Strategies People Use Research Articles

Strategies and Evolution in the Minority Game: A Multi-Round Strategy Experiment

Minority games are a stylized description of strategic situations with both coordination and competition. These games are widely studied using either simulations or laboratory experiments. Simulations can show the dynamics of aggregate behavior, but the results of such simulations depend on the type of strategies used. So far experiments provided little guidance on the type of strategies people use because the set of possible strategies is very large. We therefore use a multi-round strategy method experiment to directly elicit people's strategies. Between rounds participants can adjust their strategy and test the performance of (possible) new strategies against strategies from the previous round. Strategies gathered in the experiment are subjected to an evolutionary competition. The strategies people use are very heterogeneous although aggregate outcomes resemble the symmetric Nash equilibrium. The strategies that survive evolutionary competition achieve much higher levels of coordination.

Visual strategies for the control of steering toward a goal

We have shown that people steer toward a target by aligning their heading with the target when target egocentric direction is not available for steering [24]. Here we examined what visual strategies people use to steer toward a target when target egocentric direction is available for steering. The display simulated a participant walking over a ground plane with a target placed off to one side. The participant’s simulated heading in the display was displaced 10° away from the participant’s straight ahead. A textured ground display that provided dense global optic flow and an empty ground display that provided nearly no flow were tested. Participants were instructed to use a joystick to control their simulated self-motion in the display to (a) steer toward the target, (b) center the target at their straight ahead, or (c) minimize the target drift on the screen. We found that participants produced similar heading error profiles when they were instructed to steer toward the target or to center the target straight ahead, but not when they were instructed to minimize the target movement on the screen. Furthermore, regardless of the instructions received, final heading errors were about 5° smaller with the textured than with the empty ground display, indicating the effect of optic flow on the control performance. We conclude that when target egocentric direction is available for steering, people do not steer toward the target by canceling its optical drift. Optic flow contributes to steering toward a target even when control could be based on egocentric direction alone.

The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire: Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version

The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ; Garnefski et al., Personality and Individual Differences, 30, 1311–1327, 2001) is a multidimensional questionnaire that was developed to assess cognitive emotion regulation strategies people use after experiencing negative life events or situations. The purpose of the present study was to develop a Turkish version of the CERQ and to examine its psychometric properties in a sample of Turkish university students. The English version of the CERQ was translated and back-translated prior to its administration to 396 participants recruited from several universities in Turkey. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, inter-scale reliability, construct and criterion-related validity of the Turkish version were analyzed. The results indicated that the data collected with the Turkish version do also support the original nine-factor model; with reliability and validity measures comparable to the original one.

Whichever way you Choose to Categorize, Working Memory Helps you Learn

There has been growing interest in the relationship between the capacity of a person's working memory and their ability to learn to categorize stimuli. While there is evidence that working memory capacity (WMC) is related to the speed of category learning, it is unknown whether WMC predicts which strategies people use when there are multiple possible solutions to a categorization problem. To explore the relationship between WMC, category learning, and categorization strategy use, 173 participants completed two categorization tasks and a battery of WMC tasks. WMC predicted the speed of category learning, but it did not predict which strategies participants chose to perform categorization. Thus, WMC does not predict which categorization strategies people use but it predicts how well they will use the strategy they select.

Perfectionism and coping with daily failures: positive reframing helps achieve satisfaction at the end of the day

Differentiating perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns, the present study examined how perfectionism predicts what coping strategies people use, when dealing with failures, and how perfectionism and coping influence people's satisfaction. A sample of 149 students completed daily reports for 3–14 days, reporting the most bothersome failure they experienced during the day, what strategies they used to cope with the failure, and how satisfied they felt at the end of the day. Multilevel regression analyses showed that perfectionistic concerns predicted more frequent use of self-blame, less frequent use of active coping and acceptance, and higher satisfaction at the end of the day, whereas perfectionistic strivings predicted less frequent use of self-blame and higher satisfaction. Although positive reframing, acceptance, and humor predicted higher satisfaction for all students, further analyses showed that positive reframing coping was particularly helpful for students high in perfectionistic concern. The findings suggest that accommodative coping strategies are generally helpful in dealing with personal failures, with positive reframing being a coping strategy that works particularly well for people high in perfectionistic concerns (who are prone to dissatisfaction) to achieve higher satisfaction at the end of the day.

