Mutual friends’ social support and self-disclosure in face-to-face and instant messenger communication

In the present study, we investigated long-term effects of self-disclosure on social support in face-to-face and instant messenger (IM) communication between mutual friends. Using a representative sample of 583 German IM users, we explored whether self-disclosure and positive experiences with regard to social support would dynamically interact in the form of a reinforcing spiral across three measurement occasions. If mutual friends self-disclose today, will they receive more social support 6 months later? In turn, will this affect their willingness to self-disclose another 6 months later? We further analyzed spill-over effects from face-to-face to IM communication and vice versa. We found that self-disclosure predicted social support and vice versa in IM communication, but not in face-to-face communication. In light of these results, the impact of IM communication on how individuals maneuver friendships through the interplay between self-disclosure and social support are discussed.     

The role of inhibition in task switching: A review

The concept of inhibition plays a major role in cognitive psychology. In the present article, we review the evidence for the inhibition of task sets. In the first part, we critically discuss empirical findings of task inhibition from studies that applied variants of the task-switching methodology and argue that most of these findings— such as switch cost asymmetries—are ambiguous. In the second part, we focus on n-22 task-repetition costs, which currently constitute the most convincing evidence for inhibition of task sets. n-22 repetition costs refer to the performance impairment in sequences of the ABA type relative to CBA, which can be interpreted in terms of persisting inhibition of previously abandoned tasks. The available evidence suggests that inhibition is primarily triggered by conflict at selection of stimulus attributes and at the response level. Author Note     

Motive Arousal Without Pictures? An Experimental Validation of a Hybrid Implicit Motive Test

Pictures are widely used as stimuli in implicit motive tests. Hybrid forms of such tests present pictures and declarative statements underneath pictures. Some authors have argued that explicitly declaring agreement with motive-related statements presented underneath pictures might shift the validity of such tests from capturing less implicit motives to more explicit motives. If that is the case, pictures as elicitors of implicit motives might become less relevant. Adopting the views on validity presented by Borsboom, Mellenbergh, and van Heerden (2004 Borsboom, D., Mellenbergh, G. J., &; van Heerden, J. (2004). The concept of validity. Psychological Review, 111, 1061–1071. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.111.4.1061[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and Bornstein (2011 Bornstein, R. F. (2011). Toward a process-focused model of test score validity: Improving psychological assessment in science and practice. Psychological Assessment, 23, 532–544. doi:10.1037/a0022402[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), as well as item generation theory, we investigated whether the availability of pictures in hybrid motive tests causally affects test scores. To this end, we administered the Multi-Motive Grid (MMG; Sokolowski, Schmalt, Langens, &; Puca, 2000 Sokolowski, K., Schmalt, H.-D., Langens, T. A., &; Puca, R. M. (2000). Assessing achievement, affiliation, and power motives all at once: The Multi-Motive-Grid (MMG). Journal of Personality Assessment, 74, 126–145. doi:10.1207/S15327752JPA740109[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), as an example of a hybrid motive test, either with or without pictures to 108 participants. Results revealed that the availability of pictures had no effect on 3 out of 6 test scores. Furthermore, eliminating pictures had only inconsistent effects on correlations with a test of explicit motives. We conclude that pictures might not unanimously elicit motives in implicit motive tests that use declarative statements as response options.     

Selling with technology: understanding the resistance to mobile sales assistant use in retailing

The rise of online competitors and increasingly well-informed customers have spurred stationary retailers to take measures to increase the quality of face-to-face selling as a key differentiator. Mobile sales assistants (MSAs) represent an intensively discussed technological approach to address these challenges in the salesperson–customer dyad. However, in many cases, salespeople do not or only sporadically use MSAs. Prior research provides inadequate answers as to why this is the case, as extant technology acceptance and resistance theories have limited applicability to MSAs. To address these research gaps, the authors conduct a qualitative, theory-building approach and identify 21 factors associated with resistance. In a subsequent quantitative survey study, they validate these factors and refine their conceptual structure. The results show that several largely unknown factors are associated with salespeople’s resistance to MSA use: The three higher-order constructs, ‘incongruence’, ‘relationship deterioration’, and ‘operational imperfection’, are newly introduced to the literature on technology resistance. The findings extend prior technology acceptance and resistance theories and provide comprehensive insights for retail managers.     

Husserl,the mathematization of nature,and the informational reconstruction of quantum theory

Continental Philosophy Review - As is well known, the late Husserl warned against the dangers of reifying and objectifying the mathematical models that operate at the heart of our physical...     

