Nonverbal behavior and gender as determinants of physical attractiveness

We investigated the combined and interacting effects of positivity, dominance, sex, and three nonverbal channels on the perception of physical attractiveness. We found that positive affects were rated as more attractive than negative affects regardless of the channel (face and voice, as well as body). We also found that physical attractiveness in females appeared to be a function of the face and body combined, whereas for males it appeared more to be a function of the face alone.Preparation of this paper was supported in part by the National Science Foundation and by the Spencer Foundation. The content of this report is solely the responsibility of the authors. The paper is based on the first author's senior honors thesis, written under the supervision of the third author, and submitted to the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. The authors wish to thank Louis Elson, Cecil Quillen, David McCreery, Bill Duryea, Suzanne Kemple, Steve Love, Frank Bernieri, Monica Harris, Poppy McLeod, David Buss, Paul Andreassen and Roger Brown for their contributions to the research and to the preparation of this paper.     

Drivers of workplace discrimination against people with disabilities: the utility of Attribution Theory

The purpose of this paper was to determine what drives workplace discrimination against people with disabilities. These findings are then compared to available literature on attribution theory, which concerns itself with public perceptions of the controllability and stability of various impairments. The sample included 35,763 allegations of discriminations filed by people with disabilities under the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Group A included impairments deemed by Corrigan et al. [1988] to be uncontrollable but stable: visual impairment (representing 13% of the total allegations in this study), cancer (12%), cardiovascular disease (19%), and spinal cord injuries (5%). The controllable but unstable impairments in group B included depression (38%), schizophrenia (2%), alcohol and other drug abuse (4%), and HIV/AIDS (7%). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had resolved all allegations in terms of merit Resolutions (a positive finding of discrimination) and Resolutions without merit. Allegations of workplace discrimination were found to center mainly on hiring, discharge, harassment, and reasonable accommodation issues. Perceived workplace discrimination (as measured by allegations filed with EEOC) does occur at higher levels in Group B, especially when serious issues involving discharge and disability harassment are involved. With the glaring exception of HIV/AIDS, however, actual discrimination (as measured by EEOC merit Resolutions) occurs at higher levels for Group A.     

Optimal scaling of discrete approximations to Langevin diffusions

We consider the optimal scaling problem for proposal distributions in Hastings–Metropolis algorithms derived from Langevin diffusions. We prove an asymptotic diffusion limit theorem and show that the relative efficiency of the algorithm can be characterized by its overall acceptance rate, independently of the target distribution. The asymptotically optimal acceptance rate is 0.574. We show that, as a function of dimension n , the complexity of the algorithm is O ( n ^1/3), which compares favourably with the O ( n ) complexity of random walk Metropolis algorithms. We illustrate this comparison with some example simulations.     

Nonverbal strategies for decoding deception

This study tested the hypothesis that judges who suspect deception would be less influenced by controllable channels (facial expresions) relative to leaky channels (voice and body) than judges who do not suspect deception. The Nonverbal Discrepancy Test, comprised of video (face or body) cues paired with audio cues, was administered to subjects with the information that the person shown in the test never lied, sometimes lied, or very often lied; in a fourth condition (control) there was no mention of deception. In some cases, the video and audio components of the discrepancy test depicted the same affect while in other cases they depicted different affects. Subjects who expected more deception were relatively less influenced by the facial component of the affectively discrepant video-audio pairings. These subjects were also less accurate at decoding affectively consistent videoaudio pairings, especially those involving facial cues. Finally, subjects who expected more deception became less accurate decoders of consistent video-audio pairings during the second half of the test but learned to recognize video-audio discrepancies better. The results suggest that suspicion of deception led subjects to discount facial cues. Results for the control group indicated that even in the absence of explicit information, discrepant messages create a suspicion of deception.Preparation of this paper was supported in part by the National Science Foundation.     

Assessing Adolescents' Attachment Hierarchies: Differences Across Developmental Periods and Associations With Individual Adaptation

Adolescents' attachment hierarchies were assessed in a sample of 212 high school and 198 college students. The Important People Interview (IPI) differentiated attachment bonds from other supportive or affiliative relationships and indicated that adolescents show a hierarchical ordering of preferences for multiple attachment figures. Differences in the composition and structure of adolescents' attachment hierarchies were found between the early high school (9(th) and 10(th) grades), later high school (11(th) and 12(th) grades), and college samples. In the college sample, romantic partners were placed in higher positions in adolescents' hierarchies, fathers were placed in lower positions, and the structure of adolescents' hierarchies were less differentiated than in the high school samples. Individual differences in the composition of adolescents' hierarchies were associated with adjustment outcomes. Friends' placement in higher positions and fathers' exclusion from or placement in quaternary positions was associated with increased behavior problems. Findings demonstrate that the IPI provides a measure of adolescents' attachment hierarchies that is sensitive to developmental stage and individual differences.     

Use of an ISO 14000 Option in Implementing EPA's Rule on Risk Management Programs for Chemical Accidental Release Prevention

EPA's rule of Risk Management Programs for Chemical Accidental Release Prevention applies to facilities that manufacture, process, use, store, or otherwise handle regulated substances at or above specified threshold quantities. EPA estimates that approximately 66,000 facilities nationwide will be regulated under the rule. This paper examines the use of a structured ISO 14000 mechanism as option-regulated facilities could elect for implementation of the rule. Under the ISO 14000 option, facilities would commit to additional obligations regarding information disclosure, discussions with potentially affected publics, and timely correction of deficiencies noted in annual ISO 14000 audits of their compliance with the Risk Management Program they submit to the EPA under the rule. In return, facilities would be granted significant relief in regard to both EPA audit frequency and the penalties that might be applied for any items of noncompliance with the rule noted during the course of implementing agency reviews of the facility. The paper concludes with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of this option to potentially affected stakeholders.     

Effect of Dyadic Context on Judgments of Rapport: Dyad Task and Partner Presence

The present studies investigated the effects of dyadic context on judgments of nonverbal behavior associated with rapport. As predicted, the task performed by a dyad, the visible presence or absence of both dyad members, and the sex of the observer affected observer judgments of responsiveness, friendliness, dominance, critical scrutiny, polite sympathy, and high status. The results suggest that dyadic context affects judgments of dyad members' facilitation of rapport by both constraining dyad behavior and affecting observer perception: (a) Dyad members received higher judgments on person-focused behaviors when engaged in a discussion as compared to a puzzle; (b) Visible presence of an interaction partner led observers to see a dyad member, on the whole, as inhibiting rapport in the interaction; and (c) Female observers perceived dyad members to exhibit more rapport-facilitating behavior. These results have major implications for the way rapport and person perception research is conducted and for understanding interpersonal perception in everyday life.