The effect of fear‐inducing content on memory for advertisements and on retroactive and proactive interference of programme information

The current study focused on whether fear‐inducing content in television advertisements leads to better memory for the advertisement but also impairs memory for programme information that either precedes the advertisements (retroactive interference) or that follows the advertisements (proactive interference). Fifty‐four participants (48 female) aged 18 to 55 watched a programme that had an advertisement break in the centre. This consisted of 6 advertisements with either fear‐inducing or nonfear‐inducing content. Participants were tested on their recall and recognition of the advertisement information as well as their recall of the first half and second half of the programme. The results indicated that fear‐inducing advertisements were better recalled than those that elicited no fear, and there was also evidence of proactive interference from fear‐inducing advertisements on programme recall. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.     

What Leads Entrepreneurial Employees to Want to Quit,or Stay in,Their Job? Exploring Two Conflicting Mechanisms

Past turnover research has posited personality traits as important antecedents to quit intentions. Nevertheless, previous literature has not investigated the relationship between employees’ entrepreneurial tendencies—a constellation of domain specific traits—and turnover. Drawing on dispositional trait theory and attraction-selection-attrition theory, we propose engagement and intentions to start a business as mediators of the relationship between entrepreneurial tendencies and quit intentions. We test our predictions in a sample of full-time employees from the United Kingdom (N = 224). In line with our hypotheses, an inconsistent mediation is found, where both positive and negative links between entrepreneurial tendencies and turnover intentions were mediated by engagement and intentions to start a business respectively. Thus, entrepreneurial employees were more likely to be engaged, but at the same time also more likely to be considering starting their own business, leading to a conflicting relationship to turnover intentions. The current study informs the human resource management literature concerning the motivational mechanisms explaining turnover intentions among entrepreneurial employees. It also provides practical insights with regards to the effective management of this workforce.     

Baselining affects the production of deceptive narratives

Recent research shows that the quality of a baseline (i.e., the analysis of one's behavior in normal conditions) decreases when the second narrative is expected and deceitful. However, a first step would be to investigate whether the writing of a first narrative might influence the second, independently of its expectancy. In this study, we hypothesized that second narratives would be less detailed, especially if these narratives are deceptive. Participants (N = 71) were asked to narrate two consecutive truthful and deceptive narratives. The second narrative was unexpected, and the order of the narratives was counterbalanced. Results suggest a detrimental effect of deceptiveness and order on the frequency of details. Moreover, an interaction was observed, suggesting when narratives are written after a first one, the frequency of details decreases, all the more if they were deceptive. The results of this experiment are discussed from both a theoretical and an applied perspective.     

Trait emotional intelligence: psychometric investigation with reference to established trait taxonomies

This paper sets out the theoretical foundation of emotional intelligence (EI) as a constellation of traits and self‐perceived abilities. The discriminant validity of trait EI is explored in two studies. In study 1 (N = 227), the psychometric properties of the BarOn Emotional Quotient inventory were scrutinized through confirmatory factor analysis and the measure was found to be unifactorial. When the EQ‐i was examined concurrently with the Eysenck Personality Profiler, a clear trait EI factor emerged in Eysenckian factor space. In study 2 (N = 166), a modified version of the EQ‐i was examined concurrently with the NEO PI‐R and a truncated trait EI factor was isolated within the Five‐Factor Model. Results are discussed with explicit reference to established personality models and it is concluded that trait EI can be conceptualized as a distinct composite construct at the primary level of hierarchical trait structures. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Type a behavior pattern and attributions of responsibility

This study set out to examine the relationship between the Type A/B behavior pattern and reaction to negative outcomes. It was predicted that whereas the B types would show clear differences in their reactions to controllable versus uncontrollable situations, A types would show significantly less differentiation. Over 160 subjects completed two A-type questionnaires and an attributional control questionnaire with either six controllable or six uncontrollable situations. Results revealed, as predicted, that A and B types differed mainly in their reactions to uncontrollable situations, whereas A types perceived more causal responsibility and more moral responsibility, and reported more anger with self. These results are discussed within the context of the research on attributional style, depression and Type A behavior.     

Goal-based and situation-based expectation of behaviour

In a study of the effects of situation characteristics and person goal (motive) characteristics on perceived probability of behavior, subjects rated the probabilities of sixteen behaviors for each of sixteen situations (representing all combinations of four situation categories and four goal categories). Ratings were completed for both Self and Other. Both situation and goal characteristics were found to influence expected behavior with the effect of the latter being greater. An exception to this was ratings associated with facial behaviors and affect, which were more influenced by situation characteristics. Generally other ratings were more influenced by situation characteristics than were Self ratings, a reversal of the effect known as the ‘actorobserver bias’. The study emphasizes the utility of the goal concept as a personality construct and as a construct useful in the study of social cognition.     

The determinants of beliefs in human nature

This study set out to examine which of a range of ‘demographic’ factors best predicted peoples' beliefs in the heredity vs environmental determinants of specific features in human nature. Ss' sex, age, education, class, voting pattern and religion were related to their beliefs in the heredity vs environmental determinants of six human characteristics: physical characteristics, psychological skills, personality, beliefs, psychological problems and physical problems. Both univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated the close relationship between the independent demographic variables, particularly education and voting pattern, and the dependent belief variables, particularly personality and beliefs. The literature on correlates of political beliefs was examined and related to the findings in this study.     

Attitudes,knowledge, and use of alcohol in university students

This paper investigated attitudes towards alcohol, knowledge of alcohol, parents drinking behaviour, reasons for drinking and television viewing habits varied in relation to actual drinking behaviour. A sample of 106 University students completed a questionnaire which enabled their classification as non, light, medium and heavy drinkers on the basis of their self-reported consumption levels. Results revealed 9% to be non-drinkers, 22% to be light, 38% to be moderate and 31% to be heavy. They also showed that alcohol drinking habits differed significantly with age, sex, smoking habits and in particular with parents drinking habits. Alcohol drinking habits also differed significantly with knowledge of alcohol, heavier drinkers being found to have a better overall knowledge, but reasons for drinking and attitudes towards drinking did not show any overall difference between the drinking habit categories. Finally, there was no indication that television viewing independently contributed to alcohol beliefs, knowledge, attitudes or habits. The results are discussed in terms of future research implications.     

The evidence for interactionism in psychology : A critical analysis of the situation-response inventories

A great deal of the evidence for interactionism in personality psychology arose out of the situation-response (S-R) studies of which there are now over 30. This paper examines closely the evidence for traitism, situationism and interactionism that arises from these studies. Nearly all of the published studies are tabulated, reanalysed and detailed criticisms of the more influential papers are offered. Serious problems are apparent in the methodology and analyses of these studies as well as in the conclusions drawn from them. It is argued that these studies have brought as much confusion as clarity to an area of research bedevilled by both conceptual and methodological problems.