DECEPTION AND AROUSAL

This study tested a physiologically based arousal theory of deceptive communication. The sympathetic activation (skin resistance) of three groups of communicators was monitored. Two of the groups, deceivers and unaroused truth tellers, paralleled the types of communicators used in earlier deception studies; and a third group, aroused truth tellers, was exposed to a noise stimulus to raise their sympathetic activation to a level comparable to deceivers. Comparison of the behavioral differences between comparably aroused deceivers and truth tellers made it possible to identify the cues unique to deception-induced arousal. Results confirmed that deceivers experienced significantly greater sympathetic activation than unaroused truth tellers. Six verbal and nonverbal behaviors reliably distinguished deceivers from unaroused truth tellers, and, most important, these same six behaviors reliably distinguished deceivers from aroused truth tellers.     

Responsible Relationship: Imago Dei and the Moral Distinction between Humans and Other Animals

In light of modern evolutionary science, some theologians have criticized using the image of God to distinguish humans from other animals. This concept, however, still offers rich theological insight into the natures of both humans and other animals. Following the relational interpretations of Emil Brunner and Karl Barth, this article explores how the imago Dei may be used to distinguish human creatures without necessarily implying a division in kind between humans and other animal creatures. Humans are distinguished not by any superior abilities they might possess, but by the character of their relationship to God and other creatures.     

Perceived Deservingness of Outcomes as a Function of Religious Fundamentalism and Target Responsibility

We examined the perception of deserved outcomes associated with religious fundamentalism (RF). Interviews with videotaped targets varied in target's religiosity, responsibility, and outcome valence (good/bad). Participants either low (LF) or high (HF) on RF formulated an impression of how deserving a target was for a situational outcome. Participants low in RF held targets to be less deserving of a bad outcome than a good one; the HF group showed this to a lesser degree. HFs believed the target was more deserving of a bad outcome than did LFs, even when the target was not responsible for the outcome. Religious fundamentalism is related to attributing greater deservingness of bad outcomes, possibly because of a greater belief in a just world.     

Stability and change of attachment representations during emerging adulthood: An examination of mediators and moderators of change

Using Bartholomew’s model of attachment (K. Bartholomew, 1990; K. Bartholomew & L. Horowitz, 1991), we explored stability and change of attachment in a group of young adults graduating from university and examined reasons for change of attachment. Consistent with previous research, we found that attachment dimensions were moderately stable; however, several variables predicted change. We explored the effect of changing relationship status and parental divorce on attachment and found that individuals who remained single reported lower stability of avoidance over time. Next, we tested whether distress reported before the transition would mediate stability of attachment. The results provided some support for J. Bowlby’s (1969/1982) proposal that distress would be associated with stability and change of attachment. We found that participants who reported low distress at Time 1 (T1) were more likely to report changes in attachment anxiety than participants who reported high distress at T1.