Assimilation and contrast in persuasion: the effects of source credibility in multiple message situations

The present research explores a contextual perspective on persuasion in multiple message situations. It is proposed that when people receive persuasive messages, the effects of those messages are influenced by other messages to which people recently have been exposed. In two experiments, participants received a target persuasive message from a moderately credible source. Immediately before this message, participants received another message, on a different topic, from a source with high or low credibility. In Experiment 1, participants' attitudes toward the target issue were more favorable after they had first been exposed to a different message from a low rather than high credibility source (contrast). In Experiment 2, this effect only emerged when a priming manipulation gave participants a dissimilarity mindset. When participants were primed with a similarity mindset, their attitudes toward the target issue were more favorable following a different message from a high rather than low credibility source (assimilation).     

Does attitude certainty beget self-certainty?

This research explores the possibility that changes in attitude certainty can affect general self-certainty and, thus, have consequences that extend beyond the attitude domain. Across two studies, attitude certainty is manipulated using repeated attitude expression and attitude consensus paradigms. The implications of these manipulations are tested for feelings of general self-uncertainty (Study 1) and global self-doubt about one’s abilities (Study 2). In each study, it is demonstrated that participants feel greater self-certainty under conditions of high rather than low attitude certainty, but only when they view aspects of the attitude as central to their self-concept.     

Leadership and the contagion of affective phenomena: A systematic review and mini meta-analysis

We present a systematic review of literature examining leadership and the contagion of affective phenomena, namely emotion, mood, and affect. Specifically, an inductive thematic analysis approach was adopted to synthesize the findings from published studies. In addition, a mini meta-analysis was conducted to quantify reported effects. A rigorous search identified 25 studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria for further review. Results highlighted important relationships between leadership and contagion aligned with six themes: Charismatic and transformational leadership are conducive to contagion of leader and follower positive affective phenomena; greater contagion effects exists when there is congruence between leader and follower affective states; contagion of leader and follower affective phenomena is directly linked to leader effectiveness and performance; and, individual susceptibility to the contagion of affective phenomena can moderate these relationships. These findings have salient implications for conceptualization and measurement across multiple lines of inquiry and within numerous domains of application.     

Fractioned Reaction Ttme in Power-Trained and Endurance-Trained Athletes under Conditions of Fatiguing Isometric Exercise

Fractionated knee extensor and plantar flexor reaction time (RT) components were assessed in a group of eight weightlifters and eight long distance runners. Following a 4-day period of baseline stabilization for each muscle group, a 50% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) holding-time exercise was administered. Results showed that the runners had longer premotor times (PMT) than the weightlifters in the knee extensors, but had much faster PMTs than the lifters in the plantar flexor condition. Compared to previously reported investigations using non-athletes, the data for the present sample of athletes indicated faster total reaction times (TRT) in both the knee extensors and the plantar flexors. A resistance of 15% MVC applied during the RT task resulted in a lengthening of the motor time (MT) component in both groups prior to exercise. However, while knee extensor resisted motor time was lengthened by the exercise task, no such lengthening occurred in plantar flexor resisted RT. It is concluded that power-trained and endurance-trained athletes exhibit differences in response to a fractionated RT task, under both baseline and fatiguing exercise conditions.     

Working Hard to Take the Easy Way Out: How the Need for Cognitive Closure Shapes Strategic Effort Investment to Ease Future Decision Making

Consumers make countless decisions each day that force them to determine the amount of effort they are willing to invest into the decision process. Due to their desire for immediate resolution and propensity to seize upon available options, individuals high in the need for cognitive closure make decisions that are traditionally associated with reduced effort investment. Counter to this traditional perspective, this research demonstrates that those seeking closure strategically invest effort into the decision process, so long as the initial effort investment is expected to simplify similar decisions in the future. Three experiments demonstrate that those motivated by closure put forth greater effort when they expect to repeat the decision (Experiment 1) and in contexts where a justifiable choice option is not readily available (Experiment 2). Furthermore, this effort investment is shown to payoff in terms of streamlining subsequent decision making (Experiment 3). These findings detail the strategic use of effort by those seeking closure to ease future decision making and thus provide a conceptual framework for when and why those seeking closure allocate effort in decision making.     

