Graphic Presentation: An Empirical Examination of the Graphic Novel Approach to Communicate Business Concepts

Graphic novels have been increasingly incorporated into business communication forums. Despite potential benefits, little research has examined the merits of the graphic novel approach. In response, we engage in a two-study approach. Study 1 explores the potential of graphic novels to affect learning outcomes and finds that the graphic novel was related to high levels of learning experiences. Study 2 compares the impact of graphic novels with that of traditional textbooks and finds that verbatim recognition was superior with graphic novel texts. Overall, we provide the first comprehensive examination of the graphic novel as a tool for effective business communication.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Computer-Based Instruction and Cognitive Load

Following cognitive load theory, we used a computer-based software training paradigm to determining the optimal number of steps or information chunks to present before practice opportunities. Results demonstrating that the size of information chunks presented and the type of practice used individually influenced participants\u27 ability to effectively learn via computer-based instruction. These findings contribute to the literature by showing the importance of practice and optimal segment sizes for learning via a computer

The Automatic Consequences of Religious Priming

Little is understood concerning the cognitive processing of religious attitudes. The limited research in this area applies schema theory to describe religious attitudes, but in doing so neglects specific cognitive processes. The present study applies cognitive processing theory to the domain of religious attitudes in order to examine whether individuals process certain types of information automatically, and how this may affect behavior. Two pilot studies suggest that being primed with religious words leads to the automatic activation of corresponding religious attitudes and that religious priming accesses a motivational state. Dijksterhuis and Bargh (2001) recently theorized that individuals demonstrate automatic behaviors because of the social advantages of assimilating to the social environment. This would suggest that regardless of one\u27s religiosity, being primed with religious words may motivate one to conform to the perceived intents and goals of religious people. The current study examined this possibility by testing contrast and assimilation effects of primed religious words. It was predicted that an underlying social assimilation process accounted for previously found automatic behavioral effects of religious priming in a task that misled people to cheat. Results showed that participants did indeed cheat more when primed with concrete as opposed to general religious words. Contrary to predictions, however, the suggested contrast found in the concrete religious word group showed no difference when participants\u27 cognitive capacity was manipulated. Participant\u27s level of intrinsic religiousness also showed no effect on the tendency to cheat, failing to replicate past results. Overall, these mixed results suggest an assimilation process in religious priming. Future research is discussed that may offer better tests of the role cognitive processing plays in religious social perception and behavior

Opening the Doors of Perception: Priming Altered States of Consciousness Outside of Conscious Awareness

Two studies are reported in which participants\u27 reports of altered states of consciousness (ASC) were manipulated using priming methods. Study 1 used both subtle and blunt supraliminal priming methods, while Study 2 used a subliminal priming method. Across the two studies, two different methods for inducing ASC were used. In both studies a direct and an indirect measure of ASC was employed in order to separate the more nonconscious and spontaneous (indirect) from the more conscious and directive (direct) reports of ASC. As predicted, results indicated that the indirect measures of ASC were consistent with the ASC primes participants received. Implications and future research directions are discussed

Is God Really Watching You? A Response to Shariff and Norenzayan

Shariff and Norenzayan (2007) recently reported in the journal Psychological Science that covertly priming participants with “God concepts” increased prosocial behavior regardless of self-reported religiosity. They interpreted their data as supportive of ideomotor and supernatural watcher effects, with implications discussed in the context of religion facilitating the development of cooperative societies. However, methodological choices and theoretical ambiguities call into question these interpretations and implications

Religious Orientation and Attitudes about Stem Cell Research

Human stem cell research has revived long-standing debates regarding the sanctity and beginning of life. The current study addresses the issue by examining the ability of selected religiosity and personality variables to predict attitudes regarding stem cell research. Participants were given questionnaires measuring attitudes regarding stem cell research, along with the Need for Closure scale, the Internal Control Index, the Need for Uniqueness scale, religious orientation scales, and the Literal-Antiliteral-Mythological scale. Results indicate that those who hold more traditional religious beliefs are likely to oppose stem cell research for moral reasons, whereas those who have a more open-ended approach to religion are likely to be in favor of such research. Results also showed that personality variables were helpful in predicting people\u27s confidence in institutions\u27 ability to manage the ethical questions surrounding such research

Visual images of people at work: Influences on organizational citizenship behavior

© 2018 by Emerald Publishing Limited. Although organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is widely known to have a positive ethical impact in work organizations, the causal antecedents that influence the likelihood of such behaviors among employees is understudied. We addressed this gap by examining the influence of visual images of people on relevant work-related behavior in a work-like setting using the theoretical frame of the social identity perspective. We found that students in a university setting, who were exposed to religious-themed student images, exhibited slower helping behaviors toward the organization than those who were exposed to organizational-themed student images. The results of the current study provide the first-known experimental confirmation of organizational identity as a causal antecedent of OCB

The Relationship between Ethnicity, Christian Orthodoxy, and Mental Health

Although researchers have noted differences in the role of religiosity in the lives of people from different ethnic backgrounds, the components of religion’s influence (i.e., membership and orthodoxy) on mental health have not been previously examined. In the current study, Christian participants’ Christian Orthodox Scale (COS) scores were used to predict scores on mental health. As hypothesized, African Americans with higher COS scores exhibited fewer mental-health problems than did all ethnicities studied with lower COS scores. Implications and future directions for understanding the cultural influence of religion on African Americans are discussed