Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Interpretation of reports about crimes are affected by motivations to construct & protect our worldview; liberals attribute crimes more to religion for Christian rather than Muslim offenders; opposite effect for conservatives

Perpetrator Religion and Perceiver’s Political Ideology Affect Processing and Communication of Media Reports of Violence. Samia Habib, Levi Adelman, Bernhard Leidner, Shaheen Pasha, and Razvan Sibii. Social Psychology, July 1, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000385

Abstract: People’s interpretations of media reports about crimes may be biased by their motivations to construct and protect their worldviews and, relatedly, by criminals’ group membership. Two large-scale experiments (Ns = 248 and 1,115) investigated how American adults interpret reports of crimes committed by either a Christian or Muslim, and how these interpretations depend on political ideology. Results show liberals attributing crimes more to religion for Christian rather than Muslim offenders, with the opposite effect for conservatives. Importantly, these biases also influenced how people communicated the news report to others. Additionally, evidence suggests that attitudes toward Islam and not toward Muslims may explain these effects. Implications for how political ideology affects interpretation and communication of media portrayals of Muslims are discussed.

Keywords: media, political ideology, motivated reasoning, religion

Having a second child, which is common in Switzerland, correlates negatively with mothers’ life satisfaction; the mothers’ life satisfaction trajectories reflect work–family conflict

The Parenthood and Happiness Link: Testing Predictions from Five Theories. MaƂgorzata Mikucka, Ester Rizzi. European Journal of Population, July 3 2019. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10680-019-09532-1

Abstract: This research studied the relationship between parenthood and life satisfaction in Switzerland. We tested predictions derived from set-point theory, the economic model of parenthood, the approaches that underscore work–family conflict and the psychological rewards from parenthood, and the ‘taste for children’ theory. We used Swiss Household Panel data (2000–2018) to analyse how life satisfaction changed during parenthood (fixed-effects regression) separately for a first child and a second child, mothers and fathers, and various socio-demographic groups. Our results showed that having a second child, which is common in Switzerland, correlates negatively with mothers’ life satisfaction. The observed patterns are consistent with the idea that mothers’ life satisfaction trajectories reflect work–family conflict. We found partial support for the set-point and the ‘taste for children’ theories. Our results did not support the approaches that emphasize the importance of psychological rewards from parenthood.

Keywords: Parenthood Fertility Life satisfaction Fixed-effects analysis Set-point theory Work–family conflict Costs of parenthood Taste for children

The online version of this article ( https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-019-09532-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

It can be suggested that standard hardcore pornography on the whole is not currently harmful, but there are not many benefits associated with it; & when taken to excess there may be problems that arise

Development and implications of pornography use: a narrative review. James Binnie & Paula Reavey. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, Jul 3 2019. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681994.2019.1635250

Abstract: Pornography use is widespread and as such may have potential effects on the individuals that view it and on society itself. The question of whether pornography is harmful warrants investigation. A non-systematic narrative review of research literature pertaining to pornography was undertaken. Taking a historical and social perspective on pornography, the developments and implications of pornography use are critically analysed. How much pornography is currently used, who uses it and why is presented. The potential effects of pornography on the individual and on society are also described. From reviewing the literature, it can be suggested that standard hardcore pornography on the whole is not currently harmful, however, there are not many benefits associated with it. Research suggests that pornography is not harmful for the individual, however, like any substance or behaviour when taken to excess there may be problems that arise; a subsequent paper focuses on this important and under researched phenomena.

Keywords: Pornography use, narrative review, prevalence, harmfulness

Gender effects and cooperation in collective action: Mixed-sex groups were the most effective in cooperation, although cooperation level varied significantly; men demonstrated a higher level of trust and gratitude than women

Gender effects and cooperation in collective action: A laboratory experiment. Anastasia Peshkovskaya, Tatiana Babkina, Mikhail Myagkov. Rationality and Society, July 3, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043463119858788

Abstract: Numerous researches have indicated that men’s and women’s cooperation varied from no differences to significant differences under the influence of different contextual characteristics. In this study, we investigated how social factors together with a gender composition of a group affected gender differences in cooperation. We found that mixed-sex groups were the most effective in cooperation. At the same time, cooperation level in same-sex groups varied significantly. Besides, in same-sex groups, men demonstrated a higher level of trust and gratitude than women. Among women, in same-sex groups, a tendency toward mutual distrust and competition was revealed more often than among men.

Keywords: Behavior, cooperation, gender, group, group composition, mixed, prisoner’s dilemma, same-sex, social dilemma, trust



The fusiform face area (FFA) responds to visual expertise; neuropsychological data says not only to process faces, it also contributes to non-face expertise recognition (cars, birds, radiographs)

P-curving the Fusiform Face Area: Meta-Analyses Support the Expertise Hypothesis. Edwin J. Burns, Taylor Arnold, Cindy M. Bukach. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, July 2 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.07.003

Highlights
•    Meta-analyses show the fusiform face area (FFA) responds to visual expertise
•    These effects are not due to publication bias or p-hacking
•    The failed replications do not negate the evidence supporting the expertise account
•    Neuropsychological data confirms the FFA contributes to non-face expertise recognition

Abstract: Psychologists have debated whether the right fusiform face area’s (FFA) responses are domain specific to faces, or domain general for certain object categories that we have visual expertise with. This latter domain general expertise account has been criticised for basing its assumptions upon studies that suffer from small participant numbers, small effects, and statistically significant p-values that are close to .05. An additional criticism is that these findings are difficult to replicate. A modern reader familiar with the replication crisis may therefore question whether the FFA’s expertise effect is real. The p-curve is a relatively new form of meta-analysis that enables researchers to identify whether there is evidential value for any given effect in the literature. We put the literature to the test by running p-curve analyses on all published expertise studies. Contrary to aforementioned criticisms, our meta-analyses confirm the right FFA’s expertise effect is based upon evidential value. We therefore review the broader literature to address additional criticisms of the expertise account and propose ways to improve replicability.

Trigger warnings had no significant effect on changes to affect or learning but did significantly increase perceptions of warnings as necessary (not for oneself, obviously, but for the others)

Boysen, G. A., Isaacs, R. A., Tretter, L., & Markowski, S. (2019). Trigger warning efficacy: The impact of warnings on affect, attitudes, and learning. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/stl0000150

Abstract: The purpose of trigger warnings is to prevent distress by giving prior notice about sensitive topics, but there is little empirical evidence to support their effectiveness in psychology education. The current research examined the effects of trigger warnings on affect, learning, and attitudes. Study 1 (N = 353) presented an online sample of adults with a video lecture about sexual assault, and participants reported their positive and negative affect before and after the video. They also took a test on the content and reported their attitudes about the necessity of warnings. Learning about sexual assault led to significant changes in affect for participants with and without personal experience related to the topic. Trigger warnings had no significant impact on changes in affect or test scores. However, participants who received a trigger warning had significantly increased belief that warnings are necessary for the topic of sexual assault. Study 2 (N = 412) replicated Study 1 using the topic of suicide. Trigger warnings had no significant effect on changes to affect or test scores but did significantly increase perceptions of warnings as necessary. Study 3 examined a sample of college students (N = 105) learning about sexual assault, and it also showed no significant effect of trigger warnings on changes to affect or test scores but a significant effect on belief that warnings are necessary. Overall, trigger warnings appear to have little impact on affect or learning, but they do increase people’s belief that warnings are necessary for sensitive topics.