Selective Evaluation and Recall During the 1980 Reagan-Carter Debate1

To assess the effects of the 1980 Reagan-Carter presidential debate, samples of college students were surveyed in the laboratory and in the field before and after watching the debate. Responses were consistent across groups, indicating that both selective recall and selective evaluation occurred. The plurality of subjects in both groups (i.e., field and laboratory) were better at recalling their preferred candidate's arguments than those of the opposition. In addition, judgments of who won were biased in favor of predebate presidential preference. Commitment was not significantly related to either process (i.e., selective evaluation or selective recall), indicating that both strongly committed and weakly committed individuals may selectively encode and selectively evaluate incoming political information. These findings are discussed in light of the timing of the debate.     

Analytic Thinking Reduces Anti-Atheist Bias in Voting Intentions

Research has demonstrated that priming analytic thinking reduces adherence to religious ideas. The current studies examined whether analytic thinking primes can also increase acceptance of secular ideas and ameliorate anti-atheist prejudice. In Study 1, participants who were primed to think analytically demonstrated less anti-atheist prejudice (operationalized as willingness to vote for an atheist) and increased levels of agreement with secular ideas. Mediation analyses indicated that the ability of an analytic prime to reduce anti-atheist prejudice and facilitate agreement with secular ideas was related to increases in analytic thinking (operationalized as performance on the Cognitive Reflections Test). Study 2 extended the findings of the first study and demonstrated that, among a sample of young adults, higher levels of analytic thinking predicted decreased anti-atheist prejudice in the context of voting intentions in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Basic and applied implications of these findings are discussed.     

Regulatory Fit and Voting1

The problem of many democracies is low voter turnout. One reason is the voting procedure, which only allows voting for a party or candidate. Introduction of voting against could bring more voters to the polls. The concept of regulatory focus ( Higgins, 1998 ) suggests that people who focus on prevention would vote more eagerly if they are given the opportunity to blackball disliked candidates. This article describes 2 studies that verify this hypothesis. In the first study, over two thirds of participants declared that they would vote more willingly if they had a “for or against” choice at the election. The second study shows that the “pro or anti” formula is especially attractive to participants with a prevention regulatory focus.     

Belief and Values in the Nuclear Debate1

A questionnaire was administered to 47 participants attending a workshop on nuclear energy shortly after publication of a report on a proposed nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. Supporters and opponents of the proposed development differed markedly in their estimates of its possible consequences, and of the relative importance of these consequences. They also differed in their endorsement of pro- and anti-nuclear lobbies, and the factors which they felt contributed most to the “quality of life”. Overall, pro-nuclear subjects appear to place emphasis on the economic benefits of nuclear energy, while anti-nuclear subjects appearad more concerned with social and political risks, and regraded alternative energy sources as more viable. It is concluded that an analysis of such attitudinal differences requires a consideration not only of differences in beliefs, but also of differences in belief salience.     

Proximal Intentions,Non-executed Proximal Intentions and Change of Intentions

This paper investigates the conceptual and empirical possibility of non-executed, non-conscious proximal intentions, i.e., non-conscious proximal intentions to act that do not turn into a final act, but perhaps are vetoed or overcome by an alternative action. It constructs a conceptual framework in which such cases are justifiably considered ‘proximal intentions’. This is achieved by combining Alfred Mele’s notion of non-conscious proximal intentions together with the notion of trying or striving taken from Brian O’Shaughnessy’s model of action. With this framework in hand we analyze empirical electroencephalography (EEG) findings regarding ‘change of intention’ scenarios. Prior to EEG development (and other brain imaging techniques), one would never consider non-executed, non-conscious proximal intentions a case of intention at all. However, with technological and interpretable development of EEG, a whole group of so called ‘intentions’ appears, and the main aim of the paper is to justify this expanded usage.     

II. Intentions and conditions of satisfaction 1

This paper discusses a problem arising from the way in which John Searle marks the distinction between intentional and unintentional action (Inquiry, Vol. 22, pp. 253–80), namely, that of adequately distinguishing those events which we regard as unintentional actions on the part of an agent from those other events occasioned by or brought about as a result of his action which we (correctly) do not countenance as actions of any sort ‐ unintentional or otherwise. Searle's attempt to distinguish them in terms of the ‘proximity of the contents of intentions’ is examined and rejected, and an alternative account which exploits the anthropocentric character of our action vocabulary is proposed and defended. The discussion ends with a brief indication of some other difficulties engendered by Searle's analysis.     

