Inspired by Hope,Motivated by Envy: Comparing the Effects of Discrete Emotions in the Process of Social Comparison to Media Figures

Despite considerable research and theorizing regarding the process of social comparison, limited attention has been given to the role of discrete emotions in this context, particularly as they may influence the behavioral responses resulting from comparison to similar others. In the context of cosmetic surgery makeover programs, we explore how discrete emotions may mediate the effects of social comparison on behavior and how different emotions, envy and hope in particular, may differentially relate to behavioral motivation. Based on the survey responses of 236 female students, results suggest that social comparison to media figures correlates with a range of emotional responses as well as with behavioral motivation for invasive cosmetic enhancements. Envy maintained a significantly greater association with behavioral motivation than hope or any other emotional response. Further, mediational analyses were consistent with the argument that envy, but not hope, mediates the social comparison–behavioral motivation relationship. The relationship between character identification and social comparison, as well as processes associated with downward social comparison, are also explored. This research helps illuminate the driving mechanism for social comparison's effects on behavior and has implications for better understanding how media exposure may stimulate this process.     

Concordance Between Measures of Anxiety and Physiological Arousal Following Treatment of Panic Disorder in Adolescence

This study examined the concordance (or synchrony/desynchrony) between adolescents' self-reports of anxiety and physiological measures of arousal (heart rate) both prior to and after treatment for panic disorder. Results indicated a decline in reported subjective units of distress (SUDS) for the treatment group only at the post-treatment measurement for two of three tasks. Within the treatment group, heart rate changes during the Behavioral Approach Test (BAT) were observed following treatment for one task only. Implications of this apparent desynchrony between self-report and physiological measures in adolescent panic disorder are discussed, with cognitive changes in participants' perception of anxiety after treatment suggested as an important factor in recovery.     

Lack of awareness of neuropsychological deficit in cerebral small vessel disease: The relationship with executive and episodic memory functions

A common cause of neuropsychological impairment in older adults is cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), but little is known as to whether lack of awareness of neuropsychological impairment is a feature of this clinical condition. In this study, we investigated awareness deficits in a well‐phenotyped population of patients with SVD (n= 45; 21 with defined concomitant neuropsychological impairment) and made comparisons with 24 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and a further 80 control participants. Awareness of performance on a range of neuropsychological measures was examined based on the Brief Memory and Executive Test Battery (BMET) (Brookes, Hannesdottir, Lawrence, Morris, & Markus, 2012 ), exploring the relationship between awareness and memory and executive function. The results revealed significant awareness deficits in both the SVD and AD groups. When splitting the SVD group into those with or without concomitant neuropsychological impairment, only those with neuropsychological impairment showed reduced awareness. For the SVD group, executive function was significantly correlated with awareness but memory was not. By comparison, memory was significantly correlated with awareness in the AD group, with executive function showing a trend but remaining non‐significant. The results show that lack of awareness of deficit is a clinical feature of SVD and indicate that there are distinct neuropsychological associations with awareness deficit for SVD and AD.     

Visual discrimination thresholds for time to arrival

In a seminal article, Todd (Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 7:795-810, 1981) reported a difference threshold of about 50 ms to discriminate the times of arrival of two differently sized objects that simultaneously approached head-on at constant but different velocities. Subsequent investigators, however, have often found much higher thresholds. We did one complete replication of Todd’s experiment, and then modified his stimuli and experimental regime, which we hypothesized may have been responsible for some of the discrepancies reported in the literature. Unlike Todd and most other researchers, we exclusively used untrained observers. Several of our participants performed almost as well as the trained observers used by Todd and others, but the performance of most of our participants fell short of this standard. Furthermore, thresholds were affected by the experimental regimes, with large differences between objects’ sizes and speeds compromising performance. Analyses of the response patterns revealed that the responses were driven mainly by the objects’ relative apparent sizes.     

