Experiment 1b Research Articles

The role of surface and structural similarities in the retrieval of realistic perceptual events.

This study investigated whether structural similarities (i.e. abstract frames, e.g. once bitten twice shy) can prevail over surface similarities (i.e. contexts, e.g. restaurant) in driving the retrieval of realistic events involving dynamic, multimodal and perceptually crowded data. After watching an initial set of video clips, participants had to indicate whether a new video clip, that shared surface similarities with an initial event and structural similarities with another one, elicited a retrieval. The results of Experiment 1A showed that retrieval was more likely to be elicited by structural rather than by surface similarities. Experiment 1B confirmed that the surface similarities manipulated in this study were strong enough to elicit substantial retrievals when the competing structural match was neutralized. The pattern of results obtained in Experiment 1A remained unchanged when the number of unrelated video clips within the initial set was increased. The findings suggest that structurally based retrievals still prevail when familiar structures underlie realistic perceptual events. They open new perspectives regarding the settings that promote structurally based retrievals in educational contexts where unfamiliar principles are introduced.

Individuating and categorizing faces: The other-race effect is reduced by attending to racial but not identity cues

ABSTRACT According to social-cognitive accounts, the other-race effect in face recognition is driven by our tendency to attend to identity cues when encoding own-race faces (“individuation”) and racial cues when encoding other-race faces (“categorization”). This study employed novel one-back tasks to ensure that participants processed identity (individuation) or racial cues (categorization) when learning faces in an old/new recognition task. Categorization encoding eliminated the other-race effect in recognition sensitivity when list length was short (Experiment 2) but not when list length was long (Experiment 1B). Importantly, this elimination was driven by weaker performance for own-race faces, rather than stronger performance for other-race faces. Individuation encoding failed to reduce the other-race effect, regardless of list length (Experiment 1A and Experiment 2). We compare these findings with previous studies and propose several methodological features (e.g., presentation duration, task difficulty) that might influence the observed impacts of individuation and categorization encoding on the other-race effect.

Does affective processing require awareness? On the use of the Perceptual Awareness Scale in response priming research.

Masked priming paradigms are frequently used to shine light on the processes of nonconscious cognition. Introducing a new method to this field, Lähteenmäki et al. (2015) claimed that affective priming requires awareness. Specifically, they administered a subjective rating task after the priming task in each trial to directly assess awareness of the prime. Their main result was a lack of priming for subjectively unaware primes. In four experiments, we compared their method with the traditional paradigm, that is, a single-task priming phase followed by a direct test of prime recognition. We used faces with anger versus sadness expressions as primes and targets; emotion categorization was the task. In contrast to Lähteenmäki et al., primes and targets were drawn from different sets, such that priming effects can be unequivocally attributed to the processing of evaluative features. In Experiments 1a, b, we followed their approach of using different prime durations to produce variance in awareness ratings. With a duration of 40 ms, significant priming effects for subjectively unaware primes were found. This duration was also associated with priming effects in the traditional paradigm with near-zero objective prime categorization, suggesting that priming does not require awareness. In Experiment 2a, employing a constant 40-ms duration, we replicated the traditional effect. However, the parallel Experiment 2b with subjective awareness ratings produced a null result at a sharply increased response time level. We conclude that the claim that affective processing requires awareness is not justified. Subjective trial-by-trial visibility ratings can severely alter processing strategies in response priming paradigms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

EXPRESS: On the interchangeability of presentation order for cause and effect: Experimental tests of cue and outcome density effects.

Studies of cue-outcome contingency learning demonstrate outcome-density effects: participants typically overestimate contingencies when the outcome event is relatively frequent. Equivalent cue-density effects occur, though these have been examined less often. Few studies have simultaneously examined both those event density effects or have manipulated the presentation order of the events,limiting knowledge of whether these phenomena share underlying principles-. We report three well-powered experiments to address those gaps. Participants judged the effectiveness of a medical treatment after viewing a series of pairings for two events, a cause (treatment given vs. not) and an effect (patient recovered vs. not). Experiment 1 manipulated both event densities independently. We then manipulated the presentation order for the cause and the effect, alongside a manipulation of effect density (Experiment 2a) or cause density (Experiment 2b). Experiment 1 found a large main effect of event-density (η_p^2 =.55), which was qualified by a significant interaction between event type and density level (η_p^2 =.10) whereby effect density had greater impact than cause density. Experiments 2a and 2b found effects for effect-density (η_p^2=.60) and cause-density (η_p^2=.31). The effects of cause-effect presentation order were always small and non-significant. We conclude that effect-density manipulations had substantial impact on contingency judgments, and cause-density manipulations less so. Moreover, it matters little which event (cause or effect) is seen first. These findings have implications for contingency, associative, probabilistic, and causal models of contingency judgment; primarily, that people may be more sensitive to the causal status of events than to their temporal order of presentation.

