on the noun were analysed by means of linear mixed-effects modelling. Findings/conclusion: Results showed a gender congruency effect that was limited to transparent nouns and which was greater at lower L2 proficiency levels. Originality: The study is the first to investigate the gender congruency effect in the recognition of nouns embedded in grammatical sentences. Significance/implications: The study shows that the presence of a contextualising sentence does not eliminate the cross-language effects of grammatical gender. Furthermore, it provides first evidence that individual noun-internal gender cues modulate the gender congruency effect. The findings are discussed in terms of the relationship between gender transparency at the micro-level and the degree of activation of gender values.

The Nexus of Influencers and Purchase Intention: Does Consumer Brand Co-Creation Behavior Matter?

The advancement of social media has led to the rise of influencers who are powerful in shaping consumer purchasing behavior. While influencer attributes play a role in shaping consumer behavior, little attention has been paid to the interplay of the attributes of social presence, influencer congruence with the endorsed brand, and purchasing intention. Thus, the current study investigates the effect of social presence and influencer congruence on purchase intention through consumer brand co-creation behavior. A survey approach was used to collect data from consumers who actively interact with at least one social media influencer in Tanzania. Using a sample size of 422, PLS-SEM was applied to test the hypotheses. The results showed that social presence and congruence affected consumer brand co-creation behavior, which subsequently affected purchase intention. Unlike influencer congruence, the social presence of the influencer did not directly affect purchase intention. Furthermore, the study holds that stimulating consumer brand co-creation behavior catalyzes the effects of social presence and influencer congruence on purchase intention. Therefore, in designing an influencer marketing campaign, selecting an influencer with social presence and congruence attribute is pivotal for the effectiveness of the influencer marketing strategy. Marketers should be relational rather than transaction-focused when designing and implementing the influencer marketing strategy.

The (in)congruence effects of organizational green compensation and employee green conscientiousness on pro-environmental behavior: evidence from China.

In past decades, the Chinese government has enacted a series of ecological policies to encourage organizations, the pivotal institutional agents implementing national policies, and employees, the crucial micro-actors engaging in ecological construction, to bring about employee pro-environmental behavior (EPEB) which is the foundation to realize nation's ecological strategies. Yet, the effectiveness of a widely adopted organizational-level green management practice "organizational green compensation" (OGC) and a typical individual-level green personality trait "employee green conscientiousness" (EGC) have been explored alone, ignoring the prevalence of various OGC-EGC combinations and failing to clarify the potential influences of OGC-EGC (in)congruence on EPEB. Our research endeavors to address this limitation by resolving the following two problems: What are the (in)congruence effects of OGC and EGC on EPEB in the Chinese context? And what is the underlying mechanism? Study 1 surveyed EGC, OGC, and EPEB among 778 subordinate-supervisor dyads and sought to test two single effects and three sets of comparisons between and within the congruence and incongruence effects using the methodology of polynomial regression and response surface analysis. Study 2 measured EGC, OGC, employee environmental commitment (EEC), and EPEB among 713 subordinate-supervisor dyads and attempted to verify the mediating role of EEC employing the block variable approach. Study 1 found that OGC and EGC independently, positively promote EPEB (ß = 0.39, p < 0.001; ß = 0.24, p < 0.001), the OGC-EGC congruence relates to higher EPEB compared to the OGC-EGC incongruence (p11 = 3.77, 95% CI = [0.71, 23.04]; p10 = - 0.65, 95% CI = [- 25.80, 0.42]; [α3 -α4 +α5] = - 0.24, 95% CI = [- 0.41, - 0.07]), the EPEB level is higher when the OGC-EGC congruence is at a high rather than low level ([α1 +α2] = 0.51, 95% CI = [0.39, 0.62]), and the EPEB level under the high-low combination is lower than that under the low-high combination ([α1-α2] = - 0.20, 95% CI = [- 0.38, - 0.02]). Study 2 further confirmed that EEC plays a mediating role during the OGC-EGC-EPEB relationships (the indirect effect = 0.14, 95% CI = [0.08, 0.20]). This research substantiates the value of OGC-EGC (in)congruence to fully understand EPEB variations such that, EPEB will be boosted (hampered) when OGC is (in)congruent with EGC; a higher congruence between OGC and EGC leads to higher EPEB, the high-low combination of OGC and EGC results in lower EPEB compared to the low-high combination, and EEC plays a mediating role in the above relationships, offering the Chinese evidence and providing theoretical and practical implications for the optimization of the OGC-EGC combinations to strengthen EPEB.