Experiencing Discrimination: How Members of Disadvantaged Groups Can Be Helped to Cope with Discrimination

Instances of discriminatory treatment are often ambiguous. Nevertheless, for policy makers to effectively combat discrimination, its targets first need to see that it takes place. Different motives determine whether or not targets see their negative outcomes as resulting from discrimination: to see the world as a just place where people are treated fairly, and to maintain a positive view of the self. We argue that the type of policy needed to combat discrimination is different, depending on which of these motives plays a role. Based on relevant literature and our own recent research, we develop a framework that specifies how different types of threat and different motives are raised when discrimination is perceived as rare or pervasive. We describe the pitfalls associated with each type of threat and the coping strategies people use to deal with rare versus pervasive discrimination. We also outline how policy makers can take advantage of this knowledge to tailor specific measures to the different motives we distinguish, to optimize the effectiveness of their interventions designed to combat discrimination.

Feeding Your Feelings: Emotion Regulation Strategies and Emotional Eating

The process by which emotions affect eating behavior emerges as one of the central unresolved questions in the field of emotional eating. The present studies address the hypothesis that the regulation strategies people use to deal with these emotions are responsible for increased eating. Negative emotions were induced and intake of comfort food and non-comfort food was measured by means of taste tests. Emotion induction was preceded by measuring individual differences in emotion regulation strategies (Study 1) or by instructions to regulate emotions in either an adaptive (reappraisal) or maladaptive (suppression) manner (Study 2). Study 3 also entailed a control condition without any regulation instructions. Relative to reappraisal and spontaneous expression, suppression led to increased food intake, but only of the comfort foods. Emotions themselves were not responsible for this effect. These findings provide new evidence that the way in which emotions are regulated affects eating behavior.

Wat heeft de positieve psychologie te bieden?

What does positive psychology have to offer? Response to Ad Bergsma Positive psychology focuses on the study of the principles and strategies people use in an effort to be resilient and mentally healthy and flourishing despite setbacks. It is becoming increasingly clear in these studies that it is not nearly always the circumstances that make people unhappy. Instead it is more often how they perceive the circumstances and cope with them. Positive psychology can help promote the well-being of people with chronic somatic or psychological disorders. In the treatment of people with chronic diseases, attention is also devoted to their quality of life and well-being, which can be affected by the disease. If treatment is no longer effective, sometimes quality of life is the most important aim. In addition, it is relevant for psychologists and psychiatrists to look for mechanisms to prevent psychological disorders. We know a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet and exercise can prevent many chronic somatic illnesses. Along the same lines, we want to know whether and how psychological disorders can be prevented. The study of these principles is not a luxury that makes happy people even happier, it is a necessity if we are to restrict the increasing costs of mental health care and prevent unnecessary distress. Various reviews indicate that well-being tends to protect people from psychological disorders. This is why promoting the well-being of people who are psychologically fragile is a legitimate and even necessary prevention strategy.

The Revelation Risk Model (RRM): Factors that Predict the Revelation of Secrets and the Strategies Used to Reveal Them

The primary goal of this manuscript is to advance a new risk revelation model (RRM) that explains the factors that predict when people will reveal or continue to conceal secrets. We propose, among other things, that people assess the risks involved with the disclosure of secrets and that this risk assessment is what predicts people's “readiness” or willingness to reveal them. People are more willing to reveal their secrets under certain conditions: (1) for catharsis, (2) if the target needs to know/has the right to know the information, and (3) if other people (including the target) are encouraging the person to reveal the secret. Finally, the RRM assumes that people are more willing to actually reveal their secret when they have communication efficacy or they believe they have the ability to talk about it. The second goal of this manuscript was to use the RRM to predict the types of strategies people use to reveal their secrets. As a part of this process, we also generated an exhaustive list (and corresponding scale) of the strategies people use to reveal their secrets, which was the final goal of the manuscript. The findings and implications of the RRM and the strategies for revealment are discussed.

The Role of Legitimacy and Communal Orientation on the Use of Health Influence Strategies

This study examines how having a communal orientation toward relationships and feeling that one has a legitimate right to confront another are related to the strategies people use when confronting an individual to alter unhealthy behaviors. Among a sample of undergraduates, communal orientation was positively related to legitimacy. Communal orientation was also positively related to enacting active, direct, and supportive strategies. Evidence that legitimacy partially mediated the relation between communal orientation and active, direct strategies was also found.

Development of a Questionnaire to Evaluate Coping Strategies for Skin Problems

The aim of this work was to develop an instrument (Coping Strategies for Skin Problems Questionnaire) suitable for identifying the coping strategies people use for general skin problems. We analyzed its psychometric properties when applied to a sample of 299 individuals. Factor analysis shows a 6-factor structure referring to the wish to change, problem-solving strategies, the search for information and asking for social support, the ability to distance oneself from the problem and to see the positive aspects of the situation. These factors explain 60.77% of the variance and show an internal consistency higher than 0.67. We analyse the validity of the questionnaire and identify different coping profiles depending on the degree of skin damage as assessed by the participants and their search for health services. According to the psychometric properties obtained, we conclude that our instrument is valid and reliable for use with people presenting skin problems.

