Metacognitive confidence: A neuroscience approach

Abstract

Power leads to action and facilitates goal pursuit. The present study examines the joint effects of power and action demands on the ability to maintain the pursuit of goals. It is proposed that the power advantage in goal pursuit is particularly pronounced when goal striving requires high level of activity. Participants were assigned to a powerful or a powerless role and pursued a goal either in a passive or in an active self-regulatory mode. Level of activity affected powerless but not powerful participants: powerless participants gave up goal pursuit earlier when the level of activity required to maintain the goal was high (i.e., showed the typical passive-option effect), whereas this was not the case for powerful participants. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

The effects of social power and disparagement humor on the evaluations of subordinates

Abstract

This article examines the effects of social power and disparagement humor on the evaluation of subordinates. According to prejudiced norm theory, it is proposed that powerful people, compared with the powerless, are more likely to negatively evaluate subordinates when exposed to disparagement humor against subordinates. To test this hypothesis, two studies were conducted. Study 1 (N = 116) aimed to analyze and select humorous material (neutral vs. disparagement humor against subordinates) that allowed us to test our hypothesis. Study 2 (N = 116) investigated the effect of the exposure to disparagement humor in people who hold or not a power position. Results showed an interaction between power and type of humor: when powerful people were exposed to disparagement humor they evaluated subordinates worse than the powerless, whereas when they were exposed to neutral humor there were no differences between groups. The implications of these results are discussed.     

Dealing with powerlessness: The strategic use of ingroup stereotypes

Abstract

Several studies have shown the impact of legitimacy on dealing with group power disadvantage. In the present paper we focus on the impact of internal legitimacy (i.e., the ingroup's appraisal of the fairness of its own powerless position) on the ingroup stereotype as a way of contesting the power disadvantage. Results show that especially in the internal legitimate conditions (i.e., when the ingroup seems to accept the low status position), participants reacted by way of overemphasizing the positive stereotypic dimension (warmth, Study 1), or contradicting the negative ingroup stereotype (perceiving the ingroup as less incompetent, Study 1 and 2). The last strategy was used especially by those highly identified with the ingroup, and when the legitimate/illegitimate argument is supported by a small ingroup sample (i.e., low social constraint, Study 2). Such responses can be understood as a social creativity strategy to contest the ingroup's disadvantaged and powerless position.     

Are Spontaneous Expressions and Emotions Linked? an Experimental Test of Coherence

We measured facial behaviors shown by participants in a laboratory study in which a film was used to elicit intense emotions. Participants provided subjective reports of their emotions and their faces were recorded by a concealed camera. We did not find the coherence claimed by other authors (e.g., Rosenberg & Ekman, 1994) between the displayed facial expressions and subjective reports of emotion. We thus concluded that certain emotions are not a necessary or sufficient precondition of certain spontaneous expressions.     

Feelings of power lead people to take sides with other powerful parties

Abstract

It has often been noted that power has various self-reinforcing effects, in the sense that it leads people to support the interests of other powerful people and harm the interests of the powerless. In the current article we investigate this in a fundamental manner and show that the experience of power makes people more inclined to side with parties that are higher in the hierarchy and against parties that are lower in that hierarchy. Two studies demonstrate that people who experience elevated power side with parties higher in the hierarchy and against parties lower in the hierarchy. A third experiment identifies an important moderator: if people sense their power is unfair and illegitimate, this effect is blocked. These results extend our understanding of the effects of power on moral thinking to actual side taking with one party against another in an interpersonal, moral conflict.     

Power Eliminates the Influence of Body Posture on Facial Emotion Recognition

We investigated how power priming affects facial emotion recognition in the context of body postures conveying the same or different emotion. Facial emotions are usually recognized better when the face is presented with a congruent body posture, and recognized worse when the body posture is incongruent. In our study, we primed participants to either low, high, or neutral power prior to their performance in a facial-emotion categorization task in which faces were presented together with a congruent or incongruent body posture. Facial emotion recognition in high-power participants was not affected by body posture. In contrast, low-power and neutral-power participants were significantly affected by the congruence of facial and body emotions. Specifically, these participants displayed better facial emotion recognition when the body posture was congruent, and worse performance when the body posture was incongruent. In a following task, we trained the same participants to categorize two sets of novel checkerboard stimuli and then engaged them in a recognition test involving compounds of these stimuli. High, low, and neutral-power participants all showed a strong congruence effect for compound checkerboard stimuli. We discuss our results with reference to the literature on power and social perception.     

Do infants express discrete emotions? Adult judgments of facial,vocal, and body actions

Adult judges were presented with videotape segments showing an infant displaying facial configurations hypothesized to express discomfort/pain, anger, or sadness according to differential emotions theory (Izard, Dougherty, & Hembree, 1983). The segments also included the infant's nonfacial behavior and aspects of the situational context. Judges rated the segments using a set of emotion terms or a set of activity terms. Results showed that judges perceived the discomfort/pain and anger segments as involving one or more negative emotions not predicted by differential emotions theory. The sadness segments were perceived as involving relatively little emotion overall. Body activity accompanying the discomfort/pain and anger configurations was judged to be more jerky and active than body activity accompanying the sadness configurations. The sadness segments were accompanied by relatively little body movement overall. The results thus fail to conform to the predictions of differential emotions theory but provide information that may contribute to the development of a theory of infant expressive behavior.This article is based on the second author's master's thesis. The authors thank Dennis Ross for his expert assistance in the data analyses.     

