The myth of regaining control: Ostracism increases superstitious tendencies

Whether and how interpersonal experiences predispose people to show superstitious tendencies have been largely unexamined by past studies. By adopting a multimethod approach, three studies tested (a) whether ostracism increases superstitious tendencies through thwarted perceived control, (b) whether the dispositional need for closure moderates the effect of ostracism on superstitious tendencies and (c) whether restoring ostracized people's thwarted control weakens their superstitious tendencies. The results revealed that ostracized participants had higher superstitious tendencies than nonostracized participants did (Studies 1–3). Moreover, thwarted control mediated the effect of ostracism on superstitious tendencies (Study 2). In addition, the dispositional need for closure moderated the effect of ostracism on superstitious tendencies, such that the effect was stronger among participants with a high need for closure (Studies 1–2). Finally, restoring ostracized participants' perceived control weakened the effect of ostracism on superstitious tendencies (Study 3). Altogether, these findings feature the essential role of thwarted perceived control in understanding the link between ostracism and superstitious tendencies and the implication of control restoration in weakening the link. They also highlight the importance of dispositional characteristics in moderating people's responses to superstitions following ostracism and related forms of interpersonal maltreatment.     

亲社会行为倾向的年龄差异:共情关怀和人际信任的链式中介效应

全球老龄化浪潮正在来临,亲社会行为倾向的年龄差异受到广泛关注。基于第六次世界价值观调查数据集,运用39887个全球成年样本对全球人口亲社会行为倾向的年龄差异进行检验,并探究年龄通过共情关怀和人际信任影响亲社会行为的中介机制。结果表明:全球范围内,年龄显著正向影响亲社会行为倾向,共情关怀不存在显著的年龄差异,人际信任在年龄和亲社会行为倾向之间起显著的中介效应。研究结果对考察亲社会行为倾向的年龄差异及其作用机制具有重要理论价值和实践意义。     

农村留守初中生亲社会倾向特点及其与人格、家庭功能的关系

以四川省农村地区299名留守初中生与326名非留守初中生为调查对象,采用亲社会倾向量表、家庭功能评价量表、青少年小五人格问卷,考察留守初中生亲社会倾向特点及其与人格、家庭功能间的关系,结果发现:(1)留守初中生的亲社会倾向与非留守初中生相比不存在显著差异;(2)家庭功能的问题解决,人格的开放性、谨慎性都对留守初中生的亲社会倾向具有显著的预测作用,主要表现为问题解决能力越差亲社会的行为倾向越少,个体越具有开放性、谨慎性的人格特质就越容易表现出更多的亲社会倾向;(3)人格的开放性、宜人性、谨慎性在家庭功能与亲社会倾向中起完全中介的作用。     

Suicidal tendencies in schizophrenic patients hospitalized for the first time

180 (15%) patients from 1208 first-hospitalized schizophrenic patients had suicidal tendencies. Our findings show that the suicidal tendencies of schizophrenic patients have their own features. These conclusions can be supported by the differences between the determinants of the suicidal tendencies of schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic population; such different determinants are: sex, age, family and suicidal method. Suicidal tendencies are more frequent among patients without formal thought disturbances. We explain this fact with an "incoherence of decision processes". The features of the suicidal tendencies of schizophrenic patients are based on the grounds of psychosis own dynamic.     

用典型相关进一步研究大学生亲社会倾向和亲社会推理的关系

本研究使用修订后的亲社会倾向量表(PTM)和亲社会客观推理量表(PROM),对大学生群体进行了测查,并采用简单相关和典型相关探讨亲社会倾向和亲社会推理的关系。结果表明:大学生的亲社会倾向由高到低依次为:紧急的、利他的、情绪的、依从的、匿名的和公开的;他们的亲社会推理由高到低依次是:需要定向、刻板定向、内化价值定向、享乐主义定向和赞扬定向。6种亲社会倾向都与刻板定向推理、内化价值定向推理正相关;紧急的、依从的亲社会倾向与需要定向推理正相关;匿名的亲社会倾向与享乐主义定向推理负相关。从典型相关分析结果来看,两者间的整体关联程度没有理论预期的高,典型变量所代表的亲社会倾向主要是紧急的、匿名的、依从的亲社会倾向,而这些亲社会倾向主要由内化价值定向推理、刻板定向推理、需要定向推理来解释。     

Cognitive and Attitudinal Factors in the Analysis of Alternatives to Binge Drinking1

The present study examined cognitive and attitudinal factors relevant to binge-drinking tendencies in a college sample. Results indicate that positive expectations about binge-drinking activities were related to binge-drinking tendencies. Binge-drinking tendencies were also negatively related to expectations regarding nonbinge-drinking alternatives. General attitudes toward drinking and normative influences were found to have complex influences on binge-drinking tendencies involving indirect, direct, and moderated effects. The findings are discussed with respect to developing prevention programs.     

