Racism and racial categorization.

Social identity theory predicts that perceivers strongly identified with an in-group will maximize the distinction and maintain a clear boundary between their own and other groups by categorizing others' membership accurately. Two experiments tested the prediction that racially prejudiced individuals, who presumably identify highly with their racial in-group, are more motivated to make accurate racial categorizations than nonprejudiced individuals. Results indicated that prejudiced participants not only took longer to categorize race-ambiguous targets (Experiments 1 and 2), but also made more nonverbal vocalizations when presented with them (Experiment 1), suggesting response hesitation. The results support the hypothesis that, compared to nonprejudiced individuals, prejudiced individuals concern themselves with accurate identification of in-group and out-group members and use caution when making racial categorizations

Examining the antecedents of challenge and threat states: The influence of perceived required effort and support availability

To date, limited research has explicitly examined the antecedents of challenge and threat states proposed by the biopsychosocial model. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the influence of perceived required effort and support availability on demand/resource evaluations, challenge and threat states, and motor performance. A 2 (required effort; high, low) � 2 (support availability; available, not available) between-subjects design was used with one hundred and twenty participants randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions. Participants received instructions designed to manipulate perceptions of required effort and support availability before demand/resource evaluations and cardiovascular responses were assessed. Participants then performed the novel motor task (laparoscopic surgery) while performance was recorded. Participants in the low perceived required effort condition evaluated the task as more of a challenge (i.e., resources outweighed demands), exhibited a cardiovascular response more indicative of a challenge state (i.e., higher cardiac output and lower total peripheral resistance), and performed the task better (i.e., quicker completion time) than those in the high perceived required effort condition. However, perceptions of support availability had no significant impact on participants' demand/resource evaluations, cardiovascular responses, or performance. Furthermore, there was no significant interaction effect between perceptions of required effort and support availability. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at promoting a challenge state should include instructions that help individuals perceive that the task is not difficult and requires little physical and mental effort to perform effectively

Power moves beyond complementarity: A staring look elicits avoidance in low power perceivers and approach in high power perceivers

Sustained, direct eye-gaze — staring — is a powerful cue that elicits strong responses in many primate and non-primate species. The present research examined whether fleeting experiences of high and low power alter individuals’ spontaneous responses to the staring gaze of an onlooker. We report two experimental studies showing that sustained, direct gaze elicits spontaneous avoidance tendencies in low power perceivers, and spontaneous approach tendencies in high power perceivers. These effects emerged during interactions with different targets and when power was manipulated between-individuals (Study 1) and within-individuals (Study 2), thus attesting to a high degree of flexibility in perceivers’ reactions to gaze cues. Together, the present findings indicate that power can break the cycle of complementarity in individuals’ spontaneous responding: low power perceivers complement and move away from, and high power perceivers reciprocate and move towards, staring onlookers

The development and preliminary validation of the Challenge and Threat in Sport (CAT-Sport) Scale

This paper outlines the development and preliminary validation of a sport-specific measure of athletes’ experience of challenge and threat. Three independent studies assess the content validity, factor structure, criterion validity and internal consistency of the Challenge and Threat in Sport (CAT-Sport) Scale. In study 1, a group of 25 athletes and two experts assessed the content validity of items derived from existing measures of challenge and threat. Participants examined a pool of 25 items, and were asked to rate the items’ applicability to their experiences of challenge and threat in sport. Items failing to reach applicability of 50% were excluded from further analysis. In study 2, 197 runners completed the 21 items retained from study 1 before competition. A principal components analysis with an oblique, direct oblimin rotation yielded a 12-item, two component solution with items indicative of athletes’ experiences of challenge and threat. In study 3, 201 shooters completed the 12-item CAT-Sport before competition. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a 12-item 2-factor correlated model provided acceptable model fit with good internal consistency and criterion validity. Collectively these studies provide support for the CAT-Sport as a measure of athletes’ experience of challenge and threat in anticipation of sport competition

