Looking Back From the Future: Perspective Taking in Virtual Reality Increases Future Self-Continuity

In the current study, we tested a novel perspective-taking exercise aimed at increasing the connection participants felt toward their future self, i.e., future self-continuity. Participants role-played as their successful future self and answered questions about what it feels like to become their future and the path to get there. The exercise was also conducted in a virtual reality environment and in vivo to investigate the possible added value of the virtual environment with respect to improved focus, perspective-taking, and effectiveness for participants with less imagination. Results show that the perspective taking exercise in virtual reality substantially increased all four domains of future self-continuity, i.e., connectedness, similarity, vividness, and liking, while the in vivo equivalent increased only liking and vividness. Although connectedness and similarity were directionally, but not significantly different between the virtual and in vivo environments, neither the focus, perspective taking, or individual differences in imagination could explain this difference—which suggests a small, but non-significant, placebo effect of the virtual reality environment. However, lower baseline vividness in the in vivo group may explain this difference and suggests preliminary evidence for the dependency of connectedness and similarity domains upon baseline vividness. These findings show that the perspective taking exercise in a VR environment can reliably increase the future self-continuity domains

The Past and the Pending: The Antecedents and Consequences of Group-Based Anger in Historically and Currently Disadvantaged Groups

Two studies investigated the role of domain relevance in the experience of group-based anger among disadvantaged groups using structural equation models. In the first study, Surinamese people to whom the slavery past was more relevant made stronger attributions of outgroup-blame and experienced more anger. This effect was above and beyond the influence of group identification. In the second study relevance of women’s status position in society predicted outgroup-blame and group-based anger. In both studies domain relevance and anger were predictive of the tendencies to engage in action demanding reparation, as well as of the desire for the outgroup to engage in reparation. The role of domain relevance for intergroup emotions is considered

Group-level self-definition and self-investment: A hierarchical (multi-component) model of in-group identification

Recent research shows individuals' identification with in-groups to be psychologically important and socially consequential. However, there is little agreement about how identification should be conceptualized or measured. On the basis of previous work, the authors identified 5 specific components of in-group identification and offered a hierarchical 2-dimensional model within which these components are organized. Studies 1 and 2 used confirmatory factor analysis to validate the proposed model of self-definition (individual self-stereotyping, in-group homogeneity) and self-investment (solidarity, satisfaction, and centrality) dimensions, across 3 different group identities. Studies 3 and 4 demonstrated the construct validity of the 5 components by examining their (concurrent) correlations with established measures of in-group identification. Studies 5-7 demonstrated the predictive and discriminant validity of the 5 components by examining their (prospective) prediction of individuals' orientation to, and emotions about, real intergroup relations. Together, these studies illustrate the conceptual and empirical value of a hierarchical multicomponent model of in-group identification

Doğu Karadeniz Sahili Batlama Deresi’nde Dağılım Gösteren Bazı Balık Türlerinde Ağır Metal Birikiminin Değerlendirilmesi

Bu araştırma Temmuz 2011 ve Mayıs 2012 tarihleri arasında mevsimsel olarak gerçekleştirilmiş olup çalışmada Giresun sahillerinde denize dökülen Batlama Deresi’nde dağılım gösteren bazı balık türlerinin kas ve solungaç dokularındaki ağır metal birikimleri değerlendirilmiştir. Analiz edilen balıklarda ağır metal birikimleri ortalama ppm olarak kas dokuda; Co: 1,47-1,64 Cr: 0,09-0,36, Cu: 0,92-11,0, Fe: 8,01-17,6, Mn: 1,46-2,20, Ni: 2,69-3.55, Pb: 1,83-2,63, Zn: 9,80-17,0; solungaçta; Co: 2,14-3,99, Cr: 0,20-0,58, Cu: 1,32-22,6, Fe: 52,2-140, Mn: 13,1-20,3, Ni: 7,85-13,6, Pb: 2,75-6,28, Zn: 37,5-80,8 düzeylerinde bulunmuştur. Bunun yanı sıra çalışmada, kas doku için günlük ve haftalık alımlar hesaplanmıştır. Bu değerler uluslararası kuruluşlar tarafından bildirilen sınır değerlerinin altında olduğundan, çalışmanın yapıldığı zaman, çalışılan türler ve metaller açısından bu bölgede yakalanarak tüketilen balıkların insan sağlığı üzerine herhangi bir tehdit oluşturmayacağı söylenebilir

Looking back from the future: perspective taking in virtual reality increases future self-continuity

Education and Child Studie