Understanding self-reported difficulties in decision-making by people with autism spectrum disorders.

Autobiographical accounts and a limited research literature suggest that adults with autism spectrum disorders can experience difficulties with decision-making. We examined whether some of the difficulties they describe correspond to quantifiable differences in decision-making when compared to adults in the general population. The participants (38 intellectually able adults with autism spectrum disorders and 40 neurotypical adults) were assessed on three tasks of decision-making (Iowa Gambling Task, Cambridge Gamble Task and Information Sampling Task), which quantified, respectively, decision-making performance and relative attention to negative and positive outcomes, speed and flexibility, and information sampling. As a caution, all analyses were repeated with a subset of participants ( nASD = 29 and nneurotypical = 39) who were not taking antidepressant or anxiolytic medication. Compared to the neurotypical participants, participants with autism spectrum disorders demonstrated slower decision-making on the Cambridge Gamble Task, and superior performance on the Iowa Gambling Task. When those taking the medications were excluded, participants with autism spectrum disorders also sampled more information. There were no other differences between the groups. These processing tendencies may contribute to the difficulties self-reported in some contexts; however, the results also highlight strengths in autism spectrum disorders, such as a more logical approach to, and care in, decision-making. The findings lead to recommendations for how adults with autism spectrum disorders may be better supported with decision-making.The research reported here was carried out by the first author (Lydia Vella, née Luke) as part of her PhD in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, and was supported by a Pinsent Darwin Studentship in Mental Health; University of Cambridge Domestic Research Studentship; the Charles Slater Fund; and the Marmaduke Sheild Fund. IC was supported during the preparation of this paper by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) East of England at Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. We are grateful to all our funders for their support. The paper describes independent research and the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health

The role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between framing effects, financial anxiety and financial literacy

People are confronted with financial decisions on a daily basis, and very often this can significantly affect their current and future financial stability. Globalization and modern technology has made it possible for people to have wider access to unlimited information and choices of financial products. If a person is not equipped with sufficient financial knowledge, diverse and complex financial information can lead to cognitive overload and susceptibility to biases such as framing effects, thereby resulting in unhealthy financial decisions. Although the link between financial literacy (FL) and financial anxiety (FA) is well established, the critical role of trait emotional intelligence (TEI) in this relationship has been poorly represented in contemporary literature. Given the volatile nature in the global economy in the post pandemic era, exploring these concepts becomes more important than ever. The overall objective of this research was to investigate the role of trait emotional intelligence in the relationship between framing effects, financial anxiety and financial literacy. Testing with the use of an online survey was done in South Africa with a total of 200 Finance and Economic students from the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of the Free State. Two conditions of differently framed financial information (simple versus complex) were randomized among participants, including measuring instruments of financial literacy, financial anxiety and trait EI. The main findings suggested that TEI is positively correlated with FL and negatively correlated with FA. Willingness to explain information to others mediated the effect between type of condition and financial choice. This was specifically relevant in the condition with complex financial information. Clarity of information mediated financial literacy. Lastly, gender effects interacted with the effects of the condition, financial anxiety, financial literacy and TEI. FL and FA were associated with choice more among males whereas TEI predicted choice among females. To encourage more healthy financial decision making among people the incorporation of emotional intelligence skills training in financial education programmes are strongly recommended.People are confronted with financial decisions on a daily basis, and very often this can significantly affect their current and future financial stability. Globalization and modern technology has made it possible for people to have wider access to unlimited information and choices of financial products. If a person is not equipped with sufficient financial knowledge, diverse and complex financial information can lead to cognitive overload and susceptibility to biases such as framing effects, thereby resulting in unhealthy financial decisions. Although the link between financial literacy (FL) and financial anxiety (FA) is well established, the critical role of trait emotional intelligence (TEI) in this relationship has been poorly represented in contemporary literature. Given the volatile nature in the global economy in the post pandemic era, exploring these concepts becomes more important than ever. The overall objective of this research was to investigate the role of trait emotional intelligence in the relationship between framing effects, financial anxiety and financial literacy. Testing with the use of an online survey was done in South Africa with a total of 200 Finance and Economic students from the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of the Free State. Two conditions of differently framed financial information (simple versus complex) were randomized among participants, including measuring instruments of financial literacy, financial anxiety and trait EI. The main findings suggested that TEI is positively correlated with FL and negatively correlated with FA. Willingness to explain information to others mediated the effect between type of condition and financial choice. This was specifically relevant in the condition with complex financial information. Clarity of information mediated financial literacy. Lastly, gender effects interacted with the effects of the condition, financial anxiety, financial literacy and TEI. FL and FA were associated with choice more among males whereas TEI predicted choice among females. To encourage more healthy financial decision making among people the incorporation of emotional intelligence skills training in financial education programmes are strongly recommended

