Studies 1a Research Articles

Do People Believe They Are Less Predictable Than Others? Three Replications of Pronin and Kugler’s (2010) Experiment 1

Pronin and Kugler (2010) proposed that people believe they have more free will than others. In their Experiment 1 they showed that US students evaluated their own decisions and life events as less predictable than similar decisions and life events of close others, presumably suggesting higher free will attributions. We conducted three pre-registered replications of this study, one with a Hong Kong undergraduate sample (N = 47) and two online samples from the USA (MTurk using CloudResearch: N = 126, Prolific: N = 858) (overall N = 1031). In Studies 1a and 1b that mirrored the target article’s mixed design (self-other between, past-future within), we found support for the original findings with weaker effects. In Study 2 we contrasted between-subject versus within-subject designs in a single data collection. We successfully replicated the effects with the between-subject design, whereas we failed to find support for the effect using the within-subjects design. This suggests support for the phenomenon in single evaluation mode assessing either the self or the other, but that people correct for the self-other asymmetry in perceived predictability when the judgment is made in joint evaluations mode. Materials, data, and code are available on: https://osf.io/ykmqp/. Open peer review: https://osf.io/d47kj.

When Self-Compassion Lacks Ferocity: Anger and Responding to False Accusations.

Self-compassion can help people when they make mistakes, but does it affect how people respond when falsely accused of making a mistake? In this research, we tested the hypothesis that self-compassion is associated with lower levels of anger after a false accusation which, in turn, lowers the likelihood that people will attempt to challenge the accusation. In Studies 1A (N = 422) and 1B (N = 492), participants imagined that they were playing in an important tennis match and were falsely accused by an official of making an error. In Study 2 (N = 346), participants completed an online survey that, at one point, displayed a message accusing them of plagiarizing one of their responses. In all studies, self-compassion assessed prior to the accusation was negatively associated with levels of anger following the accusation. Anger, in turn, was positively associated with intentions to challenge the accusation (Studies 1A and 1B) and with the likelihood that participants brought the false accusation to our attention when given an opportunity to do so (Study 2). This research shows that highly self-compassionate people are not always ferocious and may be susceptible to being taken advantage of when facing false accusations.

Children's and adults' beliefs about the impact of emotional intensity on cognitive performance.

In popular culture, positive emotions are often portrayed as performance enhancing (e.g., "happy students learn better"). However, the relationship between emotions and performance is not always straightforward. For instance, when positive emotions become too intense, they can harm cognitive performance. Do people's lay theories of emotions capture this complex relationship between emotions and performance? If so, how early in development do children grasp this nuanced relationship? In three preregistered experiments, we explored children's and adults' beliefs about the impact of different emotional states on attention in school. In Study 1a, we found that 5- to 7-year-old Canadian children (N = 90) and North American adults (N = 55) strongly predicted that happy characters would be better at paying attention in school compared to sad characters, but only adults predicted better attention for a mildly happy character compared to a very happy one. Study 1b (N = 60) shows that adults' intuitions about intense positive emotions as suboptimal for attentional tasks apply equally to child and adult characters. In Study 2, we found that children (N = 80) perceive that the effect of intensity depends on the emotion's valence-it compounds the adverse effects of sadness and amplifies the benefits of happiness. Conversely, adults (N = 80) believe strong emotions, regardless of their valence, are not ideal for paying attention in school. Together, our findings show a developing appreciation of the impact of emotional intensity on cognitive performance-an important aspect of children's emotion understanding with likely implications for self-regulated learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Students' study activities before and after exam deadlines as predictors of performance in STEM courses: A multi-source data analysis

