Predicting Romantic Interest at Zero Acquaintance: Evidence of Sex Differences in Trait Perception but Not in Predictors of Interest

We evaluated five competing hypotheses about what predicts romantic interest. Through a half‐block quasi‐experimental design, a large sample of young adults (i.e. responders; n = 335) viewed videos of opposite‐sex persons (i.e. targets) talking about themselves, and responders rated the targets' traits and their romantic interest in the target. We tested whether similarity, dissimilarity or overall trait levels on mate value, physical attractiveness, life history strategy and the Big Five personality factors predicted romantic interest at zero acquaintance and whether sex acted as a moderator. We tested the responders' individual perception of the targets' traits, in addition to the targets' own self‐reported trait levels and a consensus rating of the targets made by the responders. We used polynomial regression with response surface analysis within multilevel modelling to test support for each of the hypotheses. Results suggest a large sex difference in trait perception; when women rated men, they agreed in their perception more often than when men rated women. However, as a predictor of romantic interest, there were no sex differences. Only the responders' perception of the targets' physical attractiveness predicted romantic interest; specifically, responders' who rated the targets' physical attractiveness as higher than themselves reported more romantic interest. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology     

Collectively Speaking: The Many Meanings of Naming and Sharing Group Trauma

This commentary on Kathleen McPhillips’s (this issue) “‘Unbearable Knowledge’” paper looks at implications for theory of the model she uses to analyze collective trauma. While affirming the model’s robustness, it is suggested that it has both theoretical and political ramifications that need to be further spelled out. The commentary ends with several questions regarding the leap from individual to collective trauma. These include the importance of maintaining a steady appreciation of multiplicity, which is foundational to relational psychoanalytic theory; second, the need to appreciate the complexity of dismantling a collective dissociative defense; and finally, the significance of spontaneity in healing.     

A longitudinal study of children's text messaging and literacy development

Recent studies have shown evidence of positive concurrent relationships between children's use of text message abbreviations ('textisms') and performance on standardized assessments of reading and spelling. This study aimed to determine the direction of this association. One hundred and nineteen children aged between 8 and 12 years were assessed on measures of general ability, reading, spelling, rapid phonological retrieval, and phonological awareness at the beginning and end of an academic year. The children were also asked to provide a sample of the text messages that they sent over a 2-day period. These messages were analyzed to determine the extent to which textisms were used. It was found that textism use at the beginning of the academic year was able to predict unique variance in spelling performance at the end of the academic year after controlling for age, verbal IQ, phonological awareness, and spelling ability at the beginning of the year. When the analysis was reversed, reading and spelling ability were unable to predict unique variance in textism usage. These data suggest that there is some evidence of a causal contribution of textism usage to spelling performance in children aged 8-12 years. However, when the measure of rapid phonological retrieval (rapid picture naming) was controlled in the analysis, the relationship between textism use and spelling ability just failed to reach statistical significance, suggesting that phonological access skills may mediate some of the relationship between textism use and spelling performance.     

The Role of Childhood Neglect and Childhood Poverty in Predicting Mental Health, Academic Achievement and Crime in Adulthood

This study examines the roles of childhood neglect and childhood poverty (family and neighborhood) in predicting Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), academic achievement, and crime in young adulthood. Using existing data from a prospective cohort design study, 1,005 children with documented histories of neglect (N = 507) and matched controls (N = 497) were interviewed in young adulthood (mean age 29). Official criminal histories were also used to assess outcomes. Data were analyzed using logistic and ordinary least squares regressions and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to control for neighborhood clustering. Results from HLM revealed that childhood neglect and childhood family poverty uniquely predicted PTSD and adult arrest, MDD was predicted only by childhood family poverty, and a significant interaction between childhood family poverty and childhood neighborhood poverty predicted academic achievement for the control group only. Childhood neglect, childhood family poverty, and childhood neighborhood poverty each contribute to poor outcomes later in life. While interventions should be developed for neglected children to prevent negative outcomes, the current findings suggest that it is also important to consider the ecological context in which these children are growing up.     

Emotional triangles: a test of emotion-based attentional capture by simple geometric shapes

Previous work has proposed that simple geometric shapes, carrying the features present within negative or threatening faces are especially effective at capturing or guiding attention. Here we test this account and provide converging evidence for a threat-based attentional advantage. Experiment 1 found that downward-pointing triangles continue to be detected more efficiently than upward-pointing triangles when: (i) both overall RT and search slope measures are obtained; and (ii) when the set size is varied and the stimuli are presented in random configurations. Experiment 2 tested and ruled out an alternative account of the selection advantage, based on differences between triangle shape consistencies with scene perspective cues. Overall, the data provide converging evidence that simple geometric shapes, which might be particularly important in providing emotional signals in faces, can also attract attention preferentially even when presented outside of a face context.     

