Cognitive set, absorption, and achievement as moderators of the perceptual closure effect in picture priming /

The present study examined individual differences in Absorption and fantasy, as well as in Achiievement and achievement striving as possible moderators of the perceptual closure effect found by Snodgrass and Feenan (1990). The study also examined whether different instructions (experiential versus instrumental) interact with the personality variables to moderate the relationship between priming and subsequent performance on a picture completion task. 1 28 participants completed two sessions, one to fill out the MPQ and NEO personality inventories and the other to complete the experimental task. The experimental task consisted of a priming phase and a test phase, with pictures presented on a computer screen for both phases. Participants were shown 30 pictures in the priming phase, and then shovm the 30 primed pictures along with 30 new pictures for the test phase. Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of the two different instruction sets for the task. Two measures of performance were calculated, most fragmented measure and threshold. Results of the present study confirm that a five-second exposure time is long enough to produce the perceptual closure effect. The analysis of the two-way interaction effects indicated a significant quadratic interaction of Absorption with priming level on threshold performance. The results were in the opposite direction of predictions. Possible explanations for the Absorption results include lack of optimal conditions, lack of intrinsic motivation and measurement problems. Primary analyses also revealed two significant between-subject effects of fantasy and achievement striving on performance collapsed across priming levels. These results suggest that fantasy has a beneficial effect on performance at test for pictures primed at all levels, whereas achievement striving seems to have an adverse effect on performance at test for pictures primed at all levels. Results of the secondary analyses with a revised threshold performance measure indicated a significant quadratic interaction of Absorption, condition and priming level. In the experiential condition, test performance, based on Absorption scores for pictures primed at level 4, showed a positive slope and performance for pictures primed at levels 1 and 7 based on Absorption showed a negative slope. The reverse effect was found in the instrumental condition. The results suggest that Absorption, in combination with experiential involvement, may affect implicit memory. A second significant result of the secondary analyses was a linear three-way interaction of Achievement, condition and priming level on performance. Results suggest that as Achievement scores increased, test performance improved for less fragmented primed pictures in the instrumental condition and test performance improved for more highly fragmented primes in the experiential condition. Results from the secondary analyses suggest that the revised threshold measure may be more sensitive to individual differences. Results of the exploratory analyses with Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness and agentic positive emotionality (PEM-A) measures indicated no significant effects of any of these personality variables. Results suggest that facets of the scales may be more useful with regard to perceptual research, and that future research should examine narrowly focused personality traits as opposed to broader constructs.

The Relationship between athlete motivation, strategies used to cope with stress and affective outcomes in Canadian University athletes

Motivation to perform and coping with stress during performance are key factors in determining numerous outcomes of sporting performance. However, less evidence is in place assessing their relationship. The aim of this investigation was to assess the relationship between athlete motivation and the coping strategies used to deal with stress during their sporting performance, as well as the relationship between motivation and affect and coping and affect. One hundred and forty five university athletes completed questionnaires. Regressions revealed that two of the three self determined levels of motivation, identified and integrated regulation, predicted increased task-oriented coping strategies. Two of the three non-self determined levels of motivation, amotivation and external regulation, significantly predicted disengagement-oriented coping. Additionally, intrinsic motivation and task-oriented coping predicted increase positive affect. Increased disengagement-oriented coping predicted decreased positive affect. Disengagement-oriented coping significantly predicted increased negative affect. These findings increase understanding of motivations role in predicting athletes coping.

Priming the Governance System for Climate Change Adaptation: The Application of a Social Ecological Inventory (SEI) to Engage Actors in Niagara, Canada

Adaptive systems of governance are increasingly gaining attention in respect to complex and uncertain social-ecological systems. Adaptive co-management is one strategy to make adaptive governance operational and holds promise with respect to community climate change adaptation as it facilitates participation and learning across scales and fosters adaptive capacity and resilience. Developing tools which hasten the realization of such approaches are growing in importance. This paper describes explores the Social Ecological Inventory (SEI) as a tool to 'prime' a regional climate change adaptation network. The SEI tool draws upon the social-ecological systems approach in which social and ecological systems are considered linked. SEIs bridge the gap between conventional stakeholder analysis and biological inventories and take place through a six phase process. A case study describes the results of applying an SEI to prime an adaptive governance network for climate change adaptation in the Niagara Region of Canada. Lessons learned from the case study are discussed and highlight how the SEI catalyzed the adaptive co-management process in the case. Future avenues for SEIs in relation to climate change adaptation emerge from this exploratory work and offer opportunities to inform research and adaptation planning.