HIV in South Africa: talking about the big thing ‐ by Squire, C.

<i>HIV in South Africa: talking about the big thing</i> ‐ by Squire, C.

Strategies for Coping With Interpersonal Hurt: Preliminary Evidence for the Relationship Between Coping and Forgiveness

This study provides a preliminary empirical test suggesting a coping framework that describes the behavioral, cognitive, and emotion‐focused activities related to the process that may lead to forgiveness. Among 170 participants, the study explored the coping strategies people use when they respond to an interpersonal hurt and also the general use of coping strategies. After controlling for dispositional forgiveness, results indicated that people use similar coping techniques both for general stressors and for interpersonal hurt. They prefer avoidance coping strategies early in the forgiveness process and approach strategies in the middle and later stages. Applied implications are discussed.

Emotion Regulation, Affect, Psychosocial Functioning, and Well-being in Hemodialysis Patients

Emotion regulation refers to the psychological strategies people use to cope with such stressors as hemodialysis therapy. These strategies are associated with a range of physical and psychological variation that may be related to kidney disease and its management. This study explores the associations of 2 emotion regulation strategies, reappraisal and suppression, and considers their impact on patient well-being and kidney disease management. Cross-sectional study. 106 hemodialysis patients undergoing renal replacement therapy and 94 friends or relatives. Reappraisal and suppression, measured by using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Outcome parameters were measures of affect, psychosocial functioning, and well-being, measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, the Brief COPE questionnaire, the Kidney Disease Quality-of-Life Short Form, and the Brief Symptom Inventory. The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire measured reappraisal and suppression. Greater use of reappraisal was associated with lower levels of anxiety (r = -0.22; P = 0.03) and greater acceptance of the disease (r = 0.20; P = 0.04). It was also associated with more experience (r = 0.26; P < 0.01) and expression (r = 0.23; P = 0.02) of positive emotion and less experience (r = -0.35; P < 0.01) and expression (r = -0.29; P < 0.01) of negative emotion. Suppression was associated with less positive emotional expression (r = -0.28; P < 0.01), greater levels of depression (r = 0.22; P = 0.03) and somatization (r = 0.25; P < 0.01), and greater dissatisfaction with the time spent dealing with their kidney disease (r = -0.21; P = 0.04). Suppression also was associated with less emotional coping (r = -0.29; P < 0.01) and greater dissatisfaction with the support received from other people (r = -0.34; P < 0.01). The study focuses on emotion regulation strategies and well-being rather than clinical parameters; therefore, extensive medical data were not recorded. Reappraisal has more positive clinical and psychosocial associations than suppression. The emotion regulation strategy used by hemodialysis patients has important implications for well-being and disease management.

The Impact of the Euro Changeover on Between-Currency Conversions

The present paper reviews available data about between-currency conversion strategies. Specifically, it compares conversion-strategy repertoires and execution before the euro changeover and 5.5 years thereafter. The data illuminate what between-currency conversion strategies people use, how they execute and select among them, why some strategies are favoured over other strategies, how long after the euro changeover people need to do conversions. These findings have important consequences for understanding how consumer behaviour may be facilitated by improving between-currency conversions, a key component for a successful currency changeover.

Reciprocity in groups: information‐seeking in a public goods game

AbstractQuestions remain about the details of the reciprocal strategies people use in the context of group cooperation. Here we report an experiment in which participants in public goods games could access information about the lowest, median, or highest contribution to the public good before making their own contribution decisions. Results suggest that people have clear preferences for particular pieces of information and that information preferences vary systematically across individuals as a function of their contribution strategies. Specifically, participants playing reciprocal strategies sought information about the median contribution, free riders preferred to view the highest contribution, and altruists had inconsistent preferences. By including a treatment in which people could pay to see information rather than obtaining it for free, we found that people were willing to incur costs to acquire information, particularly those using a reciprocal strategy. Further, adding a cost to view information decreased aggregate contributions, possibly because the motivation to induce others' reciprocal contributions diminished under these conditions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Assessing the balance capabilities of people with profound intellectual disabilities who have experienced a fall

