Role Of Individual Differences Research Articles

Methylation of avpr1a in the cortex of wild prairie voles: effects of CpG position and polymorphism.

DNA methylation can cause stable changes in neuronal gene expression, but we know little about its role in individual differences in the wild. In this study, we focus on the vasopressin 1a receptor (avpr1a), a gene extensively implicated in vertebrate social behaviour, and explore natural variation in DNA methylation, genetic polymorphism and neuronal gene expression among 30 wild prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Examination of CpG density across 8 kb of the locus revealed two distinct CpG islands overlapping promoter and first exon, characterized by few CpG polymorphisms. We used a targeted bisulfite sequencing approach to measure DNA methylation across approximately 3 kb of avpr1a in the retrosplenial cortex, a brain region implicated in male space use and sexual fidelity. We find dramatic variation in methylation across the avrp1a locus, with pronounced diversity near the exon–intron boundary and in a genetically variable putative enhancer within the intron. Among our wild voles, differences in cortical avpr1a expression correlate with DNA methylation in this putative enhancer, but not with the methylation status of the promoter. We also find an unusually high number of polymorphic CpG sites (polyCpGs) in this focal enhancer. One polyCpG within this enhancer (polyCpG 2170) may drive variation in expression either by disrupting transcription factor binding motifs or by changing local DNA methylation and chromatin silencing. Our results contradict some assumptions made within behavioural epigenetics, but are remarkably concordant with genome-wide studies of gene regulation.

Rational-experiential thinking style and rational intergroup cooperation: the moderating role of intergroup conflict / Estilos de pensamiento racional-experiencial y la cooperación intergrupal racional: el rol modulador del conflicto intergrupal

Cooperative relationships between groups are difficult because of the high human capability to differentiate between in-group vs. out-group members. This obstacle exists even when the groups can obtain benefits for themselves from cooperation with other groups (rational cooperation). Based on an interactionist approach, the authors propose that personal (individual differences) and situational (conflicts) factors contribute to rational intergroup cooperation. The authors conducted a preliminary correlational study (Study 1) and an experimental investigation (Study 2). In Study 1, the authors examined, with 105 participants, the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Rational–Experiential Inventory (REI), measuring individual differences in information processing. In Study 2, the authors conducted an experimental investigation with 141 participants, testing the role of individual differences and conflict in intergroup rational cooperation. Findings of Study 1 showed that the scale has adequate psychometric properties. Results of Study 2 confirmed that the existence of both manipulated and perceived intergroup conflict reduces the magnitudes of the relationships between rational ability and rational cooperation. In addition, perceived intergroup conflict increased the magnitude of the links from experiential ability and experimental engagement to rational cooperation. Both individual differences and previous conflict have a role in predicting rational intergroup cooperation. According to the interactionist approach, personal and situational factors should be considered in the understanding of intergroup relationships.

Shopping Behavioral Intentions Contributed by Store Layout and Perceived Crowding: An Exploratory Study Using Computer Walk–Through Simulation

The purpose of this study is to understand the role of store layout in predicting shopping behaviors by influencing the perception of crowding. With today's growing popularity of online shopping, brick–and–mortar stores are faced with increased challenges to create positive shopping experiences and attract more customers to the store. The customer's shopping experience often starts with the environment's physical appearance and navigation. Crowding is one of the known factors contributing to how stores look and feel. Using 3D simulation technology capable of offering a realistic virtual experience, we tested the hypothesis—that the negative impact of crowding could be effectively controlled through physical space configuration—by exploring the role of store layout and human density on perceived crowding using a 2 × 2 between–subjects design with 60 college students. Two distinct store layouts and their effects on perceived crowding and approach intentions were investigated. In addition, we also considered the role of individual differences in crowding perception. The findings demonstrate the critical role of store layout in controlling retail crowding and shopping motivations, potentially contributing to store success. We found increased shopping intentions in the store environment with a linear and symmetrical configuration than with a curvilinear and asymmetrical one. Such tendency was found to be significantly greater for male customers. A significant mediating role for perceived crowding on the relationship between the effects of store layout on shopping intentions was also found. This confirms the critical effect of store layout on perceived crowding that indirectly, yet significantly, influences customers’ shopping behavioral intentions. No prior work in retail literature has examined retail crowding on the basis of an empirical manipulation of the environment. By using virtual walk–through simulation, this study joins a limited body of knowledge pertaining to the store environment and aims to expand our understanding of the distinct effects of retail environments on consumers’ experience and behavior.

