The microaggression research program: Excessively fuzzy boundaries of the microaggression construct + psychometric hazards of relying exclusively on subjective reports when detecting microaggressions

Microaggression Research and Application: Clarifications, Corrections, and Common Ground. Scott O. Lilienfeld. Perspectives on Psychological Science, August 13, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691619867117

Abstract: In this issue, Williams (p. ♦♦♦) responds to my 2017 critique in this journal of the scientific status of the microaggression research program (MRP). In some cases, she presents helpful data that partially address several of my recommendations for enhancing the MRP’s rigor. Nevertheless, because she appears to misconstrue many of my arguments regarding the MRP, many of her rebuttals are not relevant to my criticisms. Furthermore, her assertions notwithstanding, Williams does not effectively address my concerns regarding the (a) excessively fuzzy boundaries of the microaggression construct, (b) psychometric hazards of relying exclusively on subjective reports when detecting microaggressions, and (c) hypothesized causal impact of microaggressions on mental health. In other cases, Williams appears to draw causal inferences from correlational data and conflate within-group with between-group differences. Although several of Williams’s recommendations for MRP research are worth considering, I contend that some others are unlikely to be conducive to a scientific approach to microaggressions. The MRP remains a promising but provisional research program that would benefit from greater openness to outside criticism. I conclude with a discussion of areas of potential common ground in microaggression research and application.

Keywords: Microaggressions, prejudice, racism, aggression, neuroticism

It's only funny if we say it: Disparagement humor is better received if it originates from a member of the group being disparaged

It's only funny if we say it: Disparagement humor is better received if it originates from a member of the group being disparaged. Michael Thai, Alex M.Borgella, Melanie S. Sanchez. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 85, November 2019, 103838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2019.103838

Abstract: Three studies investigated whether disparagement humor would be received more positively if the source of the humor is part of the group being disparaged than if they are not a member of the disparaged group. In Study 1, participants examined a straight or gay source making either a disparaging joke targeting gay people or a control joke not disparaging gay people. In Study 2, participants examined a White, Black, or Asian source making a disparaging joke targeting Asian people. In Study 3, participants evaluated how generally acceptable it was for members of different social groups to make certain disparaging jokes. In all three studies, participants evaluated disparagement humor more favorably if the source belonged to the group being disparaged than if they did not. These findings uncover a conventional wisdom in the domain of disparagement humor – it is more permissible for people to make disparaging jokes about their own social groups.

Fellow travellers in cognitive evolution: Co-evolution of working memory and mental time travel? Mental time travel is not a privilege of the mammalian brain

Fellow travellers in cognitive evolution: Co-evolution of working memory and mental time travel? Dorothea Dere, Armin Zlomuzica, Ekrem Dere. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Volume 105, October 2019, Pages 94-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.07.016

Highlights
• Co-evolution of working memory and mental time travel.
• Complex working memory function is a prerequisite for higher cognition.
• Mental time travel is not a privilege of the mammalian brain.

Abstract: Humans spend the lion’s share of their mental life either in their personal past or an anticipated or imagined future. This type of mental state is known as mental time travel. It is perhaps the most sophisticated and fitness-promoting cognition that has evolved in humans and with some reservation in animals. We have proposed that working memory capacity and the complexity of executive functions within working memory might limit the authenticity with which past events are reconstructed and anticipated or imagined future scenarios are constructed. In the present article, we discuss the possibility of a co-evolution between working memory capacity, complexity of executive functions available in the working memory workspace, and mental time travel abilities across species. We further assume that a complex working memory system can be constructed with quite different brains and conclude that the advanced cognitive function of thinking about the past and the future might not be a privilege of the mammalian brain.