Many college students struggle with regulating the time and effort they invest in classes. We used digital trace data from a learning management system to examine students' behavioral engagement and associations with course performance in four chemistry courses (N = 1596). Results from Study 1a show that behavioral engagement declined across the course, except for high spikes in exam weeks. Students with higher regularity and continued engagement after midterm exams obtained higher course grades, whereas steep increases in study activities shortly before exams did not predict performance. Using a selective subsample of students (n = 51, with 510 observations over time) who identified chemistry as a challenging course, Study 1b explores whether intentions to regulate learning behaviors with goal-directed control strategies lead to changes in behavioral engagement. Intentions to use control strategies lead to short-term changes in behavioral engagement, but students did not implement planned adjustments to their study behaviors in the long run. Educational relevance statementThis study shows that consistent behavioral engagement in a learning management system over the course of a semester and early increases in learning activities before critical course exams predicted students' academic success in chemistry college courses. Students showed increased behavioral engagement immediately before course exams, but such short-term increases did not lead to better course performance. Instead, regular course engagement, as indicated by click activity in a learning management system, was significantly related to students' end-of-term course performance. Findings from a small and selective subsample of students who perceived the course as particularly challenging (study 1b) further suggest that students' intentions to change their behavioral engagement for the following exam(s) predicted only short-term changes in observed engagement in the learning management system. Thus, these students might benefit from further support to effectively regulate their learning behaviors. Studies 1a and 1b suggest that digital trace data from the course's learning management system can be informative in identifying struggling students, particularly using trace data from weeks around exams.

How does identifying with one's nation predict support for wars? The role of secure national identification and national narcissism

National identity has a significant influence on people's attitudes and behavior. However, several researchers make a distinction between secure national identification and national narcissism. In the present study, we analyzed the relationship of different forms of national identity with militaristic attitudes, i.e. attitudes toward a specific military campaign, to war in general as a way of international conflict resolution, as well as to excessive military violence against prisoners of war and civilians. We used cross-sectional design in several online studies. In Study 1, we measured only the attitudes toward the activity of Russian troops in Ukraine, and in Studies 2a and 2b, four different forms of military attitudes. The studies have revealed differences in the associations of secure national identification and national narcissism with militaristic attitudes. Secure national identification was positively associated with attitudes toward the government-approved military action in Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, to war in general as a way of international conflict resolution. At the same time, national narcissism was positively associated with attitudes toward all forms of military violence. We interpret these results with reference to the content of Russian national identity and social context in modern Russia.

Growth mindset results in reduced trait attribution and more rehabilitative judicial decisions in cases of juvenile delinquency

AbstractBackgroundWith the framework of the mindset theory and previous findings in adult criminal justice, this research explores how growth mindset—the belief that personal traits are malleable—affects judicial decision‐making in juvenile justice.AimsWe aim to examine the hypotheses that laypeople with growth mindset tend to endorse more rehabilitative motivations and decisions (H1) through reduced trait attribution (H2).Materials and MethodsWe measured (Study 1) and experimentally manipulated (Study 2) growth mindset to test H1 and H2 with samples of laypeople. Studies 3A and 3B used data from professional judges and prosecutors in China to test the generalizability. Study 4 replicated the measures from Studies 3A and 3B with a laypeople sample to facilitate cross‐sample comparisons.ResultsStudies 1 and 2 provide correlational and causal evidence, respectively, supporting both H1 and H2. However, Studies 3A and 3B did not yield significant results among judicial experts. Study 4 re‐confirmed the hypotheses in lay participants. Judges with juvenile case experience showed a weaker association between growth mindset and probation decisions compared to their less specialized peers and laypeople. A similar pattern emerged among prosecutors, though the findings were not statistically significant.DiscussionThe current research highlights growth mindset as a key belief driving public support for rehabilitative approaches in juvenile justice. Specialized judicial expertise appears to mitigate this association, suggesting a nuanced interaction between lay beliefs and judicial specialization.ConclusionGrowth mindset of laypeople results in their reduced trait attribution and more rehabilitative judicial decisions in cases of juvenile delinquency.

Guided by God: Consulting Divine Omniscience During Decision Making

ABSTRACT To confront difficult decisions, religious believers commonly seek guidance from sacred sources of knowledge, such as an all-knowing God. We predicted that engaging in this practice may be related to decision satisfaction. Specifically, across three studies (N = 2,474; two pre-registered), and three countries (U.S. Sweden, Canada), we explored whether religious believers who report consulting God during decisions experienced greater decision and life satisfaction, particularly when they also held a belief in God’s omniscience. Religious people who consulted God during decisions reported increased life satisfaction initially (Study 1a), and over time (Study 1b). Further, consistent with the proposed mechanism, when consulting God for guidance, participants who perceived God as especially omniscient (but not omnipotent or predictable) experienced greater decision satisfaction for past decisions (Study 2), anticipated future decisions (Study 2), and immediately following a decision (Study 3). Findings suggest that religious believers may benefit from seeking guidance from an omniscient God.