How smart do you think you are? A meta-analysis on the validity of self-estimates of cognitive ability

Individuals' perceptions of their own level of cognitive ability are expressed through self-estimates. They play an important role in a person's self-concept because they facilitate an understanding of how one's own abilities relate to those of others. People evaluate their own and other persons' abilities all the time, but self-estimates are also used in formal settings, such as, for instance, career counseling. We examine the relationship between self-estimated and psychometrically measured cognitive ability by conducting a random-effects, multilevel meta-analysis including a total of 154 effect sizes reported in 41 published studies. Moderator variables are specified in a mixed-effects model both at the level of the individual effect size and at the study level. The overall relationship is estimated at r = .33. There is significant heterogeneity at both levels (i.e., the true effect sizes vary within and between studies), and the results of the moderator analysis show that the validity of self-estimates is especially enhanced when relative scales with clearly specified comparison groups are used and when numerical ability is assessed rather than general cognitive ability. The assessment of less frequently considered dimensions of cognitive ability (e.g., reasoning speed) significantly decreases the magnitude of the relationship. From a theoretical perspective, Festinger's (1954) theory of social comparison and Lecky's (1945) theory of self-consistency receive empirical support. For practitioners, the assessment of self-estimates appears to provide diagnostic information about a person's self-concept that goes beyond a simple "test-and-tell" approach. This information is potentially relevant for career counselors, personnel recruiters, and teachers.     

Conflict Resolution as a Dyadic Mediator: Considering the Partner Perspective on Conflict Resolution

So far, relationship research has only considered an intrapersonal perspective on links between adult attachment, conflict resolution and relationship satisfaction. This study investigated the mediating effects of partner‐reported conflict resolution styles among the attachment dimensions of avoidance and anxiety, and relationship satisfaction in a sample of 207 heterosexual couples. Dyadic and structural aspects of mediation were tested using the Actor–Partner Mediator Model with latent variables. Few significant partner‐related meditational pathways were found indicating compensating effects of positive problem solving and compliance. More frequent positive problem solving could improve relationship satisfaction, even when the partner showed higher scores on anxious attachment. In addition, the use of compliance could suppress the negative effects of attachment avoidance on partner's relationship satisfaction. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Applying sampling theories to attitude learning in a virtual school class environment

According to sampling theories of attitude formation, evaluative learning depends on the sampling in the environment. We investigated teachers’ student evaluations in a simulated school class. Two experiments were designed to test distinct implications of experience-sampling models. While the model advanced by Fazio, Eiser, and Shook (2004) and Denrell (2005) led to the prediction of a negativity effect through asymmetric depolarization, another model (Fiedler, 1996) suggested a positivity effect through asymmetric polarization. Findings supported the latter contention. The selective tendency to oversample good students while neglecting weaker students was not radical enough to prevent the correction of negative impressions, precluding a negativity effect. Instead, extended selective sampling led to gradually increasing polarization of positive impressions, and facilitated detection of positive performance changes. While these findings can be reconciled with the Fazio–Denrell model, they highlight the crucial role of auxiliary psychological assumptions about attitude learning, as distinguished from the formal model itself.     

Quality of life in patients before and after kidney transplantation

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to differentially determine quality of life (QOL) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) after successful kidney transplantation (RT, Group A) compared with ESRD patients on a waiting list for RT (Group B). and with healthy controls (Group C) because opinions vary as to which treatment modality can best assure ESRD patients a high QOL.

Groups A, B and C each consisted of 149 persons, matched for age and gender. The Munich Quality of Life Dimensions List (MLDL) was used to measure global aspects of QOL. Distinct aspects of QOL were investigated by the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the Questionnaire for Social Support (K-22).

Groups A and C reported similar QOL. Which was significantly higher than in group B (p < .0001). This was particularly true for the physical and psychological status and daily activities, but not for the social situation. Groups A and B reported similar social support, which was significantly, lower than in group C (p < 006). Both ESRD groups reported higher satisfaction with social support than healthy controls (p < .0001).

Successful RT nor only improved distinct aspects of QOL in patients with ESRD, but even put them on par with healthy controls regarding physical and psychological QOL.

Lower social support and higher satisfaction with social support in both groups of ESRD patients should be evaluated further. From a clinical viewpoint. the improvement of physical and psychological aspects of QOL in RT patients is impressive; but more attention should be paid to constantly low social support in this group of patients. International multi center longitudinal studies to investigate QOL in ESRD patients under different treatments am necessary.     

Transmission electron microscopy study of a new silicon nitride phase

An abnormally large phase, which was found in the precursor-derived Si 3.0 B 1.1 C 5.3 N 3.0 ceramics after crystallization under a nitrogen pressure of 100bar at 1800C for 3h, has been characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy and electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). EELS analysis shows that this phase consists of only silicon and nitrogen, no other elements being detected. The analysis of selected-area diffraction and convergent-beam electron diffraction in conjunction with EELS reveals that the unknown phase is a variant of silicon nitride. It has a hexagonal structure with lattice parameters a =0.737nm and c =0.536nm, and the space group P62c. .