bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disgust and the rubber hand illusion: A registered replication report of Jalal, Krishnakumar, and Ramachandran (2015)
Authors: Nitta Hiroshi , Tomita Haruto , Zhang Yi , Zhou Xinxin , Yamada Yuki
Published: July 2018

Heightened experience of disgust is a feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly in contamination-related OCD (C-OCD). Previous studies of the rubber hand illusion (RHI) reported that the sense of body ownership is related to the interaction between vision, touch, and proprioception. A recent study demonstrated a link between the RHI and disgust, reporting an interaction between these three perceptual modalities and disgust (Jalal, Krishnakumar, Ramachandran, 2015). However, there have been no direct replications of this initial study. We proposed a direct replication of Jalal et al.’s (2015) study. Based on a power analysis, we examined a minimum of 119 participants to determine whether placing contamination-related stimuli on a rubber hand causes OCD-like disgust among healthy participants while experiencing the RHI. In addition, we tested the cross-cultural validity of the previous findings, testing whether Japanese participants experience more intense disgust when a rubber hand and a participant’s hidden hand were stroked synchronously, compared with asynchronous stroking. This replication provides insight into potential applications of this study protocol in the treatment of OCD.
Bilingual experience and resting-state brain connectivity: Impacts of L2 age of acquisition and social diversity of language use on control networks
Authors: Gullifer Jason William , Chai Xiaoqian , Whitford Veronica , Pivneva Irina , Baum Shari , Klein Denise , Titone Debra
Published: July 2018

We investigated the independent contributions of second language (L2) age of acquisition (AoA) and social diversity of language use on intrinsic brain organization using seed-based resting-state functional connectivity among highly proficient French-English bilinguals. There were two key findings. First, earlier L2 AoA related to greater interhemispheric functional connectivity between homologous frontal brain regions, and to decreased reliance on proactive vs. reactive executive control in an AX-Continuous Performance Task completed outside the scanner. Second, greater diversity in social language use in daily life related to greater connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and the putamen bilaterally, and to increased reliance on proactive control in the same task. These findings suggest that early vs. late L2 AoA links to a specialized neural framework for processing two languages that may engage a specific type of executive control (i.e., reactive control). In contrast, higher vs. lower degrees of diversity in social language use link to a broadly distributed set of brain networks implicated in proactive control and context monitoring.
Effects of metric hierarchy and rhyme predictability on word duration in The Cat in the Hat
Authors: Breen Mara
Published: July 2018

Word durations convey many types of linguistic information, including intrinsic lexical features like length and frequency and contextual features like syntactic and semantic structure. The current study was designed to investigate whether hierarchical metric structure and rhyme predictability account for durational variation over and above other features in productions of a rhyming, metrically-regular children's book: The Cat in the Hat (Dr. Seuss, 1957). One-syllable word durations and inter-onset intervals were modeled as functions of segment number, lexical frequency, word class, syntactic structure, repetition, and font emphasis. Consistent with prior work, factors predicting longer word durations and inter-onset intervals included more phonemes, lower frequency, first mention, alignment with a syntactic boundary, and capitalization. A model parameter corresponding to metric grid height improved model fit of word durations and inter-onset intervals. Specifically, speakers realized five levels of metric hierarchy with inter-onset intervals such that interval duration increased linearly with increased height in the metric hierarchy. Conversely, speakers realized only three levels of metric hierarchy with word duration, demonstrating that they shortened the highly predictable rhyme resolutions. These results further understanding of the factors that affect spoken word duration, and demonstrate the myriad cues that children receive about linguistic structure from nursery rhymes.
A collaborative approach to infant research: Promoting reproducibility, best practices, and theory-building
Authors: Frank Michael C.
Published: July 2018

The ideal of scientific progress is that we accumulate measurements and integrate these into theory, but recent discussion of replicability issues has cast doubt on whether psychological research conforms to this model. Developmental research – especially with infant participants – also has discipline-specific replicability challenges, including small samples due to high recruitment costs and limited measurement methods. Inspired by collaborative replication efforts in cognitive and social psychology, we describe a proposal for assessing and promoting replicability in infancy research: large-scale, multi-lab replication efforts aiming for a more precise understanding of key developmental phenomena. The ManyBabies project, our instantiation of this proposal, will not only help us estimate how robust and replicable these phenomena are, but also gain new theoretical insights into how they vary across ages, linguistic communities, and measurement methods. This project has the potential for a variety of positive outcomes, including less-biased estimates of theoretically-important effects, estimates of variability that can be used for later study planning, and a series of best-practices blueprints for future infancy research.
Implicit and Explicit Racial Attitudes Changed During Black Lives Matter
Authors: Sawyer Jeremy , Gampa Anup
Published: July 2018

