1
|
Graton A, Fezzi H, Le Jeune N. When feeling is for seeing: comparing the effects of motivated perception between fear and anger on ambiguous threatening stimuli. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024; 88:379-388. [PMID: 37682323 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01867-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
We do not see the world as it is: distortions of visual perception can occur depending on the goals we wish to achieve ("wishful seeing"). Following functionalist theories of emotions (e.g., "feeling is for doing"), visual perception biases could also be involved in the link between emotion and specific behavior. Previous research has shown that anger can modify visual perception towards ambiguous menacing stimuli, or that fear can similarly direct our attention and perception towards threatening stimuli (e.g., weapons). The aim of our research was to replicate these effects by directly comparing the effects of these two emotions on perceptual biases and by relying on general mixed models to control Type I errors and reduce the risk related to the non-independence between observations. Our results partially replicate a perceptual bias toward threatening objects for both emotions although this effect depends on the type of stimulus and of the emotional dimension involved. These results are discussed in terms of the impact of emotions in attentional and perceptual processes and in relation to alternative theoretical explanations for motivated perception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Graton
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, LIP/PC2S, Grenoble, France.
| | - Hélène Fezzi
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, LIP/PC2S, Grenoble, France
| | - Noémie Le Jeune
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, LIP/PC2S, Grenoble, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Peng W, Huang Q, Mao B, Lun D, Malova E, Simmons JV, Carcioppolo N. When guilt works: a comprehensive meta-analysis of guilt appeals. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1201631. [PMID: 37842697 PMCID: PMC10568480 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1201631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Guilt appeals are widely used as a persuasive approach in various areas of practice. However, the strength and direction of the persuasive effects of guilt appeals are mixed, which could be influenced by theoretical and methodological factors. Method The present study is a comprehensive meta-analysis of 26 studies using a random-effects model to assess the persuasive effects of guilt appeals. In total, 127 effect sizes from seven types of persuasive outcomes (i.e., guilt, attitude, behavior, behavioral intention, non-guilt emotions, motivation, and cognition) were calculated based on 7,512 participants. Results The analysis showed a small effect size of guilt appeals [g = 0.19, 95% CI (0.10, 0.28)]. The effect of guilt appeals was moderated by the theoretical factors related to appraisal and coping of guilt arousal, including attributed responsibility, controllability and stability of the causal factors, the proximity of perceiver-victim relationship, recommendation of reparative behaviors, and different outcome types. The effect was also associated with methods used in different studies. Discussion Overall, the findings demonstrated the persuasive effects of guilt appeals, but theoretical and methodological factors should be considered in the design and testing of guilt appeals. We also discussed the practical implications of the findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Peng
- Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Qian Huang
- Department of Communication, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, United States
| | - Bingjing Mao
- TSET Health Promotion and Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma, OK, United States
| | - Di Lun
- Department of Health Disparities Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ekaterina Malova
- Simon Business School, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Jazmyne V. Simmons
- Division of Health Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Nick Carcioppolo
- School of Communication, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sezer D, Locher C, Gaab J. Deceptive and open-label placebo effects in experimentally induced guilt: a randomized controlled trial in healthy subjects. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21219. [PMID: 36481801 PMCID: PMC9731964 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25446-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Placebos are known to yield significant effects in many conditions. We examined deceptive and open-label placebo effects on guilt, which is important for self-regulation and a symptom of mental disorders. Following an experimental induction of guilt, healthy subjects were randomized to deceptive placebo (DP; n = 35), open-label placebo (OLP; n = 35), or no treatment (NT; n = 39). The primary outcome was guilt responses assessed in area under the curve (AUC). Secondary outcomes were shame, guilt, and affect. We hypothesized that DP and OLP would reduce guilt compared to NT. Guilt responses were higher in the NT group than in the placebo groups (estimate = 2.03, 95% CI = 0.24-3.82, d = 0.53), whereas AUC guilt did not differ significantly between the placebo groups (estimate = -0.38, 95% CI = -2.52-1.76, d = -0.09). Placebos are efficacious in reducing acute guilt responses, regardless of the placebo administration (i.e., open vs. deceptive). Furthermore, we observed narrative-specific effects with significant changes of guilt but not shame, pride, or affect. These results indicate not only that guilt is amenable to placebos but also that placebos can be administered in an ethical and potentially emotion-specific manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dilan Sezer
- grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Missionsstrasse 62, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cosima Locher
- grid.412004.30000 0004 0478 9977Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland ,grid.11201.330000 0001 2219 0747Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Jens Gaab
- grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Missionsstrasse 62, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Maisonneuve C, Taillandier-Schmitt A. Empathy arousal and emotional reactions to victims of the gender pay gap. THE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022:1-22. [PMID: 36357359 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2022.2136058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Men and women are well aware of the gender pay gap. The present study involved four experiments (N = 341, student sample, N = 203 general population sample) in which we indirectly measured empathy by asking participants to rate the non-complex and complex emotions they felt when reading a scenario in which a woman described her pay situation. Experiments 1 (equal pay vs. unequal pay) and 2, 3 & 4 (angry vs. depressed reaction to pay inequality) investigate differences in empathy arousal between men and women by assessing their emotions. Globally, both men and women identified correctly emotions expressed by the women victim of pay inequity. On complex emotions, women express more other suffering emotions than men, only in Experiment 4. Coupled with expression of guilt/shame for men only, these results are discussed in the perspective of future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christelle Maisonneuve