Although it is common for people with intellectual disability (ID) to fall, the reasons for this have not yet been identified. This pilot study aimed to explore the balance capabilities of a sample of adults with profound ID who had experienced a fall, in order to identify possible reasons for falling and to identify potential tests that could be used to quantify balance capabilities in this population group. The neuromuscular systems and balance capabilities of 20 adults with profound ID were comprehensively assessed with a battery of tests, including computerized posturography. Of the 20 participants, 15 described themselves as frequent fallers, and 10 participants reported serious injuries as a result of falling. Formalized assessment of the neuromuscular and balance capabilities proved to be challenging, with many participants unable to comprehend what was required of them in the performance of a number of the tests. All participants were observed to have an abnormal pattern of walking. Nine participants completed posturography testing, the main finding of which was that low motor control composite scores indicated a slowing of motor responses to postural perturbations. Other potential risk factors identified were concurrent medical problems, medication, the context and environment of falling, movement impulsiveness and distractibility, and visual deficits. The reason why people with ID frequently fall appears complex and multifactorial. Larger studies are required to verify the potential risk factors identified in this pilot study. Many of the standardized outcome measures commonly used in physiotherapy practice to quantify balance capabilities are not suitable for use in this population group, as participants found it difficult to comprehend what was required of them. Allowing the person to become familiarized with both the test and the tester may help to alleviate this problem. Videotaping and quantifying observations of strategies people use to perform common movements such as walking or turning maybe a more appropriate measurement tool of balance capabilities of people with ID than current standardized measures. This method would require rigorous development.

Identification and Evaluation of Cognitive Affect-Regulation Strategies: Development of a Self-Report Measure

The ability to regulate emotions is important to mental health and well-being. However, relatively little is known about the cognitive strategies people use when faced with negative affect and the extent to which these strategies reduce such affect. This may be due, in part, to the lack of a comprehensive measure of cognitive affect-regulation strategies. Three studies were conducted to develop a broad-based self-report inventory of 15 specific strategies, called the Inventory of Cognitive Affect Regulation Strategies (ICARUS). This instrument assesses strategies that are oriented toward avoidance of the feelings (e.g., mental disengagement, thoughts of suicide) or diverting attention (e.g., self-criticism/self-blame, blaming others), as well as strategies that are oriented toward approach or engagement (e.g., reframing and growth, acceptance, mindful observation). Results provide preliminary support for the internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity of the measure.

Describing the strategies used for dealing with email interruptions according to different situational parameters

Interruptions research is heavily reliant on a paradigm involving 'enforced interruption'. Email use however constitutes a special form of 'controlled interruption'. As there is no precedent available in the existing literature to describe what strategies people use to deal with 'controlled interruption', an exploratory first study was undertaken using an open-ended interview design. Twenty-eight email users working within UK organisations were asked about how they dealt with email interruptions, when faced with different situational or task parameters. Qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts revealed a wide range of strategies used for dealing with email in general, and for specific situations in particular, with idiosyncratic differences in application. These findings are consistent with the predictions of Action Regulation Theory [Hacker, W. (1985). Activity: A fruitful concept in industrial psychology. In M. Frese, J. Sabini (Eds.), Goal directed behaviour: The concept of action in psychology. London, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates (Chapter 18); The German Journal of Psychology 18(2) (1994) 91-120] - that people select strategies (action programs) for achieving a task according to the specific parameters of the task or goal. However, the findings go further in highlighting the salience of individual differences in underwriting one's choice of strategy (or action program). Further research is required to understand which strategies are linked to effective performance, and how individual differences influence strategic decision making in multi-goal work environments.

Strategies used by people with Parkinson's disease who report difficulty turning

Purpose Difficulty turning (DT) is common in Parkinson's disease (PD). We set out to answer the questions: (1) do people who do and do not report DT differ in postural stability, heel strike, the use of support and step count when performing functional turns during everyday tasks, (2) is the structured observation of functional tasks an ecologically valid way of assessing an individual's ability to turn and (3) does a history of DT predict freezing and/or falls. Method At home, 75 people (median age 75 years; PD duration 7 years) answered questions about DT, freezing and falls and completed a standard 180° turn test and an everyday task necessitating spontaneous turns, later rated from video by blinded assessors. Results Forty-two people reported DT, of whom 86% reported frequent freezing and/or falls. Twenty-six people with DT and 15 without completed the functional task. Greater proportions of the former appeared Unstable (12 vs 1; P=0.014), lacked Heel Strike (25 vs 9; P=0.006) and Used Support (7 vs 0; P=0.035): the former took more Turning Steps (medians 6 vs 4; P=0.001). The 95% limits of agreement between step counts (functional vs standard turns) ran from −6.3 to 3.6 steps. Of 49 people with a history of freezing and/or falls, 36 (73%) reported frequent DT. Conclusions People who report DT turn differently to those who report no problems. Standard turn tests poorly reflect step count during real-life turning, whereas unobtrusive structured observation reveals the turning strategies people use, so can guide rehabilitation. Reported DT is a sensitive indicator of freezing and/or falling, both indicators for physiotherapy.