Lab-based interventions have been ineffective in changing individuals’ implicit racial attitudes for more than brief durations, and exposure to high-status Black exemplars like Obama has proven ineffective in shifting societal-level racial attitudes. Anti-racist social movements, however, offer a potential societal-level alternative for reducing racial bias. Racial attitudes were examined before and during Black Lives Matter (BLM) and its high points of struggle with 1,369,204 participants from 2009 to 2016. After controlling for changes in participant demographics, overall implicit attitudes were less pro-White during BLM than pre-BLM, became increasingly less pro-White across BLM, and were less pro-White during most periods of high BLM struggle. Considering changes in implicit attitudes by participant race, Whites became less implicitly pro-White during BLM while Blacks showed little change. Regarding explicit attitudes, Whites became less pro-White and Blacks became less pro-Black during BLM, each moving toward an egalitarian “no preference” position.
Empirically Derived Guidelines for Effect Size Interpretation in Social Psychology
Authors: Lovakov Andrey , Agadullina Elena
Published: July 2018

This study estimates empirically derived guidelines for effect size interpretation for research in social psychology overall and subdisciplines within social psychology, based on analysis of the true distributions of the two types of effect size measures widely used in social psychology (correlation coefficient and standardized mean differences). Analysis of empirically derived distributions of 12,170 correlation coefficients and 6,447 Cohen’s d statistics extracted from studies included in 134 published meta-analyses revealed that the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles corresponded to correlation coefficient values of 0.12, 0.24, and 0.41 and to Cohen’s d values of 0.15, 0.36, and 0.65 respectively. The analysis suggests that the widely used Cohen’s guidelines tend to overestimate medium and large effect sizes. Empirically derived effect size distributions in social psychology overall and subdisciplines can be used both for effect size interpretation and for sample size planning when other information about effect size is not available.
Wisdom and culture
Authors: Grossmann Igor , Kung Franki Y. H.
Published: July 2018

Wisdom is often considered to be the pinnacle of human development. Though it is universally cherished, it is unclear whether the concept of wisdom can be applied similarly across cultures. We review the emerging research on this topic, exploring extant scholarly definitions, portrayals of wisdom in the world’s philosophies, folk beliefs concerning wisdom and its development, and empirical insights evaluating expression of wisdom-related characteristics. There appears to be a large amount of convergence in scholarly and cross-cultural folk concepts, suggesting that wisdom involves certain aspects of pragmatic reasoning, with less clarity concerning emotion regulatory and prosocial aspects of wisdom. Folk beliefs about wisdom vary across cultures in the degree to which they emphasize social components and characterize development of wisdom as an incremental ability (vs. an immutable entity). Cultures also vary in the likelihood of expressing wisdom. We conclude by calling for a culturally-grounded understanding of the distribution and function of wisdom-related psychological phenomena.
A two-level hierarchical framework of visual working memory
Authors: Yatziv Tal , Kessler Yoav
Published: July 2018

Over the last couple of decades, a vast amount of research has been dedicated to understanding the nature and the architecture of visual short-term memory (VSTM), the mechanism by which currently relevant visual information is maintained. According to discrete-capacity models, VSTM is constrained by a limited number of discrete representations held simultaneously. In contrast, shared-resource models regard VSTM as limited in resources, which can be distributed flexibly between varying numbers of representations, and a new interference model posits that capacity is limited by interference among items. In this paper, we begin by reviewing benchmark findings regarding the debate over VSTM limitations, focusing on whether VSTM storage is all-or-none, and on whether objects’ complexity affects capacity. Afterwards, we put forward a hybrid framework of VSTM architecture, arguing that this system is composed of a two-level hierarchy of memory stores, each containing a different set of representations: (1) Perceptual Memory (PM), a resource-like level containing analog automatically-formed representations of visual stimuli in varying degrees of activation, and (2) visual Working Memory (WM), in which a subset of 3-4 items from PM are bound to conceptual representations and to their locations, thus conveying discrete (digital/symbolic) information which appears quantized. While PM has a large capacity and is relatively non-selective, visual WM is restricted in the number of items that can be maintained simultaneously and its content is regulated by a gating mechanism.
Local Fit Evaluation of Structural Equation Models Using Graphical Criteria
Authors: Thoemmes Felix , Rosseel Yves , Textor Johannes
Published: July 2018

Evaluation of model fit is critically important for every structural equation model and sophisticated methods have been developed for this task. Among them are the χ2 goodness-of-fit test, decomposition of the χ2, derived measures like the popular RMSEA or CFI, or inspection of residuals or modification indices. Many of these methods provide a global approach to model fit evaluation: A single index is computed that quantifies the fit of the entire SEM to the data. In contrast, graphical criteria like d-separation or trek-separation allow to derive implications that can be used for local fit evaluation, an approach that is hardly ever applied. We provide an overview of local fit evaluation from the viewpoint of SEM practitioners. In the presence of model misfit, local fit evaluation can potentially help in pinpointing where the problem with the model lies. For models that do fit the data, local tests can identify the parts of the model that are corroborated by the data. Local tests can also be conducted before a model is fitted at all, and they can be used even for models that are globally under-identified. We discuss appropriate statistical local tests, and provide applied examples. We also present novel software in R that automates this type of local fit evaluation.
Internally-directed cognition and mindfulness: An integrative perspective derived from reactive versus predictive control systems theory
Authors: IJzerman Hans
Published: July 2018

