Negative affect varying in motivational intensity influences scope of memory

Emotions influence cognitive processes involved in memory. While some research has suggested that cognitive scope is determined by affective valence, recent models of emotion–cognition interactions suggest that motivational intensity, rather than valence, influences these processes. The present research was designed to clarify how negative affects differing in motivational intensity impact memory for centrally or peripherally presented information. Experiments 1 & 2 found that, relative to a neutral condition, high intensity negative affect (anger) enhances memory for centrally presented information. Experiment 3 replicated this effect using another high intensity negative affect (threat). Experiment 4 extended this by finding that, relative to a neutral condition, low intensity negative affect (sadness) enhanced memory for peripherally presented information. Finally, in Experiment 5, the effects of sadness and threat on scope of memory were directly compared, finding that threat narrowed scope of memory, while sadness broadened scope of memory. Together, these results provide additional support for the motivational dimensional model of cognitive scope, in that high intensity emotions narrow cognitive scope, while low intensity emotions broaden cognitive scope.     

Motivating Political Participation Among Youth: An Analysis of Factors Related to Adolescents’ Political Engagement

Prior research has identified political efficacy and political interest as strong predictors of political participation, but few studies have examined these two attitudes in tandem or compared their relative importance vis‐à‐vis political participation. Drawing on the expectancy‐value model of motivation, we begin to address this research gap while also considering several related issues. Our sample includes a diverse group of high school students in grades 10, 11, and 12 (N = 422) from the midwestern United States. Through quantitative analyses of participants’ survey data, we found that political interest (a central aspect of value) and political efficacy (closely related to expectancy) predicted participants’ expected future political participation, controlling for background characteristics—and that political interest was a particularly strong predictor. In addition, we identified political‐engagement differences on various demographic measures, such as grade level. We also found a significant interaction between political interest and internal political efficacy, suggesting that high levels of both attitudes can have an especially positive effect on adolescents’ political participation. We discuss the implications of these findings for researchers and educators interested in fostering political engagement among youth.     

Motivated emotion and the rally around the flag effect: liberals are motivated to feel collective angst (like conservatives) when faced with existential threat

A careful look at societies facing threat reveals a unique phenomenon in which liberals and conservatives react emotionally and attitudinally in a similar manner, rallying around the conservative flag. Previous research suggests that this rally effect is the result of liberals shifting in their attitudes and emotional responses toward the conservative end. Whereas theories of motivated social cognition provide a motivation-based account of cognitive processes (i.e. attitude shift), it remains unclear whether emotional shifts are, in fact, also a motivation-based process. Herein, we propose that under threat, liberals are motivated to feel existential concern about their group’s future vitality (i.e. collective angst) to the same extent as conservatives, because this group-based emotion elicits support for ingroup protective action. Within the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, we tested and found support for this hypothesis both inside (Study 1) and outside (Study 2) the laboratory. We did so using a behavioural index of motivation to experience collective angst. We discuss the implications of our findings for understanding motivated emotion regulation in the context of intergroup threat.     

Pushing Archetypal Representational Systems Further

We revived Jung’s Archetypes to characterize what we see as an emerging confluence of evolutionary, embodied, and ecological responses to traditional cognitive models of mental representation. We propose that all humans possess archetypal representational systems that are (a) computationally grounded in perception and action, (b) shaped by learning and culture, and (c) biologically prepared by our ancestral past. Because these functionally modular systems arose in tandem with—and in response to—our increasingly complex social world, one implication is that even the most abstract issues studied in cognitive science may be, at least in part, scaffolded on more ancient social and emotional calculi.     

The Consumption Consequences of Couples Pooling Finances

When couples decide to share their lives, they must also decide how to pool their finances. In this article, we ask: Does the type of bank account from which one spends (joint vs. separate) affect the type of products one chooses to buy (utilitarian vs. hedonic)? Real‐world evidence from analyzing bank transaction records (study 5), as well as data collected from experiments in the field (studies 1 and 2) and lab (studies 3 and 4), converge to support the hypothesis that couple members who spend from a joint bank account are more likely to choose utilitarian (vs. hedonic) products, than those who spend from a separate bank account. We find that these different spending patterns are driven by an increased need to justify spending to one's partner that is experienced when money is pooled together. If a hedonic product becomes easier to justify (study 4), the effect of account type on spending patterns disappears. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications for better understanding financial decision‐making within romantic couples.     