The Relationship Between Nonclinical Schizotypy and Handedness on Divergent and Convergent Creative Problem-Solving Tasks

Previous research indicated a relationship between hemispherical dominance, the extent of schizotypal tendencies, and creativity. Little research has been conducted to assess the degree of schizotypy in nonclinical samples. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which measures of multidimensional schizotypy and predominant handedness could predict measures of creativity, as assessed by both divergent and convergent tasks. One hundred and twenty-six participants participated in a quasi-experiment involving tests of predominant handedness, schizotypal tendencies, and divergent and convergent thinking. Results suggest that individuals who scored high on a test for schizotypal tendencies performed better on divergent problem-solving tasks, as opposed to low scoring individuals who performed better on convergent problem-solving tasks. Furthermore, results suggest that there was relationship between handedness on divergent and convergent thinking. There was, however, a relationship between handedness (right hemisphere) on the degree of schizotypal tendencies with left-handed individuals demonstrating greater schizotypal tendencies.     

Perceptual consequences of an illness-concern induction and its relation to hypochondriacal tendencies.

This article examines the perceptual consequences of activating illness concern as a function of hypochondriacal tendencies. In 2 independent samples, hypochondriacal tendencies were associated with slower reaction times on a modified emotional Stroop task when the stimulus words were illness related, but only when illness concern was activated. Moreover, these findings emerged when hypochondriacal tendencies were defined as a sensitivity to bodily sensations. When defined as illness preoccupation and fear, hypochondriacal tendencies were associated with a generalized pattern of perseveration to all stimuli when health concern was activated. Finally, the results persisted even after statistically controlling for state anxiety. Findings are discussed within the context of an activation hypothesis and highlight the importance of the operational definition and assessment of hypochondriacal tendencies when examining perceptual biases.     

Personality as Performance

Abstract— As people seek to understand events within the world, they develop habitual tendencies related to categorization. Such tendencies can be measured by tasks that determine the relative ease or difficulty a person has in making a given distinction (e.g., between threatening and nonthreatening events). Researchers have sought to determine how categorization tendencies relate to personality traits on the one hand and emotional outcomes on the other. The results indicate that traits and categorization tendencies are distinct manifestations of personality. However, they often interact with each other. Three distinct interactive patterns are described. Categorization clearly does play a role in personality functioning, but its role goes beyond assimilation effects on behavior and experience.     

社会排斥促进亲群体行为意向：权力感的调节作用

亲群体行为在个体的成长与发展中具有重要的适应价值。三个研究探讨了社会排斥对亲群体行为意向的影响以及权力感的调节作用。研究1采用问卷法考察社会排斥与亲群体行为意向的关系,发现社会排斥能够正向预测亲群体行为意向;研究2与研究3采用实验法操纵社会排斥,并分别通过回忆法启动个体状态权力感（研究2）、测量特质权力感（研究3）,发现在社会排斥下,相比于低权力感者,高权力感者的亲群体行为意向更高,结果证实了权力感能够调节社会排斥对亲群体行为意向的影响。     

Expanding and Reconceptualizing Aberrant Personality at Work: Validity of Five‐Factor Model Aberrant Personality Tendencies to Predict Career Outcomes

This study proposes and tests an alternative methodology to conceptualize and assess aberrant personality tendencies at work beyond the dark triad. A sample of college alumni (N= 247) were administered the NEO PI‐R prior to entering the labor market and 15 years later when their professional careers had unfolded. Drawing on the dimensional perspective on personality functioning, 6 five‐factor model (FFM) aberrant compounds were computed as indicators of aberrant personality tendencies. As expected, FFM aberrant personality tendencies were highly stable across time, with test–retest correlations ranging from .61 (Narcissistic) to .73 (avoidant). With regard to predictive validity, borderline, schizotypal, and avoidant tendencies were negatively associated with extrinsic and intrinsic career outcomes. The obsessive‐compulsive tendency was largely unrelated to career outcomes, whereas individuals with antisocial and narcissistic characteristics tended toward higher hierarchical and financial attainment. In addition, relative importance analyses indicated that (a) FFM aberrant personality tendencies showed incremental validity in the prediction of career outcomes beyond FFM general traits, and that (b) both FFM general and FFM aberrant personality tendencies are important predictors when considered jointly. It is concluded that FFM aberrant personality tendencies suggest interesting avenues for personnel psychologists to form new linear combinations of FFM facets, complementing FFM general domains.     