In the present paper we will apply the Predictive And Reactive Control Systems (PARCS) theory as a framework that integrates competing theories of neural substrates of awareness by describing the “default mode network” (DMN) and anterior insula (AI) as parts of two different behavioral and homeostatic control systems. The DMN, a network that becomes active at rest when there is no external stimulation or task to perform, has been implicated in self-reflective awareness and prospection. By contrast, the AI is associated with awareness and task-related attention. This has led to competing theories stressing the role of the DMN in self-awareness versus the role of interoceptive and emotional information integration in the AI in awareness of the emotional moment. In PARCS, the respective function of the DMN and AI in a specific control system explains their association with different qualities of awareness, and how mental states can shift from one state (e.g., prospective self-reflection) to the other (e.g., awareness of the emotional moment) depending on the relative dominance of control systems. These shifts between reactive and predictive control are part of processes that enable the intake of novel information, integration of this novel information within existing knowledge structures, and the creation of a continuous personal context in which novel information can be integrated and understood. As such, PARCS can explain key characteristics of mental states, such as their temporal and spatial focus (e.g., a focus on the here and now vs. the future; a 1st person vs. a 3rd person perspective). PARCS further relates mental states to brain states and functions, such as activation of the DMN or hemispheric asymmetry in frontal cortical functions. Together, PARCS deepens the understanding of a broad range of mental states, including mindfulness, mind wandering, rumination, autobiographical memory, imagery, and the experience of self.This paper was published in Frontiers:Tops, M., Boksem, M. A., Quirin, M., IJzerman, H., & Koole, S. L. (2014). Internally directed cognition and mindfulness: An integrative perspective derived from predictive and reactive control systems theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 5.
Risk compensation and bicycle helmets: a false conclusion and uncritical citations
Authors: Radun Igor , Radun Jenni , Esmaeilikia Mahsa , Lajunen Timo
Published: July 2018

Some researchers and many anti-helmet advocates often state that because cyclists are wearing a helmet they feel safer and take more risks. This hypothesis - risk compensation – if true, would reduce, annul or even reverse the assumed benefits of helmets in reducing head injuries. Consequently, this hypothesis is often used to oppose mandatory helmet laws. In this article, we illustrate how one of the few studies that attempted to experimentally test the hypothesis in relation to bicycle helmets arrives at a false conclusion. As a result it is often cited as evidence of risk compensation. Given the lack of experimental studies in this research area, the impact of a single study in shaping the opinions of the general public and of policy makers can be significant.
Children’s Early Understanding of Mass–Count Syntax: Individuation, Lexical Content, and the Number Asymmetry Hypothesis
Authors: Barner David , Snedeker Jesses
Published: July 2018

How does mass–count syntax affect word meaning? Many theorists haveproposed that count nouns denote individuals, whereas mass nouns do not(Bloom, 1999; Gordon, 1985; Link, 1983), a proposal that is supported byprototypical examples of each (table, water). However, studies of quantityjudgments in 4-year-olds and adults demonstrate that some mass nouns(furniture) do denote individuals (Barner & Snedeker, 2005). This isproblematic for bootstrapping theories that posit one-to-onesyntax-semantics mappings (individual ↔ count; nonindividual ↔ mass; Bloom,1999), unless mass nouns that denote individuals are late-learnedexceptions to mappings. This article investigates this possibility in3-year-olds and adults using 2 methods: word extension and quantityjudgment. Both methods indicate that novel mass nouns can denoteindividuals in both age groups, and thus fail to support simplifiedsyntax-semantics mappings. Also, differences between word extension andquantity judgment raise the possibility that the tasks measure differentunderlying knowledge.
Musical Training: Contributions to Executive Function
Authors: Okada Brooke , Slevc L. Robert
Published: July 2018

This is a preprint of a chapter on musical training and executive function to appear in "An Integrative Approach to Cognitive and Working Memory Training: Perspectives from Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development" edited by M. Bunting, J. Novick, M. Dougherty, and R. W. Engle.
Fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as predictors of worldview defense: Comparing terror management and uncertainty theories
Authors: Rubin Mark
Published: July 2018

