Familiarity Bias: Examining a Cognitive-Affective Mechanism Underlying Ideological Support for the Status Quo

It is well established that people like familiarity over novelty. Because that which is most familiar is frequently indicative of the way things are, favoring familiarity should create a psychological advantage for the status quo. In two studies, I tested the hypothesis that familiarity bias—susceptibility to the mere-exposure effect whereby attitude objects receive increasingly favorable evaluations due to repeated sensory experience—is foundational to ideological support for the status quo. In Study 1, individual variation in familiarity bias predicted greater Right-Wing Authoritarianism. Existential threat was experimentally manipulated via the salience of international terrorism in Study 2, but was unsuccessful due to a major terrorist attack against Brussels, Belgium during data collection. The present research offers mixed support for a link between familiarity bias and ideological support for the status quo. Further tests are necessary to determine if and how susceptibility to the mere-exposure effect is related to and right-wing ideology and motivations to manage threat and uncertainty

Power Evokes Reluctance for Group-Relevant Advocacy Among Marginalized Groups

Marginalized groups face difficulties voicing their interests. They are perceived as more self-interested, biased, and excessive for advocacy relative to majority groups. While such accusations are intimidating in their own right, powerful members of marginalized groups may be especially sensitive to reprisals in response to advocacy. The present research highlights the ironic role of power on group-relevant advocacy among marginalized groups; identity-based pressures dissuade advocacy because it is personally costly. An Internet study and one lab study examined the effect of high and low power primes on women\u27s self-reported and actual willingness for group-relevant advocacy. Data support my hypothesis that psychological power evokes reluctance for group-relevant advocacy among marginalized women. Powerful women (but not men) reported less advocacy willingness and avoided opportunities to pursue advocacy when it was relevant to their gender group. These findings speak to the impediment of Social progress, considering power within the context of identity threats

Estudio del mecanismo focal de los terremotos a partir de ondas sísmicas. Aplicación a terremotos de las dorsales del Atlántico y Oriental del Pacífico

En este trabajo se presenta un estudio de los parámetros dinámicos de terremotos ocurridos bajo las dorsales del Atlántico y Oriental del Pacífico, así como de la variación regional del coeficiente de atenuación de las ondas Rayleigh para la región oriental del Pacífico. Se ha obtenido un coeficiente de atenuación anormalmente alto baio la dorsal del Pacífico e importantes diferencias en las condiciones de similaridad para las dos dorsales. Comparando los parámetros dinámicos obtenidos para las dorsales (zonas de tensión) con parámetros obtenidos para zonas de subducción (zonas de compresión), resultan ser similares excepto para la caída de esfuerzos. Los resultados obtenidos se interpretan en función de la actividad tectónicade las dorsales

Determination of the rate of tripoly and pyro-phosphate hydrolysis in sediments

Students supported: 1 Ph.D., 4 UndergraduatesThe rate of hydrolysis of tripolyphosphate (TPP) and pyrophosphate (PP) in sediments was determined. The sediments used were collected from Cape Fair, Thomas Hill Lake, Flat Branch Creek, and Maries River. The rate of hydrolysis of TPP and PP was similar to that predicted from first order kinetics. Half lives for the hydrolysis of TPP and PP were found to be 1.6 to 2.6 and 6.7 to 27.4 days, respectively. The influence of temperature, biological activity, and pH on the rate of TPP and PP hydrolysis was investigated using Flat Branch Creek sediment. The rate of TPP and PP hydrolysis increased with increasing temperature. The activation energy was 5415 cal/mole for TPP and 10,412 cal/mole for PP. TPP and PP were hydrolyzed faster in non-sterile sediment than in sediment which had been sterilized, possibly due to the destruction of phosphatase and pyrophosphatase enzyme systems during sterilization. The half life for TPP hydrolysis was 1.76 day at pH 5, 1.61 day at pH 7, and 2.16 day at pH 9. PP hydrolysis was increased as pH was increased from 5 to 7 to 9 as indicated by half lives of 13.7, 10.0, and 7.3 days, respectively. When TPP was added to the sediment as a Ca5(P3O10)2 precipitate the rate of hydrolysis was slower (1/2life= 2.79 day) than when TPP was added as a solution (1/2life = 1.68 day).Project # A-059-MO Agreement # 14-01-0001-382

Distribution and chemistry of phosphorous in an albaqualf soil after 82 years of phosphate fertilization

The distribution of phosphorus in a fertilized and unfertilized Mexico silt loam soil was measured. After 82 years of phosphorus fertilization the added phosphorus was found in Ap (0-23 cm), smaller amounts in the A and B, and B2 (23-86 cm), and large amounts in the B3 and upper C (86-137 cm) horizons. No added phosphorus was found below 137 cm. The distribution of added phosphorus was similiar to that of the original phosphorus in the soil profile. The phosphorus adsorption capacities of fertilized and unfertilized soils were similar. These data indicated that 82 years of phosphorus fertilization nearly doubled total phosphorus content in the soil but did not change the ability of the soil to adsorb additional phosphorus. Ion products indicated that the phosphorus level in the soil solution was controlled by the solubility of strengite. Apparently those: factors which influence the solubility of strengite will influence the movement of phosphorus in the Mexico silt loam, soil.Project # A-031-M

Estudio del mecanismo focal de los terremotos a partir de ondas sísmicas. Aplicación a terremotos de las dorsales del Atlántico y Oriental del Pacífico

En este trabajo se presenta un estudio de los parámetros dinámicos de terremotos ocurridos bajo las dorsales del Atlántico y Oriental del Pacífico, así como de la variación regional del coeficiente de atenuación de las ondas Rayleigh para la región oriental del Pacífico. Se ha obtenido un coeficiente de atenuación anormalmente alto baio la dorsal del Pacífico e importantes diferencias en las condiciones de similaridad para las dos dorsales. Comparando los parámetros dinámicos obtenidos para las dorsales (zonas de tensión) con parámetros obtenidos para zonas de subducción (zonas de compresión), resultan ser similares excepto para la caída de esfuerzos. Los resultados obtenidos se interpretan en función de la actividad tectónicade las dorsales

Prediction of water soluble arsenic in sewage-soil systems

Missouri orchard soils were analyzed for total As, Pb, and Cu content. All Cu concentrations were normal, while Pb and As concentrations varied from natural levels to over 2000 ppm for Pb and 350 ppm for As. The Bray tests for available phosphorus were high by 0-8 to 16.8 percent due to arsenic interference on soils from arsenic contaminated fields. Fifteen g samples of a Sharpsburg silty clay loam and a Menfro silt loam soil containing 320 and 160 g As/g, respectively, were equilibrated for 21 days with 30 ml of distilled water or 1 percent dextrose. After 21 days the samples were freeze dried, divided into 2 groups, one air dry and the other at 26.7 percent water and exposed to the atmosphere. Eh, pH, As, Fe, Al, Mn, Ca and Pb in solution were determined periodically. After an initial Eh drop in the 1 percent dextrose equilibration, the As in solution increased rapidly in both soils, but was constant after 12 days.Project # A-068-MO Agreement # 14-03-0001-4025 and 502