Effects of a companion dog on associations of danger and threat with oriental-looking targets

In the current study we extend previous findings on the shooter bias toward targets with Arab ethnicity. In an adapted shooter task, we presented stereotypically oriental-looking targets without explicit symbols of Islam (e.g., a turban) and additionally tested if presenting a “harmless” companion dog, together with Arab versus White targets, would affect the shooter bias. Participants responded faster and made fewer errors for armed Arab than for armed White targets. Moreover, compared to the “neutral” no dog condition, the presence of a dog triggered fewer false alarms for White than for Arab targets and slowed down (correct) responses in general. Implications and potential underlying mechanisms are discussed.     

Olfactory Objecthood

Philosophia - In the contemporary analytic discussions concerning human olfactory perception, it is commonly claimed that (1) olfactory experiences are representations having content and (2)...     

A multigroup multitrait-multimethod study in two countries supports the validity of a two-factor higher order model of personality

This study examined the factor structure of the Big Five Inventory and tested the hypothesis that the five personality dimensions could be summarized by two higher order factors, namely, plasticity and stability, using multigroup multitrait-multimethod confirmatory factor analyses. We tested the higher order model in two young adult samples drawn from Germany and Turkey. Adequate inter-rater agreement between self- and informant reports was obtained. Among the models tested, a two-factor model was the most parsimonious model in which the first factor included Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and low Neuroticism; and the second factor included Extraversion and Openness to Experience. Invariance of this model was supported by multiple-group analyses, suggesting a lack of variability across samples.     

The hot hand exists in volleyball and is used for allocation decisions

The "hot hand" belief in sports refers to the conviction that a player has a higher chance of making a shot after two or three successful shots than after two or three misses (resulting in "streaks"). This belief is usually considered a cognitive fallacy, although it has been conjectured that in basketball the defense will attack a "hot" player and prevent streaks from occurring. To address this argument, we provide the first study on the hot hand in volleyball, where the net limits direct defensive counterstrategies, meaning that streaks can more likely emerge if a player is hot. We first establish that athletes believe in the hot hand in volleyball (Study 1A). Analyzing the top 26 first-division players, we then show that streaks do exist for half of the players (Study 1B). Coaches can detect players' performance variability and use it to make strategic decisions (Study 2A). Playmakers are also sensitive to streaks and rely on them when deciding to whom to allocate the ball (Study 2B). We conclude that for volleyball the hot hand exists, coaches and playmakers are able to detect it, and playmakers tend to use it "adaptively," which results in more hits for a team.     

Particularity of Content and Illusions of Identity

This paper argues that the accuracy of perceptual experiences cannot be properly characterized by using the particular notion of content without breaking one of the three plausible assumptions. On the other hand, the general notion of content is not threatened by this problem. The first assumption is that all elements of content determine the accuracy conditions of an experience. The second states that objects needed for the accuracy of experiences are physical entities that stand in a perceptual relation to a subject. According to the third assumption, common experiences do not have accuracy conditions that are impossible to satisfy. The above point is demonstrated by analysing illusions of identity in which the number of objects is represented incorrectly. In the concluding parts of the paper, I investigate how an alternative account of particular content can be developed by rejecting the first assumption.     

The echoes of Wundt's work in the United States, 1887–1977: A quantitative citation analysis

Summary The frequency of references to Wundt's book-length publications in experimental papers appearing in the American Journal of Psychology was determined. The most widely cited work, by far, is the Grundzüge der physiologischen Psychologie. The distinct decline of Wundt's impact on American psychology is clearly reflected in the frequencies of the citations.