The Role of Individual Differences and Situational Factors in Perception of Verbal Irony

Abstract A study was conducted to analyze the influence of situational and individual factors on verbal irony perception. Participants (N = 144) rated smartness, criticality, humorousness, and offensiveness of ironic utterances and their literal equivalents. The utterances were put in various contexts, differing in terms of the structure of the interlocutors’ social ranks and the responsibility of the addressee for the described event. Additionally, participants’ state and trait of anxiety were measured using the Polish adaptation of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Wrześniewski, Sosnowski, Jaworowska, & Fecenec, 2011) and their social competences were measured with the Social Competences Questionnaire (Matczak, 2007). Analyses showed that the structure of the interlocutors’ social ranks, the addressee’s responsibility, as well as the state and trait of anxiety can influence the perception of irony, although it does not always concern all of the variables rated herein. No link between social competences and irony perception was found.

The role of L2 learner goal differences in task-generated oral production

In light of the growing interest in the cognitive approach to task in second language (L2) research, comparatively little has been done to examine such effect over time and the role of individual differences (IDs). The present study was designed to verify some longitudinal evidence for the role of tasks in L2 production and whether IDs, in the example of goal orientations, may have a bearing on that role. Thirty lower-intermediate level undergraduates performed narrative tasks during a five-month period and some were subsequently interviewed. Analysis of the data suggests that goal orientation and task conditions have a combined effect on speaking performance and development. In view of that, this paper questions the validity of findings disregarding learner variability and argues for the necessity to direct future research focus at how IDs may interact with tasks in different ways to influence L2 production.

Cultural Adjustment and Social Justice Behaviour: The Role of Individual Differences in Multicultural Personality

The present study examined altruistic behaviour using broad personality traits (the Big Five) and the narrow personality trait of cultural adjustment (multicultural personality) while controlling for social justice attitudes and other demographic variables. Using an analogue version of a modified dictator game, 153 participants were required to divide a variable amount of money between themselves and a hypothetical recipient who was treated unfairly in a prior dictator game (based on results from a separate sample). We varied the race (Black and White) and gender (male and female) of the fictional recipient to present the individual as either advantaged or disadvantaged in society. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions with the recipient presented as (i) a White man, (ii) a White woman, or (iii) a Black man. A separate sample of 71 participants rated recipients as treated unfairly and as representing a marginalized group. Results showed that subscales of the Multicultural Personality Inventory predicted giving behaviour above and beyond the variance accounted for by broad personality traits and attitudes towards social justice. The discussion focuses on implications for research in social justice based on cultural adaptation and personality. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology

The Role of Individual Differences in Second Language Writing Corrective Feedback

As can be deduced from current research on the effects of written corrective feedback (CF) on raising the accuracy level of the second language (L2) writers, there seems to be a gap in the literature, namely that individual differences have not received careful investigation as they may affect the usefulness of CF. This article examines the most recent studies in L2 written CF and individual differences with the intention of building an intersection between the two fields. It suggests that the contradictions in the findings of the effectiveness of different types of CF can be attributed to individual differences. Given the limited scope of this article, only aptitude and working memory will be discussed. Although individual variations in aptitude, motivation, working memory, and L2 proficiency have been proven to be useful in Second Language Aquisition (SLA) research, it would appear that these differences have been overlooked by researchers in the field of written CF in L2 writing. Based on the most recent studies in L2 written CF and individual differences, this paper hypothesizes that direct metalinguistic correction would benefit learners with higher aptitude than those with lower aptitude. It also assumes that learners with higher working memory capacity will benefit more from different types of CF than learners with lower working memory capacity.

