Social value orientation and intelligence: A test of the goal prescribes rationality principle

The present study examines the influence of pre-existing individual differences in social value orentations, or preferences for certain patterns of outcomes to oneself and others (McClintock, 1978), on perceptions of rationality in a social dilemma. In Experiment 1 conducted in Groningen (the Netherlands), it was found that people with pro-social orientations expected more cooperation from another described as intelligent than from another described as unintelligent, whereas individualists and competitors expected relatively more cooperation from another described as unintelligent. The cross-cultural generalizability of this finding was examined and supported in Experiment 2 which was conducted in Santa Barbara (U.S.A.). Results from both studies are consistent with the Goal Prescribes Rationality Principle (Van Lange, Liebrand and Kuhlman, 1990) which assumes that people with pro-social (cooperative) orientations would perceive rationality in social dilemmas primarily from the collective perspective, whereas individualists and competitors would take a strong egocentric perspective on rationality. In addition, we found a strong relationship between expectations of other's cooperation and own cooperative behaviour when the other was described as intelligent. The strength of this relationship was reduced, particularly for individualists and competitors, when the other person was described as unintelligent.     

Personal relevance and the human right hemisphere.

Brain damage can selectively disrupt or distort information and ability across the range of human behaviors. One domain that has not been considered as an independent attribute consists of acquisition and maintenance of personal relevant entities such as "familiar" faces, persons, voices, names, linguistic expressions, handwriting, topography, and so on. In experimental studies of normal mentation, personal relevance is revealed in studies of emotion, arousal, affect, preference and familiarity judgments, and memory. Following focal brain damage, deficits and distortions in the experience of personal relevance, as well as in recognizing formerly personally relevant phenomena, are well known to occur. A review and interpretation of these data lead to a proposal that the right hemisphere has a special role in establishing, maintaining, and processing personally relevant aspects of the individual's world.     

Detection of symmetry in tachistoscopically presented dot patterns: Effects of multiple axes and skewing

We examined the effects of multiple axes and skewing on the detectability of symmetry in tachistoscopically presented (100-msec) dot patterns to test the role of normal grouping processes based on higher order regularities in element positions. In addition to the first-order regularities of orientational uniformity and midpoint collinearity (Jenkins, 1983), bilateral symmetry (BS) gives rise to second-order relations between two pairs of symmetric elements (represented by correlation quadrangles). We suggest that they allow the regularity (i.e., BS) to emerge simply as a result of the position-based grouping that takes place normally, so that no special symmetry-detection mechanism has to be postulated. In combination with previously investigated variables— number and orientation of axes—we introduced skewing (resulting from orthographic projection of BS) to manipulate the kind and number of higher order regularities. In agreement with our predictions, the data show that the effect of skewing angle (varied at three 15° steps, clockwise and counterclockwise) on the preattentive detectability of symmetry (measured with d’) increases as the number of axes decreases. On the basis of some more specific findings, we suggest that it is not as much the number of correlation quadrangles that determines the saliency of a regularity as it is the degree to which they facilitate or “bootstrap” each other.     

The relationship between assertion and sociometric status of children

A correlational study was conducted in an effort to examine the relationship between children's level of assertive skill and their social (sociometric) status. The Ss were 15 male and 15 female elementary school children ranging in age from 9 to 11 yr. Each S was administered: (a) positive and negative peer nominations and roster and rating scale sociometrics; (b) self-report questionnaires concerning their assertive behavior; and (c) standardized interviews to assess knowledge of assertive behavior. In addition, teachers' ratings of children's interpersonal behavior were obtained. Results indicated some degree of correspondence between assertion indices and sociometric ratings. However, correlation coefficients generally were in the low-to-moderate range. Also, several scales from children's self-report and teacher's ratings of children's assertive behavior differentiated high- and low-popular children. Results are discussed in terms of: (1) the utility of employing multiple criteria in assessing social functioning of children; and (2) the need to determine empirically the relevance of assertive and other interpersonal skills in childrens' social repertoires.     

Escalating schedules of incentives increase physical activity with no differences between deposit and no-deposit groups: A systematic replication

Physical inactivity has increasingly affected public health in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic as it is associated with chronic diseases such as arthritis, cancer, and heart disease. Contingency management has been shown to increase physical activity. Therefore, the present study sought to evaluate the effects of an escalating schedule of monetary reinforcement with a reset contingency on physical activity, as compared between 2 counterbalanced groups in which a monetary deposit of $25 was either required (deposit group) or not (no-deposit group). Twenty-five adults wore Fitbit accelerometers to monitor step counts. An ABA reversal design was used; in the 2 baseline phases, no programmed contingencies were in place for step counts. During intervention, step goals were set using a modified 70^th percentile schedule with a 7-day window: Reaching the first goal would result in $0.25, and incentives increased by $0.25 for each subsequent day in which the goal was met. Failure to reach a goal resulted in a reset of the monetary incentive value to $0.25. Ten out of 12 participants from the deposit group were determined to be responders to intervention, whereas 8 out of 13 participants from the no-deposit group were determined to be responders to intervention. Overall, there were no significant differences between the groups' step counts. However, the deposit group's intervention was cheaper to implement, which suggests that deposit contracts are a viable modification for physical activity interventions.     

Teaching behavior analysts in an early intensive behavioral intervention setting to conduct a structured mealtime protocol

Children with autism spectrum disorder often display feeding problems, such as consumption of a limited variety of foods. It is also common for these children to be enrolled in early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) services for comprehensive treatment. Combined, these factors make it possible that behavior analysts will have a role in a child's clinical care related to feeding. However, given that the etiology of pediatric feeding disorders is complex and multifactorial, clinicians should ensure they have sufficient training and a setting that is appropriate for assessment and treatment. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training in an EIBI setting to conduct a structured mealtime protocol. Training resulted in increases in procedural integrity, and we replicated these effects for all participants.     

Parenting typologies in Georgian and Belgian adolescents: Associations with self-esteem

The parenting context is of fundamental importance for the optimal development of adolescents. Making use of a person-centered approach, we derived parenting typologies from the perspective of Georgian and Belgian adolescents based on four dimensions of perceived parenting (responsiveness, structure, psychological control, and autonomy support). Further, we examined how perceived parenting typologies were associated with adolescents' self-esteem. The study sample included 511 Georgian and 830 Belgian adolescents (N = 1341; 48% female). A cluster-analytic procedure on the full sample was conducted separately for mothers and fathers. The analysis yielded five parenting typologies: Supportive—Highly structuring (high responsiveness and structure), Highly structuring—Moderately controlling (high structure and psychological control, moderate—responsiveness), Supportive—Low structuring/controlling (high responsiveness and autonomy support, low structure and psychological control), Highly controlling (very high psychological control, low responsiveness and autonomy support) and Uninvolved (low on all dimensions). Results indicated that the Highly structuring—Moderately controlling paternal cluster was more prevalent in the Belgian sample. A country-moderating effect was found with the paternal Uninvolved profile associated with low levels of self-esteem in Belgian adolescents, but with moderate levels of self-esteem in Georgian adolescents.