Unpredictable love? How uncertainty influences partner preferences

Do uncertain events (such as COVID-19) influence the types of partners that males and females feel attracted to in (online) dating? Four studies show that partner preferences are not fixed but dynamic and depend on people's temporary psychological state of uncertainty. Specifically, we show that when facing uncertainty, women are more attracted to men with tougher versus more tender facial features, whereas men are more attracted to women with more tender versus tougher facial features. This effect attenuates under certainty. We show furthermore that uncertainty (but not certainty) increases the preference of stereotypical partner types (caring vs. strong), which can be inferred from these facial features. These results are replicated with different facial stimuli and when uncertainty is activated due to COVID-19, pointing to the timeliness and generalizability of the findings. These findings have implications for our understanding of how and why partner preferences are influenced by uncertainty

The presence of copycat private labels in a product set increases consumers' choice ease when shopping with an abstract mindset

This research demonstrates how the presence of copycat private labels (CCPLs) on retail shelves can positively affect consumers' shopping experience. Adopting a construal level theoretical perspective, Experiment 1 shows that when consumers shop with an abstract mindset, the presence (vs. absence) of CCPLs in a product set positively affects choice ease. Experiment 2 replicates this finding using different stimuli, manipulation of abstract mindset, and measure of choice ease. Experiment 3 demonstrates that the presence of CCPLs due to perceptions of similarity, substitutability, and simplicity positively influences choice ease and attitude toward the chosen product for those with an abstract mindset through conditional mediation. Experiment 4 extends these findings to practice by showing that when consumers shop at a far distance (i.e., ten feet), the presence of CCPLs once again positively affects choice ease and subsequent attitude toward the chosen product. The theoretical and practical contributions of this research are discussed

Green, greener, greenest:Can competition increase sustainable behavior?

Today's world is confronted with alarming environmental problems and it becomes increasingly important to enhance people's sustainable behavior. It is therefore key for companies and policy makers to motivate sustainable behavior among both those who are naturally concerned about the welfare of others and are already more likely to be environmentally conscious (“pro-socials”) and those who are generally less motivated to act sustainably, as they are more concerned with maximizing their own benefits or relative advantage over others (“pro-selves”). Contributing to research in persuasion and environmental psychology, the current work investigates a new strategy that could foster the motivation to behave sustainably across both segments of people: competition. Across four studies in the lab, online, and field we find that competition promotes sustainable behavior, as it corresponds with the underlying motivations of pro-selves and, when used as a mean to a sustainable end, it does not alienate pro-socials from continuing to behave sustainably

A New Addition to the Trademark Litigator\u27s Tool Kit: A Neuroscientific Index of Mark Similarity

With trademark law always striving to keep abreast of new developments in science and technology, the authors of this article propose an innovative, neuroscience-based approach to answering the time-honored question of whether likelihood of consumer confusion exists in a particular dispute