Interactive association between negative emotion regulation and savoring is linked to anxiety symptoms among college students

Abstract

Objective: This study tested the interactive relationships between college students’ perceived capability of regulating negative emotions and savoring positive emotions on mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depressive symptoms. Participants: Participants were healthy undergraduates (n?=?167) recruited from two universities in Hong Kong. Methods: Students completed four scales assessing their perceived capability of using strategies to regulate negative and positive emotions and their anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results: Findings revealed that both anxiety and depressive symptoms were negatively linked to perceived capabilities of regulating negative emotions and savoring positive emotions. Furthermore, regulating negative emotions interacted with savoring positive emotions to predict anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: The need to simultaneously perform negative and positive emotion regulation is highlighted. The results suggest the priority of regulating negative emotions over savoring positive emotions in alleviating anxiety symptoms. Nevertheless, enhancing positive emotion shows greater benefits for those who are less adept at regulating negative emotions.     

Perception of emotions and attribution of acceptance by normal and emotionality disturbed children

In order to ascertain possible differences in perceptions of emotion and attribution of acceptance among normal children and those diagnosed as schizophrenic, neurotic, or character disordered (N=40), participants were tested with the Pictures of Facial Affect (Ekman & Friesen, 1976). When subjected to analysis of variance based on diagnostic category, age, and type of emotion, accuracy of perception data showed significant differences only for main effects of age and type of emotion, while attribution data showed significance only for the main effect of type of emotion. Results were discussed with respect to related studies and methodological refinements.     

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based coloring for university students’ test anxiety

Abstract

Objective: This study compared the effectiveness of mindfulness coloring (mandala), free drawing/coloring, and a noncoloring control activity for university students’ test anxiety, and assessed the relationship of dispositional mindfulness and response to intervention on mindfulness and test anxiety states. Participants: University students (n?=?167; 81.4% female; M_age = 21.29?years, SD?=?4.46) were randomly assigned to a mandala (n?=?57), free draw/coloring (n?=?58), or noncoloring condition (n?=?52). Methods: Participants completed standardized measures assessing test anxiety and state mindfulness pre–postactivity before completing a test, and two dispositional mindfulness measures. Results: Participants in both coloring conditions reported significant decreases in test anxiety and significant increases in state mindfulness pre–postintervention, and participants in the control condition reported significant increases in test anxiety. Reports of preintervention state mindfulness and test anxiety fully mediated relations between dispositional mindfulness and postintervention state mindfulness and test anxiety. Conclusions: Implications for research and practice on mindfulness coloring and test anxiety are discussed.     

The Contribution of Older Siblings' Reactions to Emotions to Preschoolers' Emotional and Social Competence

SUMMARY

According to Tompkins' (1991) theory on the socialization of emotion, young children's emotional and social competence are influenced by others' reactions to the children's emotions. Patterns of parental reactions to emotions have been shown to account for significant variance in preschoolers' emotion and social competence. However, the impact of others significant in the preschooler's life has been largely ignored. To help fill this gap, associations were examined between older siblings' reactions to 41 preschoolers' emotions and the preschoolers' social-emotional competence (i.e., affective balance, emotion knowledge, positive, prosocial, and provocative responding to peers' emotions, sociometric likability, and teacher-rated social competence). Using a multiple regression strategy, the contributions of sibling reactions and moderating demographic variables to preschooler emotional and social competence were evaluated. Certain sibling reactions, especially positive emotional responsiveness, were shown to play important roles. Many predictions were moderated by age of child, sex of one dyad member     

The status of race in public sector work: Implications for emotion management and job satisfaction

ABSTRACT

African Americans consistently report lower levels of job satisfaction relative to whites. Using survey data from 1,456 public service employees, we examine whether racial disparities in job satisfaction are related to how African Americans and whites manage their emotions while at work. We contend that race acts as a master status within the workplace that locates African Americans in a subordinate social position to whites and may contribute to greater emotion management effort and greater work-related consequences. The results indicate that, together with traditional indicators of job satisfaction, extensive emotion management efforts of African Americans explain their lower levels of job satisfaction relative to whites.     

Power and Role-Taking

Abstract

Power and role-taking theory argues that social structural arrangements influence face-to-face communication processes. Specifically, powerful and powerless interactants tend to differ in their motivation to take the other's role and in the accuracy of their interpersonal understandings. Basic concepts of the theory and its interrelated propositions are identified. A comprehensive literature review gauged its empirical support. With some qualifications, a set of 26 quantitative studies supported propositions regarding the relationship of unequal power to role-taking propensity, accuracy, and empathy. Examination of 8 qualitative studies offered fruitful directions for theoretical refinements. A set of 15 practice effectiveness studies suggest that role-taking processes in asymmetrical relationships can be changed. Practice implications for social workers committed to challenging the power imbalances typical to crossgender, interracial, interclass, and crossposition relationships are suggested.     