Gender differences in the intention to react to aggressive action at home and in the workplace

This study explored gender differences in escalatory tendencies, defined as individuals' intentions to react when faced with the prospect of potential aggression from others. The escalatory tendencies are based on an interaction unit of analysis, which is a proxy representation of behavioral intention from planned behavior theory. This study consists of a convenience sample of 264 male and female participants who were asked to report their escalatory tendencies following verbal and physical forms of aggression committed by various hypothetical offenders, including their intimate partner at home, as well as the men and women at work who are in higher, lower, or equal positions. The main findings support the assumptions that escalatory tendencies toward verbal aggression are higher than those toward physical aggression; that escalatory tendencies at work are higher toward lower status workers than toward those of higher status; that escalatory tendencies within the same gender are higher than between genders; and that women tend to escalate more against their spouses than do men. The findings emphasize the importance of studying aggression and escalatory tendencies in context. Aggr. Behav. 32:1–9, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Birth Order Position and Prosocial Tendencies

This study investigated the relationship between psychological birth order position and different types and levels of prosocial tendencies. An ex postfacto, between-family research design was used. Data on prosocial tendencies were obtained from 888 college students (females = 80.4%, mean age = 20.94 yrs, SD = 2.83; males = 19.6%, mean age = 21.62 yrs, SD = 2.44). Participants completed a biographical questionnaire as well as the Prosocial Tendencies Measure (Carlo & Randall, 2002). Data were analysed to compare and contrast prosocial tendencies between demographics using parametric ANOVAs, t tests and the Mann-Whitney Test. Significant differences in prosocial tendency scores were only found between middle-borns and last-borns on altruism, with middle-borns scoring significantly higher in prosocial tendencies than last-borns. There is no evidence to suggest that a definitive link between prosocial tendencies and birth order exists in this study.     

Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Indirectly Predict Prosocial Behavior Through Perspective Taking and Empathic Concern

Engaging in prosocial behavior can provide positive outcomes for self and others. Prosocial tendencies contribute to the propensity to engage in prosocial behavior. The oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) has also been associated with prosocial tendencies and behaviors. There has been little research, however, investigating whether the relationship between OXTR and prosocial behaviors is mediated by prosocial tendencies. This relationship may also vary among different types of prosocial behavior. The current study examines the relationship between OXTR, gender, prosocial tendencies, and both altruistic and public prosocial behavior endorsement. Students at a midwestern university (N = 398; 89.2% Caucasian; M_age = 20.76; 26.6% male) provided self‐report measures of prosocial tendencies and behaviors and buccal cells for genotyping OXTR polymorphisms. Results indicated that OXTR single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2268498 genotype significantly predicted empathic concern, whereas gender moderated the association between several other OXTR SNPs and prosocial tendencies. Increased prosocial tendencies predicted increased altruistic prosocial behavior endorsement and decreased public prosocial behavior endorsement. Our findings suggest an association between genetic variation in OXTR and endorsement of prosocial behavior indirectly through prosocial tendencies, and that the pathway is dependent on the type of prosocial behavior and gender.     

Introversion,inhibition, and displayed anxiety: The role of error reactivity processes

Three studies involving 176 undergraduates examined the personality-related correlates of tendencies to slow down following errors in choice reaction time tasks. Such tendencies were hypothesized to tap individual differences in threat reactivity processes and therefore be relevant to the prediction of phobic-like fear (Study 1) and displayed anxiety as rated by informants (Studies 2 and 3). However, on the basis of the idea that high levels of extraversion may suppress threat reactivity processes, it was hypothesized that extraversion and post-error slowing tendencies would interact in predicting the dependent measures. The studies supported the latter interactive hypothesis in that post-error slowing tendencies were predictive of displayed anxiety at low, but not high, levels of extraversion. The discussion focuses on the respective roles of error-reactivity processes and extraversion in predicting behavioral inhibition and displayed anxiety.     