Gender Differences in the First Impressions of Autistic Adults

Prior research has shown that less favourable first impressions are formed of autistic adults by non‐autistic observers. Autistic females may present differently to autistic males and could engage in more camouflaging behaviours, which could affect these first impressions. However, research has not yet tested for gender differences in the first impressions of autistic adults. In the current study, non‐autistic observers (n = 205) viewed either 10‐sec video clips or text transcripts in the context of a mock job interview by 10 autistic females and 10 autistic males, matched to 10 non‐autistic females and 10 non‐autistic males. They then rated each stimulus on personality traits (e.g., awkwardness) and behavioural intentions (e.g., “I would start a conversation with this person”). Non‐autistic observers were blind to diagnostic status of the individuals in either modality. Results showed that first impressions were less favourable overall of autistic adults in the video modality. Furthermore, autistic females were rated more favourably than autistic males in the video modality across most traits—but autistic females were also rated less favourably than both non‐autistic females and males. Some judgements were also made in the text modality, whereby more favourable first impressions were made of autistic males on the basis of speech content. Understanding the first impressions that both autistic females and males make has important implications for diagnostic services and employment prospects

A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis of Fear Appeal Appraisal and Student Engagement

Background: Fear appeals are persuasive messages given by teachers to students about the importance of avoiding failure in an upcoming high-stakes test. The relationship between the way that students appraise fear appeals and engagement in lessons has not previously been tested using a robust methodological and analytical design that fully controls for concurrent relationships between the variables and stability over time. Aim: The present study addressed these limitations using a cross-lagged panel design to probe reciprocal relationships between students’ appraisal of fear appeals as a threat and as a challenge, with their engagement in class. Sample: A total of 2,025 Year 10 and 11 students took part. Method: Fear appeal appraisal and student engagement were measured at two time-points, four months apart. Results: After controlling for unlagged and auto-lagged correlations, and gender and year group, the model fit the data well and six cross-lagged paths emerged as statistically significant. Threat appraisal and emotional engagement were reciprocally, negatively related. Threat appraisal also positively predicted emotional disaffection and challenge appraisal negatively predicted behavioural disaffection. In addition, prospective relations were revealed between specific components of student engagement. Conclusions: Classroom teachers need to be aware of the possible consequences of making fear appeals and moderate this aspect of their practice accordingly. It would also be beneficial for educational interventions to focus on promoting challenge appraisals of fear appeals

How Does Perceived Support Lead to Better Performance? An Examination of Potential Mechanisms

This is a postprint of an article published in Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 2009, Vol. 21, pp. 421 – 429 © 2009 copyright Taylor & Francis. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/uasp20/currentUsing a high-performance sample of 118 golfers, we examined the relationship between perceived support and performance. Observed variable path analysis revealed that the beneficial effects of perceived support were primarily attributable to esteem support. High levels of esteem support were associated with appraising a competition as less of a threat. Esteem support was also positively associated with situational control, which was positively associated with challenge appraisals and negatively associated with threat appraisals. Challenge appraisals were associated with better performance and threat appraisals with poorer performance. These results highlight possible mechanisms underlying the relationship between esteem support and performance

A Person-Centered Approach to Students’ Evaluations of Perceived Fear Appeals and their Association with Engagement

A person-centered approach was employed to investigate how students' evaluation of perceived teacher utility value messages, i.e., fear appeals, as a threat and as a challenge, combined within individuals and how these combinations related to student engagement. Two studies were conducted with students in their final two years of secondary education. Empirically distinct clusters emerged at two time points in the academic year. Evaluating the message in the fear appeal at a higher level of challenge than threat was beneficial. Unexpectedly, high threat was associated with high engagement, as long as high challenge was also present, however, this combination was also related to high emotional disaffection. Moderate threat combined with moderate challenge had the most detrimental relationship with student engagement. Educational interventions should aim to increase the likelihood of a challenge evaluation

Self-Affirmation Improves Problem-Solving under Stress

High levels of acute and chronic stress are known to impair problem-solving and creativity on a broad range of tasks. Despite this evidence, we know little about protective factors for mitigating the deleterious effects of stress on problem-solving. Building on previous research showing that self-affirmation can buffer stress, we tested whether an experimental manipulation of self-affirmation improves problem-solving performance in chronically stressed participants. Eighty undergraduates indicated their perceived chronic stress over the previous month and were randomly assigned to either a self-affirmation or control condition. They then completed 30 difficult remote associate problem-solving items under time pressure in front of an evaluator. Results showed that self-affirmation improved problem-solving performance in underperforming chronically stressed individuals. This research suggests a novel means for boosting problem-solving under stress and may have important implications for understanding how self-affirmation boosts academic achievement in school settings. © 2013 Creswell et al