Impact of value-consciousness and brand-self value congruity on sustainable luxury brands and commodities

ABSTRACT Drawing on Self-Congruity and Equity Theories, this research examines the distinct impacts of communicating uniform sustainability initiatives for luxury brands versus commodity brands. This paper introduces a conceptual model that highlights the moderated mediation effect of brand-self value congruity and the three-way moderating effect of value-consciousness on the adverse impact of sustainability on luxury versus commodity brands. The findings from two experimental studies demonstrate that communicating sustainability initiatives has distinct effects on different brands. Specifically, sustainability initiatives enhance the evaluations of commodity brands but diminish the evaluations of luxury brands. The negative impact of sustainability on luxury brands is mediated by brand-self congruity. Moreover, value-consciousness moderates the relationship between sustainability and luxury brands, such that low value-conscious consumers tend to value sustainable luxury brands less than their non-sustainable counterparts, unlike high value-conscious consumers. These findings offer valuable managerial and practical insights for brand managers and communication strategists considering adopting sustainability communication strategies.

The psychology of pandemic policy support: unraveling the complex interplay of personal values and value congruence across 20 European countries

ObjectivesWe explored the roles of personal values and value congruence—the alignment between individual and national values—in predicting public support for pandemic restrictions across 20 European countries. Study designCross-sectional study. MethodsWe analyzed multinational European survey data (N = 34,356) using Schwartz's values theory and person-environment fit theory. Multilevel polynomial regression was employed to assess the linear and curvilinear effects of personal values on policy support. Multilevel Euclidean similarity analysis and response surface analysis were conducted to evaluate the impact of value congruence and delineate nuanced congruence patterns. ResultsFindings revealed that extreme levels of security, conformity, stimulation, hedonism, and achievement values were associated with decreased policy support. Value congruence with security, conformity, and benevolence increased support, while congruence with stimulation, hedonism, and achievement reduced it. High congruence between personal and national social focus values significantly boosted policy support. Extreme mismatches in self-direction values amplified support. Societal power exceeding personal power also increased support. Matched levels of hedonism motivated greater support, while stimulation and achievement value (in)congruence showed little impact. ConclusionsWe highlight the differential effects of personal values and value congruence on public attitudes toward pandemic restrictions. The findings underscore the importance of considering the interplay between individual and societal values when designing and implementing effective pandemic response strategies.

The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex promotes self-control by inhibiting the egocentric perspective

The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) plays a crucial role in social cognitive functions, including perspective-taking. Although perspective-taking has been linked to self-control, the mechanism by which the dmPFC might facilitate self-control remains unclear. Using the multimodal neuroimaging dataset from the Human Connectome Project (Study 1, N =978 adults), we established a reliable association between the dmPFC and self-control, as measured by discounting rate—the tendency to prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed ones. Experiments (Study 2, N = 36 adults) involving high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation showed that anodal stimulation of the dmPFC reduces the discounting of delayed rewards and decreases the congruency effect in egocentric but not allocentric perspective in the visual perspective-taking tasks. These findings suggest that the dmPFC promotes self-control by inhibiting the egocentric perspective, offering new insights into the neural underpinnings of self-control and perspective-taking, and opening new avenues for interventions targeting disorders characterized by impaired self-regulation.

ALDH1A3 Contributes to Radiation-Induced Inhibition of Self-Renewal and Promotes Proliferative Activity of p53-Deficient Glioblastoma Stem Cells at the Onset of Differentiation.

ALDH1A3 is a marker for mesenchymal glioblastomas characterized by a greater degree of aggressiveness compared to other major subtypes. ADH1A3 has been implicated in the regulation of stemness and radioresistance mediated by glioblastoma stem cells. Mechanisms by which ALDH1A3 promotes malignant progression of glioblastoma remain elusive posing a challenge for rationalization of ALDH1A3 targeting in glioblastoma, and it is also unclear how ALDH1A3 regulates glioblastoma cells stemness. Usage of different models with diverse genetic backgrounds and often unknown degree of stemness is one possible reason for discrepant views on the role of ALDH1A3 in glioblastoma stem cells. This study clarifies ALDH1A3 impacts on glioblastoma stem cells by modelling ALDH1A3 expression in an otherwise invariable genetic background with consideration of the impacts of inherent plasticity and proliferative changes associated with transitions between cell states. Our main finding is that ALDH1A3 exerts cell-state dependent impact on proliferation of glioblastoma stem cells. We provide evidence that ALDH1A3 augments radiation-induced inhibition of self-renewal and promotes the proliferation of differentiated GSC progenies. Congruent effects ALDH1A3 and radiation on self-renewal and proliferation provides a framework for promoting glioblastoma growth under radiation treatment.

