Shake and Fake: the Role of Interview Anxiety in Deceptive Impression Management

We investigated whether anxiety about self-presentation concerns during interviews (i.e., interview anxiety) is associated with applicants’ use of deceptive impression management (IM) tactics. We examined the relationship between interview anxiety and deceptive IM, and we examined whether the personality traits of honesty-humility and extraversion would be indirectly related to deceptive IM through interview anxiety. Participants (N?=?202) were recruited after an interview for a research assistant position. Interview anxiety scores were positively related to deceptive IM. Furthermore, there was evidence of a negative indirect effect of honesty-humility on deceptive IM, via overall interview anxiety. Also, extraversion was indirectly associated with deceptive IM through interview anxiety. Results suggest that deceptive IM can be used as a protective mechanism to maintain self-esteem or to avoid the loss of rewards. This paper is the first to examine the role of interview anxiety in interview faking.

     

Investigating the Links Between Cultural Values and Belief in Conspiracy Theories: The Key Roles of Collectivism and Masculinity

Research suggests that belief in conspiracy theories (CT) stems from basic psychological mechanisms and is linked to other belief systems (e.g., religious beliefs). While previous research has extensively examined individual and contextual variables associated with CT beliefs, it has not yet investigated the role of culture. In the current research, we tested, based on a situated cultural cognition perspective, the extent to which culture predicts CT beliefs. Using Hofstede's model of cultural values, three nation-level analyses of data from 25, 19, and 18 countries using different measures of CT beliefs (Study 1, N = 5323; Study 2a, N = 12,255; Study 2b, N = 30,994) revealed positive associations between masculinity, collectivism, and CT beliefs. A cross-sectional study among U.S. citizens (Study 3, N = 350), using individual-level measures of Hofstede's values, replicated these findings. A meta-analysis of correlations across studies corroborated the presence of positive links between CT beliefs, collectivism, r = .31, 95% CI = [.15; .47], and masculinity, r = .39, 95% CI = [.18; .59]. Our results suggest that in addition to individual differences and contextual variables, cultural factors also play an important role in shaping CT beliefs.     

Cognitive Behavioral Training Using a Mobile Application Reduces Body Image-Related Symptoms in High-Risk Female University Students: A Randomized Controlled Study

Body dissatisfaction is prevalent in young women, and is associated with symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and eating disorders (EDs). The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of a mobile application, based on cognitive behavioral principles, in reducing body dissatisfaction and BDD/ED symptoms in female university students considered at high-risk of developing body image disorders (BIDs). Fifty university students at high-risk of developing BIDs (using self-report questionnaires assessing BIDs and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Clinical Version) were randomized in two groups: immediate-use App group (iApp group; n = 25) and delayed-use App group (dApp group; n = 25). The iApp group started using the app at baseline for 16 days (T0 to T1). The dApp group waited for 16 days before starting to use the app (T1 to T2). Participants completed questionnaires at baseline (T0), 16 days from baseline (T1), and 32 days from baseline (T2). Repeated measure Analyses of Variance (ANOVAs) showed a Group (iApp vs. dApp) × Time (T0 vs. T1) interaction on BDD symptoms indicating medium effect size (partial eta squared) reductions in the iApp group compared to dApp group at T1; post-intervention means for BDD symptoms were under the cut-off for extreme body dissatisfaction/BDD symptoms in both groups. Pertaining to ED symptoms, no significant Group × Time interaction was detected. Training 3 minutes a day for 16 days with a CBT-based mobile application may lead to reductions in some forms of body dissatisfaction, including BDD symptoms in female university students at high-risk of developing BIDs. On the other hand, effects of the intervention on ED symptoms seem more limited.     

The role of intonation for interrogative suggestibility

The detrimental consequences of suggestive witness manipulation have been frequently discussed in the literature. Notably, these discussions have been limited to the consequences of suggestive question types and interrogator conduct. This study is the first to investigate the influence of interrogator's intonation on interrogative suggestibility. Specifically, utilizing a modified German version of the forensic Gudjonsson suggestibility scale as dependent variable, we experimentally manipulated phrase‐final contours (low vs. high) and accentuation of details (neutral vs. emphatic) in the questions of the interrogator in a student sample (N = 88). Phrase‐final falling intonation contours increased suggestibility both through suggestive questions and through negative feedback. In contrast, accentuation of selected details increased only the latter. The combination of both tonal patterns only partially influenced suggestive response behavior after the exposure to interrogative pressure. However, particularly the combination of phrase‐final rising and neutral intonation consistently led to lowest interrogative suggestibility. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and applied implications for forensic contexts.     

