On the Social Consequences of the Desire for Motion

Three studies investigated the effects of locomotion regulatory mode on individuals’ evaluations of social partners who disrupt the smooth forward motion of a social interaction. Locomotion was expected to increase individuals’ preference for smooth motion in social interactions. In turn, that preference was expected to lead to less positive evaluations of listeners who disrupted the “flow” of a social interaction. The results generally did not confirm the predictions. Theoretical and practical implications of the studies, as well as future directions for the research, are discussed

Are “Thinkers” More Ethical Than “Doers”? How Regulatory Mode Influences Unethical Behavior

Unethical actions can have a significant impact on both individuals and societies; thus, it is critical to identify factors that can predict such actions. The current research investigated two potential predictors of unethical behavior: locomotion and assessment regulatory mode (Kruglanski et al., 2000). Locomotion refers to the desire for continuous progress or movement in goal pursuit, while assessment refers to the desire to critically evaluate and compare among goals and means. Locomotion was expected to increase individuals’ tendency to behave unethically, whereas assessment was expected to decrease this tendency. Guilt proneness was expected to mediate these effects, such that assessors should be more prone to experiencing guilt, and should behave more ethically; locomotors, on the other hand, should be less prone to experiencing guilt, and should therefore behave less ethically. Furthermore, the effect of locomotion on unethical behavior was expected to be stronger when the unethical action saved more (vs. less) time. The effect of assessment on unethical behavior was expected to depend upon the presence of social standards for such behavior: assessors should act less ethically if there is a strong (vs. weak) social norm for unethical actions. Six studies that utilized a variety of designs and different measures of unethical behavior were carried out in order to test these hypotheses. The results were generally inconsistent with the hypotheses. Some potential explanations and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed

Retrieval-induced forgetting as motivated cognition

Recalling information from a particular category can reduce one's memory capability for related, non-retrieved information. This is known as the retrieval-induced forgetting effect (RIF; Anderson et al., 1994). The present paper reviews studies that show that the RIF effect is motivated. More specifically, we describe research showing that the need for closure (NFC; the motivation to attain epistemic certainty; Kruglanski and Webster, 1996) generally enhances the RIF, because this prevents uncertainty and confusion from the intrusion of unwanted memories during selective-retrieval. However, when the content of the to-be-forgotten information serves the retriever's goals, NFC reduces RIF. Overall, the present findings are consistent with the view that motivation can affect the magnitude of RIF effects which, in turn, can serve as a mechanism for reaching preferred conclusion

Aspects of motivation : reflections on Roy Baumeister’s essay

Reflecting on Roy Baumeister’s guidelines for a general theory of motivation, we relate his ideas to our own perspectives and interests. In those terms we consider, among others, the role of motivation in cognitive processes, the emergence of motives from basic needs, the mental representation of motives in memory, and the issue of free will. Roy’s paper compellingly demonstrates the indispensability of motivation to psychological phenomena writ large, and it aptly identifies critical junctures where further motivational research is needed

Social psychology circa 2016 : a field on steroids

This paper considers the current state of the field in social psychology. On the one hand, we have made enormous progress in integrating our research with other disciplines, reaching out to general public and using our knowledge toward addressing major societal ills. On the other hand, social psychology has been recently mired in a crisis of confidence concerning the appropriateness of our methods and the robustness of our findings. We propose that shifting our attention to theory, method, and application, as well as away from a pervasive "outcome focus", can extricate social psychology from its current doldrums and allow it to realize its potential as an indispensable social science

Social psychology circa 2016 : a field on steroids

This paper considers the current state of the field in social psychology. On the one hand, we have made enormous progress in integrating our research with other disciplines, reaching out to general public and using our knowledge toward addressing major societal ills. On the other hand, social psychology has been recently mired in a crisis of confidence concerning the appropriateness of our methods and the robustness of our findings. We propose that shifting our attention to theory, method, and application, as well as away from a pervasive "outcome focus", can extricate social psychology from its current doldrums and allow it to realize its potential as an indispensable social science

Digital technologies in management tasks

In the context of the digital revolution, all management processes are subject to reforms and optimisation. The public sector, in terms of making managerial decisions at the state head level, as well as federal executive authorities, also forms plans for digital transformation. However, initiating the optimization process in the public sector does not immediately lead to an effective transition to new realities. There are problems slowing down managerial decision-making in the field of digital transformation of the public sector, which affects the effectiveness of achieving strategic planning goals in the state, including in the long term

Memorial heritage and social memory of youth of Eurasian integration countries

Based on the results of a sociological study, the article attempts a narrative explication of the attitudes of young people in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Russia toward their shared memorial heritage in the context of the permanent reinterpretation of the Soviet past in the former Soviet republics which appears important in the context of the ongoing search for new forms of economic and political integration in the Eurasian space. The study allows providing a characteristic of the place of the Soviet memorial heritage, especially that dedicated to the participation of the USSR in World War II, in the social memory of young people as a unifying factor of millennial and post-millennial generations of the former Soviet republics – participants in Eurasian integration which can contribute to the successful implementation of integration projects in the post-Soviet space. The post-memory generation is generally in favor of preserving the Soviet toponymic names of city streets and squares but young people in countries with a greater degree of linguistic and ethnocultural differences support renaming practices more often. At the same time, the authors note the ambivalence of young people’s attitudes towards the future of memorialization policies in their countries which preserves the possibility of potential revision and reconsideration of the Soviet past in the future.

Influence of Copper Pollution of Haplic Calcic Chernozem With Various Contents of Sand Fractions on Morphobiometric Indicators of Spring Barley

The growth and development of plants is one of the criteria for assessing the degree of soil pollution with heavy metals. Morphological and anatomical changes in test plants affected by pollutants, such as growth retardation, shoot bending, and decreased root length and mass, indicate the worsening of environmental conditions. The effect of various ratios of soil and sand polluted with copper (Cu) on morphobiometric parameters of spring barley (Hordeum sativum distichum), Ratnik variety, was studied in a model vegetative experiment. Haplic calcic chernozem was used as a substrate with different ratios of soil/sand. It was determined that an addition of sand into the soil in the amounts of 25%, 50% and 75% of soil mass resulted in the alteration of the physical properties of the chernozem, which was reflected in the morphometric parameters of the plants. The most notable changes in the parameters were observed after pollution of soil-sand substrates with Cu(CH3COO)2 in the amounts of 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, 1000 mg/kg and 2000 mg/kg. The maximum growth and development retardation of the barley plants was found at the maximum content of sand and the maximum concentration of Cu. The pollutant reduced the root length and, to a lesser degree, the height of the aboveground components of the plant, which as a result, decreased the total plant biomass. Keywords: trace elements, soil, agricultural crops, particle size distributio