Understanding dynamic and static displays: using images to reason dynamically

We examined expert meteorologists as they created a weather forecast while working in a naturalistic environment. We examined the type of external representation they chose to examine (a static image, a sequence of static images, or a dynamic display) and the kind of information they extracted from those representations (static or dynamic). We found that even though weather is an extremely dynamic domain, expert meteorologists examined very few animations, examining primarily static images. However, meteorologists did extract large amounts of dynamic information from these static images, suggesting that they reasoned about the weather by mentally animating the static images rather than letting the software do it for them.     

Between the idea and the reality: A study of the counselling experiences of bereaved people who sense the presence of the deceased

There have been many theories of the process of loss and bereavement, from Freud, to the present day. Early theories of bereavement described a process which, following various stages and associated tasks, ended at the relinquishment of the bond to the deceased. In more recent years theories have taken different directions, identifying how bereaved people re‐learn life, recreate biographies, and continue relationships to the deceased. Some research studies of bereavement have investigated the counsellors’ perspective, but there are very few studies of the client's experience and most studies have focussed on outcomes of counselling. This qualitative study, using semi‐structured interviews, provides an insight into the bereaved client's perspective on the content and process of their counselling experiences. Taking as its focus the client's sense of the presence of the deceased, this study aimed to identify whether or how counsellors facilitate exploration of this experience and which theories they use in client work. The main finding is that 80% of the counsellors were not perceived by participants to have worked with them satisfactorily in relation to their sense of presence of the deceased or in relation to the story of the death itself.     

Applicant Reactions to Multiple Selection Procedures for the Police Force

Cette étude de terrain portant sur des candidats voulant entrer dans la police a fait appel à la théorie de Gilliland (1993) concernant la pertinence de la justice organisationnelle. La recherche a tenté d’analyser: a) la perception que les candidats avaient de trois procédures de sélection (tests de souplesse corporelle, tests psychologiques et entretien); b) si la perception des tests de souplesse corporelle variait avec le sexe; c) si les réactions aux procédures de sélections susmentionnées avaient une influence significative sur l’attirance exercée par l’organisation, l’intention d’accepter le poste et la perception de l’équité. Les candidats ont été contactés trois fois: à la présélection (1° période); après les tests psychologiques, l’épreuve d’agilité physique et l’entretien (2° période); et à la fin de la procédure de sélection (3° période). Il apparut que les candidats réagissaient plus favorablement aux entretiens et aux tests de souplesse corporelle qu’aux tests psychologiques. Les femmes tendaient à moins voir que les hommes un rapport entre les tests d’agilité physique et le travail. Les réactions des candidats vis‐à‐vis des tests psychologiques et des entretiens étaient le plus souvent sans lien avec l’attirance, les intentions et la perception de l’équité. Les réactions envers les tests d’agilité physique influençaient le désir de rejoindre les forces de police, mais pas le sexe. La perception du caractère (in)juste du résultat de la sélection était surtout sous la dépendance des a priori concernant l’utilisation des tests psychologiques et des entretiens dans la sélection. On examine les retombées de ces résultats sur la pratique et les recherches à venir. This field study of applicants seeking to join the police force used Gilliland's (1993 ) adaptation of organisational justice theory to frame the study. The study sought to examine (a) applicant perceptions of three selection procedures: physical agility tests, psychological tests, and interviews; (b) whether females and males had different perceptions of physical agility tests; and (c) if reactions to the aforementioned selection procedures had a significant influence on organisational attractiveness, job acceptance intentions, and fairness perceptions. Applicants were surveyed at three time points: pre‐selection (Time 1); after psychological testing, physical agility testing, and interview (Time 2); and after the completion of selection procedures (Time 3). The findings showed applicants reacted most positively to interviews and physical agility tests and less favorably to psychological tests. Compared to males, females were less likely to perceive physical agility tests as job related. Applicant reactions to psychological tests and interviews were mostly unrelated to attraction‐intentions and fairness perceptions. Reactions to physical agility tests influenced desire to join the police force; gender did not influence intention to join the police force. Perceptions of selection outcome fairness were mostly influenced by initial beliefs about the use of psychological tests and interviews for selection purposes. Practical and future research applications of the findings are discussed.     

Going for Gold: Understanding Talent Development Through the Lived Experiences of US Female Olympians

Using qualitative methods design, this research examined the talent development process of US female Olympians. In addition, models of talent development in gifted women in other domains assisted in understanding the development of talent in elite female athletes. Interpretation of the experiences of the participants indicated that the models of talent development for gifted women contribute to an understanding of female athletic talent development. Yet, models presented in both sport and other professional domains do not capture all aspects of talent development as lived by the participants in this project. Within current models of talent development for athletes there is no discussion regarding what occurs after an athlete reaches the elite level of participation. A more fully integrated model of talent development must also include the contributions of athletic talent development toward development as fully actualized human beings. The participants in this research acknowledged significant development that occurred following their elite level of participation.