Early Election Returns and the Voting Behavior of Adolescent Voters1

High school students participated in a field experiment that tested the effects of exposure to early election returns in a nonpartisan referendum. On a pretest of attitudes, students stated their preferences on the issue of the school's grading policy. One week later, just before voting, subjects in the experimental condition received information announcing the probable outcome of the election. There was a significant relationship between class achievement level and (a) likelihood of changing vote, and (b) the direction of change. Students in the brighter classes changed their votes less frequently, but when they changed their preferences they showed a greater bandwagon effect. Students in the classes of lower academic achievement changed their votes more frequently, but when they changed their preferences they showed a greater underdog effect. Differences between the more typical political election in which bandwagon and underdog effects are seldom reported and the experimental election were discussed.     

目标性意图与执行性意图调节情绪反应的效果比较

目标性意图和执行性意图作为目标的不同形式,对情绪调节的影响有待探讨。本研究试图考察目标性意图和执行性意图与表达抑制相结合之后,在调节情绪反应方面的作用。实验采用主观报告和生物反馈的方法对58名大学生进行测试。结果发现：（1）执行性意图组被试在观看负性和中性图片时对自身情绪唤醒度的评价均显著低于目标性意图组,在观看负性图片时其情绪唤醒度也显著低于控制组。（2）执行性意图组被试在各项生理反应指标上均显著低于目标性意图组和控制组,主要表现为形成执行性意图的个体在皮肤电导增加量、皮温降低量和指脉增加量上均显著低于形成目标性意图或不形成任何意图的个体。上述结果表明,相较于仅仅给出情绪体验下调目标的目标性意图,与表达抑制结合在一起的执行性意图能有效下调个体的负性情绪反应。     

Ethical Intentions and the Theories of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior1

This study compares the explanatory power of Fishbein and Ajzen's (1991) theory of reasoned action, Ajzen's (1975) theory of planned behavior, and a modified version of the theory of planned behavior, which includes a measure of moral obligation, to predict insurance agents' e]thical intentions toward their clients. Two hundred and forty-five insurance agents in the U.S. were sent surveys, and with 59% of them responding, results suggest that the modified version of the theory of planned behavior best explains agents' e]thical intentions. Theoretical considerations and suggestions for future research, highlighting the perceived behavioral control and moral obligation constructs, are provided.     

Values and Voting

We examined relations of the 10 types of values in Schwartz's (1992) theory of voting. Hypotheses were generated by relating the core motivations of each value type to the ideological messages conveyed by party policies and symbols. Eight parties that ran in the 1988 Israeli elections were arrayed by judges on three ideological dimensions: classical liberalism, economic egalitarianism, state and religion. Discriminant analyses yielded a function whose coefficients for value types corresponded to hypotheses for the state and religion dimension and ordered party supporters on this dimension. After dropping religious parties, another value-based function ordered party supporters on the classical liberalism dimension, as predicted. Both functions significantly improved the party classification of voters in a representative national sample (N=769). Economic egalitarianism, a nonsalient dimension in Israeli politics, was unrelated to values. Results suggest that all types of values may be politically relevant depending on context.     

Determinants of Mammography Intentions Among Prior Screenees and Nonscreenees1

This study examined whether the factors influencing a woman's intention to get a mammogram differ between women who have had mammograms in the past (prior screenees) and those who have not (nonscreenees). Responses to a survey were used to predict mammography intentions separately for two groups of women: those with no previous mammograms and those with one. Among the prior nonscreenees, the variables we examined accounted for nearly half the variance in intentions; among the prior screenees, only one-sixth of the variance was accounted for. This suggests that interventions that succeed in increasing mammography utilization among prior nonscreenees may not necessarily be successful among prior screenees.     

Salient Consequences,Cultural Values,and Childbearing Intentions1

In this study of childbearing intentions, 163 young married women were interviewed using measures derived from Fishbein's behavioral intentions model. Unlike most research testing Fishbein's theory, in which fixed alternative modal belief measures have been employed, in the present study open-ended measures of consequence salience were used. The finding that different consequences of childbearing are salient for those who intend versus those who do not intcnd to have a child raises questions about earlier research using fixed alternative methods. In contrast with the results of earlier studies, intender/non-intender differences in the evaluation of childbearing outcomes were also found. Statistically significant correlations between childbearing intention and religiosity, sex-role traditionalism, and affluence values were reduced to a statistically non-significant level when the model's attitudinal and normative predictors were controlled by partial correlation. Analyses of indirect effects indicate that religiosity and sex-role traditionalism were largely mediated through the motivation to comply with husband's childbearing preference.     