Terror management theory (TMT) proposes that thoughts of death trigger a concern about self-annihilation that motivates the defense of cultural worldviews. In contrast, uncertainty theorists propose that thoughts of death trigger feelings of uncertainty that motivate worldview defense. University students (N = 414) completed measures of the chronic fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as well as the need for closure. They then evaluated either a meaning threat stimulus or a control stimulus. Consistent with TMT, participants with a high fear of self-annihilation and a high need for closure showed the greatest dislike of the meaning threat stimulus, even after controlling for their existential uncertainty. Contrary to the uncertainty perspective, fear of existential uncertainty showed no significant effects.
Tracking and maintenance of goal-relevant location information in narratives
Authors: Levine William H , McCully Jessica
Published: July 2018

One experiment was conducted to examine whether readers maintain location in a highly-accessible state in memory during narrative comprehension, while reading narratives with goals closely tied to locations that story protagonists needed to reach. College undergraduates (n = 185) read short, experiment-generated narratives manipulated in three ways. First, protagonist location was manipulated such that the goal was completed or not, making subsequent critical sentences consistent or inconsistent, respectively, with the last-described location. Second, text distance between the manipulation of location and the later target sentence was varied, such that the critical sentences were close to or distant from the last mention of location. Third, location words that explicitly mentioned the protagonist’s location were either present or not in the critical sentences. Readers took longer to read critical sentences when the protagonist had not been described as reaching the goal location, suggesting that readers were maintaining location information in highly-accessible state. This effect emerged with or without explicit location words in the critical sentences and with near or distant backgrounding, although both factors moderated the pattern of the effect. These results are discussed in the context of scenario-based and memory-based theories of comprehension.
Closeness is Enough for Friends, but not Mates or Kin: Mate and Kinship Premiums in India and U.S.
Authors: Hackman Joseph , Danvers Alexander Francois , Hruschka Daniel J.
Published: July 2018

Close relationship researchers have proposed that the increased sharing, helping, and sacrifice among social partners of all kinds—friends, spouses, and biological kin—is mediated by the same internal indicator: the feeling of emotional closeness. However, recent work on "kinship premiums" in the U.S. and Europe shows that emotional closeness is not sufficient to account for increased giving among genetic kin, suggesting that closeness may not be a sufficient proximate mechanism to account for giving in other evolutionarily important relationships. Using a hypothetical social discounting paradigm with a $75 reward, we test for such premiums among mates, close friends, and kin in two cultural settings where researchers have proposed key differences in relationship cognition–India (N=63) and the U.S. (N=284). We find that emotional closeness substantially mediates (often fully) the effect of close friendship on the amount of money forgone, suggesting that this is a key factor in the increased sharing observed among friends. On the other hand, people on average report sacrificing an additional $8.3 (95% CI: $4.5-$12.1) for mates and $9.7 (95% CI: $6.5-$12.8) for genetic kin when removing the effects of closeness. Importantly, these effects are not statistically different across samples from the U.S. and India. These results show that people use relationship-specific information about genetic relatedness and pair bonding in addition to general indicators of emotional closeness when making decisions to share with others.Please find the final version at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.10.002
Comment on “Large-Scale cognitive GWAS Meta-analysis Reveals Tissue-Specific Neural Expression and Potential Nootropic Drug Targets” by Lam et al.
Authors: Hill William David
Published: July 2018

Lam et al. (2017) reported a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) of cognitive ability. They used the new analytical method of Multi-Trait Analysis of GWAS (MTAG) (Turley et al., 2017) to combine GWAS data sets on the correlated phenotypes of cognitive ability and education, deriving 70 loci that they described as “trait specific” to cognitive ability. The purpose of this short commentary is to examine whether the use of MTAG, in this case (Lam et al., 2017), has resulted in a phenotype more similar to education than cognitive ability.
Preprint - Elucidating the dark side of envy: Distinctive links of benign and malicious envy with dark personalities
Authors: Lange Jens , Paulhus Delroy L , Crusius Jan
Published: July 2018

Researchers have recently drawn a contrast between two forms of envy: benign and malicious envy. In three studies (total N = 3,123), we challenge the assumption that malicious envy is destructive, whereas benign envy is entirely constructive. Instead, both forms have links with the Dark Triad of personality. Benign envy is associated with Machiavellian behaviors, whereas malicious envy is associated with both Machiavellian and psychopathic behaviors. In Study 1, this pattern emerged in meta-analyzed trait correlations. In Study 2, a manipulation affecting the envy forms mediated an effect on antisocial behavioral intentions. Study 3 replicated these patterns by linking envy to specific antisocial behaviors and their impact on status in the workplace. Together, our correlational and experimental results suggest that the two forms of envy can both be malevolent. Instead of evaluating envy’s morality, we propose to focus on its functional value.
Statcheck in Canada: What Proportion of CPA Journal Articles Contain Errors in the Reporting of p-Values?
Authors: Green Christopher , Abbas Sahir , Belliveau Arlie , Beribisky Nataly , Davidson Ian , DiGiovanni Julian , Heidari Crystal , Martin Shane M. , Oosenbrug Eric , Wainewright Linda
Published: July 2018

