Stereotype content of refugee subgroups in Germany

Stereotypes of refugee subgroups are still understudied. We contribute to this body of research by investigating differences in stereotype content, meaning warmth and competence ratings, of refugee subgroups in Germany (N = 264). Most extant Stereotype Content Model research is based on observed warmth and competence mean values. We applied latent variable modelling using the alignment optimisation to ensure meaningful and reliable mean value comparisons. Generic refugees were rated as lacking warmth and competence. Warmth assessments of refugee subgroups varied depending on flight motives, geographical origin, and religious affiliation, implying that perceptions of threat and competition differed between these subgroups. Fewer differences emerged in competence assessments, indicating that refugee groups are generally regarded as lacking status. Our results enhance knowledge of the stereotype content of refugee subgroups and make a methodological contribution to stereotype content research.     

Modeling the emergence of informational content by adaptive networks for temporal factorisation and criterial causation

Propagated activation of neurons through their network is an important process in the brain. Another crucial part of neural processing concerns adaptation over time of characteristics of this network such as connection strengths or excitability thresholds. This adaptation can be slow, as in learning from a multiple experiences, or it can be fast, as in memory formation. These adaptive network characteristics can be considered informational criteria for activation of a neuron. This then is viewed as a form of emergent information formation. Activation of neurons is determined by such information via a process termed criterial causation. In the current paper, the relationship of criterial causation with the principle of temporal factorisation for the dynamics of the world in general is explored. Temporal factorisation describes how the world represents information about its past in its present state, which then in turn determines the world’s future. In the paper, it is shown how these processes are analysed in more detail and modeled by (adaptive) network models.     

Benevolent ageism: Attitudes of overaccommodative behavior toward older women

ABSTRACT

Stereotypes of older adults fit a paternalistic pattern, including elevated warmth and lowered competence, yet little effort has been made to elucidate this in an everyday context. This phenomenon was examined with an experimental vignette, in which a woman was offered unnecessary help; specifically, the age (young vs. old) and the independence (accepting vs. declining assistance) of the woman were manipulated. Attributions from a college-age sample toward the woman were examined. In the older conditions, hypotheses were confirmed that participants approved overaccommodative behaviors, endorsed higher warmth and lower competence, and attitudes were modified when the older women contradicted the paternalistic stereotype by declining assistance. That is, competence was modifiable for older women, whereas warmth was not. Implications of these findings as possible evidence of benevolent ageism and the malleability of the Stereotype Content Model are discussed.     

Behavioural interventions for micro-mobility adoption: Low-hanging fruits or hard nuts to crack?

This study explores the potential and challenges of applying behavioural interventions to promote micro-mobility adoption. Our online experiments with New York City residents showed that nudges and faming improved respondents’ willingness to adopt e-scooters significantly. Moreover, our experiments spanned over the pre-, during- and post- COVID-19 lockdown period in New York City. Findings from this natural experiment revealed that the effect of these behavioural interventions varied significantly during the pandemic, likely due to a heightened level of health consciousness and a new perspective regarding social interactions. Behavioural tools cannot be taken off-the-shelf and applied as a blanket policy. Individual and group characteristics have to be assessed to devise the pre-eminent behavioural interventions for a particular target audience. More experiments across a wide range of economic, social, cultural, and political settings are needed to guide the application of behavioural interventions in transportation studies.