Psychological Comparison Processes and Self-Concept in Relation to Five Distinct Frame-of-Reference Effects: Pan-Human Cross-Cultural Generalizability over 68 Countries

The concept of self is central to personhood, but personality research has largely ignored the relevance of recent advances in self-concept theory: multidimensionality of self-concept (focusing instead on self-esteem, an implicit unidimensional approach), domain specificity (generalizability of trait manifestations over different domains), and multilevel perspectives in which social-cognitive processes and contextual effects drive self-perceptions at different levels (individual, group/institution, and country) aligned to Bronfenbrenner's ecological model. Here, we provide theoretical and empirical support for psychological comparison processes that influence self-perceptions and their relation to distal outcomes. Our meta-theoretical integration of social and dimensional comparison theories synthesizes five seemingly paradoxical frame-of-reference and contextual effects in self-concept formation that occur at different levels. The effects were tested with a sample of 485,490 fifteen-year-old students (68 countries/regions, 18,292 schools). Consistent with the dimensional comparison theory, the effects on math self-concept were positive for math achievement but negative for verbal achievement. Consistent with the social comparison theory, the effects on math self-concept were negative for school-average math achievement (big-fish-little-pond effect), country-average achievement (paradoxical cross-cultural effect), and being young relative to year in school but positive for school-average verbal achievement (big-fish-little-pond effect—compensatory effect). We demonstrate cross-cultural generalizability/universality of support for predictions and discuss implications for personality research. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology     

“Who said it?” How contextual information influences perceived profundity of meaningful quotes and pseudo-profound bullshit

Psychological research on pseudo-profound bullshit—randomly assembled buzz words plugged into a syntactic structure—has only recently begun. Most such research has focused on dispositional traits, such as thinking styles or political orientation. However, none has investigated contextual factors. In two studies, we introduce a new paradigm by investigating the contextual effect on pseudo-profound bullshit and meaningful quotes. In Study 1, all participants rated the profundity of statements in three contexts: (a) isolated, (b) as allegedly said by a famous author, or (c) within a vignette (short story). Study 2 serves as a conceptual replication in which participants rated statements in only one of three contexts. Overall, our results demonstrate that although contextual information such as author's name increases the perceived profundity of bullshit, it has an inconsistent effect on meaningful quotes. The present study helps to better understand the bullshit receptivity while offering a new line of research.     

Mechanism underlying the self-enhancement effect of voice attractiveness evaluation: self-positivity bias and familiarity effect

The aim of the present study was to determine whether the self-enhancement effect of voice attractiveness evaluation is due to general self-positivity bias and/or the familiarity effect. The participants were asked to rate the attractiveness of their own voice, a friend's voice and strangers' voices. In addition, a self-reference valence (SR-valence) task was adopted in the experiment. Significant self-enhancement effects in voice attractiveness ratings were demonstrated, regardless of whether the participants recognized their self-voice or not. However, the friend-enhancement effect was found in only those participants who successfully recognized their friend's voice. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between self-positivity bias in the SR-valence task and the self-enhancement effect (but not the friend-enhancement effect). Our findings suggest that both the familiarity effect and self-positivity bias account for the vocal self-enhancement effect, and the influence of self-positivity bias could be implicit. The present study thus provides empirical evidence to clarify the potential explanations for the self-enhancement of voice attractiveness assessment.     

Changes in colour and location as cues of generative transmission in perception of causality

Observers viewed modified launching effect displays containing a spatial gap between the final location of the launcher (a black square) and the initial location of the target (a black outline square with a white interior). In some conditions, a set of stationary objects (black outline squares with white interiors) filled the spatial gap, and these objects began changing colour upon contact from the launcher. The colour changes could involve all gap objects turning black, the first gap object turning dark grey and subsequent gap objects turning successively lighter grey, or first gap object turning light grey and subsequent gap objects turning successively darker grey. The colour changes could move from the launcher to the target or from the target to the launcher. The gap objects could also remain unchanged. Participants rated whether the launcher caused subsequent motion of the target and how much force the launcher imparted to the target. The sequence of colour changes, and the sequence of locations in which colour changes occurred, influenced ratings; sequences of colour changes consistent with the idea that influence of the launcher was transmitted across gap objects to the target resulted in higher ratings. Implications for visual perception of causality are discussed.     

Particle swarm optimised analysis of investment decision

A portfolio forecasting model based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm with automatic factor scaling is proposed in this Article to effectively improve the accuracy of related analysis model in portfolio application. Firstly, the portfolio problem is analyzed and a hybrid constraint portfolio model is obtained by improving portfolio model with consideration of general portfolio model and combination of market value constraint and upper bound constraint according to Markowitz's theory. Secondly, PSO algorithm is introduced during analysis on portfolio model and solution is found with the hybrid constraint portfolio model of PSO on portfolio. In addition, in order to further improve the performance of PSO in model solution, automatic factor scaling is used for adaptive learning on parameters associated with PSO, to improve convergence of the algorithm. At last, simulation experiments show that the algorithm proposed can obtain a more ideal investment portfolio scheme, thereby reducing investment risks and obtaining greater investment returns.     

情绪性记忆的定向遗忘效应

刺激的情绪性具有增强记忆的效果,那么,带有情绪信息的刺激对遗忘又会产生怎样的影响？已有研究从行为及认知神经机制层面探讨了情绪性刺激对定向遗忘效应的影响,但结果并不一致。总结已有文献发现,以情绪性刺激的材料类型、情绪效价、唤醒度和熟悉度为主的客观因素和以被试的情绪状态为主的主观因素均为影响定向遗忘效应产生及其稳定性的重要原因。这类研究是对有意遗忘研究领域的重要补充,也加深了人们对有意遗忘机制的理解。     

羞怯与受欺负:社交回避与被他人容纳的多重中介效应

采用大学生羞怯量表、被他人容纳量表、大学生社交回避及苦恼量表和欺负问卷测量了369名大学生,探讨社交回避和被他人容纳在羞怯与受欺负之间的作用。结果表明:(1)羞怯、社交回避和受欺负三个变量彼此之间均呈显著正相关,这三个变量与被他人容纳均呈显著负相关;(2)羞怯不仅直接影响受欺负,也通过社交回避-被他人容纳的链式中介作用间接影响受欺负。     

社会支持对大学生社会幸福感的影响—希望的中介作用

基于积极心理学,采用问卷调查法,对1098名大学生进行调查,探讨社会支持对社会幸福感的影响,并基于希望进行中介效应检验,借此构建三个变量之间的关系模型,探索促进大学生心理健康发展的内在机制。结果表明:社会支持、希望与社会幸福感之间两两相关显著; 社会支持和希望及其各维度,显著正向影响大学生的社会幸福感; 社会支持通过希望影响大学生社会幸福感水平。研究结果证实了希望在社会支持影响社会幸福感中起部分中介作用的心理机制,为大学生心理健康教育提供了参考建议。