Keywords: Mental time travelWorking memoryEpisodic-like memoryFellow traveller hypothesisTheory of mindAnimal cognitionWhat, where and when object memorySense of subjective timeAutonoetic consciousness

Political conservatism was associated with lower pro‐environmental attitudes, but also with greater concern for the future generations

Politics, concern for future generations, and the environment: Generativity mediates political conservatism and environmental attitudes. Michael D. Barnett  William P. Archuleta  Christina Cantu. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, August 10 2019. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12624

Abstract: Climate change and pollution impact those alive today as well as future generations, suggesting that attitudes toward future generations may be linked with environmental attitudes. Despite the widespread impact of the environmental on human lives, there is considerable partisan divide in the United States with regards to environmental issues. We investigated relationships between political conservatism, generativity, and environmental attitudes in two studies (N = 429 and N = 618). Political conservatism was associated with lower pro‐environmental attitudes; however, political conservatism was also associated with higher generativity and had a positive indirect effect on pro‐environmental attitudes through higher generativity. More politically conservative individuals may have greater concern for future life and thereby have more pro‐environmental attitudes even while having lower pro‐environmental attitudes overall. These results likely reflect partisan polarization with regard to environmental issues. Pro‐environmental messages may be more persuasive for conservatives if they are linked to concerns about future generations.

From an evolutionary perspective, sexual stimuli are highly salient & are assumed to be processed with high priority, but impact is less than expected; men are higher propensity to distraction/interference

Attentional bias towards and distractibility by sexual cues: A meta-analytic integration. J. Strahler, A. M. Baranowski, B. Walter, N. Huebner, R. Stark. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, August 12 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.07.015

Highlights
• Sexual cues bias and divert attention but the actual extent remains unclear.
• Greater attentional bias for sexual cues is assumed in men.
• 32 studies provided 41 effects sizes with 13 studies examining gender differences.
• Attentional bias to and distractibility by sexual cues was less than expected (gz = 0.43).
• Results implicated higher attentional bias/interference in men (gs = 0.29).

Abstract: From an evolutionary perspective, sexual stimuli are highly salient and are assumed to be processed with high priority. Hence, attentional processing of sexual cues is expected to not only bias attention but to also distract from other cognitive (foreground) tasks. It is, however, unclear to what extent these stimuli capture attention and whether there are differences between men and women. This meta-analysis combined the results of 32 studies employing experiments of attentional bias towards and distraction by sexual stimuli. From these, 13 studies provided data to examine gender differences. Overall, attentional bias and distractibility was lower than anticipated (gz = 0.43, p < .001) and there was support for the assumption of higher attention bias/interference in men (gs = 0.29, p = 0.031). Importantly, there was evidence for the presence of publication bias. With this in mind, findings are discussed in the context of stimulus features, the impact of provoked sexual arousal and motivational state, and gender-specific and -nonspecific neural processing of sexual stimuli which influence attention towards them.

Childhood obesity has grown from 5% in 1978 to 18.5% in 2016; the rate of increase in childhood obesity has slowed from 2004 to 2016

Understanding recent trends in childhood obesity in the United States. Patricia M. Anderson, Kristin F. Butcher, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach. Economics & Human Biology, Volume 34, August 2019, Pages 16-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2019.02.002

Highlights
• Childhood obesity has grown from 5% in 1978 to 18.5% in 2016.
• The rate of increase in childhood obesity has slowed from 2004 to 2016.
• Cohort-level obesity increases through age 10 and is steady through age 18.
• 5 year olds in 2010 were 2 percentage points more likely to be obese than in 1997.
• The rate of obesity growth from kindergarten to 3rd grade has recently declined.

Abstract: The prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled over the last four decades from 5 percent in 1978 to 18.5 percent in 2016. There is evidence for a break in trend in recent years: after growing from 0.4 to 0.7 percentage point per year between 1978 and 2004, the rate of increase has slowed to 0.1 percentage point per year from 2004 to 2016. To better understand these trends, in this paper we analyze a range of datasets that collect information on childhood obesity. We analyze the data overall, across the age distribution, across birth cohorts, and for subgroups of interest. We find steady increases in cohort-level obesity prevalence through approximately age 10, with levels unchanged thereafter, suggesting a need for additional interventions at early ages. We find that the prevalence of obesity has diverged by race and gender in recent years, especially among children entering kindergarten. Compared with 5-year-olds in 1997, 5-year-olds in 2010 were 2 percentage points more likely to be obese overall. Black and Hispanic 5-year-olds were 5 and 3 percentage points more likely to be obese, respectively, while whites had a 1 percentage point increase in obesity. However, overall and among all subgroups the rate of growth in obesity from kindergarten through 3rd grade has declined in recent years. Together, these findings can inform a future research literature that aims to target obesity interventions where they will be most impactful.