Differential modulations of theta and beta oscillations by audiovisual congruency in letter-speech sound integration.

The integration of visual letters and speech sounds is a crucial part of learning to read. Previous studies investigating this integration have revealed a modulation by audiovisual (AV) congruency, commonly known as the congruency effect. To investigate the cortical oscillations of the congruency effects across different oscillatory frequency bands, we conducted a Japanese priming task in which a visual letter was followed by a speech sound. We analyzed the power and phase properties of oscillatory activities in the theta and beta bands between congruent and incongruent letter-speech sound (L-SS) pairs. Our results revealed stronger theta-band (5-7Hz) power in the congruent condition and cross-modal phase resetting within the auditory cortex, accompanied by enhanced inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) in the auditory-related areas in response to the congruent condition. The observed congruency effect of theta-band power may reflect increased neural activities in the left auditory region during L-SS integration. Additionally, theta ITPC findings suggest that visual letters amplify neuronal responses to the following corresponding auditory stimulus, which may reflect the differential cross-modal influences in the primary auditory cortex. In contrast, decreased beta-band (20-35 Hz) oscillatory power was observed in the right centroparietal regions for the congruent condition. The reduced beta power seems to be unrelated to the processing of AV integration, but may be interpreted as the brain response to predicting auditory sounds during language processing. Our data provide valuable insights by indicating that oscillations in different frequency bands contribute to the disparate aspects of L-SS integration.

The value of augmented reality: exploring hedonic and utilitarian augmented reality experiences

PurposeThe current study explores two distinct augmented reality (AR) experiences (hedonic and utilitarian) to determine the drivers of satisfaction and word-of-mouth (WOM). Specifically, this research investigates how different AR characteristics (person–virtual environment (VE) interaction, novelty) impact reality congruence and immersion, which ultimately lead to satisfaction and WOM.Design/methodology/approachWe tested the proposed model using a US consumer sample (N = 401) by applying partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to reveal differences across the AR experiences regarding the mediating effects of immersion and reality congruence. Furthermore, we administered PLS-SEM multigroup analysis to identify differences for hedonic and utilitarian AR experiences.FindingsThis study provides important insights into the use of AR to create value-driven consumer experiences and outcome behaviors. Interacting with the virtual environment (VE) enhances immersion for hedonic AR experiences while it leads to higher levels of reality congruence for utilitarian AR experiences. While established relationships such as novelty to immersion continue to be significant, new constructs such as person–VE interaction and reality congruence immerge as stronger influences.Originality/valueTo date, most studies have implemented apps such as IKEA Place and have considered value as one comprehensive construct. However, limited research has examined differences in hedonic and utilitarian AR experiences. The current findings enhance the understanding of utilizing value-driven consumer experiences within the AR context to achieve desirable outcome behaviors.

Crossmodal correspondence of elevation/pitch and size/pitch is driven by real-world features.

Crossmodal correspondences are consistent associations between sensory features from different modalities, with some theories suggesting they may either reflect environmental correlations or stem from innate neural structures. This study investigates this question by examining whether retinotopic or representational features of stimuli induce crossmodal congruency effects. Participants completed an auditory pitch discrimination task paired with visual stimuli varying in their sensory (retinotopic) or representational (scene integrated) nature, for both the elevation/pitch and size/pitch correspondences. Results show that only representational visual stimuli produced crossmodal congruency effects on pitch discrimination. These results support an environmental statistics hypothesis, suggesting crossmodal correspondences rely on real-world features rather than on sensory representations.

A comment on the Revised Diffusion Model for Conflict tasks (RDMC).