The Relationship between Visual Recognition Memory and Intelligence

Abstract The study examines the relationship between intelligence and visual recognition processes in adolescents from Russia and Kyrgystan (n=327). We used “Raven Progressive Matrices” test to measure IQ and “Pattern Recognition memory” subtest of neuropsychological battery CANTAB to measure visual recognition. After adjusting for age effects number and latency of correct answers in “Pattern Recognition memory” test correlated with total Raven scores (r=.149, р=.05 andr=-.143, p=.05, consequently) and with series B, C (Number, r=.188 and .122, p=.05) and D (Latency, r=-.168, p=.05). Thus, individual differences in visual recognition can play a role in individual differences in intelligence.

The interface between research on individual difference variables and teaching practice: The case of cognitive factors and personality

While a substantial body of empirical evidence has been accrued about the role of individual differences in second language acquisition, relatively little is still known about how factors of this kind can mediate the effects of instructional practices as well as how empirically-derived insights can inform foreign language pedagogy, both with respect to shaping certain variables and adjusting instruction to individual learner profiles. The present paper is an attempt to shed light on the interface between research on individual difference factors and teaching practice, focusing upon variables which do not easily lend themselves to external manipulation, namely intelligence, foreign language aptitude, working memory and personality, with the role of the last of these in language learning being admittedly the least obvious. In each case, the main research findings will briefly be outlined, their potential for informing instruction will be considered, and, in the final part, the caveats concerning practical applications of research on the variables in question will be spelled out.

The Impact of Interactivity on Advertising Effectiveness of Corporate Websites: A Mediated Moderation Model

<p>Interactivity is identified as a key component in the new media; however, the complex relationship between interactivity and advertising effectiveness measures has yielded inconclusive results. The purpose of this study is to perform a systematic investigation of the underlying mechanisms between the actual interactivity and the advertising effectiveness measures.</p><p>This paper proposes a model that empirically examines the role of the perceived interactivity in mediating the impact of actual interactivity on advertising effects; moreover, it studies the moderating role of individual differences on perceived interactivity. The empirical evidence indicates that perceived interactivity mediates the relationship between actual interactivity and purchase intention, the attitude towards the brand, and the attitude towards the website; additionally, it reveals that age plays a significant moderating role between actual and perceived interactivity. Thus, the mediated moderation model is supported. Furthermore, this paper tackles the implications of the interactivity theory building in the practice of marketing communications and interactive advertising.</p>

The effects of autonomy support on salivary alpha-amylase: The role of individual differences

The empirical evidence for the relationship between autonomy-supportive environments and physiological stress is inconsistent. Whereas some studies report a decrease in stress in autonomy-supportive environments, other studies show a negative effect of autonomy on physiological stress. As previous research has not considered individual differences within this relationship, the present research aims to close this empirical gap by proposing that an implicit autonomy disposition, which is defined as a dispositional preference for self-determination, serves as a moderator. In an experiment, we tested whether the autonomy disposition moderates the effect of different teaching styles (controlling, autonomy-supportive, and neutral) on the acute physiological stress response (salivary alpha-amylase) in adolescents (N=69). The study revealed that participants with a high implicit autonomy disposition displayed lower salivary alpha-amylase responses when exposed to autonomy-supportive vignettes compared to when they were exposed to controlling or neutral teaching styles. The opposite pattern was found in students with a low implicit autonomy disposition. The results illustrate that experimentally induced variations in autonomy support lead to different physiological stress responses, depending on individual differences in the implicit autonomy disposition.

A neurological perspective on the enhancement debate: Lessons learned from Parkinson’s disease

Cognitive enhancement is signified by adaptive behavioural change following an intervention that targets the brain. Although much of the discussion and research into cognitive enhancement focuses on the effects of neural interventions in healthy individuals, it is useful to consider evidence from clinical populations. Diseases of the central nervous system represent the primary and richest source of evidence on the effects of brain manipulations, which are in the first instance therapeutic. Parkinson's disease (PD) is used as a model for understanding the effects of pharmacological agents that target systems with a central role in cognition. The mixed outcomes of deep brain stimulation on cognition will also be discussed. By illustrating the psychopharmacological principle of diverse and malleable neurochemical optima for different cognitive functions, and the role of individual differences, it will be argued that the entire spectrum of cognitive effects in any one individual following any given manipulation, such as the administration of a drug, often includes enhancement as well as impairment. Predicting these effects represents a complex multivariate problem, and the accuracy of this predictive effort, as well as the harm prevention it connotes, is determined by our evolving understanding of the brain and cognition. A manipulation can be said to confer cognitive enhancement; however, it is argued that using the global term cognitive enhancer to refer to such a manipulation without qualification is of limited utility.

