The confederate's and others' self-conversion: a neglected phenomenon

The authors analyzed a neglected phenomenon: self-conversion. Rather than concentrating on the influence exerted by a confederate on a naive participant, the authors studied how the confederate is himself or herself influenced by the position that he or she defends at the request of the experimenter. This experiment is particularly revealing with respect to a fundamental aspect of the psychology of the proselytizing of minority groups: In the process of convincing others, one also convinces oneself. Exerting influence on others thus leads to self-conversion, which allows the group to reinforce its beliefs and to stand up to conformity pressures.     

Aging affects both perceptual and lexical/semantic components of word stem priming: An event-related fMRI study

In this event-related fMRI study, brain activity patterns were compared in extensive groups of young (N=25) and older (N=38) adults, while they were performing a word stem completion priming task. Based on behavioral findings, we tested the hypothesis that aging affects only the lexical/semantic, but not the perceptual component of word stem priming. To this end, we distinguished between priming-related activity reductions in posterior regions involved in visual processing, and regions associated with lexical/semantic retrieval processes, i.e., left lateral temporal and left prefrontal regions. Both groups revealed significant priming-related response time reductions. However, in accordance with earlier findings, a larger priming effect was found in the group of young participants. In line with previous imaging studies, the groups showed common priming-related activity reductions in the anterior cingulate, and the left inferior prefrontal cortex extending into the anterior portion of the left superior temporal gyrus, and at lower thresholds also in the right occipital lobe. However, when directly comparing the groups, greater priming-related reductions were found for the young group in the left anterior superior temporal gyrus and the right posterior occipital lobe. These findings suggest that, converse to current psychological views, aging affects both perceptual and lexical/semantic components of repetition priming.     

Social dominance and anti-immigrant prejudice: A cross-national and prospective test of the mediating role of assimilation,multiculturalism, colour blindness,and interculturalism

Decades of research have shown that social dominance orientation (SDO) is one of the most important predictors of anti-immigrant attitudes. However, the mechanisms through which SDO can explain prejudice have been studied insufficiently. Using rich and diverse samples from France and from the province of Québec in Canada, the present research provides a cross-national (N = 1,852) and prospective (N = 534) analysis of a theoretical model in which the dimensions of SDO are indirectly predicting anti-immigrant prejudice via the intergroup ideologies of assimilation, multiculturalism, colour blindness and interculturalism. Results showed that interculturalism, a hierarchy-attenuating ideology was found to be a robust mechanism to explain the subtle effects of SDO-E on anti-immigrant prejudice whereas assimilation, a hierarchy-enhancing ideology was playing a more important role to explain direct and blatant effects of SDO-D on prejudice. The two most studied diversity approaches, multiculturalism and colour blindness, were largely redundant once interculturalism was considered. This pattern occurred in both France and Québec hence, favouring the context-independent pathway.     

Increase in Syntaxin 1B mRNA in Hippocampal and Cortical Circuits During Spatial Learning Reflects a Mechanism of Trans-synaptic Plasticity Involved in Establishing a Memory Trace

It has long been proposed that the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for LTP may well involve the mechanisms that lead to the type of synaptic modification that occurs during learning. However, it is also known that a single memory trace is encoded in spatially distributed networks; implying that alterations of synaptic strength occur at multiple sites along circuits of connected cells. Recent evidence suggests that regulation of the gene encoding syntaxin 1B, a presynaptic protein involved in exocytosis, plays an important role in the mediation of trans-synaptic LTP, a candidate mechanism for the propagation of plasticity in neural circuits during learning. Using in situ hybridization to measure the mRNA levels at different time points after learning a spatial working or reference memory task, we show that expression of the gene encoding this protein in the hippocampal and corticoprefrontal circuits increases linearly with performance at a critical window of learning when rats are reaching between 75% and 100% of their maximal performance. No changes were observed during the early phases of learning or when rats where overtrained. The correlational analysis indicates that coordinated increases in syntaxin 1B expression occurs in hippocampal circuits during working memory and in more widespread hippocampocortical circuits during reference memory. These results suggest that a form of trans-synaptic plasticity mediated in part by regulation of the expression of syntaxin 1B may play an active role in configuring specific spatially distributed circuits during the laying down of memories.     

Liberal reformers or militant radicals: What are the effects of education in the social sciences?

The assertion by Baer and Lambert (1990) that social science training does not promote radicalism, is tested in two studies. The first, using a sample of politically active students from Montréal (N=68) and measures of radical ideology and political convictions, shows social science students are over-represented among politically active students, and more likely to espouse radical ideology and label themselves members of groups aiming to restructure society, than students from other fields. The second study compares first and third-year social science students from Toronto (N=99) on measures of radical ideology, attitudes toward groups favouring change or the status quo, and causal attributions regarding poverty and unemployment. Results suggest social science training fosters positive evaluations of groups seeking change, espousal of radical ideology, tendency to fault the system for social problems, decrease in tendency to fault individuals, and development of a coherent ideological framework. Implications for academic socialization theories and methodological issues are discussed. Université Blaise Pascal This research was supported in part by grants from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council and from the Academic Research Program of the Department of National Defence of Canada awarded to the first author. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the institutions with which they are affiliated. The authors would like to thank Dr. Stuart Lawson, at the Psychology Department at Queen's University, Kingston, for the use of his program comparing correlation matrices. We would also like to acknowledge the helpful comments of Editor Bruce J. Biddle.     