On the Relationship Between Cognitive Ability and Risk Preference

This paper focuses on the relationship between cognitive ability and decision making under risk and uncertainty. We begin by clarifying some important distinctions between concepts and measurement of risk preference and cognitive ability and then take stock of what is known empirically on the connections between cognitive ability and measured risk preferences

Personal factors, domain specificity, and risky decision-making

Adults make many risky decisions daily, such as choosing to drive over the speed limit or going outside without previously applying sunscreen. How and why adults make such decisions remains relatively unknown and has gained much research attention. Traditional models of decision-making, such as Expected Utility Theory (Bernoulli, 1954) and Prospect Theory (Kahneman & Tversky, 1972) have proven too simplistic, as they do not account for the regular deviations from expected decision-making processes. Likewise, models that attempt to categorize individuals as risk seeking and risk-averse do not hold up well when decisional-domain is examined (Blais & Weber, 2006). Contemporary research has cited many individual factors that influence or interfere with decision-making processes, such as age, cognitive abilities, and impulsivity, to name a few. What is missing, however, is a comprehensive model that examines domain specific risky decision-making processes that are employed across the adult lifespan. This study examined the moderating effects of the Domain Specific Risk Taking Scale (DOSPERT; Weber, Blais, & Betz, 2002) subscales (perceived risk, attitudes toward risk, and expected benefits of risky behavior) and impulsivity on the established relationships among cognitive abilities (general intelligence and numeric ability) and risky financial and health related decisions. Participants included younger adults, sampled from undergraduate level courses and older adults (55+ years), sampled from adult fitness programs. The participants completed a survey packet that included demographic questions, measures of cognitive abilities, trait impulsivity, the DOSPERT (Weber et al., 2002), and several hypothetical financial and health-related risky decisions. Possible moderator effects were examined using hierarchical linear regression. Males made more risky health and financial decisions than females. Similarly, younger adults made more domain-specific risky decisions (health and finance) than older adults. There were age and gender differences on all aspects of risk propensity (risk perception, risk taking, and expected benefits). Measures of risk propensity (risk perception, risk taking, and expected benefits of risk) and trait impulsivity did not moderate the relationship between cognitive abilities and domain-specific risky decisions. Practical and clinical implications are discussed. Additionally, limitations and directions for future research are reviewed

General Psychology: An Introduction

The NOBA Project is a growing collection of expert-authored, open-licensed modules in psychology, funded by the Diener Education Fund. From these open modules, Tori Kearns and Deborah Lee created an arranged open textbook for her introductory psychology class. This textbook was created under a Round One ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Accessible files with optical character recognition (OCR) and auto-tagging provided by the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation.https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/psychology-textbooks/1000/thumbnail.jp

The Personality and Cognitive Traits Associated with Adolescents’ Sensitivity to Social Norms

