When faces and voices come together: Face width-to-height ratio and voice pitch contribute independently to social perception

Prior research has shown that the face's width-to-height ratio (fWHR) and the voice's pitch influence social perception. Yet, the relative contribution of either cue has been largely unexplored. We examined the simultaneous effects of fWHR and pitch on social evaluations. Experiment 1 (N = 102) tested how such cues shaped global impressions. Experiment 2 (N = 121) tested fWHR and pitch's effect on behavioural affiliative intentions, framing social interaction as a physical or an intellectual competition. Experiment 3 (N = 57) assessed whether variations in fWHR and pitch could influence trait attribution (i.e., physical formidability and intelligence). Individuals with large faces or low-pitched voices elicited negative impressions, positive behavioural intentions in a physical competition, and the attribution of stronger formidability but lower intelligence. Across the studies, cues exerted independent effects. The implications of these findings for research on cross-modal social perception are discussed.     

The mere possession effect of shareable digital coupons: The mediating role of anticipated self-enhancement

Shareable digital coupons have emerged as a new marketing strategy. Prior literature on shareable coupons assumes that shareable coupons can play a role only after they have been shared with others. Surprisingly, we theorize that shareable coupons can come into play as early as when consumers merely possess them, even before consumers share them with others, an effect that precedes the effect of the actual coupon sharing. In this research, we show that the mere possession of shareable digital coupons (not necessarily the actual sharing) is able to induce anticipated self-enhancement among consumers. Hence shareable digital coupons are more effective than non-shareable digital coupons, and the effect is most pronounced among consumers with high image concerns. The higher coupon effectiveness of shareable digital coupons is reflected in consumers' greater urge/intention to acquire the coupon, intention to revisit, willingness to spend, as well as in firm's sales increase when products are promoted with shareable instead of non-shareable digital coupons. Our work contributes to the literature on shareable coupons, the mere possession effects, anticipated self-enhancement, and other-rewarding promotions, and is of important managerial value given the ease with which the shareability feature can be added to coupons.     

The role of affinity for prosumption experiences and values

Prosumers are individuals who produce goods they consume themselves. The prosumption literature suggests that prosumption can be enhanced through knowledge sharing, creativity and innovation, and developing expertise. In this article, we investigate the relationships between prosumption experiences, prosumption values, and affinity with a prosumption activity. We use a structural equation model approach to evaluate the relationships between these constructs and assume that affinity can mediate the relationship between prosumption experiences and values. We collect empirical data from prosumers who homebrew their own beer and confirm that prosumption experiences and values are positively related, and that affinity mediates the relationship between experiences and values. Implications deriving from these findings are discussed along with directions for future research.     

Understanding dark side personality at work: Distinguishing and reviewing nonlinear,interactive, differential,and reciprocal effects

The topic of dark side personality at work has received considerable research attention over the past decade, and both qualitative and quantitative reviews of this field have already been published. To show the relevance of dark personality in the work context, existing reviews have typically focused on systematically discussing the different criteria that have been linked to dark traits (e.g., job performance, work attitudes, leadership emergence, etc.). In contrast, and complementing this earlier work, the current review paper summarizes the available literature on this topic by structuring it in terms of the nature of the relationships studied rather than in terms of the types of outcome variables. Doing so, the focus shifts from “What are the outcomes of dark traits?” to “How are dark traits related to work outcomes?” Scrutinizing the nature of these relationships, we specifically focus on four types of effects (i.e., nonlinear, interactive, differential, and reciprocal) that highlight the complexity of how dark side traits operate in the work context. Structured this way, this review first provides a conceptual underpinning of each of these complex effects, followed by a summary of the empirical literature published over the past 10 years. To conclude, we present an integration of this field, provide suggestions for future research, and highlight concrete assessment challenges.     

Do health beliefs about COVID-19 predict morbidity? A longitudinal study

In a highly powered (N ≈ 5000), six-months longitudinal study (December 2020-May 2021), we tested the assumption that beliefs concerning COVID-19 and the precautions against it predicted morbidity. Six months after having filled out a survey measuring beliefs about the disease and the precautions against it, participants reported if they were or had been ill with COVID-19. A lower likelihood of being or having been ill with COVID-19 was predicted by personal optimism concerning infection, perceived personal control over infection, perceived effectiveness of precautions, and self-reported personal or better-than-average adherence to the precautions. A higher likelihood of being or having been ill with COVID-19 was predicted by perceived personal control over a good outcome of an infection, egocentric impact perception concerning the impact of the disease, perceived difficulty of adherence to the precautions, and both personal and egocentric impact perception concerning the impact of the precautions. Comparative optimism did not predict morbidity, nor did personal optimism concerning severe disease or a good outcome, perceived personal control over severe disease, and moralization of the precautions. We discuss implications for public health communication.     

The scapegoat archetype

Summary Relying on some of the principles of Jung's analytical psychology, the writer has presented a hypothesis of the primordial image of the scapegoat, tracing its origins in antiquity and in the collective unconscious of man, its associations with the God-image and its development in the history of Judaeo-Christian religion, of the administration of justice and of the treatment of mental illness. The conclusion is reached that the scapegoat is an anachronism that the human race has outgrown, a luxury we can no longer afford to keep, and that a realization of this fact is important for the times in which we live.     

Memory for position and

Memory for the position of an object is biased. When asked to judge whether an object has changed its position with respect to a position shown a few milliseconds before, observers tend to detect the displacement more often when the displacement is not in the expected direction (downward for a falling object). The hypothesis proposed by Freyd (1983, 1987) states that the internal representation of an object is intrinsically dynamic. Therefore, the forces perceived as acting on the object affect the representation. Quantitative predictions of this model were tested in three experiments by measuring memory distortion for the position of an object on an inclined plane. Angle of inclination and retention interval were varied. The results for different inclinations support the physical model. The time course of the memory distortion suggests a new view about the relation between this phenomenon and very short-term memory.