Filling the Gap on Developmental Change: Tests of a Dynamic Field Theory of Spatial Cognition

In early childhood, there is a developmental transition in spatial memory biases. Before the transition, children's memory responses are biased toward the midline of a space, while after the transition responses are biased away from midline. The Dynamic Field Theory (DFT) posits that changes in neural interaction and changes in how children perceive frames of reference underlie the transition. Here, we tested a prediction of the DFT that children younger than the transitional age would show the more advanced developmental pattern when tested with a perceptually salient midline axis. Four age groups (3 years, 6 months; 3 years, 8 months; 4 years; and 5 years) were tested at targets near midline. As predicted, children's responses were biased away from midline.     

Social Identity-Specific Collectivism (SISCOL) and Group Behavior

Assessment of collectivism has, for the most part, targeted interpersonal (often dyadic) relationships, e.g., spouse or friend. The multifactor social identity-specific collectivism (SISCOL) scale is an alternative approach that targets groups or categories (e.g., ethnic, political). In this study, the relationship between SISCOL and reported group behavior (political action, group participation, leisure activity) was explored. First, SISCOL varied in a meaningful and predictable way as a function of group membership. Second, SISCOL subscales were divergently predictive: social identity, b=.31, and common fate, b=.18, predicted political action; social identity, b=.22, emotional attachment, b=.32, and group norms, b=.20, predicted group participation. The importance and utility of a group targeted approach is discussed.     

Perceptions of Humility: A Preliminary Study

Do people perceive humility as a strength or a weakness? The current study examined this question in a sample of 127 undergraduates. Contrary to common dictionary definitions of humility, which often emphasize its association with self-abasement, participants reported consistently positive views of humility. When recalling situations in which they felt humble, they typically reported success experiences associated with positive emotion. Participants clearly associated humility with good psychological adjustment, although they were less decisive about whether humility was associated with confidence or leadership. Although participants viewed humility as a strength across all social roles sampled, humility was viewed most favorably as a quality of religious seekers, less favorably as a quality of close others or subordinates, and least favorably as a quality of leaders or entertainers. Positive views of humility were associated with high self-esteem and religiosity. Less favorable views of humility were associated with narcissism—particularly its exploiting/entitled dimension.     

Body image disturbance in patients with borderline personality disorder: Impact of eating disorders and perceived childhood sexual abuse

Body image disturbances occur in women with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Systematic research on these characteristics in well-defined BPD groups is lacking. It is unknown, if the disturbances are related to eating disorders and childhood sexual abuse (CSA), which frequently co-occur in patients with BPD. In the present study, cognitive-affective and behavioral components of body image for 89 female patients with BPD (49 with lifetime eating disorders) and 41 healthy participants were assessed via Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire (BIAQ) and Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). Within the BPD group, 43 patients reported a history of CSA. Compared to healthy controls, BPD patients reported significantly more negative scores in the BIAQ and the MBSRQ. Both a history of CSA and a comorbid eating disorder were independently associated with an even more negative body image. Results suggest a disturbance of cognitive-affective and behavioral components of body image in female BPD patients.     

Mindset matters: the role of employees’ stress mindset for day-specific reactions to workload anticipation

In this diary study, we extended knowledge on the role of employees’ stress mindset in the anticipatory phase of the stress process. We examined how workload anticipation is related to approach-coping efforts throughout the workday and how employees’ stress mindset moderates this relationship. Moreover, we investigated how approach-coping efforts are related to vigour and task performance at the end of the workday. Finally, we proposed conditional indirect effects of workload anticipation on vigour and task performance that are moderated by employees’ stress mindset. We conducted a daily diary study over five workdays with 171 employees. Results of multilevel path analysis showed that employees with a more positive stress mindset made more approach-coping efforts when anticipating high workload. Approach-coping efforts were positively related to vigour and task performance. For employees with a more positive stress mindset, workload anticipation had a positive conditional indirect effect on vigour and task performance. Our results suggest that employees react differently to workload anticipation depending on their stress mindset. Moreover, approach-coping efforts may be a cognitive-behavioural mechanism that explains how workload relates to vigour and task performance for employees with a more positive stress mindset.     

Determinants of physical activity among patients with type 2 diabetes: the role of perceived autonomy support,autonomous motivation and self-care competence

Based on self-determination theory (SDT), this study investigated, whether the three central SDT variables (perceived autonomy support, autonomous motivation and self-care competence), were associated with engagement in physical activity (PA) among patients with type 2 diabetes when the effect of a wide variety of other important life-context factors (perceived health, medication, duration of diabetes, mental health, stress and social support) was controlled for. Patients from five municipalities in Finland with registry-based entitlement to a special reimbursement for medicines used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (n = 2866, mean age 63 years, 56% men) participated in this mail survey in 2011. Of all measured explanatory factors, autonomous motivation was most strongly associated with engagement in PA. Autonomous motivation mediated the effect of perceived autonomy support on patients’ PA. Thus, perceived autonomy support (from one’s physician) was associated with the patient’s PA through autonomous motivation. This result is in line with SDT. Interventions for improved diabetes care should concentrate on supporting patients’ autonomous motivation for PA. Internalizing the importance of good self-care seems to give sufficient energy to maintain a physically active lifestyle.     

