Examining Implementation Intentions in an Exercise Intervention: The Effects on Adherence and Self‐Efficacy in a Naturalistic Setting1

Some studies have found positive associations between implementation intentions and exercise, independent of motivational factors. However, most research has not been conducted in actual exercise contexts. In a naturalistic setting, implementation intentions may be associated with self‐efficacy (SE) beliefs. This study examined the effect of implementation intentions on adherence and SE over an 11‐week exercise program. Women (N = 72) were randomly assigned to an experimental (i.e., implementation intention) or a control group, with 52 participants completing the study. Results showed that while adherence decreased over time in both groups, the experimental group had better adherence than did the control group. Scheduling SE was also higher in the experimental group. Implementation intentions may help to maintain adherence and scheduling SE.     

The influence of stimulus properties on category construction

It has been demonstrated that when people free classify stimuli presented simultaneously in an array, they have a preference to categorize by a single dimension. However, when people are encouraged to categorize items sequentially, they sort by "family resemblance," grouping by overall similarity. The present studies extended this research, producing 3 main findings. First, the sequential procedure introduced by G. Regehr and L. R. Brooks (1995) does not always produce a preference for family resemblance sorts. Second, sort strategy in a sequential procedure is sensitive to subtle variations in stimulus properties. Third, spatially separable stimuli evoked more family resemblance sons than stimuli of greater spatial integration. It is suggested that the family resemblance sorting observed is due to an analytic strategy.     

Observation distance and recognition of photographs of celebrities' faces

Subjects were tested to assess the distance at which they could recognize the faces of celebrities (more specifically, a set of 44 portrait photographs of movie and television actors). The set of test photographs was shown initially at a distance of 200 ft. and then closer in increments of 20 ft. When the actor in a given photograph was identified, either by name, character role, or by the movie or television show in which the actor had starred, the recognition-distance was recorded and the photograph was removed from the test set. Those which were not recognized (even at the closest distance) were not included in the data summaries or statistical analysis. In calculating recognition-distance for each photograph, the values were adjusted to reflect the distance at which recognition would have occurred if all the faces were of normal size. The upper limit for recognition, as defined by the distance above which only 10% of the faces are identified, was just over 160 ft. for women, and just under 200 ft. for men. There was also a significant difference in mean recognition distance between women and men. The large range of recognition-distance (across photographs and across subjects) argues that the distance is not controlled primarily by the feature detail provided in a given photograph or by the discrimination and recall skills of the observer. More likely it is a function of diverse memory associations, so that the distance at which each photograph is recognized will depend on such factors as frequency and recency of exposure, perceived attractiveness, and how much the subject admires the celebrity.     

Moral error theories and folk metaethics

In this paper, I distinguish between two error theories of morality: one couched in terms of truth (ET1); the other in terms of justification (ET2). I then present two arguments: the Poisoned Presupposition Argument for ET1; and the Evolutionary Debunking Argument for ET2. I go on to show how assessing these arguments requires paying attention to empirical moral psychology, in particular, work on folk metaethics. After criticizing extant work, I suggest avenues for future research.     

Dissociable learning processes,associative theory,and testimonial reviews: A comment on Smith and Church (2018)

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review - Smith and Church (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 25, 1565–1584 2018) present a “testimonial” review of dissociable learning processes...