Body-odor based assessments of sex and personality – Non-significant differences between blind and sighted odor raters. Agnieszka Sorokowska, Anna Oleszkiewicz. Physiology & Behavior, June 24 2019, 112573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112573
Highlights
• We tested if visual status modulates sensitivity to socially-relevant cues carried by body odors.
• 28 blind and 13 sighted people assessed sex, neuroticism and dominance of odor donors based on body odor samples.
• Blind and sighted people did not differ in rating accuracy.
Abstract: People exhibit different sensitivity to the signaling properties of body odors in the social context. Here, we aimed to investigate whether visual status modulates sensitivity to socially-relevant cues carried by body odors and whether it affects psychophysical ratings of such smells. We compared abilities of 19 early-blind, 9 late-blind and 13 sighted people to accurately assess sex, neuroticism and dominance of odor donors based on body odor samples. We showed that early blind, late blind and sighted people do not differ in accuracy of sex and personality assessments based on body odor samples. Additionally, the three participating groups perceived the presented body odor samples as similarly intense, pleasant and attractive. We discuss our findings in the context of interpersonal olfactory communication and olfactory compensation.
Monday, June 24, 2019
The more modest the therapists’ estimation of therapeutic outcome was, the greater the actual therapeutic change
Modest, yet progressive: Effective therapists tend to rate therapeutic change less positively than their patients. Max Ziem & Juergen Hoyer. Psychotherapy Research, Jun 21 2019, https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2019.1631502
Abstract
Objective: Empirical findings on self-serving biases amongst psychotherapists are inconsistent. We tested in a large naturalistic data set, if therapists are prone to illusory superiority when estimating their patients’ outcome and whether this effect is buffered by therapists’ effectiveness.
Method: A post-hoc analysis with N = 69 therapists, who treated N = 1080 patients, was conducted. Therapists’ and patients’ mean ratings for therapeutic improvement in the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) were compared. Using a multilevel modelling approach, we further investigated the relation between the patient-therapist divergence in the CGI and actual therapeutic change in the Global Severity Index (GSI) of the Brief Symptom Inventory and in the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS).
Results: Ratings in the CGI did not show significant differences between patients’ and therapists’ assessment of therapeutic change. Lower estimations by therapists, compared to patients’ self-report, were associated with greater therapeutic change in GSI and SWLS.
Conclusions: Therapists, on a whole, did not seem to be prone to illusory superiority when assessing therapeutic outcome. Contrary, the more modest the therapists’ estimation of therapeutic outcome was, the greater the actual therapeutic change.
Keywords: psychotherapy research, self-assessment, therapeutic outcome, illusory superiority, therapist performance
Abstract
Objective: Empirical findings on self-serving biases amongst psychotherapists are inconsistent. We tested in a large naturalistic data set, if therapists are prone to illusory superiority when estimating their patients’ outcome and whether this effect is buffered by therapists’ effectiveness.
Method: A post-hoc analysis with N = 69 therapists, who treated N = 1080 patients, was conducted. Therapists’ and patients’ mean ratings for therapeutic improvement in the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) were compared. Using a multilevel modelling approach, we further investigated the relation between the patient-therapist divergence in the CGI and actual therapeutic change in the Global Severity Index (GSI) of the Brief Symptom Inventory and in the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS).
Results: Ratings in the CGI did not show significant differences between patients’ and therapists’ assessment of therapeutic change. Lower estimations by therapists, compared to patients’ self-report, were associated with greater therapeutic change in GSI and SWLS.
Conclusions: Therapists, on a whole, did not seem to be prone to illusory superiority when assessing therapeutic outcome. Contrary, the more modest the therapists’ estimation of therapeutic outcome was, the greater the actual therapeutic change.
Keywords: psychotherapy research, self-assessment, therapeutic outcome, illusory superiority, therapist performance
Completing moral dilemmas in front of mirrors increases deontological but not utilitarian response tendencies; this suggests that those decisions in moral dilemmas may partially reflect self-awareness & concerns about one’s image
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is deontological? Completing moral dilemmas in front of mirrors increases deontological but not utilitarian response tendencies. Caleb J. Reynolds, Kassidy R. Knighten, Paul Conway. Cognition, Volume 192, November 2019, 103993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2019.06.005
Abstract: Recent evidence suggests moral dilemma responses reflect concerns about image and identity. If so, enhancing self-awareness should impact dilemma responses—possibly increasing both harm-rejection (consistent with deontological philosophy) and outcome-maximization tendencies (consistent with utilitarian philosophy). Yet, conventional analyses may not detect such effects because they treat harm-rejection and outcome-maximization tendencies as diametric opposites. Instead, we employed process dissociation to assess these response tendencies independently. Across two studies (n = 370), participants who completed dilemmas in front of mirrors—a classic manipulation of self-awareness—tended to reject harm more than those in a control condition. However, the mirror manipulation did not systematically increase outcome-maximization tendencies. These findings suggest that deontological decisions in moral dilemmas may partially reflect self-awareness and concerns about one’s image.