Syntax drives default language selection in bilingual connected speech production.

The present study investigated the role of syntactic processing in driving bilingual language selection. In two experiments, 120 English-dominant Spanish-English bilinguals read aloud 18 paragraphs with language switches. In Experiment 1a, each paragraph included eight switch words on function targets (four that repeated in every paragraph), and Experiment 1b was a replication with eight additional switches on content words in each paragraph. Both experiments had three conditions: (a) normal, (b) noun-swapped (in which nouns within consecutive sentences were swapped), and (c) random (in which words in each sentence were reordered randomly). In both experiments bilinguals produced intrusion errors, automatically translating language switch words by mistake, especially on function words (e.g., saying the day and stay awake instead of the day y stay awake). Intrusion rates did not vary across experiments even though switch rate was doubled in Experiment 1b relative to Experiment 1a. Bilinguals produced the most intrusions in normal paragraphs, slightly but significantly fewer intrusions in noun-swapped paragraphs, and a dramatic drop in intrusion rates in the random condition, even though the random condition elicited the most within-language errors. Bilinguals also demonstrated a common signature of inhibitory control in the form of reversed language dominance effects, which did not vary significantly across paragraph types. Finally, intrusions increased with switch word predictability (surprisal), but significant differences between conditions remained when controlling for predictability. These results demonstrate that bilingual language selection is driven by syntactic processing, which operates independently from other language control mechanisms, such as inhibition.the day and stay (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Running-based food aversion learning in freely-fed and hydrated rats: Daily monitoring of running-induced nausea by measuring kaolin clay ingestion

The main objective of this research was to demonstrate food aversion learning in rats with unrestricted access to food and water, using wheel running as the unconditioned stimulus. Experiment 1 showed that the target-running paired training group consumed a statistically smaller amount of the target food (tteok rice cakes) compared to the target/running unpaired control group, but the decrease in consumption over days in the paired group was not fully supported by a statistical test. Experiment 2a improved the methodology by familiarizing rats with tteok before training, which resulted in both a statistically significant group effect and a statistically significant daily decrease in tteok consumption. Experiment 2b demonstrated that tteok aversion could be reacquired after an extinction phase. These experiments indicate that running-based tteok aversion in non-deprived rats is a valid example of Pavlovian conditioning and suggest that wheel running can cause similar effects in unrestricted rats as observed in food- or water-restricted rats. Additionally, daily measurements of kaolin clay ingestion suggested that wheel running induced nausea in the rats of these experiments.

The perceptual and mnemonic effects of ensemble representation on individual size representation.

Our visual world consists of multiple objects, necessitating the identification of individual objects. Nevertheless, the representation of visual objects often exerts influence on each other. Even when we selectively attend to a subset of visual objects, the representations of surrounding items are encoded and influence the processing of the attended item(s). However, it remains unclear whether the effect of group ensemble representation on individual item representation occurs at the perceptual encoding phase, during the memory maintenance period, or both. Therefore, the current study conducted visual psychophysics experiments to investigate the contributions of perceptual and mnemonic bias on the observed effect of ensemble representation on individual size representation. Across five experiments, we found a consistent pattern of repulsive ensemble bias, such that the size of an individual target circle was consistently reported to be smaller than it actually was when presented alongside other circles with larger mean size, and vice versa. There was a perceptual component to the bias, but mnemonic factors also influenced its magnitude. Specifically, the repulsion bias was strongest with a short retention period (0-50 ms), then reduced within a second to a weaker magnitude that remained stable for a longer retention period (5,000 ms). Such patterns of results persisted when we facilitated the processing of ensemble representation by increasing the set size (Experiment 1B) or post-cueing the target circle so that attention was distributed across all items (Experiment 2B).

Mixed in a World of Truth and Lies: List Composition Moderates the Effects of a Lie Fabrication Manipulation on Memory and Metamemory.