Little is known about the personality and cognitive traits that shape adolescents’ sensitivity to social norms. Further, few studies have harnessed novel empirical tools to elicit sensitivity to social norms among adolescent populations. This paper examines the association between sensitivity to norms and various personality and cognitive traits using an incentivised rule-following task grounded in Game Theory. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 1274 adolescents. Self-administered questionnaires were used to measure personality traits as well as other psychosocial characteristics. Incentivised rule-following experiments gauged sensitivity to social norms. A series of multilevel mixed effects ordered logistic regression models were employed to assess the association between sensitivity to norms and the personality and cognitive traits. The results highlighted statistically significant univariate associations between the personality and cognitive traits and sensitivity to norms. However, in the multivariate adjusted model, the only factor associated with sensitivity to norms was gender. The gender-stratified analyses revealed differences in the personality and cognitive traits associated with sensitivity to norms across genders. For males need to belong was significantly negatively associated with sensitivity to norms in the multivariate model. By comparison, emotional stability was negatively associated with sensitivity to norms for females. This study reinforced the findings from an earlier study and suggested female adolescents had higher levels of sensitivity to norms. The results indicated no consistent pattern between sensitivity to norms and the personality and cognitive traits. Our findings provide a basis for further empirical research on a relatively nascent construct, and bring a fresh perspective to the question of norm-following preferences among this age group

Effect of mindfulness on online impulse buying: Moderated mediation model of problematic internet use and emotional intelligence

Introduction: Online impulse buying behavior is an unplanned urge to buy a product or service in an online setting and it has several negative consequences for customers, such as guilt and financial distress, and e-commerce firms, such as higher returns and customer complaints. Evidently, it is important to examine the various psychological processes which may assist in a better understanding, therefore addressing the high prevalence of online impulse buying. This study builds upon self-regulation theory to explore how mindfulness influences online impulse buying, and examines problematic internet use as a mediator in the relationship between mindfulness and online impulse buying. Further, this study investigates how emotional intelligence as a moderator plays the role of a suppressant on the adverse impact of problematic Internet use which fuels online impulse buying. Method: A total of 598 individuals working with various servicebased industries responded to the questionnaire. Multiple regression and moderated mediation analysis was used using SPSS and AMOS for analyzing the data. Result: Problematic internet use mediates the relationship between mindfulness and online impulse buying behavior. Emotional intelligence negatively moderates the relationship between problematic internet use and online impulse buying behavior. Discussion: This study findings outlined the inverse relationship of mindfulness & online impulse buying, along with the mediating effect of problematic internet use between mindfulness and online impulse buying. Further, this study showed how emotional intelligence played an important role as a moderator by suppressing the adverse impact of problematic Internet use and preventing online impulse buying. The study offers implications to online marketers in regulating the unplanned purchase process—while minimizing uninhibited buying behavior that leads to regret, and the subsequent intention to return products. Further, social and theoretical implications are discussed

Salience in decision-making: a neuroeconomic analysis

Attention and the closely related concept of salience play an important role in the complex process of human decision-making. In 2012, Bordalo et al. (2012a) proposed a theory on human decision-making that is based on salience. They suggest that salience differences within a decision problem may explain many decision biases. Concerning decisions under risk, Bordalo and colleagues developed a formula to calculate salience differences that are shaped by bottom-up processes. These salience differences have been experimentally investigated. Reaction times in a dot-probe task served as indicator of attentional biases. Data revealed a significant salience effect after a lottery exposure duration of 150 ms. This supports the salience concept proposed by Bordalo et al. (2012a) and suggests an early attentional orienting towards salient payoffs. In order to further differentiate attentional processes involved in the salience effect EEG has been recorded. Different ERP-components may indicate attentional biases at different stages of attentional processing and give a hint at more detailed reasons behind the salience effect. All investigated components, namely, P1, N1, P3a and P3b, showed no significant salience differences. Part III presents a further experiment that was devoted to nudges. These interventions often work by altering the salience within a decision problem or by directing the attention to the decision task itself. Since these interventions influence decisions at least partly on an unconscious level, nudges are subject to criticism. The experiment aimed at investigating the effect of transparent information accompanying the nudges on their efficacy. In line with previous research adding information on the nudge itself, on its purpose and the combination of both had no significant effect on the efficacy of the nudge, even though this additional information again alters salience ratios within the decision problem