Problematic donation procedures vs. futuristic research and treatment applications: A dichotomous social representation of stem cells in Italy

IntroductionCurrently, stem cells (SC) are one of the most studied issues of medical research as well as a widespread, complex, socially and ethically relevant issue.ObjectiveThe general aim of the present study is to explore how social representations (SR) of SC is different for people more or less willing to donate SC, also comparing bone marrow SC (BMSC) donation and umbilical cord blood SC (UCBSC) donation.MethodA paper-and-pencil survey was administrated to 78 Italian respondents. A structural analysis of SC-SRs (prototypical and co-occurrence analysis) was conducted comparing people with a high/low intention to donate UCBSC/BMSC.ResultsSimilarly to other bioethically relevant issues, SR of SC seems to be ambivalent and dichotomously organized, with the donation procedure been a barrier.ConclusionThese results are in line with studies finding two sets of dichotomies: on the one hand, a gift-of-life/replacement-of-body-parts dichotomy coexisting within people's SR of organ donation; on the other hand, a help/pain and needle dichotomy within blood donation's SR. Directions for future research are suggested.     

Are systemizing and autistic traits related to talent and interest in mathematics and engineering? Testing some of the central claims of the empathizing–systemizing theory

In two experiments, we tested some of the central claims of the empathizing–systemizing (E‐S) theory. Experiment 1 showed that the systemizing quotient (SQ) was unrelated to performance on a mathematics test, although it was correlated with statistics‐related attitudes, self‐efficacy, and anxiety. In Experiment 2, systemizing skills, and gender differences in these skills, were more strongly related to spatial thinking styles than to SQ. In fact, when we partialled the effect of spatial thinking styles, SQ was no longer related to systemizing skills. Additionally, there was no relationship between the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the SQ, or skills and interest in mathematics and mechanical reasoning. We discuss the implications of our findings for the E‐S theory, and for understanding the autistic cognitive profile.     

Culture and the distinctiveness motive: constructing identity in individualistic and collectivistic contexts

The motive to attain a distinctive identity is sometimes thought to be stronger in, or even specific to, those socialized into individualistic cultures. Using data from 4,751 participants in 21 cultural groups (18 nations and 3 regions), we tested this prediction against our alternative view that culture would moderate the ways in which people achieve feelings of distinctiveness, rather than influence the strength of their motivation to do so. We measured the distinctiveness motive using an indirect technique to avoid cultural response biases. Analyses showed that the distinctiveness motive was not weaker-and, if anything, was stronger-in more collectivistic nations. However, individualism-collectivism was found to moderate the ways in which feelings of distinctiveness were constructed: Distinctiveness was associated more closely with difference and separateness in more individualistic cultures and was associated more closely with social position in more collectivistic cultures. Multilevel analysis confirmed that it is the prevailing beliefs and values in an individual's context, rather than the individual's own beliefs and values, that account for these differences.     

The disguise of sobriety: unveiled by alcohol in persons with an aggressive personality

This investigation examined the factor structure of 8 well-validated self-report measures that assess traits that fall under the rubric of an "aggressive personality" and then determined how those factor(s) moderated the association between alcohol intoxication and aggression. Participants were 518 (252 men and 266 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. Following the consumption of an alcoholic or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a laboratory aggression paradigm in which electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent. Aggression was operationalized as the shock intensities and durations administered to the opponent. Results demonstrated a unidimensional factor structure for the aggressive personality traits, which were then combined into a latent variable. The aggressive personality variable moderated the alcohol-aggression relation. Specifically, alcohol was significantly more likely to increase aggression in persons with higher, compared with lower, aggressive personality scores.     

A Composite Likelihood Inference in Latent Variable Models for Ordinal Longitudinal Responses

The paper proposes a composite likelihood estimation approach that uses bivariate instead of multivariate marginal probabilities for ordinal longitudinal responses using a latent variable model. The model considers time-dependent latent variables and item-specific random effects to be accountable for the interdependencies of the multivariate ordinal items. Time-dependent latent variables are linked with an autoregressive model. Simulation results have shown composite likelihood estimators to have a small amount of bias and mean square error and as such they are feasible alternatives to full maximum likelihood. Model selection criteria developed for composite likelihood estimation are used in the applications. Furthermore, lower-order residuals are used as measures-of-fit for the selected models.     

Gender differences in implicit gender self‐categorization lead to stronger gender self‐stereotyping by women than by men

It was hypothesized that, in natural group contexts, low‐status in‐group membership would be highly accessible, whereas membership to high‐status groups would not. Therefore, gender group membership was predicted to be more accessible for women than for men. It was further hypothesized that the high accessibility of gender group membership would lead to stronger self‐stereotyping for women than for men. To measure the accessibility of gender group membership, participants performed a Gender Self‐Categorization Implicit Association Test (Studies 1 and 2), measuring the strength of automatic associations between the self and the gender in‐group. Participants also performed a Self‐Stereotyping Implicit Association Test (Study 2), assessing the strength of automatic associations between the self and the stereotypical traits of the in‐group. As expected, implicit gender self‐categorization and implicit gender self‐stereotyping were stronger for women than for men. Importantly, implicit gender self‐categorization mediated the relation between gender and self‐stereotyping. Therefore, implicit gender self‐categorization was the mechanism underlying stronger implicit self‐stereotyping by women. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.