Research has shown that list composition moderates the effects of encoding manipulations on memory performance; differential memory performance is observed at distinct levels of the independent variable in mixed lists, but not in pure lists. The current study aims to investigate the effect of list composition on predicted and actual memory performance using a semantic lie fabrication manipulation. In Experiment 1, participants either told the truth or fabricated a lie in response to a set of general knowledge questions in a mixed-list design, made memory predictions for each response, and received a free recall test. Experiments 2A and 2B compared the effect of list composition by employing mixed and pure lists, respectively. The results showed that the lie fabrication led to a metacognitive illusion in mixed lists by inducing a crossed double dissociation between memory and metamemory. Participants produced higher memory performance and lower memory predictions for lies than the truth. In contrast, predicted and actual memory performance were similar for truth and lies in pure lists. These findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge on list composition and have implications for situations where individuals need to maintain and remember their fabricated lies.

A tale of two narratives: The role of event disruption in employee affective and behavioral reactions to authoritarian leadership.

Extant research demonstrates the destructive nature of authoritarian leadership in the workplace, yet its widespread use suggests that a more balanced view of this leadership style may be needed to identify whether this form of leadership engenders favorable reactions in specific circumstances. Integrating insights from appraisal theory and the compensatory control model, we posit that authoritarian leadership can evoke anxiety among employees in less disruptive settings, whereas it evokes feelings of awe in highly disruptive contexts. These anxiety and awe reactions then influence employees' downstream leader-focused behaviors (i.e., leader-directed avoidance and affiliation) and general work behaviors (i.e., counterproductive behavior and job performance). Thus, whether reactions to authoritarian leadership are dysfunctional or functional is contingent on event disruption as a key boundary condition. Results from an experience sampling study (Study 1), a multiwave and multisource field study (Study 2), and laboratory experiments (Studies 3a and 3b) largely confirm these predictions. The findings underscore the importance of event disruption for predicting employee reactions to authoritarian styles of leadership. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

How varying cue duration influences item-method directed forgetting: A novel selective retrieval interpretation.

A series of four experiments tested the assumptions of the most prominent and longstanding account of item-method directed forgetting: the selective rehearsal account. In the item-method directed forgetting paradigm, each presented item is followed by its own instructional cue during the study phase - either to-be-forgotten (F) or to-be-remembered (R). On a subsequent test, memory is poorer for F items than for R items. To clarify the mechanism underlying memory performance, we manipulated the time available for rehearsal, examining instructional cue durations of 1 s, 5 s, and 10 s. Experiments 1a and 1b, where the order of cue durations was randomized, showed no effect of cue duration on item recognition of unrelated single words, for either R or F items. Experiment 2, using unrelated word pairs, again showed no effect of randomized cue duration, this time on associative recognition. Experiments 3 and 4 blocked cue duration and showed equivalent increases in recognition of both R and F single words and word pairs with increasing cue duration. We suggest that any post-cue rehearsal is carried out only when cue duration is predictable, and that such limited rehearsal is equally likely for F items and R items. The consistently better memory for R items than for F items across cue duration depends on selective retrieval involving (1) a rapid retrieval check engaged for R items only and (2) a rapid removal process implemented for F items only.

Interdependent versus independent inconsistency: Cultural differences in how East Asian and Western people attribute hypocrisy.

Humans worldwide have long deplored hypocrisy, a concept that has been mentioned in texts dating back 100-1,000 years (e.g., the Analects of Confucius, the Tao Te Ching, the Bible, and the Qur'an). However, what influences the extent of hypocrisy attribution or counts as hypocrisy may differ as a function of culture. Previous studies have shown that Westerners attribute greater hypocrisy for within-person attitude-behavior inconsistency than East Asians. Building on this, we predict that East Asians' (vs. Westerners') hypocrisy attribution is more heavily influenced by social relationships. Consistent with past research, this can lead to greater leniency. However, as we show, this can also result in the novel finding we present that attributions of mild-to-moderate hypocrisy are made even when no explicit within-person attitude-behavior inconsistency is present. Across six experiments, we found that Koreans (vs. participants from the United States) attributed more hypocrisy to attitude-contradicting behavior when the person enacting the behavior was not the person who stated the attitude but was someone who shared social bonds with that person (i.e., cross-person, within-relationship attitude-behavior inconsistency; "relational hypocrisy"). Specifically, Koreans attributed more hypocrisy than Americans when a child's behavior contradicted their parent's views (Experiments 1a and 1b) or when attitude-contradicting behavior was enacted by the child of a close friend (Experiment 2). Experiments 3-5 replicated the findings from Experiments 1-2 using additional social contexts (e.g., a spousal relationship). Supplementary analyses showed that differences in hypocrisy attribution between Americans and Koreans were mediated by cultural differences in their perceptions of shared responsibility within relationships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