Who wants control in the hospital room? Environmental control, desirability of control and stress / ¿Quién desea control en la habitación del hospital? Control ambiental, deseo de control y estrés

Perceived control is a desirable quality in the healthcare environment to increase patients’ well-being. However, recent research has demonstrated that perceived control did not predict stress. Based on the hypothesis that control does not always lead to better adjustment, and that it may depend on whether people want to have control, the aim of the current research was to examine the moderating role of individual differences in terms of desire for control. In an experiment, 150 participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. First we measured desirability of control; next we presented a scenario of a hypothetical hospitalization. Perceived control was manipulated by the stated presence or absence of an integrated remote device that allows adjustment of environmental features in the room. Results showed that having control over the room positively predicts stress reduction among people with high desirability for control, whereas among people with low desirability for control this relationship was not significant.

The Contribution from Relationships with Parents and Teachers to the Adolescent Sense of Coherence

Sense of coherence (SOC) is receiving increasing attention from a number of disciplines interested in the study of adolescent positive development. Given the significant links between SOC and well-being, attention is now moving to the precursors of SOC. The aim of this study was to analyze the contribution of relationships with parents and teachers (contextual factors) to young people’s SOC while taking into account the potential role of individual differences in prosociality and hyperactivity-inattention (individual factors). The sample consisted of 2,979 adolescents aged 15–18 who had participated in the 2010 edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) survey ‘Health Behaviour in School-aged Children’ (HBSC) in Spain. Data were collected by means of anonymous online questionnaires, and statistical analyses included factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Both contextual and individual factors made significant contributions to the adolescents’ SOC. Importantly, the significance of relationships with parents and teachers remained once prosociality and hyperactivity-inattention were taken into account.

Chronic variable stress and intravenous methamphetamine self-administration – Role of individual differences in behavioral and physiological reactivity to novelty

Stress is a contributing factor to the development and maintenance of addiction in humans. However, few studies have shown that stress potentiates the rewarding and/or reinforcing effects of methamphetamine in rodent models of addiction. The present study assessed the effects of exposure to 14 days of chronic variable stress (CVS), or no stress as a control (CON), on the rewarding and reinforcing effects of methamphetamine in adult rats using the conditioned place preference (Experiment 1) and intravenous self-administration (Experiment 2) paradigms. In Experiment 2, we also assessed individual differences in open field locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze (EPM), and physiological responses to a novel environment as possible predictors of methamphetamine intake patterns. Exposure to CVS for 14 days did not affect overall measures of methamphetamine conditioned reward or reinforcement. However, analyses of individual differences and direct vs. indirect effects revealed that rats exhibiting high physiological reactivity and locomotor activity in the EPM and open field tests self-administered more methamphetamine and reached higher breakpoints for drug reinforcement than rats exhibiting low reactivity. In addition, CVS exposure significantly increased the proportion of rats that exhibited high reactivity, and high reactivity was significantly correlated with increased levels of methamphetamine intake. These findings suggest that individual differences in physiological and locomotor reactivity to novel environments, as well as their interactions with stress history, predict patterns of drug intake in rodent models of methamphetamine addiction. Such predictors may eventually inform future strategies for implementing individualized treatment strategies for amphetamine use disorders.

Neuroticism and extraversion moderate neural responses and effective connectivity during appetitive conditioning.