In conflict tasks, such as the Simon, Eriksen flanker, or Stroop task, a relevant and an irrelevant feature indicate the same or different responses in congruent and incongruent trials, respectively. The congruency effect refers to faster and less error-prone responses in congruent relative to incongruent trials. Distributional analyses reveal that the congruency effect in the Simon task becomes smaller with increasing RTs, reflected by a negative-going delta function. In contrast, for other tasks, the delta function is typically positive-going, meaning that congruency effects become larger with increasing RTs. The Diffusion Model for Conflict tasks (DMC; Ulrich et al., Cognitive Psychology, 78, 148-174, 2015) accounts for this by explicitly modeling the information accumulated from the relevant and the irrelevant features and attributes negatively- versus positively-sloped delta functions to different peak times of a pulse-like activation resulting from the task-irrelevant feature. Because the underlying function implies negative drift rates, Lee and Sewell (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 31(5), 1-31, 2024) recently questioned this assumption and suggested their Revised Diffusion Model for Conflict tasks (RDMC). We address three issues regarding RDMC compared to DMC: (1) The pulse-like function is not as implausible as Lee and Sewell suggest. (2) RDMC itself comes with a questionable assumption that different parameters are required for congruent and incongruent trials. (3) Moreover, we present data from a new parameter recovery study, suggesting that RDMC lacks acceptable recovery of several parameters (in particular compared to DMC). In this light, we discuss RDMC as not (yet) a revised version of DMC.

Modulations of response activation contribute to block-wide control: Evidence from proportion congruency effects in the prime-probe task.

Distractor-related congruency effects are smaller in blocks of mostly incongruent (vs. mostly congruent) trials. It remains unclear, though, how control processes produce this proportion congruency effect (PCE). The attentional shift account posits that experiencing conflict more frequently in mostly incongruent (vs. mostly congruent) blocks biases control processes to shift attention away from the distractor. The response modulation account posits that, if participants identify the distractor before the target, control processes use the distractor's identity to prepare a congruent response in mostly congruent blocks and/or an incongruent response in mostly incongruent blocks. We conducted four experiments (N = 192) to investigate whether a modulation of response activation contributes to the PCE in the prime-probe task. We observed a larger PCE when the prime/distractor appeared 166 ms before (vs. simultaneously with) the probe/target (Experiment 1) and a PCE without an overall congruency effect at a longer, 933-ms stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA; Experiment 2). Critically, the latter PCE was associated with a negative congruency effect in mostly incongruent blocks, consistent with a modulation of response activation but not a shift of attention. Finally, in a modified prime-probe task, wherein participants respond to each stimulus before the next one appears (1,133 ms SOA), we observed analogous PCEs and negative congruency effects (Experiment 3) and a PCE-like effect in response force just before the probe appeared (Experiment 4). These findings indicate an independent contribution of control processes that modulate response activation to the PCE at long prime-probe SOAs, which extends beyond minimizing distraction from irrelevant stimuli. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Strategic philanthropy of athletes after transgression: examining the congruence effect of pre-transgression and transgression issues

PurposeThis study comprehensively explains how sports consumers evaluate athletes’ post-transgression philanthropic activities. We specifically focus on the congruence effect between the pre-transgression philanthropic endeavors and the transgression issue, shedding light on the effectiveness of these strategies in reinstating the positive image of athletes and associated entities.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a rigorous research design, replicating two studies using sports-related (n = 409) and non-sports-related (n = 404) transgression cases. Data were collected by the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform. A series of experimental studies aimed to investigate the congruence mechanism underlying athletes’ post-transgression philanthropic efforts.FindingsWhen the post-transgression philanthropic initiative is related to the transgression, sport consumers are less likely to view it skeptically and are more inclined to positively evaluate the brand attitude and purchase intention, especially when the transgression is unrelated to the pre-transgression philanthropic efforts.Research limitations/implicationsAs is the case with most research, this study has a limitation. This study used a fictitious athlete name to prevent any prior biases or preconceived notions about the athletes and to avoid any unforeseen influences of personal attitudes toward the athlete. However, designing this study around a fictitious athlete may pose construct validity issues because it may not reflect real-life interactions with the athletes. To increase the validity of findings, future research should aim to replicate the current findings using the names of actual athletes.Originality/valueThis unique approach provides valuable insights and equips sports marketers and brand managers with effective strategies to restore the positive image of athletes and associated entities after a transgression has been made public, empowering them to make informed decisions in challenging situations.