“I See Super-Rich (Versus Poor) People, Therefore I Spend”: Effects of Social Comparison and Donation Mode on Egoistic Spending versus Altruistic Giving

ABSTRACT Digital platforms present consumers with contrasting visual narratives, from images of opulence to depictions of poverty. This study delves into the strategic implications of such dichotomous exposures, anchored in Social Comparison Theory. Three experiments (∑ N = 1665) investigated how portrayals of affluence and deprivation influence audience behaviors, specifically egoistic luxury spending versus altruistic charitable giving. Experiment 1a employed a 2 (exposure to photos of poverty versus affluence) x 2 (luxury spending versus charitable giving scenario as the within-subjects factor) mixed factorial design. Experiment 1b employed a 2 (poverty versus affluence) x 2 (luxury spending versus charitable giving) between-subjects factorial design. Experiment 2 employed a 3 (poverty versus affluence versus neutral photos) x 2 (anonymized versus publicized donation) between-subjects factorial design to further examine the interaction effects of social comparison direction and donation mode. Empirical findings highlight that downward social comparison (exposure to poverty) can amplify charitable inclinations, while upward comparison (exposure to affluence) can enhance conspicuous consumption. Individual difference factors such as materialism, need for status, social comparison orientation, and greed play pivotal roles in moderating these effects. This research contributes to the understanding of digital portrayal influences on consumers’ spending behavior, offering both theoretical insights and practical implications for strategic communication.

Load effect of visual working memory on distractor interference: An investigation with two replication experiments.

Konstantinou et al. (Experiment 1B; Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 76, 1985-1997, 2014) reported that an increase in visual short-term memory (VSTM) load reduced distractor interference in the flanker task. Yao et al. (Experiment 3; Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 82, 3291-3313, 2020) replicated the design of Konstantinou et al.'s experiment and showed that the VSTM load did not modulate the distractor interference effect, contradicting the original findings. However, it is unknown whether differences in task-design between the two experiments contributed to the inconsistent results. Therefore, we first replicated the original two studies with Experiment 1 (N = 54) and Experiment 2 (N = 54) and performed a statistical comparison between the data from these two experiments. In a third experiment (N = 28), we incorporated articulatory suppression into the design to exclude possible effects of verbalization. According to the ANOVA analyses, the VSTM load did not change the level of distractor interference in all three experiments, indicating that differences in task design alone do not explain the inconsistency.

Zinc proteinate with moderate chelation strength enhances zinc absorption by upregulating the expression of zinc and amino acid transporters in primary cultured duodenal epithelial cells of broiler embryos.

Recent study showed that zinc (Zn) and amino acid transporters may be involved in enhancing Zn absorption from Zn proteinate with moderate chelation strength (Zn-Prot M) in the duodenum of broilers. However, the specific mechanisms by which Zn-Prot M promotes the above Zn absorption are unknown. Therefore, in this study, 3 experiments were conducted to investigate specific and direct effects of Zn-Prot M and Zn sulfate (ZnS) on Zn absorption and expression of related transporters in primary duodenal epithelial cells of broiler embryos so as to preliminarily address possible mechanisms. In experiment 1, cells were treated with 100 μmol Zn/L as ZnS or Zn-Prot M for 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, or 120min. Experiment 2 consisted of 3 sub-experiments. In experiment 2A, cells were treated with a Zn-unsupplemented basal medium (Control) or the basal medium supplemented with 100 or 200 μmol Zn/L as ZnS or Zn-Prot M for 60min; in experiment 2B, cells were treated with a Zn-unsupplemented basal medium (Control) or the basal medium supplemented with 200 μmol Zn/L of as the ZnS or Zn-Prot M for 120min; in experiment 2C, cells were treated with a Zn-unsupplemented basal medium (Control) or the basal medium supplemented with 400 or 800 μmol Zn/L as ZnS or Zn-Prot M for 120min. In experiment 3, cells were treated with a Zn-unsupplemented basal medium (Control) or the basal medium supplemented with 400 μmol Zn/L as ZnS or Zn-Prot M for 120min. The results of experiment 1 indicated that the minimum incubation time for saturable Zn absorption was determined to be 50.83min using the best fit line. The results in experiment 2 demonstrated that a Zn concentration of 400 μmol/L and an incubation time of 120min were suitable to increase the absorption of Zn from Zn-Prot M compared to ZnS. In experiment 3, Zn absorption across cell monolayers was significantly increased by Zn addition (P < 0.05), and was significantly greater with Zn-Prot M than with ZnS (P < 0.05). Compared to the control, Zn addition significantly decreased Zn transporter 10 and peptide-transporter 1 mRNA expression levels and increased y + L-type amino transporter 2 (y + LAT2) protein abundance (P < 0.05). Moreover, protein expression levels of zrt/irt-like protein 3 (ZIP3), zrt-irt-like protein 5 (ZIP5), and y + LAT2 were significantly greater for Zn-Prot M than for ZnS (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that Zn-Prot M promote Zn absorption by increasing ZIP3, ZIP5 and y + LAT2 protein expression levels in primary duodenal epithelial cells.