Using a computer program called “Statcheck,” a 2016 digital survey of several prestigious American and European psychology journals showed that the p-values reported in research articles failed to agree with the corresponding test statistics (e.g., F, t, χ2) at surprisingly high rates: nearly half of all articles contained at least one such error, as did about 10% of all null hypothesis significance tests. We investigated whether this problem was present in Canadian psychology journals and, if so, at what frequency. We discovered similar rates of p-value errors in Canadian journals over the past 30 years. However, we also noticed, a large number of typographical errors in the electronic versions of the articles. When we hand corrected a sample of our articles, the per-article error rate remained about the same, but the per test rate of errors dropped to 6.3%. We recommend that, in future, journals include explicit checks of statistics in their editorial processes.
Suggestions to Advance Your Mission: An Open Letter to Dr. Shinobu Kitayama, Editor of JPSP:ASC
Authors: Wagenmakers Eric-Jan , Marsman Maarten , van den Bergh Don , Chambers Christopher D , Pashler Harold , De Ruiter Jan Peter , Fischer Agneta , Giner-Sorolla Roger , Inzlicht Michael , Jonas Kai , Cesario Joseph , Borsboom Denny , van der Maas Han , Harris Christine R , Freitas Antonio L. , Vazire Simine , Gervais Will M , Milyavskaya Marina , Dunn Elizabeth Warren , McCullough Michael E. , Inbar Yoel , Dijksterhuis Ap , Doosje Bertjan , Rimé Bernard , van Beest Ilja , Urry Heather L. , Tullett Alexa Mary
Published: July 2018

We outline an array of journal policies that JPSP:ASC could adopt to further promote transparent and responsible research practices; in turn, these practices will increase the reliability of research findings published in JPSP:ASC.
Diversity May Help the Uninterested: Evidence that Exposure to Counter-stereotypes Promotes Cognitive Reflection for People Low (But not High) in Need for Cognition
Authors: Damer Ekaterina , Webb Thomas Llewelyn , Crisp Richard J.
Published: July 2018

Previous theorizing and research has linked exposure to counter-stereotypical diversity (e.g., an Oxford-educated bricklayer) to enhanced cognitive performance and creativity. However, it is unclear whether people’s motivation to cognitively engage with the counter-stereotypical information (i.e., need for cognition, NFC) influences this effect. Across three experiments (N = 887) we found consistent support for the idea that exposure to counter-stereotypes (CSTs) promotes cognitive reflection for people low in NFC (d+ = .34). In contrast, people high in NFC showed decreased cognitive reflection after being exposed to CSTs (d+ = -.18), although the evidence for the latter effect was weak. These findings suggest that exposure to CSTs can promote cognitive reflection unless people have a strong desire to understand and predict outcomes and events, in which case exposure to CSTs may backfire. Taken together, we conclude that motivation to engage in cognitive activity may be an important consideration for research and interventions involving expectancy-violating diversity experiences.
Do red objects enhance sexual attractiveness? No evidence from two large replications
Authors: Pollet Thomas Victor , Costello Joanne , Groeneboom Lotte , Peperkoorn Leonard S. , Wu Junhui
Published: July 2018

Color has been argued to exert a powerful effect on motivation and behavior. This has led researchers, most notably in social psychology, to examine the effects of color on perceptions of (sexual) attractiveness. Building on a body of work on the ‘romantic red effect’, Lin (2014) found evidence that the color of a laptop influenced ratings of a woman’s sexual attractiveness. If this holds true, then color effects could have profound importance for the marketing of consumer products such as laptops. Here we present two replications, one in the Netherlands and one in China, investigating whether red products increase perceived attractiveness. Across two studies, totaling 481 participants, we found no support for the claim that red products enhance sexual attractiveness. We discuss the implications for research on color and attractiveness and its implications for consumer research.
An appraisal framework to understand why negative affect is both good and bad for self-control
Authors: Saunders Blair , Inzlicht Michael
Published: July 2018

Self-control and emotion have often been cast in mutual opposition. However, recent accounts suggest that emotion and cognition overlap so greatly that they are largely inseparable. Despite this overlap, existing perspectives provide a seemingly paradoxical account of the integration of control and emotion, where negative affect is viewed as both good and bad for self-control. Here, we present an appraisal based framework that aims to reconcile these perspectives by closely considering the evaluative and homeostatic principles that unite emotion and self-control. Incorporating diverse appraisal processes from affective science into existing cybernetic models of self-control, we suggest that all variation in self-control is motivated by the overarching goal of the organism to maintain a positive hedonic homeostasis in its environment. Depending on the amount of value that ongoing appraisal processes see in the current goal, this might mean responding to goal threatening, aversive events with increased self-control and vigour, or, alternatively , disengaging from the current goal and pursuing more pleasurable activities. These strategies simultaneously serve the need to flexibly manage priorities between different goals, and, perhaps more fundamentally, maintain affective homeostasis within the immediate environment.
Duck Eats Rabbit: Exactly which type of relational phrase can disambiguate the perception of identical side by side ambiguous figures?
Authors: Mathewson Kyle Elliott
Published: July 2018