Individuals scoring high on dark personality exhibited a preference for inner-city, relative to suburban or rural living; no relationships between dark personality & the population densities of where participants had lived

Fido, Dean, Alice Rees, Philip Clarke, Dominic Petronzi, and Miles Richardson. 2019. “Examining the Connection Between Nature Connectedness and Dark Personality.” PsyArXiv. August 6. doi:10.31234/osf.io/shd7v

Abstract: The psychological construct of nature connectedness - the depth of an individual’s relationship with the natural world - has not only been associated with benefits for mental well-being but has also shown relationships with personality traits relevant to the dark personality literature. These include agreeableness, cognitive and affective empathy, and callous and uncaring traits. Across two independently-sampled studies we delineate relationships between explicit and implicit indices of nature connectedness and dark personality. In Study 1 (N = 304), psychopathy (and Machiavellianism) was associated with self-reported, but not implicitly-measured, nature connectedness. Moreover, individuals scoring high on dark personality exhibited a preference for inner-city, relative to suburban or rural living. In Study 2 (N = 209), we replicated the findings of Study 1 in relation to explicit measures of nature connectedness but did not find further relationships between dark personality and the population densities of where participants had previously lived. Limitations of implicit and pseudo indices of nature connectedness are outlined, and the results are discussed in relation to future research and the potential role of nature connectedness interventions in forensic populations. Pre-registration information: [https://osf.io/2bpwy]. Data, syntax, and manuscript pre-print: [https://osf.io/3mg5d/?view_only=b5c7749d4a7945c5a161f0915a2d0259].

Homophily and minority-group size explain perception biases in social networks

Homophily and minority-group size explain perception biases in social networks. Eun Lee, Fariba Karimi, Claudia Wagner, Hang-Hyun Jo, Markus Strohmaier & Mirta Galesic. Nature Human Behaviour, August 12 2019, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-019-0677-4

Abstract: People’s perceptions about the size of minority groups in social networks can be biased, often showing systematic over- or underestimation. These social perception biases are often attributed to biased cognitive or motivational processes. Here we show that both over- and underestimation of the size of a minority group can emerge solely from structural properties of social networks. Using a generative network model, we show that these biases depend on the level of homophily, its asymmetric nature and on the size of the minority group. Our model predictions correspond well with empirical data from a cross-cultural survey and with numerical calculations from six real-world networks. We also identify circumstances under which individuals can reduce their biases by relying on perceptions of their neighbours. This work advances our understanding of the impact of network structure on social perception biases and offers a quantitative approach for addressing related issues in society.

Somatic perception of floor inclination

Somatic perception of floor inclination. Atsuki Higashiyama, Tadashi Yamazaki. Acta Psychologica, Volume 199, August 2019, 102896. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.102896

Abstract: We investigated somatically perceived inclination of a floor on which an observer was. In the first three experiments, using blindfolded observers, we determined the point of subjective equality (PSE) and the difference limen (DL) for horizontal floor. Orientation of the lying body relative to the axis around which the floor was rotated, distance of the lying body from the rotation axis, posture (standing, sitting, and lying), and age were varied. In the fourth experiment, effects of seeing the floor were examined. The mean PSEs were accurate within ±0.25° in all experiments. The mean DLs varied with condition: 1) The largest DLs were obtained for the blindfolded observers lying orthogonally or obliquely to the rotation axis, 2) the second largest DLs for the blindfolded observers lying parallel to the rotation axis, 3) medium DLs for the blindfolded observers sitting or standing, and 4) the smallest DLs for the standing observers with visual exposure to surroundings. In the last experiment, we determined a scale for inclination from verbally estimating apparent inclination with or without a blindfold. We concluded that the ratio of shear force to normal force was used for estimation of inclination. We discussed synergy of somatic inputs and visual inputs.