Understanding Seat-Belt Intentions and Behavior: A Decision-Making Approach1

In an experimental study designed to investigate a decision-making model of seat-belt use, 227 employees of an agrochemical company participated in a health information program in which they watched either a videotape on seat belts or a control videotape and completed questionnaires immediately afterward and at 3 months and 1 year after exposure. In terms of total effects, the seat-belt videotape influenced beliefs, fear, and intentions assessed immediately after exposure, but had no effect on self-reported frequency of belt use at 3 months or 1 year. A full path analysis indicated some support for the decision-making model. In particular, probability difference (the perceived reduction in risk of death or serious injury due to wearing a belt) had a large influence on intentions to wear a belt and partly mediated the effect of the videotape on intentions. Reported frequency of belt use at 3 months was influenced both by post-test intentions and by initial frequency of belt use. Similarly, belt use at 1 year was affected by belt use at 3 months and by initial belt use. The findings are discussed in terms of the role of subjective probabilities and habitual factors in seat-belt use.     

Intentions to Use the Female Condom Among African American Adults1

The present study tested whether the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and self‐efficacy for female condom use predicted intentions to use the female condom among African American adults. Participants were 137 men and women, 18 to 35 years of age, who were recruited from a community‐based organization. Results indicate that: (a) the TRA model has predictive utility for women's but not for men's intentions to use the female condom with both main and casual sex partners, and (b) the TRA model was a better predictor of intentions to use the female condom with main than with casual partners. Implications for female condom‐use promotion are discussed.     

Supererogation and Intentions of the Agent

It has been claimed, by David Heyd, that in order for an act to count as supererogatory the agent performing the act must possess altruistic intentions (1982 p.115). This requirement, Heyd claims, allows us to make sense of the meritorious nature of acts of supererogation. In this paper I will investigate whether there is good reason to accept that this requirement is a necessary condition of supererogation. I will argue that such a reason can be found in cases where two people act in the same way but with only the person who acted with altruistic intent counting as having performed an act of supererogation. In such cases Heyd’s intention requirement plays an important role in ruling out acts that intuitively are not supererogatory. Despite this, I will argue that we should reject Heyd’s requirement and replace it with a moral intention requirement. I will then investigate how to formulate this requirement and respond to two objections that might be raised against it.     

Predicting Relocation Intentions of Culturally Diverse Workforce Entrants1

The factors that determine intentions to relocate in the continental U. S. among Puerto Rican nursing professionals were explored. One hundred and eleven nursing students in their last semester of nursing school responded to a biographical questionnaire. Intentions to relocate were regressed on factor scores resulting from factor-analyzing questionnaire items. The results indicated that the individual's level of independence (e. g., lack of family attachment) was the best predictor of intentions to relocate. In addition, both lack of fear of discrimination and being at a middle life stage were positively related to intentions to take a job in the U. S. Implications for further study of the motivations driving culturally diverse laborforce entrants are discussed.     

Overcoming Procrastination: The Effect of Implementation Intentions1

A hypothesized solution for procrastination is the formation of an implementation intention ( Van Eerde, 2000 ). University students (N = 152) were assessed using the Aitken Procrastination Inventory ( Aitken, 1982 ) and were asked to report to an experiment. Half of the participants formed implementation intentions to attend. An odds ratio indicated that participants who formed implementation intentions were nearly 8 times more likely to keep their appointments than those who did not. Low procrastinators reported more often for the experiment than did high procrastinators (Low = 49.4%; High = 30.1%), χ²(1, N = 152) = 5.84, p < .016. The interaction between implementation intentions and procrastination was not significant, χ²(1, N = 152) = 0.28, p < .60.     

Testing Models of Turnover Intentions with University Faculty1

Four models of turnover intentions were competitively tested for their effectiveness in predicting the intentions to search for alternative positions and intentions to resign from current positions among a sample of university faculty. Faculty at an upper Midwest university completed a survey developed to measure the components of the four models. All four models (intermediate linkages, expanded Mobley, reasoned action, and planned behavior) significantly predicted intentions to search and intentions to resign. The reasoned action model was found to be more effective and parsimonious than the other models. Attitude toward the turnover action and subjective norm concerning the turnover action appear to be the critical factors influencing the faculty members' turnover intentions. Implications of these findings for turnover research and related concepts such as organizational commitment are discussed.