A self-validation perspective on the mere thought effect

Self-generated thought has an important impact on attitude change, with repeated demonstrations of increased opportunity for thought about an attitude object increasing attitude extremity. The traditional explanation for this mere thought effect is that more time to think allows people to produce more attitude-consistent thoughts, which polarize their attitudes. Expanding on this structural perspective, the current research explores a metacognitive account for the effect of time on attitude polarization. Three experiments demonstrate that thought confidence plays an independent mediating role in the mere thought effect (Experiment 1), that it accounts for reversals in the mere thought effect when people have too much time to think (Experiment 2), and that this reversal is tied to the difficulty people have retrieving thoughts when too much time is provided (Experiment 3). Thus, taking metacognitive features of thought into account sheds new light on self-persuasion in the mere thought paradigm.     

Philosophy for psychology: Reality ain't what it used to be - perhaps it's evolved!

According to Wittgenstein (<citeref rid="bib37">1980</citeref>): 'Philosophy is the discipline of thinking about thinking'. And 'the object of philosophy is the logical clarification of thoughts. Philosophy is not a theory, but an activity. The theory of knowledge is the philosophy of psychology' (p. 77). This paper is in the nature of a philosophical discourse analysis of the August 2001 issue of The Psychologist (which focused on evolution), illustrating with various examples the need for philosophical rigour in psychological discourse. In particular, Ryle's (<citeref rid="bib31">1966</citeref>) notion of logical category errors is exemplified and explained by samples from the psychological discourse in The Psychologist journal.     

Quartic rotation criteria and algorithms

Most of the currently used analytic rotation criteria for simple structure in factor analysis are summarized and identified as members of a general symmetric family of quartic criteria. A unified development of algorithms for orthogonal and direct oblique rotation using arbitrary criteria from this family is given. These algorithms represent fairly straightforward extensions of present methodology, and appear to be the best methods currently available.The research done by R. I. Jennrich was supported by NSF Grant MCS-8301587.     

The development of a human auditory localization response: a U-shaped function

Research during the past 10 years on the neonatal head-turn response to off-centred rattle sounds is reviewed, and various procedural and stimulus conditions that influence the probability of eliciting a correct response are identified. Also, the existence of a U-shaped developmental function is confirmed in a cross-sectional study of 104 infants between 3 days and 7 months of age. Neonates responded reliably, but slowly; the response decreased in frequency and magnitude between 1-3 months of age and increased again by 4-5 months of age. Speculation that this U-shaped function reflects a maturational shift in locus of control from subcortical to cortical structures was supported by the infants' responses to the presence effect (PE), which is thought to be cortically mediated. The PE was produced by playing the rattle sound through two loudspeakers with the output of one delayed by 5 ms, relative to the other; adults perceive only one sound at the leading loudspeaker. As predicted, neonates failed to respond to the PE, and the onset of correct PE responses corresponded closely to the upswing in the U-shaped function for SS responses. Other explanations for the temporary decline in orientation responses to sound are also discussed.     

Fractioned reaction time in power-trained and endurance-trained athletes under conditions of fatiguing isometric exercise

Fractionated knee extensor and plantar flexor reaction time (RT) components were assessed in a group of eight weightlifters and eight long distance runners. Following a 4-day period of baseline stabilization for each muscle group, a 50% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) holding-time exercise was administered. Results showed that the runners had longer premotor times (PMT) than the weightlifters in the knee extensors, but had much faster PMTs than the lifters in the plantar flexor condition. Compared to previously reported investigations using non-athletes, the data for the present sample of athletes indicated faster total reaction times(TRT) in both the knee extensors and the plantar flexors. A resistance of 15% MVC applied during the RT task resulted in a lengthening of the motor time (MT) component in both groups prior to exercise. However, while knee extensor resisted motor time was lengthened by the exercise task, no such lengthening occurred in plantar flexor resisted RT. It is concluded that power-trained and endurance-trained athletes exhibit difference in response to a fractionated RT task, under both baseline and fatiguing exercise conditions.