Habituation and sensitization of aggression in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana): testing the dual-process theory of habituation

The aggressive response of male bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) habituates with repeated broadcasts of acoustic stimuli simulating a new territorial neighbor. The effects of stimulus repetition rate and stimulus intensity on bullfrog aggressive responses were tested in a field experiment designed to test the assumptions of a dual-process theory of habituation. Synthetic advertisement calls were broadcast at 2 repetition rates and 2 intensities in a factorial design. Bullfrogs were more aggressive at the higher stimulus intensity at both repetition rates. Aggressive responses habituated more slowly at the higher stimulus intensity and slower repetition rate compared with other treatments. Several biotic and abiotic factors had small or negligible effects on aggressive responses. Although consistent with the operation of 2 opposing processes, habituation and sensitization, the data provide only partial support for the assumptions of dual-process theory.     

To What Extent do we Hear Phonemic Contrasts in a Non-native Regional Variety? Tracking the Dynamics of Perceptual Processing with EEG

This combined ERP and behavioral experiment explores the dynamics of processing during the discrimination of vowels in a non-native regional variety. Southern listeners were presented with three word forms, two of which are encountered in both Standard and Southern French ([kot] and [kut]), whereas the third one exists in Standard but not Southern French ([kot]). EEG recordings suggest that all of the word pairs were discriminated by the listeners, although discrimination arose about 100ms later for the pairs which included the non-native word form than for those which contained word forms common to both French varieties. Behavioral data provide evidence that vowel discrimination is sensitive to the influence of the listeners’ native phonemic inventory at a late decisional stage of processing.     

Fathers Do Matter: Evidence From an Asian School-Based Aggressive Sample

The impact of children's perception of a father's and mother's support on children's quality of relationship with their classroom teacher was examined in a sample of 51 third and fourth grade Asian children rated by their teachers as aggressive. Children's perception of a father's support predicted teacher-ratings in all three areas of the teacher-student relationship (instrumental help, satisfaction, and conflict) but children's perception of a mother's support did not. This adds to a gradually expanding research base documenting the benefits of fatherly support across selected and unselected samples in various cross-cultural settings. Implications of the findings for child and family therapy are discussed.     

Consumer uncertainty: The influence of anticipatory emotions on ambivalence,attitudes, and intentions

Specific emotions and their combinations have important implications for consumer experiences and decisions. Therefore, emotional response is examined from a future temporal perspective in order to investigate the effect of anticipatory emotions on consumer ambivalence, attitudes, and intentions. In the first study, anticipatory emotions, compared with outcome‐based emotions, are found to be central in prospective consumption situations, and this combination of emotions is most likely to occur when consumers are presented with conflicting information. Furthermore, anticipatory mixed emotions (i.e., anticipatory ambivalence), in contrast to outcome‐based mixed emotions, were the greatest contributor to consumer discomfort and uncertainty regarding future consumption. The second study builds on the first by considering the effect of anticipatory ambivalence on attitudes and intentions in the context of a prospective purchase situation. Ambivalence was found to mediate the effect of evaluative information on intentions, as well as moderate the relationship between attitudes and intentions. Thus, the uncertainty associated with anticipatory emotions negatively affects intentions, as well as the relationship between attitudes and intentions. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Effect of Suspense on Enjoyment Following a Desirable Outcome: The Mediating Role of Relief

Although endemic to many forms of media entertainment, suspense represents a paradox for enjoyment because it is experienced as an aversive state. Three studies are presented across two media contexts demonstrating how outcomes to suspenseful episodes affect viewers' relief. Study 1 shows that relief is elicited only when a film's outcome is unambiguously favorable and under such conditions is positively related to enjoyment. No such relationship was found given an ambiguous outcome. Study 1 provides evidence that relief is distinct from other affective responses (i.e., positive and negative affect, surprise) that may be present following suspense. Studies 2 and 3 use competitive contests as a context and provide evidence that relief mediates the effect of suspense on enjoyment. Study 2 shows that the previously positive effects of suspense and expectation disconfirmation on enjoyment are obviated in the presence of relief. Study 3 varies suspense in real time across 14 simulated races. Also manipulated are affective dispositions toward the racers and race outcome. The results reveal that relief mediates the effect of suspense on enjoyment, but only when the outcome favors a preferred competitor. The research enhances our understanding of the intertwining of cognition and affect in the enjoyment of suspense.     