Spanish Validation of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ‐CA): Introducing the ERQ‐SpA

Research on emotion regulation is now extensive and shows the benefits of the adaptive management of emotions for social functioning and psychological well‐being. Our purpose was to test the psychometric properties of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents with a sample of nonclinical Spanish adolescents. A total of 462 secondary education students (223 girls, mean age = 13.89 years, SD = 1.38) participated. The instrument proved to be two‐factor and gender‐invariant. Results revealed the temporal stability of both emotion regulation strategies, while the predictive validity study revealed that depressive symptoms were negatively related to cognitive reappraisal, and positively related to expressive suppression. Our findings support the use of the ERQ‐SpA in Spanish adolescents.     

When do we see that others misrepresent how they feel? detecting deception from emotional faces with direct and indirect measures

Nonverbally-expressed emotions are not always linked to people’s true emotions. We investigated whether observers’ ability to distinguish trues from lies differs for positive and negative emotional expressions. Participants judged targets either simulating or truly experiencing positive or negative emotions. Deception detection was measured by participants’ inference of the targets’ emotions and their direct judgments of deception. Results of the direct measure showed that participants could not accurately distinguish between truth tellers and liars, regardless which emotion was expressed. As anticipated, the effects emerged on the indirect emotion measure: participants distinguished liars from truth tellers when inferring experienced emotions from negative emotional expressions, but not positive emotional expressions.     

New politics and satire: the Euro financial crisis and the one-finger salute

ABSTRACT

This article argues that the conventional conceptualization in political science of politics is problematic, that it is overly narrow and constrained. This is because it excludes a range of actions like satire and humour which have come to play an increasing role in inspiring and provoking powerful political emotions and in informing the political agenda. Drawing on the work of critical scholars, it is argued that emotion, ethics and art can be deeply political. Moreover, new forms of media have encouraged new–old forms of political action often at the hands of young people who hitherto have been marginalized from the public sphere. Digital technology enables the production of user-generated content, opening new spaces for information, the exchange of ideas and mobilization. This article highlights the work of the young German satirist Jan Böhmermann to demonstrate how expressive art is playing a major role in shaping public opinion, in contesting power elites and informing political debate. In short, I use Böhmermann’s 2015 satire depicting Greco-German relations in the midst of a financial crisis and fears of loan defaults to argue for a broader understanding of politics that is inclusive of activities conventionally deemed non-rational.     

Review of Childism: Confronting Prejudice Against Children

ABSTRACT

Marital flourishing can be enriched by emotions; however, only in recent years, researchers have begun to acknowledge the benefits of emotions toward the understanding of marital functioning. This paper draws on the exploration to investigate the association between emotion expressivity (positive, negative, and impulse control) and psychological flourishing (individual and relationship) among married individuals, and the moderating role of married individual’s gender and the role of their marriage; arrange or love in these associations. Self-report responses on Berkeley Expressivity Questionnaire and Psychological Flourishing Scale from a total sample of 591 married individuals (342 wives and 249 husbands), aged 21–80 years, were analyzed using linear regression analysis and moderation. Findings of the study exposed that emotion expressivity was associated with psychological flourishing among married individuals. Expression of positive emotions negatively predicted relationship flourishing and individual flourishing within marital relationship. Expression of negative emotions also negatively predicted husbands’ and wives’ psychological flourishing. Correspondingly, the strength of impulse reactions too, negatively predicted individual as well as relationship flourishing of married individuals. The interaction effect between emotion expressivity and gender was a significant predictor of psychological well-being. Likewise, the interaction effect between emotion expressivity and type of marriage was also a significant predictor of psychological flourishing. These results proposed that both gender and kind of marriage proved to be significant moderators between emotion expressivity and flourishing. The results had been discussed with regard to contemporary literature and cultural context of a non-western society.     

Emotional traits and recognition of facial expression of emotion

The relationship between an individual's habitual, emotional dispositions or tendencies — an aspect of personality — and his ability to recognize facially expressed emotions was explored. Previous studies have used global scores of recognition accuracy across several emotions, but failed to examine the relationship between emotion traits and recognition of specific emotion expressions. In the present study, these more specific relationships were examined. Results indicated that females with an inhibited-non-assertive personality style tended to have poorer emotion recognition scores than more socially oriented females. In contrast, for males, the relationship between traits and recognition scores was much more emotion specific: Emotion traits were not significantly related to a global measure of recognition accuracy but were related to recognition rates of certain emotion expressions — sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust. For most of the emotions, males appeared to be more likely to see what they feel. Possible explanations of the findings in terms of perceptual set and other mechanisms are discussed. Implications for clinical studies and research are noted. The study also highlights the importance of separate analysis of data for specific emotions, as well as for sex.