How Regulatory Orientation and Feelings of Gratitude Shape Online Review Helpfulness

Online review helpfulness ratings are an important indicator of the impact of online reviews. Often times, helpfulness is explained in terms of observable qualities of online reviews that predict helpfulness ratings. This research proposes that focusing on the psychological processes that underlie helpfulness voting informs a better understanding of what shapes review helpfulness ratings. Specifically, because goal orientation influences information processing, consumers’ regulatory orientation interacts with review valence to determine review helpfulness. When review valence and regulatory orientation match, consumers are more likely to express helpfulness through voting. The findings show that this effect occurs at least in part because matching review valence and regulatory orientation instills feelings of gratitude towards the reviewer. As a consequence, consumers are more likely to reward the reviewer with a helpfulness vote to express their feeling of gratitude through actions. However, when reviewers actively state expectations of reciprocal behavior by readers, gratitude is reduced and so is the likelihood that a review receives a helpfulness vote. Evidence from five studies using review data and online experiments show support for these effects.     

直播营销中社会临场感对线上从众消费的影响及作用机理研究——行为与神经生理视角

研究以直播营销为背景, 引入产生于通讯领域的社会临场感概念, 在文献归纳分析的基础上首先探讨直播营销环境下社会临场感的内涵和构成; 之后基于从众消费理论通过行为实验的方法探究直播营销中社会临场感影响线上从众消费的认知机制; 进一步, 根据社会临场感理论探讨自我建构和消费者-主播关系强度在此过程中的调节作用; 最后基于社会助长理论, 利用神经科学方法客观性和“过程测量”的优势探索直播营销中社会临场感影响线上从众的情感机制。研究将揭示社会临场感影响线上从众消费行为的机理, 为直播播主和电商卖家提供指导的同时, 帮助消费者了解自我, 以做出更理性的消费决策。     

敌意归因偏向对反应性攻击的预测及报复动机的中介作用

敌意归因偏向指将模糊情境中他人的行为意图进行敌意归因的倾向,其被认为是导致攻击的主要认知因素,但还缺乏其与反应性、主动性攻击的纵向关系的考察,而且其影响反应性攻击的动力机制也不清楚。本研究通过两个子研究来分别回应这两个问题。研究1的纵向调查结果显示,敌意归因偏向只纵向预测反应性攻击,而不能跨时间地预测主动性攻击。研究2对另一批大学生的横断面调查发现,报复动机可以中介敌意归因偏向与反应性攻击的关系。研究结果提示,敌意归因偏向很可能主要是在反应性攻击的形成中起到重要作用,而对主动性攻击的影响不大,报复动机则很可能是这种作用背后的动力机制之一。     

动机视角下的亲组织不道德行为

亲组织不道德行为是近年来组织行为学界广泛关注的研究议题。但是, 关于亲组织不道德行为的概念内涵, 目前还存在一定模糊性。基于动机视角, 从亲组织不道德行为的定义、特征、动机、类型等方面, 对亲组织不道德行为的概念模糊性进行细致解构与深入剖析, 形成相对系统的亲组织不道德行为概念内涵; 并据此概念内涵背后的动机逻辑, 对现有的亲组织不道德行为影响因素进行分类梳理, 阐释其对亲组织不道德行为的影响机制; 最后, 从细分类型、测量工具、研究视角、影响因素、抑制机制、影响效应与本土化等方面为后续研究提供针对性的建议。     

基于自我决定理论的工作动机研究脉络及未来走向

对2018年5月为止基于自我决定理论的工作动机研究英文文献的系统检索得到了97篇实证研究样本。基于自我决定理论的核心假设, 运用“环境-基本心理需要-工作动机-结果”的理论模型对工作动机前因和结果的研究脉络进行了仔细地分析和归纳, 结果表明员工基本心理需要满足和自主性工作动机作为中介变量可解释自主性支持的工作环境和员工个体特征对工作行为、态度和心理健康的积极影响。将来的主要研究议题：一是对控制性工作环境具体因素对员工基本心理需要阻滞、控制性动机和去动机以及员工工作行为、态度和心理健康影响的研究; 二是不同动机类型对员工业绩、行为和态度影响的过程以及情境因素的研究; 三是外部奖励(包括薪酬、基于业绩的奖励等)对员工工作动机、基本心理需要、工作业绩和心理健康的影响及边界条件的深入研究。