Working harder to obtain more snack foods when wanting to eat less

This study investigates individual differences in the reinforcing value of snack food. More specifically, it was investigated whether differences in restraint status are associated with differences in working for high-caloric snack food. Thirty-six unrestrained non-dieters, twenty restrained non-dieters and fifteen current dieters performed a concurrent schedules task in which they had the option to work for points for either snack food or fruit and vegetables. By progressively increasing the “price” of the snack foods (i.e., the amount of work required to obtain extra snack points) the relative reinforcing value of snack food was determined. As hypothesized, restrained non-dieters worked harder and current dieters worked less hard to obtain snack food as compared to unrestrained non-dieters.     

How to like yourself better, or chocolate less: Changing implicit attitudes with one IAT task

The current paper introduces a novel feature of implicit association tests (IATs) by demonstrating their potential to change implicit attitudes. We assume that such changes are driven by associative learning mechanisms caused by carrying out an IAT task. Currently, evaluative conditioning appears to be the only widespread paradigm for changing implicit attitudes. An IAT task could provide an alternative. In two experiments, participants initially reacted to only one IAT task. Implicit preferences subsequently assessed with different implicit measures depended on the initial IAT task. This was shown for implicit self-esteem and for implicit attitudes towards well-known candy brands. Findings are discussed in relation to task-order effects in IATs.     

Assessment Center Graduate Selection: Decision Processes,Validity, and Evaluation by Candidates

In this contribution, results are presented of research on the predictive validity of a procedure for the career-oriented selection of graduates in The Netherlands. After selection on account of applicant letter, the selection procedure consists of four selective steps: interview with a ‘recruitment officer’, mental test, interview with line manager, and an assessment center comprising two situational exercises. Performance indicators investigated are present salary, average annual changes in function, appraisal of performance, appraisal of management potential, and average annual salary progression. We report on the relationships between the predictors, between the criteria, and between predictors and criteria. The assessment center, together with other steps from the selection procedure, appear to be valid for a number of performance indicators. The correlation between the overall assessment center rating and present salary, corrected for restriction in range, equals 0.55. Stepwise regression indicates that elements from all procedure steps contribute to the prediction of the criterion of average annual salary progression. The disturbing influence of possible ‘crown prince’ -effects on these results, are discussed. Also, the decision process taking place during the end meeting of the assessors is investigated. Finally, the evaluation of the procedure, both by accepted and by rejected candidates, is discussed. These and other results are compared to what is generally known about assessment centers.     

Mixtures of conditional mean- and covariance-structure models

Models and parameters of finite mixtures of multivariate normal densities conditional on regressor variables are specified and estimated. We consider mixtures of multivariate normals where the expected value for each component depends on possibly nonnormal regressor variables. The expected values and covariance matrices of the mixture components are parameterized using conditional mean- and covariance-structures. We discuss the construction of the likelihood function, estimation of the mixture model with regressors using three different EM algorithms, estimation of the asymptotic covariance matrix of parameters and testing for the number of mixture components. In addition to simulation studies, data on food preferences are analyzed.The authors are grateful to Donald B. Rubin and Michael E. Sobel for critical reading of a first draft of this paper and to three anonymous reviewers ofPsychometrika for their helpful comments and suggestions. The research of the first and the third author was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

The role of action effects in 12-month-olds' action control: a comparison of televised model and live model

The present study investigated differences in infant imitation after watching a televised model and a live model and addressed the issue of whether action effects influence infants’ action control in both cases. In a 2 × 2 design, 12-month-old infants observed a live or a televised model performing a three-step action sequence, in which either the 2nd or the 3rd action step was combined with an acoustical action effect. We assumed that infants would use the observed action-effect relations for their own action control in the test phase afterwards. Even though results exhibited differences in the absolute amount of imitation between the two demonstration groups, both groups showed similar result patterns regarding the action effect manipulation: infants imitated the action step that was followed by a salient action effect more often and mostly as the first target action, emphasizing the important role of action effects in infants’ action control.     

Using the past to predict the future

This research addressed three issues. First, we examined whether retrospective confidence judgments (RCJs) and judgments of learning (JOLs) assess memory differently. Second, we examined the relative accuracy of JOLs and RCJs at predicting future recall performance. Third, we examined whether making JOLs improves subsequent recall better than making RCJs or making no metacognitive judgment. Results suggest that RCJs and JOLs are both based on retrievability, but that participants use their memory differently when making JOLs. RCJs were more accurate than JOLs at predicting future recall for some subsets of items, but the reverse was true for other subsets of items. Finally, eventual recall performance was facilitated when participants made JOLs but not when they made RCJs, suggesting that the JOL task helps to improve people's learning of the items.     

The use of ecological momentary assessment to test appraisal theories of emotion

Although appraisal theories have received strong empirical support, there are methodological concerns about the research, including biased recall, heuristic responding, ethical issues, and weak and unrealistic induction of emotions in laboratories. To provide a more ecologically valid test of appraisal theories, the authors used ecological momentary assessment, in which the emotions and appraisals of Singaporean police officers were measured online over the course of an ordinary workday. The research focused on happiness. Support was obtained for predictions, demonstrating the generalizability of appraisal theories to a nonlaboratory setting and circumventing the shortcomings of previously used methodologies. Also, evidence was obtained that happiness was reported primarily in association with a specific combination of 3 relevant appraisals: high pleasantness, high perceived control, and low moral violation.     

A new scale for use in non-clinical research into disinhibitive eating

The DIS, a 17-item questionnaire, was developed for subject selection in non-clinical research into disinhibitive eating. The DIS was designed to possess a tight and clear subscale structure, lessened impact of concern for dieting and explicit reference to self-esteem. Four subscales tapped the following themes: failed restriction, binge eating, weight fluctuations and self-esteem. DIS and the often used Restraint Scale (RS) were tested psychometrically among 269 female students from the Netherlands. Cronbach alpha was 0.88 for the DIS and 0.84 for the RS; correlation between the scales was 0.78. Factor analysis of the RS yielded the traditional two factors concern for dieting—weight fluctuations, whereas the DIS had a somewhat clearer four factors structure in accordance with its a priori subscales. On both the DIS and RS, high scorers were often currently dieting, and had higher Body Mass Index than low scorers. As to selection, DIS and RS differed in that partly different groups of individuals were selected when applying equally stringent cut-off scores. It was concluded that some of the psychometric and conceptual problems with the RS are alleviated by the DIS and that a next step is to behaviourally validate the DIS in disinhibition research.