Classical appetitive conditioning constitutes a basic learning process through which environmental stimuli can be associated with reward. Previous studies showed that individual differences in neuroticism and extraversion influence emotional processing and have been shown to modulate neural activity in subcortical and prefrontal areas in response to emotional stimuli. However, the role of individual differences in appetitive conditioning has so far not been investigated in detail. The aim of this study was to assess the association between neuroticism and extraversion with neural activity and connectivity during appetitive conditioning. The conditioned stimulus (CS) was either a picture of a dish or a cup. One stimulus (CS+) was paired with a monetary reward and the other stimulus (CS-) was associated with its absence while hemodynamic activity was measured by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging. A significant negative correlation of neuroticism scores with amygdala activity was observed during appetitive conditioning. Further, extraversion was positively associated with responses in the hippocampus and the thalamus. In addition, effective connectivity between the amygdala as a seed region and the anterior cingulate cortex, the insula, and the thalamus was negatively correlated with neuroticism scores and positively correlated with extraversion scores. The results may indicate a neural correlate for the deficits in appetitive learning in subjects with high neuroticism scores and point to a facilitating effect of extraversion on reward-related learning. Hum Brain Mapp 37:2992-3002, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Focus of Attention in Visual Working Memory: Protection of Focused Representations and Its Individual Variation.

Visual working memory can be modulated according to changes in the cued task relevance of maintained items. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying this modulation. In particular, we studied the consequences of attentional selection for selected and unselected items, and the role of individual differences in the efficiency with which attention is deployed. To this end, performance in a visual working memory task as well as the CDA/SPCN and the N2pc, ERP components associated with visual working memory and attentional processes, were analysed. Selection during the maintenance stage was manipulated by means of two successively presented retrocues providing spatial information as to which items were most likely to be tested. Results show that attentional selection serves to robustly protect relevant representations in the focus of attention while unselected representations which may become relevant again still remain available. Individuals with larger retrocueing benefits showed higher efficiency of attentional selection, as indicated by the N2pc, and showed stronger maintenance-associated activity (CDA/SPCN). The findings add to converging evidence that focused representations are protected, and highlight the flexibility of visual working memory, in which information can be weighted according its relevance.

Why Voice Behavior? An Integrative Model of the Need for Affiliation, the Quality of Leader–Member Exchange, and Group Cohesion in Predicting Voice Behavior

Although research has established individual difference antecedents of voice behavior, little is known about the role of individual differences in psychological needs that affect voice. We draw on needs theory to propose a needs-driven approach to studying voice behavior. Specifically, we hypothesize that individual’s need for affiliation has differential effects on promotive voice and prohibitive voice, leader–member exchange (LMX) transmits the effects of personal need for affiliation on the two types of voice, and group cohesion weakens the indirect effects of the need for affiliation on the two types of voice behavior through LMX. We test these hypotheses with samples of 215 employees from 42 groups in China. The results have supported all the hypotheses. Implications to theory and practice are discussed.

Effects of labeling a product eco-friendly and genetically modified: A cross-cultural comparison for estimates of taste, willingness to pay and health consequences

As the demand for eco-friendly food—produced without pesticides and environmentally harmful chemicals—increases, the need to develop genetically modified (GM) organisms that are more resistant to parasites and other environmental crop threats may increase. Because of this, products labeled both “eco-friendly” and “genetically modified” could become commonly available on the market. In this paper, we explore—in a Swedish and a UK sample—the consequences of combining eco-labeling and GM-labeling to judgments of taste, health consequences and willingness to pay for raisins. Participants tasted and evaluated four categories of raisins (eco-labeled and GM-labeled; eco-labeled; GM-labeled; and neither eco-labeled nor GM-labeled). The results suggest that there is a cost associated with adding a GM-label to an eco-labeled product: The GM-label removes the psychological benefits of the eco-label. This negative effect of the GM-label was larger among Swedish participants in comparison with UK participants, because the magnitude of the positive effect of the eco-label was larger in the Swedish sample and, hence, the negative effects of the GM-label became more pronounced (especially for health estimates). The roles of individual differences in attitudes, environmental concern and socially desirable responding in relation to the label effects are discussed.

The Role of Individual Differences in Negotiation

For decades, researchers have expressed pessimism about the role of individual differences in negotiation. Taking a positive approach, the five paper in this symposium examines the effects of indiv...