Individuals high in narcissism have “thin skins” and are prone to aggression when they are provoked; these results suggest that narcissism is an important risk factor for aggression and violence

Kjærvik, S. L., & Bushman, B. J. (2021). The link between narcissism and aggression: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, May 2021. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000323

Abstract: This meta-analytic review examines the link between narcissism and aggression, and whether the link is stronger under provocation conditions. A total of 437 independent studies were located, which included 123,043 participants. Narcissism was related to both aggression (r = .26, [.24, .28]) and violence (r = .23, [.18, .27]). As expected, the narcissism-aggression link was stronger under provocation conditions (r = .29, [.23, .36]) than under no provocation conditions (r = .12, [.05, .18]), but was even significant in the absence of provocation. Both “normal” and “pathological” narcissism were related to aggression. All three dimensions of narcissism (i.e., entitlement, grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism) were related to aggression. Narcissism was related to all forms of aggression (i.e., indirect, direct, displaced, physical, verbal, bullying), and to both functions of aggression (i.e., reactive, proactive). The relation between narcissism and aggression was significant for males and females, for people of all ages, for students and nonstudents, and for people from individualistic and collectivistic countries. Significant results were obtained in experimental, cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies, in published and unpublished studies, and in studies that assessed aggression using different types of measures (i.e., self-report, other-report, observation). Overall results were robust to publication bias and the presence of outliers. Theoretically, these results indicate that provocation is a key moderator of the link between narcissism and aggression. Individuals high in narcissism have “thin skins” and are prone to aggression when they are provoked. Practically, these results suggest that narcissism is an important risk factor for aggression and violence.

Gut reactions were harsher and behavioral intentions linked to action were stronger when the error was made by an algorithm compared to human error; irrespective of error severity or info about algorithm maturity

To err is human, not algorithmic – Robust reactions to erring algorithms. Laetitia A. Renier, Marianne Schmid, Mast Anely Bekbergenova. Computers in Human Behavior, May 30 2021, 106879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106879

Highlights

• Reactions toward erring algorithms go beyond algorithm aversion.

• Gut reactions were harsher and behavioral intentions linked to action were stronger when the error was made by an algorithm.

• Justice cognitions were weaker when the error was made by an algorithm.

• Observed effects were immune to the domain of use, the severity of the error, and information about algorithm maturity.

Abstract: When seeing algorithms err, we trust them less and decrease using them compared to after seeing humans err; this is called algorithm aversion. This paper builds on the algorithm aversion literature and the third-party reactions to mistreatment model to investigate a wider array of reactions to erring algorithms. Using an experimental design deployed with a vignette-based online study, we investigate gut reactions, justice cognitions, and behavioral intentions toward erring algorithms (compared to erring humans). Our results show that when the error was committed by an algorithm (vs. a human), gut reactions were harsher (i.e., less acceptance and more negative feelings), justice cognitions weaker (i.e., less blame, less forgiveness, and less accountability), and behavioral intentions stronger. These results remain independent of factors such as the maturity of the algorithms (better than or same as human performance), the severity of the error (high or low), and the domain of use (recruitment or finance). We discuss how these results complement the current literature thanks to a robust and more nuanced pattern of reactions to erring algorithms.

Keywords: Algorithm aversionArtificial intelligenceErrorReactionsPerceptionThird-party

An honesty oath leads to more truth telling; liars need more time to decide under oath

How the honesty oath works: Quick, intuitive truth telling under oath. Tobias Beck. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, May 29 2021, 101728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2021.101728

Highlights

• An honesty oath leads to more truth telling

• The additional truth tellers under oath decide very fast

• Liars need more time to decide under oath

• The oath reduces the extent of strategic reasoning in the decision whether to tell the truth or not

• The honesty oath works by making the decision to tell the truth more intuitive and less deliberate

Abstract: This study analyzes the workings of oath-taking when the decision about lying requires strategic thinking. In a laboratory experiment, the oath leads to more truth telling, but it does not make liars reduce the sizes of their lies. While truth tellers decide faster due to the oath, liars need more time to decide under oath. By analyzing players’ beliefs about their co-players’ mistrust, I find that the oath reduces the extent of strategic reasoning in the decision whether to tell the truth or not. These findings are consistent with the conjecture that the honesty oath works by making the decision to tell the truth less deliberate and more intuitive.

Keywords: Honesty oathStrategic deceptionTruth tellingSize of the lieLaboratory experiment

People often overestimate their past mobility, strongly believe in their future one, & think that The American Dream is alive for them and their families more than it is for others or the country as a whole

The psychology of lay beliefs about economic mobility. Shai Davidai, Margaux N. A. Wienk. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, May 28 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12625

Abstract: Although economic mobility is an objectively defined term, lay beliefs about mobility—the configuration of ideas and attitudes about economic mobility that is not necessarily grounded in economic data—are often formed in a subjective manner. Drawing on research from the United States and beyond, we propose a novel framework for understanding how people construe, think about, and understand economic mobility. We highlight the importance of systematically examining the type, time frame, trajectory, and target of mobility that people have in mind for understanding when they most and least strongly believe in it. In addition, our framework offers a conceptual roadmap for examining the factors that influence lay beliefs about mobility, including individual differences in these lay beliefs and their important downstream consequences. Finally, we outline several important open questions that are highlighted by our framework as a guide for future research on lay beliefs about economic mobility.

Granddaughter’s intimacy with maternal grandmothers was significantly higher and with paternal grandfathers significantly lower than with other grandparents than with other grandparents

Which grandparent is more intimate? The effects of the gender of grandchildren. Mengjie Tu, Hongpo Zhang, Yafei Guo, Lin Zhang, Xinhui Wei & Quanlei Yu. Current Psychology, May 25 2021. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-021-01890-6

Abstract: Mothers have almost 100% certainty of their relationship with their offspring, but fathers face paternal uncertainty, which affects not only parental investment but also grandparents’ investment in grandchildren. However, due to Chinese patriarchal culture and preference for sons, grandparents may give their grandchildren different investments by gender. To explore the psychological and behavioral mechanisms of grandparents’ emotional investment in grandchildren from both cultural and evolutionary perspectives, this study collected data from 642 Chinese participants who had impressions of all four grandparents and measured their relationships with their grandparents and other demographic variables. After controlling for the number of grandchildren, participant’s age, region, etc., a significant interaction between the grandchild’s gender and grandparent categories was found. Simple effect analysis and post-hoc analysis showed significant differences in grandsons’ intimacy with maternal grandmothers and grandfathers, but no other grandparents, while granddaughter’s intimacy with maternal grandmothers was significantly higher and with paternal grandfathers significantly lower than with other grandparents, and there were no other significant differences. Those results support human psychology and behavior are jointly influenced by evolution and culture.