Abstract: Recent evidence suggests moral dilemma responses reflect concerns about image and identity. If so, enhancing self-awareness should impact dilemma responses—possibly increasing both harm-rejection (consistent with deontological philosophy) and outcome-maximization tendencies (consistent with utilitarian philosophy). Yet, conventional analyses may not detect such effects because they treat harm-rejection and outcome-maximization tendencies as diametric opposites. Instead, we employed process dissociation to assess these response tendencies independently. Across two studies (n = 370), participants who completed dilemmas in front of mirrors—a classic manipulation of self-awareness—tended to reject harm more than those in a control condition. However, the mirror manipulation did not systematically increase outcome-maximization tendencies. These findings suggest that deontological decisions in moral dilemmas may partially reflect self-awareness and concerns about one’s image.
The stigma of a criminal record is damaging for Blacks & Latinas who disclose parole in online dating bios; for White females, disclosure of parole may even help their online dating match success
Full disclosure: experimental analysis of female online dating on parole. Douglas N. Evans. Journal of Experimental Criminology, June 2019, Volume 15, Issue 2, pp 179–199. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11292-019-09357-2
Abstract
Objectives: Research has considered the effect of convictions on employment and housing outcomes, but there are limited studies exploring how criminal justice contact affects the initiation of relationships. This study uses an experimental design to explore how people react to criminal stigma in the context of online dating.
Methods: Female online dating profiles were created using pre-rated, open access photographs of women that varied in race (Black, White, Latino). These three profiles comprised the control condition. The experimental condition consisted of the same exact three profiles with one exception: a brief mention of their being on parole in written profile bios. The three profiles attempted to match with 6000 online daters each in the control and experimental conditions across 18 online dating platforms (N = 36,000).
Results: Findings indicate that the Black and Latina profiles matched significantly less frequently when disclosing parole. In the parole disclosure condition, White female profiles received significantly more matches than Black and Latino profiles, and White females disclosing parole matched at a higher rate than White females not disclosing parole.
Conclusions: The stigma of a criminal record is damaging for Blacks and Latinas who disclose parole in online dating bios, but for White females, disclosure of parole does not hinder and may even help their online dating match success. The stigma of being minority appears to compound criminal stigma in online dating. This has crucial implications for the relationships of formerly incarcerated because prosocial romantic relationships reduce recidivism.
Keywords: Criminal stigma Experimental design Online dating Parole disclosure Women Relationships
Abstract
Objectives: Research has considered the effect of convictions on employment and housing outcomes, but there are limited studies exploring how criminal justice contact affects the initiation of relationships. This study uses an experimental design to explore how people react to criminal stigma in the context of online dating.
Methods: Female online dating profiles were created using pre-rated, open access photographs of women that varied in race (Black, White, Latino). These three profiles comprised the control condition. The experimental condition consisted of the same exact three profiles with one exception: a brief mention of their being on parole in written profile bios. The three profiles attempted to match with 6000 online daters each in the control and experimental conditions across 18 online dating platforms (N = 36,000).
Results: Findings indicate that the Black and Latina profiles matched significantly less frequently when disclosing parole. In the parole disclosure condition, White female profiles received significantly more matches than Black and Latino profiles, and White females disclosing parole matched at a higher rate than White females not disclosing parole.
Conclusions: The stigma of a criminal record is damaging for Blacks and Latinas who disclose parole in online dating bios, but for White females, disclosure of parole does not hinder and may even help their online dating match success. The stigma of being minority appears to compound criminal stigma in online dating. This has crucial implications for the relationships of formerly incarcerated because prosocial romantic relationships reduce recidivism.
Keywords: Criminal stigma Experimental design Online dating Parole disclosure Women Relationships
Facial blushing: Redder faces influenced perceived embarrassment, apology sincerity, and likeliness to forgive a transgression
Facial blushing influences perceived embarrassment and related social functional evaluations. Christopher A. Thorstenson, Adam D. Pazda & Stephanie Lichtenfeld. Cognition and Emotion, Jun 23 2019. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2019.1634004
ABSTRACT: Facial blushing involves a reddening of the face elicited in situations involving unwanted social attention. Such situations include being caught committing a social transgression, which is typically considered embarrassing. While recent research has demonstrated that facial redness can influence social evaluations, including emotional states such as perceived anger, the influence of blushing on social perceptions related to embarrassment or social transgression has yet to be investigated. Across three experiments, we manipulated the redness of neutral faces (Exp. 1) and faces displaying different emotional expressions (Exps. 2 and 3), and had participants evaluate perceived embarrassment, apology sincerity, and likeliness to forgive a transgression for each set of stimuli. Results indicated that redder (relative to baseline) faces influenced perceived embarrassment, apology sincerity, and likeliness to forgive a transgression. We discuss the implications in the context of a social functional account of facial colour in emotion expression and perception.