Many individuals cannot at first see two ambiguous figures as different interpretations simultaneously, even with effort. Here in a large sample replication we find that the phrase “duck eats rabbit” allows those who could not see a duck and rabbit side by side to do so. In a second experiment we show that a relational phrase “next to” that does not disambiguate the spatial position interpretation, does not similarly allow the duck to be seen next to the rabbit, supporting the proposal that top-down semantic-framing can influence perception of ambiguous figures.
Differentiated evaluation of counter-conditioned stimuli as a function of right-wing authoritarianism
Authors: Bret Amélie , Beffara Brice , Mierop Adrien , Mermillod Martial
Published: July 2018

Right Wing Authoritarianism (i.e., RWA) is associated with enhanced conservatism and social prejudice. Because research linking RWA to attitudes is fully correlational (i.e., it offers control on neither RWA nor on attitude learning), it is not clear, how RWA relates to attitude learning dynamics. We addressed this question in 11 evaluative conditioning experiments that offered a rigorous control on the affective learning setting. Results from two integrative data analyses suggest that (i) individuals scoring higher in RWA show a stronger acquisition of positive attitudes, and that (ii) this more positive evaluation resists novel counterattitudinal information. Implications of these findings for research on RWA and its link to social prejudice are discussed.
Effects of delayed auditory feedback on gesture-speech synchrony: Pre-registration and exploratory study
Authors: Pouw Wim , Dixon James A.
Published: July 2018

Research on co-speech gestures has shown that gesture-speech synchrony is stable when hand movement or speech is disrupted by a delayed feedback manipulation, suggesting strong bidirectional feedback between gesture and speech. Yet, it has also been argued from case studies in perceptuo-motor pathology, that hand gestures are a special kind of action that do not require closed-loop control mechanisms (e.g., efferent feedback) to function properly in synchrony with speech. In the current pilot study utilizing motion-tracking methods, we reassessed gesture-speech synchrony under conditions of delayed auditory feedback (DAF; 130-150 ms delay) leading to speech disruption. The pilot study indicated that gesture-speech synchrony was indeed stable under DAF, even to a higher degree than the control condition. We also find a promising indication that gesture-speech dynamics does entrain to the external auditory delay as indicated by a consistent shift in gesture-speech synchrony offsets. This pilot study forms the basis for the current pre-registration of a larger-scale study.
Comparability, Stability, and Reliability of Internet-based Mental Chronometry in Domestic and Laboratory Settings
Authors: Miller Robert , Schmidt Kornelius , Kirschbaum Clemens , Enge Sören
Published: July 2018

Internet-based assessment of response time (RT) and error rate (ERR) has recently become a well validated alternative to traditional laboratory-based assessment, because methodological research provided evidence for negligible setting- and setup-related differences in RT and ERR measures of central tendency. However, corresponding data on potential differences in the variability of such performance measures are still lacking to date. Hence, it was the aim of this study to conduct internet- based mental chronometry in both, poorly standardized domestic and highly standardized laboratory environments and to compare the variability of the corresponding performance measures. Using the Millisecond Inquisit4Web software, 127 men and women completed three different RT-based cognitive paradigms (i.e., Go/Nogo, 2-Back, Number-Letter). Each participant completed all paradigms in two environments (i.e., at home and in the laboratory) with a time lag of seven days in a counterbalanced order. Mixed-effects modeling was employed to estimate the between-setting variability across a comprehensive set of performance measures, including conventional measures of central tendency (i.e., mean RT and ERR) and further measures characterizing the joint distribution of RT/ERR. The latter were estimated using the diffusion model. Results suggested negligible differences between domestic and laboratory settings. Thus, this study provides novel evidence suggesting that the statistical power of internet-based mental chronometry is commonly not compromised by increased environmental variance. Within- and between-session reliabilities were in a satisfactory range, that is, comparable to performance measures collected offline in laboratory settings. In consequence, our results support the broad applicability, robustness, and cost-efficiency of mental chronometry assessment using the internet.
Replicability and generalizability of PTSD networks: A cross-cultural multisite study of PTSD symptoms in four trauma patient samples
Authors: Fried Eiko I
Published: July 2018

