The Obama effect: An experimental test

Past research on stereotype threat and role model effects, as well as a recent quasi-experiment (Marx, Ho, & Freidman, this issue) suggested the possibility of an “Obama effect” on African American’s standardized test performance, whereby the salience of Barack Obama’s stereotype defying success could positively impact performance. We tested this reasoning in a randomized experiment with a broad sample of college students from across the country. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that students prompted to think about Barack Obama prior to taking a difficult standardized verbal test would improve their performance relative to white students, and to African American students in control conditions that were not prompted to think about Obama. Our results did not support this hypothesis. Test scores were unaffected by prompts to think about Obama and no relationship was found between test performance and positive thoughts about Obama, a disconfirmation of both the findings and conclusions of the Marx, Ho, and Freidman study.     

Stereotype threat and inflexible perseverance in problem solving

The present research examines whether women burdened by stereotype threat, a threat of confirming negative ingroup stereotypes (Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(5), 797-811), are less able to abandon old strategies and employ newer, more efficient ones when conditions change. In two studies, stereotype threat was found to increase inflexible perseverance: women made to believe they were taking a diagnostic math/spatial ability test, compared to those not threatened by stereotypes, were more likely to use previously successful but presently inefficient or incorrect strategies. In Study 1, participants under stereotype threat also suppressed relevant stereotypes to the greatest degree, and their inflexible perseverance was predicted by the degree to which they suppressed these stereotypes. Implications for test performance and potential decision-making effects of stereotype threat are discussed.     

Creativity and experience of a creative task: Person and environment effects

We examined the effects of a person factor (general causality orientation) and an environment factor (threat of evaluation) on creativity and personal experience of a creative collage-making task. Ninety college students completed questionnaires and made a collage under conditions of expected evaluation or no-evaluation. Creativity was a function of participants’ characterizations of themselves as artistic, and among men, of the interaction between environment and person factors. Task experience was affected by environment factors and, marginally, by the interaction of environment and person factors, with participants feeling less competent at the task under threat of evaluation, and exerting the greatest effort when they were under evaluation threat and were higher on control orientation. These findings may have implications for future motivation for creative tasks.     

补偿性消费行为：概念、类型与心理机制

补偿性消费行为是指为了弥补某种心理缺失或自我威胁而发生的消费行为, 是一种替代的心理需求满足工具。补偿性机制作为看待行为的重要视角, 可以解释许多看似不理性或不合常理的消费现象。自尊威胁、控制感缺失和归属感缺失是导致补偿性消费的3种动机来源。未来研究可以从以下4个方面对补偿性消费行为进行深入探讨：1)根据补偿机制的不同, 对补偿性消费的表现形式和类型进行细分; 2)评估消费行为的心理补偿效果; 3)探讨除消费外其他替代性的心理补偿方式, 以及消费补偿与其他补偿方式之间的关系; 4)挖掘中国社会文化环境下的补偿性消费行为的特点与产生机制。     

自闭症谱系障碍儿童对环境图片威胁知觉的眼动研究

以30名自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童为被试,通过环境图片视觉搜索方式,借助Tobii X120眼动仪记录被试的注视时间和注视次数探讨ASD儿童威胁知觉的特点。结果发现：（1）相比于非威胁目标,ASD儿童对威胁目标对象存在知觉优势,其威胁知觉受刺激类型及矩阵大小的影响。（2）ASD儿童对于全威胁刺激（蛇）的负性图片存在注意固着现象,表现在对全威胁刺激环境图片的注视时间显著增加。（3）眼动技术能够有效地应用于部分ASD儿童的威胁知觉研究。     

童年压力及死亡威胁启动对择偶要求的影响

本实验从生命史理论出发, 研究童年期环境压力如何与当前环境中的压力线索相互作用并影响个体对异性的择偶要求。被试为70名大学本科生, 其中一部分被试被分配到死亡威胁启动组, 他们阅读一篇描述近期国内暴力犯罪及死亡率上升的新闻报道, 另一部分被试被分配到控制组, 他们阅读一篇描述一个人花了很长时间寻找遗失钱包的文章。被试自我报告对异性的理想择偶要求及其童年压力。控制了性别及恋爱状态后, 多元回归分析表明：童年压力与启动条件仅在身体吸引力的理想标准上有显著交互作用。其中, 低童年压力组在死亡威胁启动下对异性身体吸引力的理想标准显著高于控制条件, 而高童年压力组在死亡威胁启动下对异性身体吸引力的理想要求则显著低于控制条件。此外, 启动条件在异性做“好父母”的择偶标准上有显著主效应, 死亡威胁启动下的被试对异性做好父母的择偶标准高于控制组被试。而在对资源的择偶标准上既不存在童年压力和死亡威胁启动的主效应, 也不存在交互作用。研究说明童年压力与当前环境压力会影响个体对异性的择偶要求, 但对不同择偶要求的影响作用不同。     

自发社会比较中的威胁效应及自我平衡策略

个体通常利用社会比较进行自我评价, 而比较对象的选择及其对个体自我的影响是一个内隐的过程, 研究基于选择通达理论, 通过三个实验考察了个体自发比较时威胁效应的来源及其消解, 结果表明：(1)威胁效应来源于自主条件下比较对象的选择。个体在比较后的自我评价过程中激活了周围优秀人物的信息, 比较后自我评价水平降低, 引发社会比较的威胁; (2)中国文化背景下的个体在比较后存在威胁“泛化”现象, 不论操作任务是否与自我相关, 均会出现社会比较的威胁效应; (3)与周围优秀人物进行比较所导致的威胁效应, 可以通过自我肯定策略得以缓解, 使个体的整体自我系统重新恢复平衡。     

Cognitive Factors Affecting Freeze-like Behavior in Humans

Contemporary research on survival-related defensive behaviors has identified physiological markers of freeze/flight/fight. Our research focused on cognitive factors associated with freeze-like behavior in humans. Study 1 tested if an explicit decision to freeze is associated with the psychophysiological state of freezing. Heart rate deceleration occurred when participants chose to freeze. Study 2 varied the efficacy of freezing relative to other defense options and found “freeze” was responsive to variations in the perceived effectiveness of alternative actions. Study 3 tested if individual differences in motivational orientation affect preference for a “freeze” option when the efficacy of options is held constant. A trend in the predicted direction suggested that naturally occurring cognitions led loss-avoiders to select “freeze” more often than reward-seekers. In combination, our attention to the cognitive factors affecting freeze-like behavior in humans represents a preliminary step in addressing an important but neglected research area.     

The effects of perceived phenotypic racial stereotypicality and social identity threat on racial minorities’ attitudes about police

This study examines the role of perceived phenotypic racial stereotypicality and race-based social identity threat on racial minorities’ trust and cooperation with police. We hypothesize that in police interactions, racial minorities’ phenotypic racial stereotypicality may increase race-based social identity threat, which will lead to distrust and decreased participation with police. Racial minorities (Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, and multi-racials) and Whites from a representative random sample of city residents were surveyed about policing attitudes. A serial multiple mediation model confirmed that racial minorities’ self-rated phenotypic racial stereotypicality indirectly affected future cooperation through social identity threat and trust. Due to the lack of negative group stereotypes in policing, the model did not hold for Whites. This study provides evidence that phenotypic stereotypicality influences racial minorities’ psychological experiences interacting with police.