Mood and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Effects of Positive Affect on Employee Organizational Citizenship Behavior Intentions

This study, involving 139 employees from a variety of industries, organizations, and positions in Singapore, measured the effects of mood on the intentions of employees to contribute actions that are organizationally desirable but are not part of their formal job requirements (organizational citizenship behavior). After effects of established patterns of historical organizational citizenship behavior, demographic characteristics, and employee positive and negative affectivity had been controlled, stepwise regression analysis revealed that the amount of positive affect currently experienced by an employee significantly influenced the employee's intention to perform specific acts of organizational citizenship.     

Expectancies of infant-feeding methods among mothers in three ethnic groups

Abstract

The psychometric characteristics and construct validity of an inventory of expectancy statements about breast- and formula-feeding were assessed to refine a measure of the predictors of breastfeeding initiation and maintenance. Respondents were a tri-ethnic sample of mostly lower income mothers within two days after delivery. Ninety-six expectancy items reflecting eight hypothesized domains in expectancies of breastfeeding (BF) and formula-feeding(FF) were submitted to maximum likelihood factor analysis. Four factors were determined: “Benefits of BF,” “Relative Advantages of FF,” “Inconveniences of FF,” and “Relative Inconveniences of BF.” All factors were significantly related to actual BF of the new infant in the expected directions using unweighted factor scores in a multiple logistic regression analysis. Predicted BF closely matched actual BF for all ethnicities combined with a total error rate for misclassification of only 14%. This match was high for Anglo- and Black-American mothers. Each of the factors was determined to be reliably estimated by the ten most highly loaded items without an appreciable loss of internal consistency. Further research must assess expectancies prior to delivery in order to assess their predictiveness of behavior. and must further clarify the meaning of the expectancy factors to facilitate intervention.     

Self‐confidence,anxiety, and post‐purchase dissonance: a panel study

This study proposes an integrated conceptual model of the antecedents of post‐purchase dissonance. Data were gathered via a two‐stage panel study among consumers who made purchase of technology items. Study results demonstrate that consumer chronic characteristics (i.e., trait anxiety and generalized self‐confidence) not only directly influence post‐purchase dissonance positively and negatively but also are mediated by consumers' temporary feelings (i.e., state anxiety and specific self‐confidence) toward a purchase situation, and then indirectly influence post‐purchase dissonance positively and negatively. Trait anxiety positively influences state anxiety and that generalized self‐confidence and specific self‐confidence negatively influence state anxiety. Furthermore, trait anxiety appears to negatively influence specific self‐confidence, and generalized self‐confidence appears to negatively influence trait anxiety and positively influence specific self‐confidence.     

Past and Future Episodic Thinking in Middle Childhood

The abilities of past and future episodic thinking develop hand in hand across the preschool years and are intimately connected in adults. Little is known, however, about the development of episodic thinking in middle childhood and how it is influenced by sociocultural factors. In the present study, one hundred sixty-seven 7- to 10-year-old children from European American and Chinese cultural backgrounds were interviewed individually about temporally near and distant past and future events. The child data were further contrasted with adult data in Wang, Hou, Tang, and Wiprovnick (2011 Wang , Q. , Hou , Y. , Tang , H. , &; Wiprovnick , A. ( 2011 ). Traveling backward and forward in time: Culture and gender in the episodic specificity of past and future events . Memory , 19 , 103 – 109 . doi: 10.1080/09658211.2010.537279 [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). European American children generated more specific details than did Chinese children in both past and future events. Children of the two cultures relied similarly on general knowledge in their episodic thinking, and yet, they did so to a greater extent when compared with adults. In addition, similar to adults, children exhibited consistency in episodic specificity between past- and future-event construction, and they generated more specific details in past events compared with future events and in near events compared with distant events. The findings provide important insights for the development of episodic thinking in middle childhood and beyond.