The chameleon effect,the temporal aspects of mimicry and their impact on service measurement

BackgroundIn an experiment conducted in a natural setting, we test the link between mimicry, the amount of time during which the mimicry behavior takes place, and its impact on service quality.MethodsCable TV clients (n = 120) were randomly assigned to six experimental conditions (2 mimicry conditions: verbal mimicry vs. no mimicry x 3 interaction time: 5 vs. 10 vs. 15 minutes). Perceived service quality served as the dependent measurement.ResultsA main effect of mimicry was found on service quality: a cable TV representative was perceived more favorably when he mimicked the customer. Importantly, it was shown that even small portions of mimicry are beneficial, meaning that practitioners do not have to mimic someone for a long time to achieve benefits.ConclusionThe paper shows new benefits for the mimicker: more positive judgments by the mimickee regarding the impact on several different levels of service quality.     

Validation and study of psychometric properties of a French version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS-FR)

IntroductionThe Highly Sensitive Person Scale based on the sensory-processing sensitivity is a self-assessment questionnaire consisting of 27 items. The scale is designed in order to identify individuals with high sensitivity.ObjectiveThe objective was to develop a French version of the scale. We tested its internal consistency and test-retest reliability on a French population sample. Another aim of this study was also to question the multidimensionality of the scale, for which several different models are suggested within the literature.MethodAfter translation and back-translation, a validation study was conducted on 814 adults. They were invited to complete an online questionnaire during the lockdown implemented due to COVID 19, between March 31st and May 11th (2020).ResultsThe internal reliability of the French version of HSPS was very good, with a Cronbach's alpha of .90, as was that of the factors. Correlations between factors were significant (p < .001). The intra-class correlation (ICC) for test-retest was .889 (0.874–0.903; 95% confidence interval). Factor analyses suggested a 4-factors structure, mixing the models found in the literature.ConclusionsThis study focused on a French adaptation of the HSPS scale. The results showed good psychometric qualities and stayed true to the original HSPS scale. The scale could be useful both to practitioners in their clinical practice and to researchers in fundamental research.     

When does commitment backfire: Linking employee continuance commitment to silence behavior

IntroductionExtant studies on organizational commitment emphasize affective organizational commitment and consequently ignore the unique role of continuance organizational commitment. To determine whether high continuance commitment is beneficial, we employed conservation of resources theory to explore how continuance commitment leads to emotional exhaustion and silent behavior.ObjectiveThis study examines the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion on the relationship between continuance commitment and silence behavior, and the moderating role of age.MethodWe recruited 157 employees in China to complete a three-wave survey measuring continuance commitment, emotional exhaustion and silence behavior, respectively.ResultsOur results show that continuance commitment is positively related to emotional exhaustion and, in turn, triggers more silent behavior, especially for those old employees; the indirect effect is more significant.ConclusionAlthough employers intend to keep human resources, this study indicates that continuance commitment may bring negative consequences. Moreover, old age will magnify the effect of continuance commitment on emotional exhaustion and further strengthen silence behavior.     

Reconnaissance en traduction et homographie interlangue

Several studies on bilingual word recognition have shown effects of word similarity between languages. Cognate words (translation equivalents with identical or near-identical forms like LIBRE in French and Spanish) are generally recognized and translated faster than non-cognates (translation equivalents with different forms). In this study, a translation recognition task (de Groot, 1992) was used in which participants (French-Spanish bilinguals) had to decide whether two words presented on a computer screen were translations or not. In Experiment 1, translation equivalents were identical cognates (same form: CIVIL-CIVIL [civil in Spanish]) and non-cognates (different forms: DANSE-BAILE [dance in Spanish]). All non-translation equivalents had different forms (TABLE [table in French]-AMIGO [friend in Spanish]). We observed a facilitation effect for cognate pairs which were processed faster than non-cognate pairs. In Experiment 2, we used the same material for translation equivalents (cognates and non-cognates) and two types of non-translation equivalents: interlingual homographs (same form but different meanings: CREER [create in French]-CREER [believe in Spanish]) and non-homographic non-translation pairs (different forms between languages) as used in Experiment 1. When the non-translation pairs shared the same form (interlingual homographs), they were rejected more slowly than other non-translation pairs. Moreover, contrary to Experiment 1, due to the presence of interlingual homographs in the experimental lists, the facilitation effect for cognate pairs was not replicated. The results suggest that all homographs (cognates and interlingual homographs) have a special status in bilingual memory (due to their lexical and/or semantic overlap) but their processing also depends on task demands and experimental list composition. Our results are in line with the distributed conceptual feature model of bilingual memory ( [de Groot, 1992] and [van Hell et de Groot, 1998] ). This model can explain facilitation and inhibition effects due to different overlaps between words (in both lexical and semantic levels). However, our results lead us to distinguish identification processes and decisional processes in this task as described in the BIA+ model (Dijkstra and van Heuven, 2002).     

La croyance au monde juste comme facteur explicatif de diverses réactions à des injustices professionnelles

The belief in a just world is defined as the tendency to consider that “people get what they deserve and deserve what they get”, i.e. to consider that the world is, globally, a place of justice. Facing an individual unjustly victim of negative events and for whom it seems impossible to restore the justice objectively, we frequently deny the existence of the unjustice, even if we say the responsible of what he gets. But if we can react by adopting “passive” reactions (using the victim’s moral or behavioral responsibility, as in Lerner, or evocating a future favoring the victim,..), we can also adopt “active” strategies which can lead to an objective re-establishment of the justice. In the present study, we examined the influence of the degree of the belief in the just world on the selected strategy facing professional injustices. And effectively, our results indicate a some preferences in the use of such or strategy, preferences accentuated by the gender and the professional statute.     

Apocalyptic themes in times of trouble: when young men are deeply alienated

Boys and young men more frequently live out aspects of their psychic and social alienation online. This paper explores some of the risks and dangers that can arise from retreats into the two-dimensional world of cyberspace. It focuses more specifically on videogaming called MOBA, multi-player online battle arena games, in which players point and shoot at others. A case example emphasizes the clinical problems emerging from violent fantasies that seek a false form of containment in cyberspace. Themes of destructive fantasizing are further amplified through images of apocalypse, which are often prevalent in combat arena videogames. Textual sources from the Book of Revelation offer possible understanding for various elements of destructiveness as it appears in vulnerable male psyches. Therapeutic contact that combines a relational, containing approach and a broadly spiritual and soulful perspective can provide a path to healing such violent splits within the psyches of boys and young men.     

Early childhood education and crime

This article presents new evidence on the crime-reducing impacts of a high-quality, intensive early childhood program with long-term follow-up, evaluated by a randomized controlled trial. Proportionately, more women than men decrease their criminal activity after participating in the program. This gender difference arises because of the worse home environments for girls, with corresponding greater scope for improvement by the program. For both genders, treatment effects are larger for the least-advantaged children, as measured by their mother's education at baseline. The dollar value of the social cost of criminal activity averted is higher for men because they commit more costly violent crimes.