The effect of positive affect on conflict resolution: Modulated by approach-motivational intensity

The motivational dimensional model of affect proposes that the influence of positive affect on cognitive processing is modulated by approach-motivational intensity. The present research extended this model by examining the influence of positive affect varying in approach-motivational intensity on conflict resolution—the ability to resolve interference from task-irrelevant distractors in order to focus on the target. The global–local task (Experiment 1) and letter-Flanker task (Experiment 2) were used to measure conflict resolution. Additionally, the 4:2 mapping design that assigns two kinds of task-relevant stimuli to one response key and two more to another response key was used in these two tasks to dissociate stimulus and response conflict. Results showed that positive affect varying in approach motivation had opposite influences on conflict resolution. The opposite influences are primarily reflected in low approach-motivated positive affect impairing, while high approach-motivated positive affect facilitating the resolution of response conflict. Conversely, the stimulus conflict was slightly influenced. These findings highlight the utility of distinguishing stimulus and response conflict in future research.     

合作还是冲突?组合代言中代言人关系类型对广告效果的影响

在营销实践中,多位代言人同时出现在一则广告中的组合代言广告日益增多,却很少有研究关注。本文探究了组合代言中代言人关系类型(合作型组合代言vs.冲突型组合代言)对广告效果的影响。研究发现,相对于合作型组合代言,冲突型组合代言会产生更好的广告效果;这种作用是通过消费者感知到的广告生动性所中介的;消费者的情感强度可以调节这种作用,对于情感强度较高的消费者,冲突型组合代言能产生更好的广告效果,而对于情感强度较低的消费者没有显著影响;此外,代言人之间的差异程度也可以起到调节作用,即当消费者对组合代言中代言人们的评价相差较小时,冲突型组合代言能提升广告效果,当对代言人们的评价相差较大时,则没有显著的促进作用。文章还对这些发现的理论贡献、营销启示和未来研究方向进行了讨论。     

“GOING TO THE DOGS”: CANID ETHOLOGY AND THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION

Abstract. Theological reflection often treats animals in the very broadest terms and establishes a dramatic difference between humans and animals. Empirical observations, however, describe animals and their relationship to humans in more nuanced ways. Marc Bekoff's science, which integrates ethology and ecology, generates a view of the complex social behaviors of animals and entails observations about difference. Dialogue with Bekoff's sensitive awareness of animal behavior is the occasion to construct a theology of nature that is better informed about diversity among animals and differences within and among species.     

Natural reference: A phylo‐ and ontogenetic perspective on the comprehension of iconic gestures and vocalizations

The recognition of iconic correspondence between signal and referent has been argued to bootstrap the acquisition and emergence of language. Here, we study the ontogeny, and to some extent the phylogeny, of the ability to spontaneously relate iconic signals, gestures, and/or vocalizations, to previous experience. Children at 18, 24, and 36 months of age (N = 216) and great apes (N = 13) interacted with two apparatuses, each comprising a distinct action and sound. Subsequently, an experimenter mimicked either the action, the sound, or both in combination to refer to one of the apparatuses. Experiments 1 and 2 found no spontaneous comprehension in great apes and in 18‐month‐old children. At 24 months of age, children were successful with a composite vocalization‐gesture signal but not with either vocalization or gesture alone. At 36 months, children succeeded both with a composite vocalization‐gesture signal and with gesture alone, but not with vocalization alone. In general, gestures were understood better compared to vocalizations. Experiment 4 showed that gestures were understood irrespective of how children learned about the corresponding action (through observation or self‐experience). This pattern of results demonstrates that iconic signals can be a powerful way to establish reference in the absence of language, but they are not trivial for children to comprehend and not all iconic signals are created equal.     

Age-related differences in emotion matching are limited to low intensity expressions

Multi-label tasks confound age differences in perceptual and cognitive processes. We examined age differences in emotion perception with a technique that did not require verbal labels. Participants matched the emotion expressed by a target to two comparison stimuli, one neutral and one emotional. Angry, disgusted, fearful, happy, and sad facial expressions of varying intensity were used. Although older adults took longer to respond than younger adults, younger adults only outmatched older adults for the lowest intensity disgust and fear expressions. Some participants also completed an identity matching task in which target stimuli were matched on personal identity instead of emotion. Although irrelevant to the judgment, expressed emotion still created interference. All participants were less accurate when the apparent difference in expressive intensity of the matched stimuli was large, suggesting that salient emotion cues increased difficulty of identity matching. Age differences in emotion perception were limited to very low intensity expressions.     

