Food caching by western scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica) is sensitive to the conditions at recovery

Western scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica) cached perishable and nonperishable food items, which they could recover after both short and long retention intervals. When perishable items were always degraded at recovery, jays decreased the number of perishable items cached and increased their caching of nonperishable items, relative to a control group whose caches were always fresh at recovery. Jays reduced the number of nonperishable items cached, however, when highly preferred food items were degraded only after the long retention intervals. The findings are discussed in terms of the role of retrospective and prospective processes in the control of caching.     

Letter detection in very familiar texts

In the present study, we investigated whether patterns of letter detection for function and content words in texts are affected by the familiarity of the material being read. In Experiment 1, subjects searched for target letters in sentences that had been rehearsed prior to performing the letter detection on them as well as on unfamiliar sentences. In Experiment 2, subjects searched for target letters in highly familiar verses (e.g., nursery rhymes) and in unfamiliar sentences that were matched to the familiar verses. A disadvantage in letter detection for function as compared with content words consistently found with unfamiliar passages was reduced significantly with the familiar material in both experiments. Specifically, letter detection for content words grew worse in familiar text, but letter detection for function words showed a contrasting modest, though nonsignificant, improvement. The results are consistent with the proposition that in very familiar texts, parafoveal analysis permits the identification of generally less familiar content words. Simultaneously, the normal pattern of weighing the structure and content elements of text changes so that more fixations on function words occur than when one is reading unfamiliar texts.     

How Frameworks Can Help Operationalize Sustainable Development Indicators

After nearly three decades of discussion about sustainable development are we any nearer to achieving it? And do we even know what a sustainable world will look like for future generations? Early definitions of sustainable development were so broad as to allow a range of interpretations based largely on individual interests and anthropocentric needs. We are measuring the performance of countless indicators of sustainable development, but is this more an exercise in applying data than meaningful progress? This article explores the ultimate goals of sustainable development and the most important means of achieving this by analyzing and comparing two frameworks designed to direct attention to the fundamental means and the ends of sustainable development.     

Recollections of Childhood Religious Identity and Behavior as a Function of Adult Religiousness

People have a strong motivation to maintain a self-concept that is coherent and consistent over time. Religion is a central source of social identity for many people, but its importance is prone to dramatic change across the life course. To maintain a consistent perception of self, recollections of one's own past religiousness may shift to better fit with the present. This study examined changes between early and middle adulthood in retrospective perceptions of religious behavior and identity in childhood. Data from a population-based birth cohort sample were matched with data from individuals who participated in at least 2 of 3 adult follow-up studies, at intervals of approximately 10 years. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association of final recollections of childhood behavior and identity with previous recollections and current religious characteristics. Consistent with the predictions of temporal self-appraisal theory, participants' perception of their religious identity as children tended to change over time to match their adult religious identity. Recollections of childhood religious behavior were more stable than recollections of religious identity, and change was unrelated to adult behavior. These results have implications for studying religious characteristics using retrospective measures, regarding their accuracy and their independence from contemporary measures.     

Voices Inside Me: The Relationship Between Neuroticism and the Tendency to Engage in Internal Dialogue in the Context of Time Perspective

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between neuroticism, internal dialogues, and time perspective. Time perspective was examined as a moderator and mediator of the link between neuroticism and internal dialogues. One hundred and thirteen Polish people (aged 20 to 40?years) participated in this study. Our results suggest that in subjects with a high level of neuroticism, the Carpe Diem perspective functioned as a buffer, reducing the strength of the relationship between neuroticism and ruminative dialogues. Moreover, our findings provide evidence for the role of unbalanced time perspective in explaining the positive association between neuroticism and internal dialogues.     

“Viewing” Pregnancy as an Existential Threat: The Effects of Creatureliness on Reactions to Media Depictions of the Pregnant Body

Although pregnancy clearly evokes many positive reactions, women's pregnant bodies sometimes inspire negative responses. However, little if any empirical attention has been devoted to understanding the psychological reasons for such ambivalence. In this article we tried to fill this gap by using a conceptual analysis grounded in terror management theory. According to this perspective, because people are motivated to deny their similarity to animals (and the mortal vulnerability that entails), when such concerns are salient, they will react negatively to that which has the potential to highlight the creaturely aspects of humanity (i.e., pregnancy). In two experiments, priming the similarity between humans and animals led participants to respond more negatively to a pregnant compared to non-pregnant Demi Moore magazine cover (Study 1) and to perceive Gwyneth Paltrow as less competent when she was portrayed as pregnant (Study 2). We consider implications for understanding objectification and derogation of women.     

Differentiating Ego Functions of Borderline and Narcissistic Personalities

This study investigated differences in ego functions of borderline and narcissistic personality disorders through examining responses to Rorschach structural and content variables. Reality testing, thought process, affective regulation, impulse control, and the defenses of splitting and grandiosity were examined from Rorschach protocols of 50 borderlines and 26 narcissists. The borderlines produced greater distortion in reality testing, p < .05; the narcissists produced more insidious thought process disturbance, p < .05; and higher functioning groups demonstrated greater control of impulses, p < .05. Borderlines in this sample demonstrated more affective constriction than the narcissists and used more splitting, p < .05; narcissists used more grandiosity, p < .05. Implications of this study are (a) ego functions mature inconsistently, (b) affective responsivity influences ego disorganization, and (c) level of functioning and IQ are related to the production of Rorschach variables.     

My funny valentine: How humor styles affect romantic interest

Humor tends to predict romantic attraction, but does the style in which it is communicated matter? This study uses experimental methods to test the effects of positive and negative humor styles on short‐term and long‐term romantic interest. The authors randomly assigned 251 participants to read 1 of 4 relationship initiation vignettes depicting either an affiliative or aggressive humor style. Participants reported their short‐term and long‐term interest and made judgments of the relationship initiator's competence and warmth. Results support a fitness indicator model of humor style's role in relationship initiation; positive styles were preferred for long‐term relationships while competence and warmth inferences predicted long‐term attraction. The findings are discussed within the broader context of mate selection goals and challenges.