Positive emotional context eliminates the framing effect in decision-making

Dual-process theories have suggested that emotion plays a key role in the framing effect in decision-making. However, little is known about the potential impact of a specific positive or negative emotional context on this bias. We investigated this question with adult participants using an emotional priming paradigm. First, participants were presented with positive or negative affective pictures (i.e., pleasant vs. unpleasant photographs). Afterward, participants had to perform a financial decision-making task that was unrelated to the pictures previously presented. The results revealed that the presentation framed in terms of gain or loss no longer affected subjects' decision-making following specific exposure to emotionally pleasant pictures. Interestingly, a positive emotional context did not globally influence risk-taking behavior but specifically decreased the risk propensity in the loss frame. This finding confirmed that a positive emotional context can reduce loss aversion, and it strongly reinforced the dual-process view that the framing effect stems from an affective heuristic belonging to intuitive System 1. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).     

Wolves in sheep’s clothing: How and when hypothetical questions influence behavior

How and when does responding to hypothetical questions shape future judgment and behavior? We identify knowledge accessibility as an implicit process through which hypothetical questions influence individuals, and examine moderators of accessibility that determine when these effects obtain. In an initial study, we show that hypothetical questions increase the accessibility of the specific positive or negative knowledge referenced by the question. In five subsequent studies, we manipulate factors known to enhance (consistency, elaboration) and attenuate (awareness, delay) accessibility, and show that these factors moderate the influence of hypothetical questions on individuals’ voting choices, legal decision-making, and consumption behavior.     

Home-based family intervention for low-income children with asthma: a randomized controlled pilot study

Low-income African American children have disproportionately higher asthma morbidity and mortality. Education alone may not address barriers to asthma management due to psychosocial stress. This study evaluated the efficacy of a home-based family intervention integrating asthma education and strategies to address stress using a community-based participatory research model. Children age 8 to 13 with poorly controlled asthma and their caregivers were recruited from an urban hospital and an asthma camp. Caregivers with elevated scores on a stress measure were enrolled. Forty-three families were randomized to the 4- to 6-session Home Based Family Intervention (HBFI) or the single session of Enhanced Treatment as Usual (ETAU). All families received an asthma action plan and dust mite covers; children performed spirometry and demonstrated MDI/spacer technique at each home visit. The HBFI addressed family-selected goals targeting asthma management and stressors. Asthma management, morbidity, family functioning, and caregiver stress were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 6 months after the intervention. ED visits and hospitalizations were ascertained by medical record review for a year after intervention completion. Only one child (5%) in HBFI had an asthma-related hospitalization compared to 7 patients (35%) in ETAU in the year following intervention. Participants in both groups demonstrated improved asthma management and family functioning, and reduced ED visits, symptom days, missed school days, and caregiver stress, but there were no differential treatment effects. The results suggest that a home-based intervention addressing medical and psychosocial needs may prevent hospitalizations for children with poorly controlled asthma and caregivers under stress.     

“If They Notice I’m Mexican”: Narratives of Perceived Discrimination from Individuals Who Crossed the U.S.-Mexico Border at Ports of Entry

ABSTRACT

Understanding individuals’ encounters with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the largest law enforcement agency in the United States, is an important theoretical and policy-relevant issue. Travelers entering the U.S. through ports of entry may generalize their experiences with border officials to local law enforcement, and thus, negative experiences at ports of entry may reduce travelers’ willingness to cooperate with police and report victimization. Existing studies, however, have primarily examined unauthorized border crossings rather than travelers’ port of entry experiences. This study uses grounded theory and qualitative data to explore the perceptions and experiences of 191 young adults who discussed how individuals are treated when crossing the U.S.-Mexico border at land ports of entry. Findings show that participants reported perceptions and experiences of discrimination based on physical appearances, language differences, and nationality. Participants also described border officials engaging in routine law enforcement behaviors, including poor policing practices.     

The impact of cognitive interventions on cognitive symptoms in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review

This systematic review addressed efficacy of cognitive stimulation (CS), cognitive training (CT), and cognitive rehabilitation (CR) to improve cognitive functions in Parkinson’s disease (PD) with (PD-MCI) and without mild cognitive impairment (PD-H). Five databases were searched. Twelve CT, four CS, and a combination of CT with CR were found. PD-H benefited from CT or CS compared to active or passive controls in 42.1% of cognitive tests, and in 33.3% of psychological and functional measures. PD-MCI alone, compared with controls, only improved in 6.9% of cognitive measures after CT. PD-H and PD-MCI, alone or together, somehow improved information processing speed, attention, working memory, executive functions, and visual episodic memory. PD-MCI improved better than PD-H in global cognition and planning abilities. The outcomes suggest some efficacy of cognitive interventions in PD. However, small samples, lack of information regarding standardization of interventions, and poor methodological quality limit results validity and prevent firm conclusions.     

The Contribution of Task Performance and Contextual Performance to Effectiveness: Investigating the Role of Situational Constraints

Task performance and contextual performance are two distinct dimensions of behaviour at work that can contribute independently to effectiveness outcomes for organisations. Contextual performance is important because it represents a type of behaviour that is largely under the motivational control of individuals. Little research has addressed how the opportunity to engage in contextual behaviours might be constrained by situational demands. This study examined the contribution of task performance and contextual performance to effectiveness in the work of air traffic controllers. As predicted, task difficulty moderated the relationship between contextual performance and effectiveness. The results demonstrate that contextual performance does contribute to effectiveness in technical domains, such as air traffic control, and highlight the importance of assessing situational factors when assessing performance and effectiveness.