The growing literature conceptualizing mental disorders like Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as networks of interacting symptoms faces three key challenges. Prior studies predominantly used (a) small samples with low power for precise estimation, (b) non-clinical samples, and (c) single samples. This renders network structures in clinical data, and the extent to which networks replicate across datasets, unknown. To overcome these limitations, the present cross-cultural multisite study estimated regularized partial correlation networks of 16 PTSD symptoms across four datasets of traumatized patients receiving treatment for PTSD (total N=2,782). Despite differences in culture, trauma-type and severity of the samples, considerable similarities emerged, with moderate to high correlations between symptom profiles (0.43-0.82), network structures (0.62-0.74), and centrality estimates (0.63-0.75). We discuss the importance of future replicability efforts to improve clinical psychological science, and provide code, model output, and correlation matrices to make the results of this paper fully reproducible.
Action-associated modulation of visual event-related potentials evoked by abstract and ecological stimuli
Authors: Csifcsák Gábor , Balla Viktória Roxána , Dalos Vera Daniella , Kilencz Tünde , Biró Edit Magdolna , Urbán Gábor , Szalóki Szilvia
Published: July 2018

This study investigated the influence of action-associated predictive processes on visual event-related potentials (ERPs). In two experiments (N=17 and N=19), we sought evidence for sensory attenuation (SA) indexed by ERP amplitude reductions for self-induced stimuli when compared to passive viewing of the same images. We assessed if SA (1) is stronger for ecologically valid versus abstract stimuli (by comparing ERPs to pictures depicting hands versus checkerboards), (2) is specific to stimulus identity (certain versus uncertain action-effect contingencies), and (3) is sensitive to laterality of hand movements (dominant versus subdominant hand actions). We found reduced occipital responses for self-triggered hand stimuli very early, between 80-90 ms (C1 component), but this effect was absent for checkerboards. On the contrary, the P1 component (100-140 ms) was enhanced for all action-associated stimuli, and this effect proved to be sensitive to stimulus predictability for hands only. The parietal N1 component (170-190 ms) showed amplitude enhancement after right-hand movements for checkerboards only. Overall, our findings indicate that action-associated predictive processes attenuate early cortical responses to ecologically valid visual stimuli. Moreover, we propose that subsequent ERPs show amplitude enhancement that might result from the interaction between expectation-based SA and attention. Movement-initiated modulation of visual ERPs does not appear to show strong lateralization in healthy individuals, although the absence of lateralized effects cannot be excluded. These results can have implications for assessing the influence of action-associated predictions on visual processing in psychiatric disorders characterized by aberrant sensory predictions and alterations in hemispheric asymmetry, such as schizophrenia.
Making research evaluation more transparent: Aligning research philosophy, institutional values, and reporting
Authors: Dougherty Michael R , Slevc L. Robert , Grand James
Published: July 2018

There is a growing interest in changing the culture of psychology to improve the quality of our science. At the root of this interest is concern over the reproducibility of key findings. A variety of large-scale replication attempts have revealed that a number of previously published effects cannot be reproduced, while other analyses indicate that the published literature is rife with underpowered studies and publication bias. These revelations suggest that it is time to change how psychological science is carried out and increase transparency of reporting. We argue change will be slow until institutions adopt new procedures for evaluating scholarly activity. We consider three actions that individuals and departments can take to facilitate change throughout psychological science. These three actions are the development of individualized research philosophy statements, the creation of an annotated curriculum vitae to improve the transparency of scholarly reporting, and the use of a formal evaluative system that explicitly captures behaviors that support reproducibility. Our recommendations build on proposals for open science by enabling researchers to have a voice in articulating (and contextualizing) how they would like their work to be evaluated and by providing a mechanism for more detailed and transparent reporting of scholarly activities.
Political Attitudes and the Processing of Misinformation Corrections
Authors: Ecker Ullrich K. H. , Ang Li Chang
Published: July 2018

Misinformation often continues to influence people’s memory and inferential reasoning after it has been retracted; this is known as the continued influence effect (CIE). Previous research investigating the role of attitude-based motivated reasoning in this context has found conflicting results: Some studies have found that worldview can have a strong impact on the magnitude of the CIE, such that retractions are less effective if the misinformation is congruent with a person’s relevant attitudes, in which case the retractions can even backfire. Other studies have failed to find evidence for an effect of attitudes on the processing of misinformation corrections. The present study used political misinformation—specifically fictional scenarios involving misconduct by politicians from left-wing and right-wing parties—and tested participants identifying with those political parties. Results showed that in this type of scenario, partisan attitudes have an impact on the processing of retractions, in particular (1) if the misinformation relates to a general assertion rather than just a specific singular event, and (2) if the misinformation is congruent with a conservative partisanship.
The missing link? Testing a schema account of unitization
Authors: Tibon Roni , Greve Andrea , Henson Richard
Published: July 2018