Socially excluded people indicate higher levels of darkness in perceptual judgments, & desire more brightness in a compensatory response; this coupling is not mediated by mood or needs but seems to exist more directly

Out of the dark, into the light: The impact of social exclusion on judgments of darkness and brightness. Michaela Pfundmair, Sarah K. Danböck, Maria Agthe. Acta Psychologica, Volume 199, August 2019, 102901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.102901

Highlights
•    Socially excluded people indicate higher levels of darkness in perceptual judgments.
•    Socially excluded people desire more brightness in a compensatory response.
•    This coupling is not mediated by mood or needs but seems to exist more directly.

Abstract: Based on theories of grounded cognition, we assumed that the experience of social exclusion is grounded in a concept of darkness. Specifically, we hypothesized that social exclusion causes perceptual judgments of darkness and a preference for brightness as a compensatory response. To investigate these hypotheses, we conducted four studies using different manipulations and measurements. In Studies 1a and 1b, excluded participants judged a picturized room as darker and drew more attention to its brightest part than included participants. In Study 2, excluded participants judged a surface as darker and decided for brighter clothing than included participants. In Study 3, excluded participants judged their lab room as darker and expressed a higher preference for brightness than included participants. Providing consistent support for our hypotheses, these findings confirm the idea that the experience of social exclusion is grounded in multiple ways that share a common representational system.

Aversion to organs donated by suicide victims: The role of psychological essentialism

Aversion to organs donated by suicide victims: The role of psychological essentialism. Evan R. Balkcom et al. Cognition, Volume 192, November 2019, 104037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2019.104037

Abstract: People are known to be susceptible to psychological essentialism when reasoning about organ transplantation, believing that the mental characteristics of the donor will transfer to the recipient. Because psychological essentialism is exacerbated in negative social contexts (i.e., moral contagion bias), the effect may be especially apparent when people consider the impact of receiving organs from donors who died by stigmatized causes, such as suicide and homicide. In a forced-choice paradigm, participants overwhelmingly ranked a suicide victim as their least preferred donor, with accident victims being the most preferred donors and homicide victims the most common second choice. In a follow-up study, we investigated the psychological mechanisms underlying this unease about suicide donors. Compared to those who imagined receiving a heart from homicide or accident victims, participants who imagined a suicide donor expressed greater unease about the source of their transplant. The effect could not be explained by participants’ rumination about the source of the transplant, or by the explicitly perceived stigma of suicide, but did depend on their essentialist beliefs. Those who believed that negative or neutral (but not positive) traits of the donor could transfer to them were more hesitant about receiving a heart from a suicide relative to other donors. These data suggest that the bias against suicide organ donors is moderated by socially relevant essentialist beliefs.

Informing and persuading conversational partners are still main functions of everyday conversations on mass media; we do rarely criticize mass media references of our conversational partners or introduce alternative media content

The role of mass media in everyday conversations: A comparison of two covert field observations. Nicole Podschuweit, Publizistik, August 2019, Volume 64, Issue 3, pp 303–327. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11616-019-00506-1

Abstract
This field study offers direct insights into how people deal with mass media content in their everyday communication on a broad empirical basis. It was inspired by a covert field observation Hans Mathias Kepplinger and Verena Martin conducted in the late 1970s. Back then, the authors concluded that interpersonal communication primarily reinforces mass media effects because interlocutors aim at informing and persuading their conversational partners by referring to mass media in most instances. During the last decades, many researchers in the field of media-stimulated interpersonal communication referred to their findings. However, this study is the first successful replication attempt. Furthermore, it represents a theoretical as well as a methodological extension of the pioneering study. The purpose of this elaborate and costly undertaking was to put the authors’ thesis of the mediating role of interpersonal communication to the empirical test.

