Decision-makers use social information to update their preferences but choose for others as they do for themselves

People's risky decisions are susceptible to the social context in which they take place. Across three experiments using different paradigms, we investigated the influence of three social factors upon participants' decisions: the recipient of the decision-making outcome (self, other, or joint), the nature of the relationship with the other agent (friend, stranger, or teammate), and the type of information that participants received about others' preferences: none at all, general information about how previous participants had decided, or information about a specific partner's preference. We found that participants' decisions about risk did not differ according to whether the outcome at stake was their own, another agent's, or a joint outcome, nor according to the type of information available. Participants did, however, adjust their preferences for risky options in light of social information.     

Sensation of thirst in normal and laryngectomized man

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of the larynx in sensation of thirst and to identify precise areas responsible for the sensation in normal and laryngectomized groups. The present analysis showed that the laryngectomized group was less aware of the sensation and less able to localize it than the normal group. Both groups localized the sensation from the base of the tongue to the larynx as well as in the pharynx.     

Personality Correlates with Frequency of Being Targeted for Unexpected Advances by Strangers1

Female Japanese students answered questionnaires about personality (Sociosexual Orientation Inventory and the Big Five) and the frequency of having been targeted for unexpected advances by strangers. Women who reported having been frequently targeted for being “picked up” with sexual intentions had unrestricted sociosexuality (r = .38, p < .0001; n = 145) and had personalities that suggested unrestricted sociosexuality (extraversion and openness). The frequency of being targeted for inappropriate touching was not associated consistently with personality traits. Women who reported having been frequently targeted for nonsexual advances were likely to rate themselves high in agreeableness. The ecological significance of the ability to choose a stranger with whom to interact, based on person perceptions through brief observation, is discussed.