Emotional contextual effects of face perception: a test of the affective realism hypothesis

Affective feelings naturally infuse individuals’ perceptions, serving as valid windows onto the real world. The affective realism hypothesis further explains how these feelings work: as properties of individuals’ perceptual experiences, these feelings influence perception. Notably, this hypothesis based on affective feelings with different valences has been substantiated, whereas the existing evidence is not compelling enough. Moreover, whether specific affective feelings can be experienced as properties of target perception remains unclear. Addressing these two issues deepens our understanding of the nature of emotional representation. Hence, we investigated the affective realism hypothesis based on affective feelings with different valences and specific emotions, comparing it with the affective misattribution hypothesis. In Experiment 1, we examined the effects of affective feelings with various valences on targets’ perception through the AM (1a) and CFS paradigms (1b). In Experiment 2, we investigated the effects of affective feelings with anger, sadness, and disgust using similar methods. Results from Experiments 1a and 1b consistently indicated significant differences in valence ratings of neutral faces under emotional contexts with varying valences. Experiment 2a revealed significant differences in specific emotion ratings of neutral faces under different specific emotional contexts in the AM paradigm, whereas such differences were not observed in the CFS paradigm in Experiment 2b. We concluded that affective feelings with different valences, rather than specific emotions, can be experienced as inherent properties of target perception, validating the affective realism hypothesis. These findings supported the view that the nature of emotional representation should be described as affective dimensions.

Everyday amnesia: Residual memory for high confidence misses and implications for decision models of recognition.

Despite studying a list of items only minutes earlier, when reencountered in a recognition memory test, undergraduate participants often say with total confidence that they have not studied some of the items before. Such high confidence miss (HCM) responses have been taken as evidence of rapid and complete forgetting and of everyday amnesia (Roediger & Tekin, 2020). We investigated (a) if memory for HCMs is completely lost or whether a residual memory effect exists and (b) whether dominant decision models predict the effect. Participants studied faces (Experiments 1a, 2, and 3) or words (Experiment 1b), then completed a single-item recognition memory task, followed by either (a) a two-alternative forced-choice recognition task, in which the studied and nonstudied alternatives on each trial were matched for their previous old/new decision and confidence rating (Experiments 1 and 2) or (b) a second single-item recognition task in which the targets and foils were HCMs and high confidence correct rejections, respectively (Experiment 3). In each experiment, participants reliably distinguished HCMs from high-confidence correct rejections. The unequal variance signal detection and dual-process signal detection models were fit to the single-item recognition data, and the parameter estimates were used to predict the memory effect for HCMs. The dual-process signal detection model predicted the residual memory effect (as did another popular model, the mixture signal detection theory model). However, the unequal variance signal detection model incorrectly predicted a negative, or no, effect, invalidating this model. The residual memory effect for HCMs demonstrates that everyday amnesia is not associated with complete memory loss and distinguishes between decision models. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Impact of relative and absolute values on orienting attention in time.