The theoretical starting point are two basic assumptions: First, how strongly interpersonal communication intervenes in the process of mass media effects depends on how salient mass media content is in people’s everyday conversations. Second, whether interpersonal communication intervenes in the process of mass media effects as a mediator or a moderator depends on the consonance or dissonance of mass media’s presentation and interpersonal perception: If interlocutors pass mass media content on to others, interpersonal communication is supposed to reinforce mass media effects. However, if they strongly modify the mass media content they refer to, interpersonal communication is rather supposed to weaken or hinder mass media effects. Functions of media references for the group are supposed to be an important predictor for the role of interpersonal communication in the process of mass media effects. Reinforcing effects of interpersonal communication are especially likely when the interlocutors use mass media as “opportune witnesses” to inform others on facts or to convince them of a certain opinion. In view of the strong differentiation of today’s media scene, it was assumed that mass media content is now more often the subject of conversation than in the late 1970s; that media-stimulated interpersonal communication is increasingly fulfilling the function of affective processing of mass media content; that other interlocutors are more likely to respond with criticism or references to alternative media content.

To (re)define the role of interpersonal communication in the process of mass media effects, the study by Kepplinger and Martin (1986) was compared to a current covert field observation of everyday conversations. The current field study was conducted in spring 2016 in two medium-sized German cities. In both studies, small groups with two up to five members were observed in four different environments: (1) restaurants; (2) on the street, in public places and public transport; (3) at the university as well as (4) in private homes. Public conversations were captured in real time using a highly standardized coding scheme. Private conversations were first recorded and coded afterwards. In public, the observed interlocutors were debriefed. In the private sphere, interlocutors were additionally asked for their informed consents several days before the observation was conducted. The empirical analyses are based on 180 everyday conversations with 480 participants observed in 1979 as well as 1537 everyday conversations with 3961 participants captured in 2016.

Three key findings of the comparison between the two studies are: First, against the theoretical assumptions, mass media and their content are less salient in current everyday conversations than in times when media use focused on regional newspapers and public service broadcasting in Germany. An obvious explanation is that interpersonal intersection of media repertoires has become smaller in many conversational contexts. According to this study, it is largest in the private sphere, where people use mass media together most frequently and thus also talk about mass media most frequently. In public, the interlocutors usually generate a common meeting ground by focusing on private topics.

Second, television continues to play an important role in media-stimulated conversations. However, content of online mass media is at least as relevant for interpersonal communication today. While conversations on television are driven by a need for affective processing in the first instance, conversations on online mass media content primarily fulfill an informative function. From a methodological point of view, it is important to mention that the exact frequency of television and Internet references cannot by determined on the sole basis of an observational study. This is due to the fact that types of mass media can no longer be clearly differentiated by outside observers in the age of the Internet. Against this background, survey studies are a reasonable supplement.

Third, informing and persuading conversational partners are still main functions of everyday conversations on mass media. Although people can rely on a huge range of information today, they do still rarely criticize mass media references of their conversational partners or introduce alternative media content. Actually, the observed interlocutors mostly agreed with the mass media contents others referred to. The findings therefore suggest that interpersonal communication still mediates and thus strengthens mass media effects in the current mass media scene. With this study it has to be added, however, that mass media are often supposed to fulfill further functions for interpersonal communication, e.g., affective processing of mass media content.

Keywords: Interpersonal communication Mass communication Media-stimulated communication Covert field observation

Sexual fantasies: More gender similarities than differences; when men and women differed, it was in specific sexual fantasies and interests rather than sexual experiences

More than one flavour: University students’ specific sexual fantasies, interests, and experiences. Pari-Gole Noorishad et al. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, Volume 28 Issue 2, August 2019, pp. 143-158. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjhs.2019-0024