The picture-superiority effect in category-association tests

In two experiments we examined the picture-superiority effect in the framework of the transfer-appropriate processing approach recently advocated by Roediger, Weldon, and Challis (1989). For the first time conceptual implicit-memory task is used, i.e., category association. In Experiment 1, subjects study a mixed list of pictures and words and then receive either a category-association test or a category-cued recall test, followed by a recognition test. The results show that performance on category-cued recall, recognition, and category-association tests are better when the material is studied in picture format. In Experiment 2, we show that producing a sentence with the material studied (picture or word) eliminates the picture-superiority effect in the implicit test, but does not eliminate picture superiority in the category-cued recall test. These results suggest that conceptually driven processing plays a critical role in category association and explicit tests of memory. The results are discussed in the framework of the transfer-appropriate processing approach to memory.     

By name or by deed? Identifying the source of the feminist stigma

Prejudice and discrimination against feminists were explored across two contexts, a workplace and a social setting. We examined university students' reactions to a woman who called herself a feminist, behaved like a feminist by challenging sexism, did both, or did neither. In Study 1, participants (N = 177) evaluated a job candidate less favorably when she called herself a feminist after controlling for perceived assertiveness and participants' feminist self‐identification. However, our results showed no evidence of hiring discrimination. In Study 2, participants (N = 184) evaluated a peer less favorably and were less willing to befriend and date her when she called herself a feminist, controlling for perceived assertiveness. Participants were also less willing to befriend her when she behaved like a feminist. The contextual nature of the feminist stigma and the influence of perceived assertiveness are discussed.     

Assimilation,multiculturalism, and colorblindness: Mediated and moderated relationships between social dominance orientation and prejudice

Using correlational and experimental data, we examined the degree to which personal and perceived normative support for the acculturation ideologies of assimilation, multiculturalism, and colorblindness mediated and moderated the relationship between social dominance orientation (SDO) and prejudice among 299 White students at three American colleges. Correlational results indicated that personal support for the acculturation ideologies mediated the SDO–prejudice relationship. Personal support for assimilation (a hierarchy-enhancing ideology) positively related to SDO; multiculturalism and colorblindness (hierarchy-attenuating ideologies) negatively related to SDO. An experimental manipulation varied whether assimilation, multiculturalism, or colorblindness was considered normative in the United States. In addition to a control, a fifth condition primed the Obama presidency. SDO related most strongly to prejudice toward American immigrants and ethnic minorities when assimilation norms and the Obama presidency were primed. Efforts to reduce the associations between SDO and prejudice are discussed in terms of highlighting hierarchy-attenuating national norms of multiculturalism and colorblindness.     

Power and Legitimizing Ideologies in Hierarchy‐Enhancing vs. Hierarchy‐Attenuating Environments

According to social dominance theory, intergroup dynamics are strongly influenced by the social positions which individuals hold in society. Several studies suggest that holding a position of power can, sometimes automatically, generate negative attitudes and hostile behaviors toward subordinate social groups. However, at present, the studies carried out on these effects of power have not taken into account the influence of the normative context. Based on the distinction made by Sidanius and Pratto between “hierarchy‐enhancing” (HE) vs. “hierarchy‐attenuating” (HA) environments, this study examines if the effects of power on legitimizing cognitions vary as a function of the normative environment. A laboratory study and a study conducted in a natural environment confirm our hypothesis that individuals holding a powerful or dominant social role in a HE setting differ significantly from individuals holding an equally powerful role in a HA setting. The effects of power observed in past research probably resulted from studying power in hierarchy‐enhancing environments, but not in hierarchy‐attenuating ones.     

When false memories do not occur: Not thinking of the lure or remembering that it was not heard?

The aim of the present study was to evaluate two explanations for the non-occurrence of false memories in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. One explanation was that a critical lure is not recalled because the list failed to evoke it in the participant's mind. Another possible explanation was that the participant would identify the critical lure and would remember, at the time of recall, that the lure was not produced by an external source. In order to explore these two possible explanations for the non-occurrence of false memories, an experimental phase was added to the usual DRM paradigm: participants were asked to recall items they thought of but did not recall because these items were not members of the list presented by the experimenter. Among participants who did not recall the critical lure during the standard recall task, those who recalled the critical lure during the additional phase outnumbered those who did not recall it. This result is more consistent with the second explanation than with the first one.