How and when whistleblowing influences engagement? The role of emotional ambivalence, congruence between descriptive and injunctive norms

ABSTRACT Integrating ambivalence theory and focus theory of normative conduct, this research has explored after effect mechanism of whistleblowing on whistleblowers’ engagement. A multi-study approach was utilized to test these predictions. Study 1 (a multi-wave field study of working adults) examined the impact of whistleblowing on whistleblowers’ engagement through emotional ambivalence, as well as the moderating effect of congruence between descriptive and injunctive norms. Study 2 (a vignette experiment) further investigate the effects of whistleblowing on whistleblowers’ engagement through emotional ambivalence, aiming to strengthen causal inferences. In Study 3 (a recall experiment), we extended our model to consider a theoretically relevant moderator. Our results showed that the impact of whistleblowing on emotional ambivalence was weakened by whistleblowers’ congruence between descriptive and injunctive norms. Managers ought to give significant consideration to the detrimental impacts of whistleblowing during the post-whistleblowing stage, as well as provide guidance to members of the organization to ensure a proper understanding of social norms. Above conclusions contribute to the general knowledge of after effect mechanism of whistleblowing, providing a deeper insight into whistleblowing’s effects on whistleblowers.

Effects of color-typeface congruence on product evaluation

Product packaging is important for attracting consumer attention and creating expectations regarding a product, both of which can influence product evaluation. A key issue in package design is the coordinated selection of multiple package elements. This study investigates whether and when congruence between color and typeface in a product package can improve product evaluation. To this end, we analyze color and typeface on product packages based on semiotics and marketing, propose a conceptual model for the role of color-typeface congruence, and conduct three empirical studies that test the hypotheses implied from our model. Study 1 shows that color-typeface congruence is positively related to product evaluation. In Study 2, processing fluency is identified as a link between color-typeface congruence and product evaluation. Finally, Study 3 establishes the moderating role of design sensitivity in the relationship between processing fluency and product evaluation. Our findings contribute to more effective marketing communication for marketers and retailers through packaging.

How illness perception congruence between patients with cancer and caregivers affects their anxiety and depression levels

Abstract Background: This study aimed to investigate the similarities or discrepancies in illness perception between patients with cancer and their primary caregivers by examining the predictive effect of illness congruence on anxiety and depression in both patients and caregivers. Methods: A total of 106 patients with cancer with outpatient chemotherapy aged 18–65 years (M = 49.60; SD = 11.35; 60.4% female) and 106 caregivers aged 18–65 years (M = 42.97; SD = 12.51; 50.9% female) participated in the study, which was conducted at the outpatient chemotherapy unit of a large public hospital. Data were collected through convenience sampling using a cross-sectional design. Depression and anxiety levels were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, whereas illness perception was measured using the Brief Illness Perception Scale. Results: Multiple hierarchical regression analysis determined that higher illness perception congruence significantly predicted higher anxiety levels in patients with cancer after controlling for demographic variables. Conclusion: The results revealed that higher illness perception congruence between patients and their caregivers was associated with increased anxiety in patients with cancer. Both patients and caregivers perceiving the illness negatively might have accounted for the higher anxiety levels of the patients. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate and emphasize the vital role of further dyadic investigations, in which family members are also involved.

Grammatical gender universalities underlying uniform mental representations of the world: Myth or reality?

The subject of grammatical gender and cognition has been continuously examined in psycholinguistics, wherein findings show essential support for gender congruency effects, suggesting that grammar lends matrices for speakers’ mental representations. Based on these psycholinguistic data, this study offers an innovative vista of investigation that combines typological and cognitive linguistic approaches. Its purpose lies in determining whether grammatical gender patterns sanction cross-linguistic universality in conceptualising entities as male or female, and whether grammatical gender universalities have semantic motivation. This research reveals universal tendencies in grammatical gender affiliation of the analysed nouns in 32 two and three gender languages belonging to different groups of the Indo-European, Indo-Iranian and Afro-Asiatic language families. From a cognitive perspective, these findings testify to the identical mental images of the entities denoting artefacts, natural phenomena and abstract concepts in speakers of the languages under consideration. Furthermore, grammatical gender universalities manifest certain semantic dimensions involving the motives associated with masculine or feminine and symbolic suggestions of the Woman archetype. As per the data from cognitive poetics, grammatical gender universalities become objects of special stylistic choices emerging as personified images of symbolic relevance in gender and non-gender languages.