How I see me depends on how I see we: the role of attachment style in social comparison

The self-concept is a social, flexible construct that shifts in response to the salience of a relationship partner. Three related experiments found that the tendency to pursue closeness in relationships (as measured by attachment style) served as a moderator of the shift. Specifically, individuals who avoid closeness in relationships became less similar to salient friends via contrast effects, whereas those who pursued closeness in relationships became more similar to salient friends via assimilation effects. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the nature of the self-concept and the importance of friendships.     

Do stories (always) make food products taste better? The boundary effects of matching package type and product dimension

This research examines when the narrative transportation induced by storytelling influences taste. In a field experiment conducted in two wine stores, we first demonstrate that storytelling enhances actual taste through narrative transportation, but only when the package type matches the product. In the next experiment, we determine that product dimension (hedonic vs. utilitarian) is another boundary condition. We specifically show that the effect of storytelling through narrative transportation on expected taste is positively stronger for utilitarian products than hedonic products. This article contributes to the research on storytelling, narrative transportation, and sensory marketing by showing that storytelling indirectly enhances taste for products with matching packages and utilitarian products. This article also offers important implications for marketers and retailers who aim to enhance the perceived taste of their products.     

Perceptual attenuation of nonfocused auditory streams

The aim of this study was to measure the perceptual attenuation, measured in decibels, resulting from the focusing of attention on one stream within a multistream auditory sequence. The intensity of a nonfocused stream was increased until the accuracy of detecting a temporal irregularity in this stream was the same as in a focused stream. Eight subjects were required to detect a temporal irregularity created by delaying or advancing one tone which could be situated in one of three temporally regular streams played simultaneously to create a multistream sequence. The three streams differed in tempo and frequency. Subjects’ attention was focused on one of the streams by preceding the multistream sequence with one of the single streams (a cue). We first established the size of temporal irregularity detected at a 90% level in cued streams, confirming that subjects were able to focus on one particular stream. Second, an irregularity of this size was not detected above chance level in noncued streams, demonstrating that listeners focus only on the cued stream. Third, for 5 subjects, a 15-dB increase in the level of one of the noncued streams was necessary to bring detection up to that found in the cued streams. This gain provides an equivalent measure of the perceptual attenuation of nonfocused streams. For 3 other subjects, detection in the noncued stream remained at chance performance whatever the level. For all subjects, detection in the cued stream decreased slightly as the level of the noncued stream increased. We conclude that the attenuation of nonfocused auditory streams can attain as much as 15 dB, at least for some subjects.     

Two-stage model of visual backward masking: Sensory transmission and accrual of effective information as a function of target intensity and similarity

A functional model is used to describe the effect of target intensity and target-set similarity on backward visual masking. The model consists of two distinct stages of visual information processing. The first stage is related to sensory transduction and transmission and is assumed to require a finite and measurable amount of time during which performance-remains at chance. The second stage, associated with central processing, is characterized by a negatively accelerated growth function reflecting the accrual of effective information. Results show that the duration of the transmission stage is inversely related to target intensity. Surprisingly, the rate of information accrual is an interactive function of both target intensity and target-set similarity. The pattern of results is consistent with the interpretation that both intensity and similarity mediate their effect through a common mechanism—the accrual of effective information.     

Selecting one of two regular sound sequences: perceptual and motor effects of tempo

This study assessed the influence of tempo on selecting a sound sequence. In Exp. 1, synchronization with one of the two regular subsequences in a complex sequence was measured. 30 participants indicated a preference for the fastest subsequence when subsequences were in a slow tempo range (> or = 500 msec. IOI), and with the slower subsequence when they were in the fast tempo range (< or = 300 msec. IOI). These results were replicated using a perceptual task (Exp. 2 and 3) in which the 30 listeners had to detect a temporal irregularity in one of the two subsequences. Detection was better when the temporal irregularity was in the fastest subsequence than in the slowest one when the complex sequence was in a slow tempo range (> or = 500 msec. IOI) and the reverse was obtained when the complex sequence was in a fast tempo range (< or = 180 msec. IOI). These results have implications for design of auditory alarms.     

Clinical considerations for the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder with cognitive-behavioral therapy

Although cognitive behavior therapy has been found to be very effective in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), there still remain a number of challenges that clinicians face in the treatment of individuals with BDD. In this article, we discuss issues related to comorbid depression, suicidality, substance use disorders, personality disorders as well as the role of early life experiences, delusional intensity of beliefs, and motivation to change. The aim of this review is to provide a treatment aid to clinicians by offering specific recommendations for improved care based on the available literature as well as our clinical experience.     

When I think of you, I feel more confident about me: The relational self and self-confidence

Although much research has demonstrated the existence of relationship specific relational selves, the effects of those selves on feelings about the overall self-concept are unknown. The current research proposed that level of relational interdependent self-construal moderates the relationship between the activation of close relationship partners and self-confidence. The first study examined self-construal as a naturally occurring personality variable, whereas the second study manipulated self-construal. Both studies supported the hypothesis that those greater in relational interdependence experience greater self-confidence when close others are salient whereas those lower in relational interdependence experience lower self-confidence. The implications of the findings and linkages to past research are discussed.     

The influence of social environment and social image on adolescent smoking.

This purpose of this article is to explore differences by gender and school grade in patterns of association among social influences and tobacco use. Data from the 1999 (N = 15,038) and 2000 (N = 35,828) National Youth Tobacco Survey (American Legacy Foundation, 1999, 2000), a nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional survey, were used in the analysis. The authors compared effects on adolescent smoking. Direct paths from social environment to current smoking increased from middle school to high school. Indirect paths with social image mediating this relationship revealed a smaller increase. The pattern was constant across subsamples. Social image of smokers mediated the influence of social environment on adolescent smoking. Social image had a greater effect on smoking among middle school boys and high school girls.     

GORDON KAUFMAN'S HUMANIZING CONCEPT OF GOD

Why should Gordon Kaufman's mid‐career theological method be of renewed interest to contemporary theists? Two distinguishing characteristics of the West today are its increasing religious pluralism and the growing numbers of theists who rely on hybrid approaches to construct concepts of God. Kaufman's method is well suited to this current state of affairs because it is open to diverse religious and theological perspectives and to perspectives from science and secular humanism. It also militates against the weaknesses inherent to hybrid approaches—ad hoc constructs of God unable to motivate their holders to overcome human self‐centeredness and so to contribute to the well‐being and fulfillment of others. It achieves this by providing checks to reduce the risk of producing human‐writ‐large God‐constructs. Lastly, Kaufman's method provides criteria to help theists identify humane and humanizing experiences, relationships, concepts, images, and texts (i.e., the basic material from which God‐constructs are fashioned) from the plethora of options available, whether religious, cultural, or secular.