越“八卦”越沉迷:人际好奇与大学生社交网站成瘾倾向的关系

本研究基于“使用与满足”理论和有限自制力理论,探讨人际好奇与大学生社交网站成瘾倾向的关系,并在此基础上建构了一个有调节的中介模型,考察错失恐惧的中介作用和特质自我控制的调节作用。采用方便抽样法对湖北省和河南省各一所综合性大学621名使用微信朋友圈或QQ空间的学生进行问卷调查,结果显示：（1）人际好奇与错失恐惧、社交网站成瘾倾向显著正相关,与特质自我控制显著负相关;错失恐惧与特质自我控制显著负相关,与社交网站成瘾倾向显著正相关;特质自我控制与社交网站成瘾倾向显著负相关;（2）错失恐惧在人际好奇与大学生社交网站成瘾倾向之间起中介作用,特质自我控制调节该中介路径的后半段。具体而言,相对于高特质自我控制的大学生,间接效应对于低特质自我控制的大学生更加显著。本研究结果揭示了人际好奇对大学生社交网站成瘾倾向的影响及其作用机制,对大学生社交网站成瘾的干预具有一定的指导意义。     

Dialectical beliefs and savings tendency: Opposite patterns in good versus bad current status

People often experience a dilemma: whether we should invest now for a better future or save now for an unexpected future. The current research investigated the influence of dialecticism, a constellation of lay beliefs stating that the world is full of constant changes, coexisting contradictions, and interdependent relationships, on people's savings tendencies when they are with good versus bad status. Study 1 verified that dialectical beliefs were negatively associated with optimistic expectations among people with good status (i.e., high socioeconomic status) but positively associated with optimistic expectations among people with bad status (i.e., low socioeconomic status). Next, Studies 2 and 3 examined the interaction effect between dialectical beliefs and people's current status in predicting their savings tendencies in the investment scenarios with the focus on savings decision‐making and emotional experiences related to savings scenarios, respectively. Finally, to test generalizability, Study 4 examined people's savings tendencies in the situation that they needed to prevent failure instead of doing investments. The results converged to support the hypothesis that stronger dialectical beliefs predicted greater savings tendencies among people with good current status but weaker savings tendencies among people with bad current status. These findings demonstrated that the effect of dialectical beliefs on savings tendencies varies as a function of the characteristics of the situations, which advances the theoretical understanding of dialecticism in decision‐making research.     

Playing prosocial video games increases the accessibility of prosocial thoughts

Past research has provided abundant evidence that playing violent video games increases aggressive tendencies. In contrast, evidence on possible positive effects of video game exposure on prosocial tendencies has been relatively sparse. The present research tested and found support for the hypothesis that exposure to prosocial video games increases the accessibility of prosocial thoughts. These results provide support to the predictive validity of the General Learning Model (Buckley & Anderson, 2006) for the effects of exposure to prosocial media on social tendencies. Thus, depending on the content of the video game, playing video games can harm but may also benefit social relations.     

Doing better but feeling worse. Looking for the "best" job undermines satisfaction

Expanding upon Simon's (1955) seminal theory, this investigation compared the choice-making strategies of maximizers and satisficers, finding that maximizing tendencies, although positively correlated with objectively better decision outcomes, are also associated with more negative subjective evaluations of these decision outcomes. Specifically, in the fall of their final year in school, students were administered a scale that measured maximizing tendencies and were then followed over the course of the year as they searched for jobs. Students with high maximizing tendencies secured jobs with 20% higher starting salaries than did students with low maximizing tendencies. However, maximizers were less satisfied than satisficers with the jobs they obtained, and experienced more negative affect throughout the job-search process. These effects were mediated by maximizers' greater reliance on external sources of information and their fixation on realized and unrealized options during the search and selection process.     

Psychological Assessment of Homosexual Tendencies in Potential Candidates for the Roman Catholic Priesthood

While the recent Instruction by the Congregation for Catholic Education concerning the criteria for the discernment of vocations with regard to persons with homosexual tendencies has offered a clear direction to bishops and religious superiors in screening candidates, a discussion by psychologists on methods of assessing the presence of such tendencies within individuals is necessary. This paper will review relevant assessment techniques and suggest how psychologists can address this issue in evaluation reports, including making specific recommendations relevant to the issue of homosexual tendencies.