CarersCanADAPT: Study protocol of a stepped care pathway and hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial of an online cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) program for cancer carers with anxiety and depression

BackgroundFamily or friend carers of people with cancer report high levels of depression, anxiety, caregiving strain, and unmet needs. Limited strategies for identification and management of distress have been established among cancer carers. This paper describes the protocol of two linked studies: Study 1a, a distress screening and stepped care pathway feasibility study and Study 1b, a hybrid implementation-effectiveness Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) to assess the benefit of a comprehensive, carer-centred online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (iCBT) program for carers with anxiety and depression. MethodsFor Study 1a, 300 cancer carers will be screened for distress. Carers with low distress will be referred to publicly available carer resources. Carers scoring 4 and higher on the distress thermometer will complete depression and anxiety measures. Carers with high anxiety/depression will be recommended psychological therapy. Carers with mild/moderate anxiety and/or depression will be allocated to the Carers iCBT Program, evaluated via a RCT with waitlist control group (Study 1b). For Study 1b, intervention group carers will receive access to a 6-lesson self-directed online iCBT program. Waitlist-controls will access the intervention at 14 weeks. Intervention and control groups will complete baseline, 6 week, and 14 week self-report measures; controls will complete additional measures at 20 and 28 weeks. A sample size of n = 166 carers in the iCBT RCT is needed. ConclusionsIf acceptable, feasible and effective, this pathway and iCBT intervention could offer a sustainable, scalable and low-cost approach to identifying and managing distress in carers, and potentially improving patient and carer outcomes.Trial Registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry number: ACTRN12623001341617p.

Development and validation of the Closure and Resolution Scale (CRS)

ABSTRACT This research comprises three studies centered on the development and validation of a self-report measure of psychological closure and resolution, the Closure and Resolution Scale (CRS). Study 1 used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in two samples to probe the factor structure for closure using original (Study 1a N = 284) and revised (Study 1b N = 158) item pools. Study 2 (N = 159) examined model fit using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and revealed a good-fitting simple structural solution. The CRS consists of 34 items assessing six facets of event resolution: (1) finality, (2) understanding, (3) felt distance, (4) emotional relief, (5) mental release, and (6) behavioural deactivation. Study 3 (N = 182) examined convergent and discriminant validity for the CRS and provided evidence of construct validity. Participants resided in North America and primarily identified as White (68.7%−77.5%), male (44.3%−59.3%) or female (40.1%−55.7%), with post-secondary education (69.3%−71.7%). We offer a novel measure of psychological closure and resolution with preliminary evidence of good psychometric properties.

Moral character and competence judgments of sexual harassers and fraudsters in academic and business contexts.

Fraud and sexual harassment have been haunting academia for years. While the scientific community proposed strategies to overcome misconduct in research, the problem of sexual harassment seems unresolved. One reason for this might be a difference between men and women in the perception of the moral character and competence of sexual harassers. Across four studies (N = 3776), in the UK and the US, men judged the sexual harasser as less immoral than women (Studies 1, 2, and 3a), even though sexual harassment was considered more harmful than fraud (Study 2). Consequently, men demanded less punishment for sexual harassers than women (Studies 1 and 2). This gender difference was not explained by moral rationalization (Study 3a). Further, a sexual harasser was judged as more competent than a fraudster but in an academic, not business, context (Studies 1 and 2). This effect was driven by the moral decoupling process, which participants used to separate competence judgments from moral judgments (Study 3b). Overall, these results suggest that in the academic context, gender interests most likely shape moral and punishment judgments towards sexual harassers, while the decoupling process allows both genders to perceive them as competent and immoral at the same time.

