Self-concept clarity: buffering the impact of self-evaluative information

Two experiments examine the hypothesis that self-concept clarity (SCC) may buffer individuals against self-evaluative feedback and moderate the impact of evaluative information on self-esteem and self-promoting behaviors. In experiment 1 (7V= 122), when participants’ positive, compared to negative, selves were made salient they reported higher selfesteem and more positive affect. Importantly, this occurred only for those with low SCC; high clarity participants showed no differences. In experiment 2 (jV=lll), participants who received favorable social feedback engaged in more self-promotion behaviors than those who received unfavorable feedback, but again only if they were low in clarity. Low SCC participants’ selfviews and behaviors were molded by whether they faced positive or negative evaluative information, while high SCC participants were relatively unaffected

Perceptions of health risks of cigarette smoking: a new measure reveals widespread misunderstanding.

Most Americans recognize that smoking causes serious diseases, yet many Americans continue to smoke. One possible explanation for this paradox is that perhaps Americans do not accurately perceive the extent to which smoking increases the probability of adverse health outcomes. This paper examines the accuracy of Americans' perceptions of the absolute risk, attributable risk, and relative risk of lung cancer, and assesses which of these beliefs drive Americans' smoking behavior. Using data from three national surveys, statistical analyses were performed by comparing means, medians, and distributions, and by employing Generalized Additive Models. Perceptions of relative risk were associated as expected with smoking onset and smoking cessation, whereas perceptions of absolute risk and attributable risk were not. Additionally, the relation of relative risk with smoking status was stronger among people who held their risk perceptions with more certainty. Most current smokers, former smokers, and never-smokers considerably underestimated the relative risk of smoking. If, as this paper suggests, people naturally think about the health consequences of smoking in terms of relative risk, smoking rates might be reduced if public understanding of the relative risks of smoking were more accurate and people held those beliefs with more confidence

Perceived numbers of nonsmokers and smokers who will get lung cancer: SRBI, Harris Interactive, and FFRISP Surveys.

<p>Perceived numbers of nonsmokers and smokers who will get lung cancer: SRBI, Harris Interactive, and FFRISP Surveys.</p

Comparing risk measures: SRBI, Harris Interactive, and FFRISP Surveys.

<p>Comparing risk measures: SRBI, Harris Interactive, and FFRISP Surveys.</p

Perceived relative risk of getting lung cancer from cigarette smoking: SRBI, Harris Interactive, and FFRISP Surveys.

<p>Perceived relative risk of getting lung cancer from cigarette smoking: SRBI, Harris Interactive, and FFRISP Surveys.</p