Blushing May Signify Guilt: Revealing Effects of Blushing in Ambiguous Social Situations

Although blushing after a social infraction can function as a remedial gesture, people generally consider blushing as an undesirable response. To address this apparent inconsistency, we tested the idea that blushing has remedial properties after clear-cut antecedent behaviors, but can undermine the actor's image in ambiguous situations. In Experiment 1, participants (N = 49) read vignettes referring to prototypical mishaps, transgressions, and ambiguous situations. In Experiment 2 (N = 58), we specifically varied the actor's intentionality while keeping the actor's behavior constant. In support of its alleged face-saving properties, blushing had remedial effects after obvious mishaps and voluntary transgressions. However, in ambiguous social situations and after transgressions that are ambiguous with respect to the actor's intentionality, blushing undermined the actor's trustworthiness.     

Pity or peanuts? Oxytocin induces different neural responses to the same infant crying labeled as sick or bored

The neuropeptide oxytocin plays an important role in mother–infant bonding. However, recent studies indicate that the effects of oxytocin on prosociality are dependent on perceived social context. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined differential effects of intranasally administered oxytocin on neural responding to 500 and 700 Hz crying that was indicated as emanating from a sick infant and 500 and 700 Hz crying emanating from a bored infant. We found that oxytocin significantly increased insula and inferior frontal gyrus responding to sick infant crying, but decreased activation in these brain regions during exposure to crying of an infant that was labeled as bored. In addition, oxytocin decreased amygdala responding to 500 Hz crying, but increased amygdala responding to 700 Hz crying. These findings indicate that labeling the same infant crying as ‘sick’ or as ‘bored’ drastically changes neural activity in response to intranasal oxytocin administration. Oxytocin increases empathic reactions to sick infants' crying, but lowers the perceived urgency of crying of an infant perceived as bored, thus flexibly adapting adult responses to infant crying labeled in various ways.     

Dispositional optimism,optimism priming,and prevention of ego depletion

Exerting self‐control leads to a diminished capacity to carry out successive acts of self‐control, a process termed ego depletion. The present study investigated whether dispositional optimism, priming of an optimistic orientation, or their interaction can counteract the ego depletion effect. A total of 160 participants performed a self‐control‐demanding weight‐lifting task on two occasions. Half of the participants were depleted between the two weight‐lifting tasks. Because depletion of self‐regulatory resources can undermine optimism half of the participants in the depletion, and no‐depletion condition were primed for an optimistic orientation before performing the second self‐control task. Results demonstrated an interaction between dispositional optimism and optimism priming. Only in participants high in dispositional optimism did the optimism prime lead to undiminished persistence on the weight‐lifting task. These results demonstrate that dispositional optimism may lead to improved goal persistence in the face of adversity only under conditions in which optimistic schemas are activated. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction,Recovery State,and Recovery Timing

This study aimed to provide insight into recovery from work-related load effects by examining (a) whether basic psychological need (BPN) satisfaction during nonwork days facilitates recovery, (b) whether the effect of BPN satisfaction is stronger in case of an unfavorable initial recovery state, and (c) whether the association between BPN satisfaction and recovery is stronger on nonwork weekend days compared to nonwork weekdays. Data were collected across 7 consecutive days from 205 employees (39% shift workers). Fatigue and depressed mood were assessed as indicators of (failed) recovery. Multilevel analyses revealed that BPN satisfaction during nonwork days was related to improved recovery state. This association was stronger (a) if employees had experienced elevated fatigue on the preceding day and (b) on nonwork weekend days compared to nonwork weekdays.