Reward has been known to render the reward-associated stimulus more salient to block effective attentional orienting in space. However, whether and how reward influences goal-directed attention in time remains unclear. Here, we used a modified attentional cueing paradigm to explore the effect of reward on temporal attention, in which the valid targets were given a low monetary reward and invalid targets were given a high monetary reward. The results showed that the temporal cue validity effect was significantly smaller when the competitive reward structure was employed (Experiment 1), and we ruled out the possibility that the results were due to the practice effect (Experiment 2a) or a reward-promoting effect (Experiment 2b). When further strengthening the intensity of the reward from 1:10 to 1:100 (Experiment 3), we found a similar pattern of results to those in Experiment 1. These results suggest that reward information which was based on relative instead of absolute values can weaken, but not reverse, the orienting attention in time.

Norms of equality reduce prejudice towards migrants, but only among conservatives

AbstractPeople are sensitive to norms, but under what conditions promoting anti‐prejudice norms reduce prejudice remains unclear. Three studies among Dutch participants (total N = 700) examined the effects of (in)equality norms on prejudice towards migrants. To gain greater clarity, we also examined how potential boundary conditions—namely economic and social ideologies—moderate this relationship. A norm of equality was measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Studies 2a and 2b). In Study 1, a perceived norm of equality predicted lower prejudice towards migrants, operationalised as cold feelings, social distance, and perceived outgroup threat, through the increased personal endorsement of equality, particularly among (economic) rightists. In two experiments (Studies 2a and 2b), as well as in a joint analysis of both studies, we found that inducing an equality norm (vs. not) mitigated prejudice towards migrants, but only among (social) rightists. These findings highlight the positive role of social norms promoting equality in combating prejudice and the importance of considering boundary conditions for this role, such as ideology. We discuss the implications for theory and practice regarding prejudice (reduction). Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's .

What makes a stimulus worthy of attention: Cue-outcome correlation and choice relevance in the learned predictiveness effect.

The learned predictiveness effect refers to the tendency for predictive cues to attract greater attention and show faster learning in subsequent tasks. However, in typical designs, the predictiveness of each cue (its objective cue-outcome correlation) is confounded with the degree to which it is informative for making the correct response on each trial (a feature we term choice relevance). In four experiments, we tested the unique contributions of cue-outcome correlation and choice relevance to the learned predictiveness effect by manipulating the outcome choices available on each trial. Experiments 1A and 1B compared two sets of partially predictive cues and found that participants learned more in a transfer phase about the set of cues that were previously choice-relevant. Experiments 2A and 2B used a design in which the cue-outcome correlation was stronger for one set of cues (perfect predictors) than the other set (imperfect predictors). Manipulating the choice relevance of the imperfect predictors in this design did not influence the magnitude of the learning bias toward the perfect predictor. Unlike cue-outcome correlation, choice relevance did not seem to correspond to biases in eye-gaze, suggesting that it operates via a distinct mechanism. Simulations with a modified EXIT model successfully predicted cue-outcome correlation and choice relevance effects by assuming that participants update learning for present outcomes only, but incorrectly predicted additive effects. We conclude that cue-outcome correlation and choice relevance are important factors that can lead to biases in future learning; both were individually sufficient but neither was necessary. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Whispered words and organizational dynamics: The nuanced evaluation of gossipers' personality and its effect on workplace advice seeking

Prior research has extensively studied workplace group dynamics within the gossip triad (i.e., sender, receiver, and target). This research shifts the focus to third-party observers outside the gossip triad, examining how they evaluate gossipers and non-gossipers, and whom they turn to for advice. Across five pre-registered experiments (N = 1400), the present work builds on an integrative definition of gossip and provides a functionalist account of observers' nuanced evaluation of gossipers' personality from a global perspective. Observers perceive gossipers as less moral and competent, but more sociable, than non-gossipers (Experiment 1). Consequently, observers are less likely to seek advice from gossipers (vs. non-gossipers) for tasks requiring high morality (e.g., enforcing ethical conduct; Experiment 2a) and high competence (e.g., managing excess inventory; Experiment 2b), yet more likely to do so for tasks requiring high sociability (e.g., organizing a welcome lunch; Experiment 2c). A moderation-of-process approach shows that incidental cues signaling morality, competence, and sociability influence observers' evaluations of and advice-seeking from gossipers (versus non-gossipers) on relevant tasks (Experiments 2a–2c). These findings remain robust in an incentive-compatible setting (Experiment 3). This research advances our understanding of observers' evaluation of gossipers and its implications for workplace advice seeking.