Unitization refers to the creation of a new unit from previously distinct items. The concept of unitization has been used to explain how novel pairings between items can be remembered without requiring recollection, by virtue of new, item-like representations that enable familiarity-based retrieval. We tested an alternative account of unitization – a schema account – which suggests that associations between items can be rapidly assimilated into a schema. We used a common operationalization of “unitization” as the difference between two unrelated words being linked by a definition, relative to two words being linked by a sentence, during an initial study phase. During the following relearning phase, a studied word was re-paired with a new word, either related or unrelated to the original associate from study. In a final test phase, memory for the Relearned associations was tested. We hypothesized that, if unitized representations act like schemas, then we would observe some generalization to related words, such that memory would be better in the definition than sentence condition for related words, but not for unrelated words. Contrary to the schema hypothesis, evidence favoured the null hypothesis of no difference between definition and sentence conditions for related words (Experiment 1), even when each cue was associated with multiple associates, indicating that the associations can be generalized (Experiment 2), or when the schematic information was explicitly re-activated during Relearning (Experiment 3). These results suggest that unitized associations do not generalize to accommodate new information, and therefore provide evidence against the schema account.
Social Decision Making with Humans and Robots: Trust and Approachability Mediate Economic Decision Making
Authors: Tulk Stephanie , Wiese Eva
Published: July 2018

As humanoid robots become more advanced and commonplace, the average user may find themselves in the position of wondering if their robotic companion truly possesses a mind. It is important for scientists and designers to consider how this will likely affect our interactions with social robots. The current paper explores how social decision making with humanoid robots changes as the degree of their human-likeness changes. For that purpose, we created a spectrum of human-like agents via morphing that ranged from very robot-like to very human-like in physical appearance (in increments of 20%) and measured how this change in physical humanness affected decision-making in two economic games: Ultimatum Game (Experiment 1) and Trust Game (Experiment 2). We expected increases in human-like appearance to lead to a higher rate of punishment for unfair offers in the Ultimatum Game, and to a higher rate of trust in the Trust Game. While physical humanness did not have an impact on economic decisions in either of the experiments, follow-up analyses showed that both subjective ratings of trust and agent approachability mediated the effect of agent appearance on decision-making in both experiments. Possible consequences of these findings for human- robot interactions are discussed.
The Robots are Coming! The Robots are Coming! Fear and Empathy for Human-like Entities
Authors: Ceh Shelby , Vanman Eric John
Published: July 2018

Social robots will soon be a part of our everyday work and home lives. Roboticists have assumed that a more human-like appearance in robots will ensure pro-sociality and cooperation between robots and humans. Indeed, people more readily attribute human-like capacities and a perception of mind to such robots. In turn, people show greater empathy for human-like robots. However, a human-like design has also been linked to beliefs about the potential of robots to be evil and cause damage to humanity. The aim of this research was to further investigate these ambivalent emotional reactions. In two studies, participants viewed images of robots of varying human likeness that were also depicted as the main character in a sad situation. Participants rated their sympathy for the robot but also their perceptions of threat. Facial electromyography (EMG) was added in the second study to measure empathic facial responses. We predicted that human likeness would have effects on both empathy and threat responses. We also tested whether these effects would be moderated by social categorization and threat information. Study 1 (n = 201) manipulated the categorization of the robot through changes in the phrasing of the scenarios, whereas Study 2 (n = 120) manipulated threat information about robots by first presenting positive or negative news stories about robots. Consistent with previous research, more human-like robots elicited greater empathic and threat responses, both on self-report and EMG measures. Manipulations of social categorization and threat failed to moderate the effects of human likeness on the measures. These results have considerable implications for the existing human-robot interaction literature and could help inform social robot designs for the future.
Preprint - The prevalence of marginal significance in psychology over time
Authors: Olsson-Collentine Anton , van Assen Marcel A. L. M. , Hartgerink Chris Hubertus Joseph
Published: July 2018

We examined the proportion of p-values (.05<𝑝≤.1) reported as marginally significant in 44,200 articles across 9 psychology disciplines, published in 70 journals belonging to the American Psychological Association (APA) between 1985 and 2016. Using regular expressions we extracted 42,504 p-values between .05 and .1. Almost 40% of p-values between .05 and .1 were reported as marginally significant, though there were considerable differences between disciplines. The practice is most common in organizational psychology (45.4%) and the least common in clinical psychology (30.1%). Contrary to what was reported by Pritschet, Powell, and Horne (2016), we found no evidence of an increasing trend in any discipline; in all disciplines the percentage of p-values reported as marginally significant was decreasing or constant over time. The 'Journal of Personality and Social Psychology' (JPSP), also examined by Pritschet et al., was an exception to the general trend and showed an increase over time. The degree to which reporting results as marginally significant is problematic depends largely on individual interpretation. Due to the low evidential value of p-values between .05 and .1 we recommend against reporting these results as marginally significant.