Subliminal Exposure to Empathy Primes: A New Method to Reduce Intergroup Bias?

An abundant literature has demonstrated the benefits of empathy for intergroup relations (e.g., Batson, Chang, Orr, & Rowland, 2002). In addition, empathy has been identified as the mechanism by which various successful prejudice-reduction procedures impact attitudes and behaviour (e.g., Costello & Hodson, 2010). However, standard explicit techniques used in empathy-prejudice research have a number of potential limitations (e.g., resistance; McGregor, 1993). The present project explored an alternative technique, subliminally priming (i.e., outside of awareness) empathy-relevant terms (Study 1), or empathy itself (Study 2). Study 1 compared the effects of exposure to subliminal empathy-relevant primes (e.g., compassion) versus no priming and priming the opposite of empathy (e.g., indifference) on prejudice (i.e., negative attitudes), discrimination (i.e., resource allocation), and helping behaviour (i.e., willingness to empower, directly assist, or expect group change) towards immigrants. Relative to priming the opposite of empathy, participants exposed to primes of empathy-relevant constructs expressed less prejudice and were more willingness to empower immigrants. In addition, the effects were not moderated by individual differences in prejudice-relevant variables (i.e., Disgust Sensitivity, Intergroup Disgust-Sensitivity, Intergroup Anxiety, Social Dominance Orientation, Right-wing Authoritarianism). Study 2 considered a different target category (i.e., Blacks) and attempted to strengthen the effects found by comparing the impact of subliminal empathy primes (relative to no prime or subliminal primes of empathy paired with Blacks) on explicit prejudice towards marginalized groups and Blacks, willingness to help marginalized groups and Blacks, as well as implicit prejudice towards Blacks. In addition, Study 2 considered potential mechanisms for the predicted effects; specifically, general empathy, affective empathy towards Blacks, cognitive empathy towards Blacks, positive mood, and negative mood. Unfortunately, using subliminal empathy primes “backfired”, such that exposure to subliminal empathy primes (relative to no prime) heightened prejudice towards marginalized groups and Blacks, and led to stronger expectations that marginalized groups and Blacks improve their own situation. However, exposure to subliminal primes pairing empathy with Blacks (relative to subliminal empathy primes alone) resulted in less prejudice towards marginalized groups and more willingness to directly assist Blacks, as expected. Interestingly, exposure to subliminal primes of empathy paired with Blacks (vs. empathy alone) resulted in more pro-White bias on the implicit prejudice measure. Study 2 did not find that the potential mediators measured explained the effects found. Overall, the results of the present project do not provide strong support for the use of subliminal empathy primes for improving intergroup relations. In fact, the results of Study 2 suggest that the use of subliminal empathy primes may even backfire. The implications for intergroup research on empathy and priming procedures generally are discussed.

Priming Prosocial Behavior to Augment Bystander Interventions in Bullying Situations

Bullying is a harmful phenomenon wherein victims have difficulty defending themselves. Bystanders have been identified as a potentially effective group for reducing bullying. The goal of this research is to determine whether prosocial primes (operationalized as empathy and civility) have an effect on increasing bystander interventions among youth. A total of 52 participants between the ages of 10-14 were randomly assigned to two experimental groups or one control group. Participants either received neutral control stories or they were primed twice with stories showing characters acting empathetically or civilly. Testing measures involve a short video and questionnaire assessing willingness to act as a bystander. Results reveal that prosocial training can augment willingness to engage in defending behaviors when compared to the control V = .19, F(2, 46) = 5.53, p < .01, ω2 = .19, correcting for the sphericity violation. This finding represents a relatively easy and non-invasive way to potentially change the bullying-related attitudes of adolescents, thereby potentially reducing bullying behaviors.