Abstract: Sexual fantasies, interests, and experiences are three important aspects of human sexual expression that likely are related yet distinct. Updated and comprehensive information on patterns in these three areas of sexual expression is important for developing knowledge on the extent to which fantasies are distinct from interests and experiences as well as whether social sexual norms are changing. Thus, the overall goal of this study was to explore patterns in university students’ sexual expression. Participants (N = 236; 65 men, 171 women) completed a background questionnaire and a measure of 43 specific sexual fantasies, interests, and experiences. We used Joyal, Cossette, and Lapierre’s (2015) categories to determine which specific fantasies, interests, and experiences were typical, common, uncommon, unusual, and rare. The results suggested that typical and common fantasies, interests, and experiences are those that fit with sexual norms and evolutionary pressures. However, some activities that fall outside of social norms, or evolutionary benefits, may be common or uncommon, rather than unusual or rare. For the most part, the prevalence and diversity of sexual fantasies aligned closely with sexual interests. We found more gender similarities than differences; when men and women differed, it was in specific sexual fantasies and interests rather than sexual experiences. Our findings suggest that young men and women fantasize about, are interested in, and engage in diverse sexual activities that are somewhat guided by social norms and evolutionary pressures. These findings provide novel, contemporary information on social norms, gender similarities, and diversity in young adults’ sexual expression.

KEY WORDS: Gender, sexual diversity, sexual experiences, sexual fantasies, sexual interests

Sex dreams: Gender, erotophilia, and sociosexuality as predictors of content, valence, and frequency

Sex dreams: Gender, erotophilia, and sociosexuality as predictors of content, valence, and frequency. Amira Hmidan. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, Volume 28 Issue 2, August 2019, pp. 177-189. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjhs.2019-0022

Abstract: The continuity hypothesis suggests that dream content is directly related to waking life experiences, personality traits, and gender; however, little is known about sexual dreaming. To address this gap, the current study examined how gender, sociosexuality (one’s willingness to engage in sexual relations outside of committed relationships) and erotophilia (a learned disposition to respond positively to sexual stimuli) related to the content, frequency, and valence of sexual dreams. Participants (n = 482) completed an online survey assessing their sex dream experiences, sociosexuality, and erotophilia and were asked to describe their most recent sexual dream. Men scored higher on sociosexuality and sex dream valence than women, but there were no gender differences in erotophilia or sex dream frequency. Individuals who scored higher on sociosexuality and erotophilia reported experiencing more frequent sex dreams and evaluated them more positively. Hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that erotophilia and sociosexuality significantly predicted sex dream valence, accounting for 24.3% of the variance. The addition of gender at step 2 was significant, but only accounted for an additional 1.9% of the variance. Participants’ descriptions of their most recent sex dream were analyzed for common themes related to variables such as the partner(s) involved (most common: current partner), location (most common: house/apartment), and types of sexual behaviors involved (most common: kissing). Exploratory analyses, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

KEY WORDS: Dreaming, erotophilia, gender differences, sex dreams, sociosexuality

From 2018... When Intimate Partner Violence Meets Same Sex Couples: A Review of Same Sex Intimate Partner Violence

From 2018...  When Intimate Partner Violence Meets Same Sex Couples: A Review of Same Sex Intimate Partner Violence. Luca Rollè, Giulia Giardina, Angela M. Caldarera, Eva Gerino and Piera Brustia. Front. Psychol., August 21 2018, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01506. Corrigendum: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01706/full

Abstract: Over the past few decades, the causes of and intervention for intimate partner violence (IPV) have been approached and studied. This paper presents a narrative review on IPV occurring in same sex couples, that is, same sex IPV (SSIPV). Despite the myth that IPV is exclusively an issue in heterosexual relationships, many studies have revealed the existence of IPV among lesbian and gay couples, and its incidence is comparable to (Turell, 2000) or higher than that among heterosexual couples (Messinger, 2011; Kelley et al., 2012). While similarities between heterosexual and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) IPV were found, unique features and dynamics were present in LGB IPV. Such features are mainly related to identification and treatment of SSIPV in the community and to the need of taking into consideration the role of sexual minority stressors. Our findings show there is a lack of studies that address LGB individuals involved in IPV; this is mostly due to the silence that has historically existed around violence in the LGB community, a silence built on fears and myths that have obstructed a public discussion on the phenomenon. We identified the main themes discussed in the published studies that we have reviewed here. The reviews lead us to the conclusion that it is essential to create a place where this subject can be freely discussed and approached, both by LGB and heterosexual people.