Social Pain Minimization Mediates Discrimination’s Effect on Sleep Health

ABSTRACT Objective Discrimination disrupts sleep and contributes to race-based health inequities for Black Americans, but less is known about the psychological mechanisms underlying this relation. The current work tests whether emotion invalidation, termed Social Pain Minimization (SPM), mediates discrimination’s negative effects on sleep quality. We focus on the experiences of Black Americans because of racism’s disproportionate effect on the health outcomes of Black individuals in the U.S. Methods Four studies with cross-sectional (Studies 1a-1b) and cross-lagged panel designs (Studies 2–3; N total = 1,176) were used. Discrimination and SPM were assessed with established measures and self-reported sleep quality was assessed with three different operationalizations including the short form Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Sleep-Related Impairment (SRI) subscale and composites of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Results Cross-sectional (Studies 1a-1b) and longitudinal mediation analyses (Studies 2–3) indicated discrimination’s negative effect on sleep quality partially operated through SPM (Study 1a, 95% CI = [−.24, −.016]); Study 1b, 95% CI = [−.22, −.03]; Study 2, 95% CI = [−.268, −.007]]; Study 3, 95% CI = [−0.043, −.002]). Conclusion Beyond its direct negative effect on sleep, discrimination also operates through SPM to reduce sleep quality. Emotion invalidation stemming from discrimination damages sleep.

Alluring or Alarming? The Polarizing Effect of Forbidden Knowledge in Political Discourse.

"Forbidden knowledge" claims are central to conspiracy theories, yet they have received little systematic study. Forbidden knowledge claims imply that information is censored or suppressed. Theoretically, forbidden knowledge could be alluring or alarming, depending on alignment with recipients' political worldviews. In three studies (N = 2363, two preregistered), we examined censorship claims about (conservative-aligned) controversial COVID-19 topics. In Studies 1a and 2 participants read COVID-19 claims framed as censored or not. Conservatives reported more attraction to and belief in the claims, regardless of censorship condition, while liberals showed decreased interest and belief when information was presented as censored. Study 1b revealed divergent interpretations of suppression motives: liberals assumed censored information was harmful or false, whereas conservatives deemed it valuable and true. In Study 2, conservatives made more critical thinking errors in a vaccine risk reasoning task when information was framed as censored. Findings reveal the polarizing effects of forbidden knowledge frames.

Using salience and availability to promote sustainable and healthy food choices in hospital cafeterias

Sustainable diets can achieve considerable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and improvements in human health, but changing dietary behavior remains a challenge. We assessed the impacts of two behavioral insights strategies on bridging the intention-action gap related to sustainable and healthy food choices amongst hospital cafeteria patrons. In a pilot survey of hospital staff (N = 1,165), 56% identified limited awareness and availability of sustainable food as barriers to purchasing, although 46% were extremely willing to try sustainable dishes. We examined increasing salience (Study 1), varying availability (Study 2a), and decreasing availability (Study 2b) on sustainable and healthy dish purchases in three hospital cafeterias. Each study ran for seven weeks from March to April, 2023. In total, 10,616 dishes were purchased. In Study 1, increasing salience was associated with significant uptake of sustainable and healthy dishes, but the effect disappeared once the salience intervention was removed. In Study 2a, increasing availability of sustainable dishes corresponded to a significant increase in purchases of sustainable dishes, while decreasing availability in Study 2b followed a downward trend in purchases, suggesting that availability drove dietary choices. We recommend hospitals consider these choice architecture interventions to support the adoption of sustainable and healthy diets.

They don’t really care about us: the impact of perceived vertical pay disparity on employee well-being

ABSTRACT The gap in pay between those at the top of organizations and other organizational members continues to grow. In this paper, we tested the link between the perception of this vertical pay gap and people’s well-being at work. Specifically, we tested whether greater perceptions that pay is unequally distributed couples with people’s feelings that they are not valued (Lind & Tyler, 1988), eroding their sense of identification and well-being. In two cross-sectional surveys, Study 1a and 1b (N = 1335), we found that the more US and Italian workers perceived that there was a large vertical pay gap at work, the greater their tendency to feel that their organization was not concerned about their welfare. They were also less satisfied in their jobs and less likely to identify with their organization. In two pre-registered experiments, Study 2a and 2b (N total = 785), we manipulated the vertical pay gap in hypothetical organizations and found that when the pay gap was large (versus small) participants felt that the organization was less concerned about their welfare. They also expected to be less satisfied in their jobs, to identify less with the organization, and to experience greater work-life interference.

