Theoretical developments in decision field theory: comment on Tsetsos, Usher, and Chater (2010)

Tsetsos, Usher, and Chater (2010) presented several criticisms of decision field theory (DFT) involving its distance function, instability under externally controlled stopping times, and lack of robustness to various multialternative choice scenarios. Here, we counter those claims with a specification of a distance function based on the indifference and dominance dimensions. Using this distance function, we show that the instability problems do not arise when using the internally controlled stopping rule. In conclusion, we argue that the predictions of DFT do not conflict with the data presented and that the model yet provides a coherent and accurate account of multialternative choice phenomena.     

Overestimating Reported Prejudice Causes Democrats to Believe Disadvantaged Groups Are Less Electable

Four studies show that Democrats overestimate the explicit prejudice reported by the American electorate, leading them to perceive presidential candidates from disadvantaged groups as less electable. Study 1 (MTurk; n = 728) found that Democrats overestimated the percentage of Americans who say they would not vote for presidential candidates from disadvantaged groups. Study 2 (MTurk; n = 597) replicated this finding and demonstrated that Democrats who perceive high levels of explicit prejudice toward a group also believe presidential candidates from that group are less electable. Moreover, Democrats who more frequently interacted with Republicans were more accurate in estimating the amount of explicit prejudice reported by Republicans, Democrats, and Americans in general. Studies 3A (Prolific; n = 930) and 3B (YouGov; n = 747) found that presenting information about true levels of reported prejudice made Democrats believe generic presidential candidates from disadvantaged groups would be more electable. We did not find evidence that information about true levels of reported prejudice affected Democrats' beliefs about the electability of specific candidates in the 2020 Democratic Primary or their support for these candidates.     

Clinical Validity of a Dimensional Assessment of Self- and Interpersonal Functioning in Adolescent Inpatients

The Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale–Global Version (SCORS–G) is a clinical rating system assessing 8 domains of self- and interpersonal relational experience that can be applied to narrative response data (e.g., Thematic Apperception Test [TAT; Murray, 1943], early memories narratives) or oral data (e.g., psychotherapy narratives, relationship anecdotal paradigms). In this study, 72 psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents consented and were rated by their individual and group therapist using the SCORS–G. Clinicians also rated therapy engagement, personality functioning, quality of peer relationships, school functioning, global assessment of functioning (GAF), history of eating-disordered behavior, and history of nonsuicidal self-injury. SCORS–G composite ratings achieved an acceptable level of interrater reliability and were associated with theoretically predicted variables (e.g., engagement in therapy, history of nonsuicidal self-injury). SCORS–G ratings also incrementally improved the prediction of therapy engagement and global functioning beyond what was accounted for by GAF scores. This study further demonstrates the clinical utility of the SCORS–G with adolescents.     

Can't Shake It Off? Attachment Moderates the Link Between Hostility and Forgiveness

ABSTRACT

Although previous research has indicated that forgiveness is an essential part of relationships that thrive, forgiveness tends to become increasingly difficult as the intensity and duration of hostility rises. Understanding conditions that help make forgiveness more possible, as well as those that actually make forgiveness more difficult, then becomes an important asset for clinicians promoting healthier relational dynamics and longevity. Using data from 257 participants across two time points, we measured the association between hostility and forgiveness to test the moderating role of attachment. Greater hostility was linked with less benevolent forgiveness and more resentment. Moreover, anxious attachment moderated the association between hostile interactions and resentment—the inability to forgive. Implications for helping professionals and clinicians are discussed.     

Assessing individual differences in categorical data

In cognitive modeling, data are often categorical observations taken over participants and items. Usually subsets of these observations are pooled and analyzed by a cognitive model assuming the category counts come from a multinomial distribution with the same model parameters underlying all observations. It is well known that if there are individual differences in participants and/or items, a model analysis of the pooled data may be quite misleading, and in such cases it may be appropriate to augment the cognitive model with parametric random effects assumptions. On the other hand, if random effects are incorporated into a cognitive model that is not needed, the resulting model may be more flexible than the multinomial model that assumes no heterogeneity, and this may lead to overfitting. This article presents Monte Carlo statistical tests for directly detecting individual participant and/or item heterogeneity that depend only on the data structure itself. These tests are based on the fact that heterogeneity in participants and/or items results in overdispersion of certain category count statistics. It is argued that the methods developed in the article should be applied to any set of participant 3 item categorical data prior to cognitive model-based analyses.     

Negative incidental affect and mood congruency in crossed categorization

Examined the effects of incidental sadness and anger on affiliative responses to crossed categorization targets. Affect manipulations included an anger-provoking frustration (Study 1), a sad film clip (Study 2), and autobiographical essays about sad or anger-provoking topics (Studies 3 and 4). By comparison with a neutral mood, anger (Study 1) reduced affiliative tendencies toward persons possessing an out-group membership but not toward those possessing only in-group memberships. Study 2 showed a similar pattern for sadness. Studies 3 and 4 replicated these effects in designs including both types of negative mood. Meta-analytic integration showed the pattern of greater rejection of targets with an out-group membership to be stronger under anger than sadness. Study 4 also showed that despite yielding a consistent pattern for affiliation, sadness and anger differentially elicited aggressive tendencies toward the same targets.     

Skilled adult readers activate the meanings of high-frequency words using phonology: Evidence from eye tracking

We examined whether highly skilled adult readers activate the meanings of high-frequency words using phonology when reading sentences for meaning. A homophone-error paradigm was used. Sentences were written to fit 1 member of a homophone pair, and then 2 other versions were created in which the homophone was replaced by its mate or a spelling-control word. The error words were all high-frequency words, and the correct homophones were either higher-frequency words or low-frequency words—that is, the homophone errors were either the subordinate or dominant member of the pair. Participants read sentences as their eye movements were tracked. When the high-frequency homophone error words were the subordinate member of the homophone pair, participants had shorter immediate eye-fixation latencies on these words than on matched spelling-control words. In contrast, when the high-frequency homophone error words were the dominant member of the homophone pair, a difference between these words and spelling controls was delayed. These findings provide clear evidence that the meanings of high-frequency words are activated by phonological representations when skilled readers read sentences for meaning. Explanations of the differing patterns of results depending on homophone dominance are discussed.