KEYWORDS: Blushing, face colour, embarrassment, social function
ABSTRACT: Facial blushing involves a reddening of the face elicited in situations involving unwanted social attention. Such situations include being caught committing a social transgression, which is typically considered embarrassing. While recent research has demonstrated that facial redness can influence social evaluations, including emotional states such as perceived anger, the influence of blushing on social perceptions related to embarrassment or social transgression has yet to be investigated. Across three experiments, we manipulated the redness of neutral faces (Exp. 1) and faces displaying different emotional expressions (Exps. 2 and 3), and had participants evaluate perceived embarrassment, apology sincerity, and likeliness to forgive a transgression for each set of stimuli. Results indicated that redder (relative to baseline) faces influenced perceived embarrassment, apology sincerity, and likeliness to forgive a transgression. We discuss the implications in the context of a social functional account of facial colour in emotion expression and perception.
KEYWORDS: Blushing, face colour, embarrassment, social function
Replicated previous findings that parenting motivation and parenthood predicted social conservatism; the effect, which small, is mediated by both mating orientation and belief in a dangerous world
Politics and Parental Care: Experimental and Mediational Tests of the Causal Link between Parenting Motivation and Social Conservatism. Nicholas T Kerry, Damian R. Murray. Human Behavior and Evolution Society 31st annual meeting. Boston 2019. http://tiny.cc/aa1w6y
Abstract: People vary greatly in their desire to have children, their affective reactions towards children, and their willingness to care for children. This variation in “parenting motivation” predicts a wide range of cognition and behavior. Strategic perspectives on political attitudes suggest that parenting motivation should be associated with more socially conservative attitudes, since these attitudes prioritize norms that emphasize self protection, and discourage short-term sexual behavior. Three studies replicated previous findings that parenting motivation and parenthood predicted social conservatism, and found that parenthood mediated age- and sex-differences in social conservatism. Study 1 (n = 347) found that an experimental child-interaction prime increased social conservatism in parents, but not in non-parents. Studies 2 and 3 (preregistered, n’s=803; 763) found a small main effect of the prime (marginally significant in Study 3). An internal meta-analysis found evidence of a small main effect, and exploratory post-hoc tests revealed that this effect was entirely driven by 25-35 year-olds across the three studies. Study 3 also found that the relationship between parenting motivation and social conservatism was mediated by both mating orientation and belief in a dangerous world. These findings provide support for the idea of a functional relationship between parenthood, parenting motivation, and social conservatism.
Abstract: People vary greatly in their desire to have children, their affective reactions towards children, and their willingness to care for children. This variation in “parenting motivation” predicts a wide range of cognition and behavior. Strategic perspectives on political attitudes suggest that parenting motivation should be associated with more socially conservative attitudes, since these attitudes prioritize norms that emphasize self protection, and discourage short-term sexual behavior. Three studies replicated previous findings that parenting motivation and parenthood predicted social conservatism, and found that parenthood mediated age- and sex-differences in social conservatism. Study 1 (n = 347) found that an experimental child-interaction prime increased social conservatism in parents, but not in non-parents. Studies 2 and 3 (preregistered, n’s=803; 763) found a small main effect of the prime (marginally significant in Study 3). An internal meta-analysis found evidence of a small main effect, and exploratory post-hoc tests revealed that this effect was entirely driven by 25-35 year-olds across the three studies. Study 3 also found that the relationship between parenting motivation and social conservatism was mediated by both mating orientation and belief in a dangerous world. These findings provide support for the idea of a functional relationship between parenthood, parenting motivation, and social conservatism.
The functional basis of disgust in disease avoidance is widely accepted; however, there is disagreement over what disgust is
A Proximal Perspective on Disgust. Richard J. Stevenson et al. Emotion Review, June 23, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073919853355
Abstract: The functional basis of disgust in disease avoidance is widely accepted; however, there is disagreement over what disgust is. This is a significant problem, as basic questions about disgust require knowing if single/multiple forms/processes exist. We address this issue with a new model with one form of disgust generated by multiple processes: (a) pure disgust experienced during gastrointestinal illness; (b) somatosensory disgust elicited by specific cues that activate the pure disgust state; (c) anticipatory disgust elicited by associations between distance cues for somatosensory disgust and requiring threat evaluation; (d) simulated disgusts elicited by imagining somatosensory and anticipatory disgust and frequently involving other emotions. Different contamination processes interlink (a–d). The implications of our model for fundamental questions about disgust (e.g., emotion status; continuation into animals) are examined.
Keywords: disgust, emotion, gustation, olfaction, pain, somatosensation, state
Abstract: The functional basis of disgust in disease avoidance is widely accepted; however, there is disagreement over what disgust is. This is a significant problem, as basic questions about disgust require knowing if single/multiple forms/processes exist. We address this issue with a new model with one form of disgust generated by multiple processes: (a) pure disgust experienced during gastrointestinal illness; (b) somatosensory disgust elicited by specific cues that activate the pure disgust state; (c) anticipatory disgust elicited by associations between distance cues for somatosensory disgust and requiring threat evaluation; (d) simulated disgusts elicited by imagining somatosensory and anticipatory disgust and frequently involving other emotions. Different contamination processes interlink (a–d). The implications of our model for fundamental questions about disgust (e.g., emotion status; continuation into animals) are examined.
Keywords: disgust, emotion, gustation, olfaction, pain, somatosensation, state
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