Likelihood of attending to the color word modulates Stroop interference

Three experiments investigated whether the Stroop color-naming effect is modulated by the likelihood of a color word capturing visual attention. In Experiment 1, a bar or a neutral word was presented at fixation as a color carrier, along with a color word randomly appearing in either an achromatic color (white in the main experiment, gray in a follow-up) or purple. Reduction of the Stroop effect (known as Stroop dilution) occurred when the color word was achromatic but not (or to a lesser extent) when it was in purple. In Experiment 2, the color of the color word remained constant throughout trial blocks, and Stroop dilution was equally evident when the word was always in purple and when it was always in white. In Experiment 3, a color bar was presented as the color carrier with both a color word and a neutral word. In this case, the Stroop effect was larger when the color word appeared in purple, and smaller when the neutral word appeared in purple, than when neither word did. These results imply that the extent to which processing of a color word occurs is determined by the likelihood of the word capturing attention.     

Systemic 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine induces conditioned flavor aversion and c-Fos in the visceral neuraxis

5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) is often used in studies of adult neurogenesis and olfactory learning, but it can also have toxic effects on highly proliferative tissue. We found that pairing Kool-Aid flavors with acute systemic injections of BrdU induced strong conditioned flavor aversions. Intermittent injections during Kool-Aid-glucose conditioning interfered with learning of a conditioned flavor-nutrient preference. Acute injection of BrdU also elevated plasma corticosterone levels and induced c-Fos in the visceral neuraxis. Thus, acute or intermittent systemic injections of BrdU (50-200 mg/kg) have aversive effects that may interfere with learning.     

Influences of response position and hand posture on the orthogonal Simon effect

When lateralized responses are made to the locations of vertically arrayed stimuli, two types of mapping effect have been reported: an overall up-right/down-left advantage and mapping preferences that vary with response position. According to Cho and Proctor's (2003) multiple asymmetric codes account, these orthogonal stimulus-response compatibility effects are due to the correspondence of stimulus polarity and response polarity, as determined by the positions relative to multiple frames of reference. The present study examined these two types of orthogonal compatibility for situations in which participants made left-right responses to the colours of a vertically arrayed stimulus set, and stimulus location was irrelevant. Although a significant orthogonal Simon effect was not evident when responding at a centred, neutral response position, the effect was modulated by response eccentricity (Experiment 2) and hand posture (Experiment 3). These effects are qualitatively similar to those obtained when stimulus location is task relevant. The results imply that, as Proctor and Cho's (2006) polarity correspondence principle suggests, the stimulus polarity code activates the response code of corresponding polarity even when stimulus location is irrelevant to the task.     

Indispensability and group identification as sources of task motivation

Traditional Instrumentality × Value (I × V) models have attributed gains in performance groups to various conditions affecting the instrumentality of group members’ effort for a variety of valued outcomes. Social identity models have challenged this interpretation, suggesting that the instrumentality of effort may be irrelevant when group identification is high. A laboratory study is reported in which both indispensability and group identification are manipulated, and participants’ effort on a physical persistence task is assessed. Contrary to the social identity predictions but consistent with I × V predictions, the indispensability of effort had a positive effect on participants’ effort. Group identification had no direct or moderating effects on effort.     

Disembodiment in online social interaction: impact of online chat on social support and psychosocial well-being.

This study investigates how disembodiment--that is, transcendence of body constraints in cyberspace--in online chat affects social psychological well-being. The results demonstrate that disembodiment is a strong predictor of increased loneliness and depression, and decreased social support. However, the amount of chat use is a positive contributor to decreased offline estrangement and depression, and increased happiness. These contrasting results suggest that online chat use is a technology for social connection used for offline connectivity, but the disembodiment motive is associated with declines in social support and psychosocial well-being. The investigation of specified motives for online interaction, personal competency, or advanced technological alternatives in interaction is suggested for future research on the effects of online interaction on offline outcomes.     

Values of Children, Parent–Child Relationship, and Social Change in Korea: Indigenous, Cultural, and Psychological Analysis

Les recherches sur les valeurs que les parents attribuent aux enfants se demandent pourquoi les gens décident ou non d’avoir des enfants et s’intéressent au nombre d’enfants qu’ils choisissent d’avoir. On décrit dans la première partie de cet article la relation parents‐enfants traditionnelle, la structure familiale et les changements sociaux qui se sont produits ces cinquante dernières années en Corée du sud. On présente dans la deuxième partie les résultats de l’étude de 1972 sur les valeurs attribuées aux enfants réalisée en Corée du sud (Lee & Kim, 1975). Dans la dernière partie, on expose une recherche empirique sud‐coréenne portant sur un échantillon de 314 jeunes mères et 395 mères plus âgées. Il apparaît que les bénéfices psychologiques sont les raisons majeures qui justifient le choix d’avoir un enfant et que les contraintes personnelles et financières sont les motifs dominants de ne pas en avoir. Ces résultats mettent en défaut les modèles économiques et utilitaires et soulignent l’importance des facteurs psychologiques, relationnels et culturels. Research on parents’ attribution of value to children examines why people decide to have children or not and the number of children they choose to have. In the first part of this paper, the traditional parent–child relationship, family structure, and social changes that have occurred in South Korea during the past 50 years are reviewed. In the second section, the results of the 1972 Values of Children Study conducted in South Korea ( Lee & Kim, 1975 ) are reviewed. In the final section, an empirical study conducted in South Korea with a sample of 314 young mothers and 395 older mothers is reported. The results indicate that psychological benefits are the most important reasons for having a child and personal and financial constraints are the most important reasons for not having a child. These results challenge the economic and utilitarian models and suggest the importance of understanding the psychological, relational, and cultural factors.     

Correction to: Neighborhood Physical Environments,Recreational Wellbeing,and Psychological Health

Applied Research in Quality of Life - The original version for this paper unfortunately contained errors in the Author group, affiliation, and in the abstract.     

Factors of regular sponsorship of African children: A cross-ethnic study

This study examined psychological well-being influences of personal factors on regular sponsorship of, or donation to, African children living in Africa. Study participants (N = 597) were 338 Koreans (50.3% female, n = 170) and 259 Chinese (56.8% female, n = 147). They responded to measures of psychological well-being, individual social responsibility, social impression management, and subjective norms. Following multiple group analyses applying structural equation modelling, subjective well-being influenced psychological well-being among the Korean donors; whereas social responsibility influenced psychological well-being among the Chinese donors. In both the Korean and Chinese groups, psychological well-being was associated with an increased regular sponsorship of African children. Latent ethno-cultural personal orientations appear to explain psychological well-being with donation activity.