Liberal versus conservative distrust: A construal-level approach to dissimilarity in the workplace.

The dramatic rise in political polarization and aggravation of race relations are prominent in the United States. While dissimilarity to others is thought to undermine trust, I challenge the assumption that dissimilarity does so uniformly in the workplace where cross-party and cross-race interactions are structurally induced. Leveraging construal-level theory, I theorize that deep- versus surface-level differences with a coworker interact with ideology to activate higher versus lower construals of trustworthiness, prompting liberals and conservatives to distrust their coworkers in different ways. For liberals, I argue that perceived political dissimilarity undermines perceived person trustworthiness (a higher level/abstract construal, capturing one's trustworthiness generally as a person in the world) and disclosure. For conservatives, I argue that perceived racial dissimilarity undermines perceived role trustworthiness (a lower level/concrete construal, capturing one's trustworthiness specifically in their job) and reliance. Study 1 (a proof of concept) and Study 2 (a longitudinal, dyadic field study) utilize inductive theory-building and exploratory analyses. Studies 3a, 3b(i), and 3b(ii) (three preregistered experiments) support my hypotheses: Liberals tend to view politically dissimilar coworkers as less trustworthy people in the world and refrain from disclosures, while conservatives tend to view racial outgroup coworkers as less trustworthy in their jobs and refrain from reliance. Given liberal and conservative employees' roles in the calcification of political and racial group cleavages, respectively, organizations must determine whether both forms of bias should be addressed-indeed, racial bias is socially unacceptable, whereas political bias is widely tolerated-and, if so, whether interventions should target employees based on ideology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

“Take no risk!”: Immediate and delayed backfire-effect of risk-reducing messages in retailers' return and exchange policies

While much research highlights the positive effects of appropriate risk framing in online retail advertising, this study reveals its potential adverse impact on consumer purchase decisions, particularly when communicating retailers' return and exchange policies. We conducted four studies, including three distinct field experiments in partnership with a major online retailer, to explore immediate and deferred consumer behaviors - advertising engagement and actual purchases - across over 452,632 consumers, and one controlled online experiment to test the proposed hypotheses. Studies 1a and 1b examined the short-term adverse effects of reassuring risk framing on immediate advertising engagement, and Study 2 assessed its impact on delayed decisions (actual purchase). Study 3 provided insights into the underlying psychological mechanisms using the persuasion knowledge theory. Our findings indicate that framing messages such as “take no risk” can diminish advertising engagement and actual purchasing behavior, because of greater persuasion knowledge. Advertisers are advised to carefully evaluate the use of risk-reducing messages in their communication to avoid unintended negative impacts on both advertising engagement and actual purchase behavior. This study enriches the advertising literature by uncovering the backfiring effects of reassuring risk-reducing framing.

How influencers can enhance consumer responses by value co-creation

PurposeThis paper aims to explore whether, how and when influencers’ value co-creation behavior in a post – influencers investing operant resources to enhance the value gained from using the product – shapes consumers’ responses toward an influencer’s recommendation. Based on value co-creation theory and consumer inference, this paper proposes that consumers infer influencers have more expertise with and more favorable attitude toward the product from value co-creation. Consequently, such behavior can foster consumer engagement and favorable attitude toward the recommended product.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected real-world data and conducted four sets of experimental studies. In the experimental studies, the presence of an influencer’s value co-creation behavior (i.e. co-creation vs. control) was manipulated to test the causal effect and mechanisms of co-creation on engagement and product attitude.FindingsResults show that influencers’ value co-creation behavior positively affects consumers’ engagement and attitudes toward the product. These effects are driven by perceived influencer’s expertise with and favorability toward the product (Studies 1 and 2). Co-creating utilitarian value is more effective than co-creating hedonic value (Studies 3A and 3B). In addition, influencers with a larger number of followers benefit more from co-creation behavior than those with fewer followers (Study 4).Research limitations/implicationsThis research adds to the literature on value co-creation by investigating how, why and when influencers’ value co-creation enhances consumer responses to the post. Our investigation concretizes value co-creation behavior in the context of influencer marketing and demonstrates its signaling effect with nuanced role of value type in shaping the effect. The findings provide a novel cue that influencers can use to enhance consumer responses to their posts.Practical implicationsBrands should encourage influencers to focus on value-in-use co-creation when promoting their products. While emphasizing value co-creation in influencer partnership, brands should also carefully consider the type and size of influencers they collaborate with based on the nature of their products and target audience. The research findings also provide practical implications for influencers, offering guidance on how they can optimize their content creation strategies and enhance their effectiveness in influencer marketing collaborations.Originality/valueThis research enriches understanding of value co-creation in the context of influencer marketing and the role of content specifics in influencers’ posts. The findings provide a novel cue that influencers can use to enhance consumer responses to their posts.