The social image of drinking – mass media campaigns may inadvertently increase binge drinking

Mass media campaigns that promote responsible drinking are rarely tested for their usefulness in reducing heavy alcohol consumption. Existing campaigns that appeal to responsible drinking while simultaneously displaying young people in social drinking situations may even have paradoxical effects. To examine such possible effects, we drew on a real-world media campaign, which we systematically modified on the basis of recent prototype research. We pilot tested questionnaires (using n = 41 participants), developed two different sets of posters in the style of an existing campaign (n = 39) and investigated their effectiveness (n = 102). In the main study, young men were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: sociable or unsociable binge drinker prototype condition or a control group. Outcome variables were intention, behavioural willingness, attitude, subjective norm, self-efficacy, prototype evaluation and prototype similarity with respect to binge drinking. Binge drinking as a habit was included to control for the fact that habitual drinking in social situations is hard to overcome and poses a particular challenge to interventions. The manipulation check showed that the experimental variation (sociable vs. unsociable drinker prototype condition) was successful. Results of the main study showed that the sociable drinker prototype condition resulted in a higher willingness and – for those with less of a habit – a higher intention to binge drink the next weekend. The unsociable drinker prototype condition had no effects. The results imply that the social components of mass media campaigns might inadvertently exacerbate binge drinking in young men. We therefore advocate against campaigns including aspects of alcohol consumption that might be positively associated with drinker prototype perception. Finally, we provide suggestions for future research.     

How Aristotelians Can Make Faith a Virtue

Neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics identifies the virtues with the traits the fully virtuous person possesses. Further, it depicts the fully virtuous person as having all the cognitive perfections necessary for possessing practical wisdom. This paper argues that these two theses disqualify faith as trust, as construed on contemporary accounts of faith, as a virtue. For faith’s role as a virtue depends on limitations of its possessor that are incompatible with the psychological profile of the fully virtuous person on the neo-Aristotelian picture. I argue that because of tensions internal to the standard neo-Aristotelian view and the compelling arguments in recent literature that faith is a virtue, the neo-Aristotelian has good reason to revise her account of virtue and picture of the fully virtuous person.     

Exploring the validity of scores from the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) in Burundi: A multi-strategy approach

The present study aimed to validate the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) in Burundi, through a multi-strategy approach used in cross-cultural studies. Respondents were 906 health workers (men = 56%; caregivers 60%). They responded to a bilingual version of RSES. We utilised Confirmatory Factorial Analysis (CFA) with structural equation modelling and a back translation test to explore the structure of the RSES and the reliability of scores from the scale. Data from an independent sample were analysed for the reliability of scores assessment. CFA results suggested that the global RSES factor was likely contaminated by a method-effect; mainly associated with negatively worded items. Internal consistencies and a back-translation test demonstrated that the negatively worded items were unsuitable in this context. The independent sample study confirmed poor reliability and internal consistency of scores for both alternative language versions of the RSES. Our data suggested that an overall cultural effect, rather than a merely specific language effect, may undermine the cross-cultural transportability of the Western scale.     

Low‐price guarantees as advertisement strategy and compensation policy: The more,the better?

Companies sometimes employ a “lowest price or more than the difference back” policy (i.e., a price‐beating guarantee). We investigated whether such a policy is more effective to attract and retain customers than when the exact price difference is promised (i.e., a price‐matching guarantee). The first study revealed that about 60% of the marketers and shop owners in our sample thought that beating price differences is a more effective strategy than matching price differences. However, the four subsequent studies challenged this assumption. Specifically, the advertisement as well as the provision of price‐beating refunds did not have an incremental positive effect on customers' general attitudes in terms of trust, brand perception, loyalty, and shopping intentions beyond the level that was already reached by price‐matching refunds. Moreover, our mediation analyses revealed that the null effect of price‐matching versus price‐beating was mediated by fairness perceptions. From a theoretical perspective, these results are in line with a fairness account, which holds that people do not only evaluate the economic value of an outcome, but also take equality considerations into account. Because price‐beating is literally more expensive than price‐matching, from a practical point of view, companies should be informed that the employment of a price‐beating guarantee is a cost‐ineffective advertisement strategy and compensation policy.