Morningness–eveningness orientation and attitude change: Evidence for greater systematic processing and attitude change at optimal time-of-day

This study examines the relationship between morningness–eveningness orientation and time-of day on attitude change, and tests the hypothesis that people will be more persuaded when tested at their optimal time-of-day (i.e., morning for M-types and evening for E-types) than non-optimal time-of-day (i.e., evening for M-Types and morning for E-types). Two hundred and twenty participants read a message that contained either strong vs. weak quality counter-attitudinal arguments (anti-voluntary euthanasia) in the morning (9.00 a.m.) or in the evening (7.00 p.m.). When tested at their respective optimal time-of-day (for both M- and E-types) there was a reliable difference in attitude change between the strong vs. weak messages (indicating message processing had occurred) while there was no difference between strong vs. weak messages when tested at their non-optimal time-of-day. In addition, the amount of message-congruent thinking mediated the attitude change. The results show that M- and E-types pay greater attention to and elaborate on a persuasive message at their optimal time-of-day, and this leads to increased attitude change, compared to those tested at their non-optimal time-of-day.     

Accuracy in discrimination of self-reported cooperators using static facial information

People readily ascribe personality traits to others and believe that faces hold important guides to character. Here we examined the relationship between static facial appearance and self-reported cooperation/defection using the prisoner’s dilemma (N = 193). Study 1 combined face images of those self-reporting they would be most and least likely to cooperate. The composites of cooperators were seen as more cooperative than non-cooperators. Study 2 demonstrated accuracy with ratings of individual faces. Masculinity of face shape was negatively related to self-reported cooperation for men, but not women. Further, ratings of smile intensity were positively, but not significantly, related to self-reported cooperation. Overall, individuals appear able judge the potential of others to cooperate from static facial appearance alone at rates greater than chance.     

Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, about 20% of children do not have any contact with their non-resident parent after parental divorce. There are often many reasons underlying the broken contact, but one might well be the process of parental alienation, when the child denigrates and excludes the non-resident parent. This article presents the results of two studies conducted among divorce experts and divorced, non-resident parents. A total of 138 respondents co-operated in our studies. Of the respondents, 58% thought PAS either does not, or rarely occurs in the Netherlands, and 42% thought it does occur. The extent of parental alienation was classified as mild (33%) or moderate (9%). From our factor analysis, it became clear that Gardner's classification of eight separate symptoms of parental alienation was not evident in our research data. We were able to distinguish four separate aspects: two of them concerning alienation due to the resident parent and two concerning alienation due to the child. Our results underpin the importance of mediation, since it seemed that parental alienation syndrome (PAS) occurred significantly more often when decisions with relation to the children were not taken together by the parents but were determined in court. We consider that compulsory mediation and better communication during divorce would prevent many cases of PAS.     

Boundary Disturbances and Eating Disorder Symptoms

Female graduate students in counseling and clinical psychology retrospectively rated maternal and paternal boundaries in their families of origin. Subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory-3 were used to assess disordered eating, including drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, bulimia symptoms, and overall risk. Results indicated that maternal enmeshment and maternal psychological control were related to disordered eating. Further, daughters who reported that their mothers shielded them from parents’ conflict and adult concerns were less likely to report drive for thinness or bulimic tendencies. With respect to paternal boundary problems, paternal infantilization (overprotection) was significantly related to daughters’ drive for thinness.     

Environmental Ethics and Intergenerational Equity

Possible environmental and related impacts of human activity are shown to include the extinction of humanity and other sentient species, excessive human numbers, and a deteriorating quality of life (I). I proceed to argue that neither future rights, nor Kantian respect for future people's autonomy, nor a contract between the generations supplies a plausible basis of obligations with regard to future generations. Obligations concern rather promoting the well-being of the members of future generations, whoever they may be, as well as of current generations. Future benefits and costs should only be discounted where there are special reasons for doing do so (e.g. relevant opportunity costs) (II). A sustainable economy is held to be necessary for intergenerational equity. This granted, principles of equity are introduced concerning: compensation for long-term risks and for resource depletion; conserving the stock of resources, resource diversity, and assimilative capacity; equal options and opportunities for each generation; and remedying past failures to conserve environmental quality. Rules and policies considered include: an efficient, diversified, and ecologically sustainable economy; no increase of risk of irreversible environmental change; and action despite uncertainty to avert serious future outcomes (the Precautionary Principle). These policies are argued to require rectification of current injustices within and between current generations (III). Finally, the recently resuscitated metaphysical model of society as a partnership between generations is held to imply the view of each generation as trustees rather than owners of the planet. This trusteeship view is independently credible, and supportive of the principles and policies earlier introduced; and its adoption by successive generations could turn the partnership model into a reality (IV).