Social Facilitation: A Test of Competing Theories1

Evaluation–apprehension and distraction–conflict have typically been treated as alternative explanations for social facilitation. The present study tested both theories under a single design. The study examined (a) whether each explanation predicted social‐facilitation performance outcomes and (b) whether combining evaluation and distraction manipulations produced even greater performance outcomes. The present study also explored whether physical presence is necessary to produce social‐facilitation effects when evaluation and distraction manipulations are already present. The study found significant facilitation effects on the simple task only in the evaluation–apprehension condition. Significant performance impairment was found for both evaluation and distraction. Combining evaluation with distraction led to greater effects only on the complex task. Furthermore, physical presence does not appear necessary to produce social‐facilitation effects.     

认知资源：解释社会助长效应的新视角

Zajonc和Baron分别提出社会唤醒理论和分心-冲突理论对社会助长效应进行解释,但仍存在一定的不足。研究在两种理论的基础上提出一种基于认知资源的解释观点。通过行为实验和脑电实验对这一观点进行验证,结果发现： （1）行为数据符合社会唤醒理论假设（2）简单任务组比复杂任务组诱发更高的N1波幅。（3）简单任务下,有人在场诱发更高的N1波幅;复杂任务下,有人在与无人组诱发的N1无显著差异。结果提示：他人在场通过改变个体的注意力投入来影响任务的完成效果。研究很好的解释了社会唤醒理论和分心-冲突理论无法解释的盲区,为社会助长效应的研究提供了一个新的视角。     

Karen Horney: A Bibliography of Her Writings

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis -     

The Situational Facilitation of Interpersonal Attraction: A Three-factor Hypothesis1

A theoretical analysis of observations of natural and man-made disasters, festive social events, and task-oriented crash programs led to a three-factor hypothesis of attraction facilitation. It was proposed that interpersonal attraction toward strangers is facilitated when there is emotional arousal, sharing, and out-of-role behavior. In a laboratory investigation (N= 120), postexperimental attraction toward a dissimilar stranger increased when all three factors were present but not when only two of the three factors were present (p < .01). Consistent with the reinforcement-affect model of attraction, increased attraction toward the stranger in the three-factor conditions was paralleled by more positive feelings about the experiment in the three-factor than in the two-factor conditions. Knowledge of the variables underlying facilitation effects could be utilized on a societal basis to create attraction-enhancing occurrences.     

The Four Horsemen of New Atheism: A Select Bibliography

Between 2004 and 2007, four authors – Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens – published books critical of religion and promoting atheism. What set these works apart was that they were all published by major publishers and received critical acclaim. Three of the books would even go on to make the New York Times Best Seller list. Together, the four authors became know as the Four Horsemen of New Atheism. This article presents a brief overview of New Atheism and The Four Horsemen of New Atheism, author biographies, and reviews of the Four Horsemen’s works from 2004–2007, which, collectively, outline the core ideas of the New Atheists.