EXPRESS: Experiential Narratives in Marketing: A Comparison of Generative AI and Human Content

As generative AI technologies advance, understanding their capability to emulate human-like experiences in marketing communication becomes crucial. This research examines whether generative AI can create experiential narratives that resonate with humans in terms of embodied cognition, affect, and lexical diversity. An automatic text analysis reveals that while reviews generated by ChatGPT 3.5 exhibit lower levels of embodied cognition and lexical diversity compared with reviews by human experts, they display more positive affect (Study 1A). However, human raters struggle to notice these differences, rating half of the selected reviews from AI higher in embodied cognition and usefulness (Study 1B). Instances of hallucination in AI-generated content were detected by human raters. For social media posts, the more sophisticated ChatGPT 4 model demonstrates superior perceived lexical diversity and leads to higher purchase intentions in unbranded content compared with human copywriters (Study 2). This paper evaluates the performance of large language models in generating experiential marketing narratives. The comparative studies reveal the models’ strengths in presenting positive emotions and influencing purchase intent while identifying limitations in embodied cognition and lexical diversity compared to human-authored content. The findings have implications for marketers and policymakers in understanding generative AI’s potential and risks in marketing.

EXPRESS: The Effect of Game Ad Outcome on Subsequent Mobile Gaming Experience: the Mediating Role of Inferred Difficulty

This study investigates the effect of game advertisement outcomes on a player’s subsequent gaming experience. Research on vicarious experience shows that individuals infer game difficulty to be higher when watching game advertisements where players lose (vs. win) the game. Building on the effort–paradox paradigm, the first of this three-part study shows that such higher inferred difficulty enhances enjoyment and engagement during subsequent gaming experiences, especially for advertisements featuring easy game levels. Solely manipulating the difficulty level, Study 2 confirms the underlying mechanism of inferred difficulty for the observed effect of game advertisement outcomes. Study 3a finds that the main positive effect of losing (vs. winning) ads does not hold for advertisements featuring difficult game levels. Study 3b further explores this by focusing only on advertisements with difficult game levels, investigating how variations in players’ self-efficacy might influence their response to losing advertisements depicting difficult game levels. The findings across four studies suggest that, when promoting easy game levels, marketers can use advertisements with losing outcomes to extend gaming sessions, thereby increasing revenue from in-game advertisements. However, for difficult game levels, advertisements with losing outcomes are effective only for those with high self-efficacy.

The impact of pandemic threats on intertemporal choices in Chinese and Americans

Intertemporal decisions are crucial to survival, especially when humans are exposed to ecological threats. However, it remains unclear whether and how pandemic threats impact intertemporal choices across cultures. We conducted two studies in two cultural contexts (N = 1180). Study 1a found that Chinese who perceived more pandemic threats showed higher temporal discounting rates (i.e., preferred immediate smaller over delayed larger rewards), and this relationship was mediated by negative emotions. Study 1b, using threat priming, revealed that Chinese participants primed with a high-threat condition (depicting a pandemic threat) showed higher temporal discounting rates compared to those primed with a low-threat condition (describing the flu). Differently, Study 2a revealed that perceived pandemic threat levels of Americans did not directly predict temporal discounting rates. Using similar threat priming, Study 2b further confirmed that Americans in the high-threat priming condition showed no significant differences in temporal discounting rates compared to those in the low-threat priming condition. The current research deepens the understanding of the cultural difference in the impact of pandemic threats on intertemporal decision-making and further informs the development of interventions that promote individual future-oriented thinking in the face of pandemics.