Increasing access to low‐intensity interventions for childhood anxiety: A pilot study of a guided self‐help program for Scandinavian parents

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for child anxiety. However, access to treatment is limited. It has been suggested that low‐intensity formats of parent‐delivered CBT may improve access to treatment. Our aim was to develop and pilot‐test the acceptability and effect of a low‐intensity therapist‐guided parent‐delivered group program for anxious children (age 7–12 years) adjusted to the Scandinavian culture. The program required 1.5 hours of therapist‐time per family. Mothers, fathers and children reported on revised child anxiety and depression scale (RCADS) at referral, pre‐ and post‐treatment. Mothers and fathers also gave a qualitative account of their experiences. Thirty‐one families were enrolled and only one family dropped out. Mean age of the children was 9 years. Intent‐to‐treat analyses revealed significant reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms from pre‐ to post‐treatment for all informants. Large effect sizes were found for child anxiety symptoms as reported by mothers and fathers, and for child depressive symptoms as reported by mothers. Medium to large effect sizes was found for the self‐reported anxiety symptoms by the children, and for depressive symptoms reported by both children and fathers. More than 93% of the parents would recommend the program. Results suggest that our program may provide a new approach to improve access to treatment for anxious children in Scandinavia; however, further research must be conducted before firm conclusions can be drawn.     

A step forward: Bayesian hierarchical modelling as a tool in assessment of individual discrimination performance

Individual assessment of infants’ speech discrimination is of great value for studies of language development that seek to relate early and later skills, as well as for clinical work. The present study explored the applicability of the hybrid visual fixation paradigm (Houston et al., 2007) and the associated statistical analysis approach to assess individual discrimination of a native vowel contrast, /aː/ - /eː/, in Dutch 6 to 10-month-old infants. Houston et al. found that 80% (8/10) of the 9-month-old infants successfully discriminated the contrast between pseudowords boodup - seepug. Using the same approach, we found that 12% (14/117) of the infants in our sample discriminated the highly salient /aː/ -/eː/ contrast. This percentage was reduced to 3% (3/117) when we corrected for multiple testing. Bayesian hierarchical modeling indicated that 50% of the infants showed evidence of discrimination. Advantages of Bayesian hierarchical modeling are that 1) there is no need for a correction for multiple testing and 2) better estimates at the individual level are obtained. Thus, individual speech discrimination can be more accurately assessed using state of the art statistical approaches.     

The Relative and Perceived Impact of Irrelevant Speech,Vocal Music and Non-vocal Music on Working Memory

The ability to retain and manipulate information for brief periods of time is crucial for proficient cognitive functioning but working memory (WM) is susceptible to disruption by irrelevant speech. Music may also be detrimental, but its impact on WM is not clear. This study assessed the effects of vocal music, equivalent instrumental music, and irrelevant speech on WM in order to clarify what aspect of music affects performance and the degree of impairment. To study this, 60 college students completed WM tests (digit span) in the presence of irrelevant speech, vocal music, instrumental (karaoke) versions of the vocal music, and silence. As expected, both speech and vocal music degraded performance. WM performance with instrumental music was better than with vocal music but not significantly different from either silence or speech. Familiarity with song lyrics had little effect on performance. People were poor judges of the degree of memory impairment resulting from various irrelevant sounds. This study was reviewed and approved by the Clemson University Institutional Review Board.     

The effects of different intensity levels of background noise on dichotic listening to consonant-vowel syllables

It has previously been shown that the right ear advantage in dichotic listening to consonant-vowel syllables is affected if a background noise is presented at the same time as the dichotic stimuli. What is not known is, however, if there is also an effect of varying the intensity level of the background noise. We therefore presented conversation or traffic noise background noise simultaneously with the dichotic syllable stimuli to healthy adult subjects. The intensity of the background noises varied between 50-65 dB in steps of 5 dB. The results showed that the right ear correct reports decreased, while left ear correct reports increased as a consequence of increasing background noise intensity. The effects were also stronger for the right ear, and for the traffic background noise condition, particularly at the two highest intensity levels. The results are discussed in terms of alertness and attentional mechanisms.