- LP3C (Laboratory of Psychology: Cognition, Behavior and Communication), Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Anne Taillandier-Schmitt
- LP3C (Laboratory of Psychology: Cognition, Behavior and Communication), Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
- PAVEA (Psychology of life ages and adaptation), Univ Tours, Tours, France
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wolfe HE, Isaacowitz DM. Aging and Emotion Regulation Tactics Across the Historical Events of 2020. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2022:6650780. [PMID: 35895498 PMCID: PMC9384541 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnac106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Despite well-documented cognitive and physical declines with age, older adults tend to report higher emotional wellbeing than younger adults, even during the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To understand this paradox, as well as investigate the effects of specific historical contexts, the current study examined age differences in emotion regulation related to the events of 2020 in the United States. We predicted that, due to older adults' theorized greater prioritization of hedonic goals and avoidance of arousal, older adults would report more positivity-upregulation and acceptance tactics than younger adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS 81 younger adults (ages 18-25) and 85 older adults (age 55+) completed a retrospective survey on their emotion regulation tactic usage for three specific events: the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the killing of George Floyd, and the presidential election. RESULTS Older adults tended to rely most on acceptance-focused tactics, while younger adults tended to rely on a more even variety of tactics. However, age differences in tactic preferences varied by event, possibly due to younger adults' greater emotion regulation flexibility. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Older adults' higher emotional well-being may not be primarily a result of age differences in positivity-related emotion regulation tactics, but more about differences in acceptance use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Wolfe
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Derek M Isaacowitz
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Li S, Jain K. Blinded by guilt: Short-term relational focus and lying. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
7
|
Schindler S, Pfattheicher S. When it really counts: Investigating the relation between trait mindfulness and actual prosocial behavior. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 42:5357-5365. [PMID: 34054263 PMCID: PMC8148411 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01860-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Meta-analytical findings suggested a positive link between trait mindfulness and prosociality. However, most correlational studies on mindfulness and prosociality have relied on self-report measures. The present work aimed to address this serious limitation by investigating actual prosocial behavior. We further focused on mindfulness as a multi-dimensional personality trait to disentangle effects of different mindfulness aspects. In addition, we tested whether the relation between trait mindfulness and prosocial behavior emerges under a theoretical meaningful experimental boundary condition (i.e., feelings of guilt). In two studies (using four different samples; N = 1240), we did not find support for a positive link between trait mindfulness and (a) charitable donation and (b) behavior in an incentivized economic game, respectively. Evidence for manipulated guilt-level as a moderator was inconclusive. Taken together, the findings point to a more complex role of trait mindfulness for prosocial behavior. Limitations and ideas for further research are discussed.
Collapse
|
8
|
Graton A, Mailliez M. A Theory of Guilt Appeals: A Review Showing the Importance of Investigating Cognitive Processes as Mediators between Emotion and Behavior. Behav Sci (Basel) 2019; 9:bs9120117. [PMID: 31756909 PMCID: PMC6960572 DOI: 10.3390/bs9120117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Guilt appeals in the field of persuasion are quite common. However, the effectiveness of these messages is sometimes ambivalent. It is widely acknowledged that guilt leads people to engage into prosocial behaviors, but the effects of guilt can also be counter-productive (e.g., reactance-like effects). We argue that the explanations for these contradictions remain unsatisfactory and suggest that taking into account the implications of underlying cognitive—especially attentional—mechanisms would provide a better understanding of these paradoxical outcomes. This article provides a brief review of the literature on the link between guilt and pro-social behaviors and its classical interpretations. We propose a reinterpretation of this link by taking into account specific attentional processes triggered by the emotion of guilt. Attentional biases are, in our opinion, better predictors of the effectiveness of a message than the amount of emotion induced by the same message. This consideration should guide future research in the field of guilt appeals and pro-social behaviors. Implications, in terms of a broader comprehension of the emotion–behavior association in decision making processes, are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Graton
- LIP/PC2S, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc and Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Correspondence:
| | - Melody Mailliez
- ISAE/SUPAERO, Université de Toulouse, 31055 Toulouse, France;
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Are we assessing guilt correctly? An investigation of the psychometric properties of a prominent guilt measure. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11031-019-09810-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
10
|
Schindler S, Pfattheicher S, Reinhard MA. Potential negative consequences of mindfulness in the moral domain. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Schindler
- Department of Psychology; University of Kassel; Kassel Germany
| | - Stefan Pfattheicher
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences; Aarhus University; Aarhus Denmark
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Graton A, Ric F. Comprendre le lien culpabilité-réparation : un rôle potentiel de l’attention. ANNEE PSYCHOLOGIQUE 2017. [DOI: 10.3917/anpsy.173.0379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
|