The prospect of negotiating: Stress, cognitive appraisal, and performance

An intervention approach to reducing threat appraisal and avoidance associated with intergroup interactions

Although intergroup contact is effective at reducing prejudice, avoidance of intergroup contact often creates a barrier to prejudice reduction. The present study aimed to reduce majority members' desire to avoid intergroup interactions by devising an intervention aimed at altering cognitive appraisals. Majority group participants (156 Anglo Australians) were assigned to either the intervention or one of two control conditions. The intervention educated majority members about evidence-based techniques to improve interactions with minority members. Participants were provided with two interaction scenarios, one involving an outgroup minority and one involving an ingroup majority member. As predicted, the intervention reduced threat appraisal for the scenario involving outgroup minority member, but not for one involving ingroup majority member. The intervention similarly reduced avoidance desire, but this reduction was not restricted to the minority partner scenario; it was independent of the partner group. The importance of cognitive appraisals in improving intergroup relations is discussed.

An experimental manipulation of cognitive appraisals in parental burnout

As it often applies to other mental conditions, one may posit that cognitive appraisals might be causal in the onset and maintenance of parental burnout. Recent studies have indeed highlighted that negative cognitive appraisals are positively associated with parental burnout. Howbeit, none of these studies being experimental in design, it has-thus far-been impossible to establish causality. To shed light on the question, the present study relied on an experimental design where the perception of three known antecedents of parental burnout was manipulated: co-parenting support, emotion regulation and child-rearing practices. 313 French- and English-speaking parents took part in the study which employed a 4 (Condition: control, perceived co-parenting support, perceived emotion regulation, perceived efficacy of child-rearing practices) × 2 (Time: pre- and post-manipulation) mixed-design, with Condition as the between-subject factor and Time as the within-subject factor. Results showed that the experimental manipulation was effective in the "co-parenting support" condition solely and this effective manipulation further yielded a significant effect on the decrease of parental burnout scores, hence suggesting a causative relation between cognitive appraisals and parental burnout. Our results highlight both the complexity of manipulating parents' cognitive appraisals and the scope for relieving partnered parents from their parental burnout symptoms.

Work-Family Conflict and Unethical Pro-family Behavior: The Mediating Effect of Threat Appraisal and the Moderating Effect of Family Collectivism Orientation

Unethical pro-family behavior (UPFB) is prevalent in organizations and has adverse effects on organizations, but very few studies have examined the factors that lead to UPFB. We use a cognitive appraisal theoretical framework to argue that employees’ unethical pro-family (UPFB) behavior results from work and family conflicts (WFC/FWC) are mediated by threat appraisal and moderated family collectivism orientation. Based on the questionnaire data of 496 full-time employees from two-time points, we found that WFC/FWC was positively correlated with UPFB where threat appraisal played a mediating role in this relationship; Family collectivism orientation strengthens the threat appraisal-UPFB relationship and the mediation relationship between WFC/FWC and UPFB via threat appraisal. These findings offer an understanding of the theoretical and practical implications which could help organizations reduce UPFB. Finally, we discuss possible directions for future research.

Diverse Experiences and Coping During the COVID-19 Lockdown and Unlock in India

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Government of India imposed a nationwide lockdown of 21 days on May 25, 2020, which was extended thrice to a total of 68 days. Mandatory quarantine could hamper mental well-being, trust in the government, and compliance with guidelines. This study looks in-depth at individual accounts during the lockdown (phase A) and after the “unlock” (lifting of the nationwide lockdown; phase B) using telephonic interviews. Mass job loss and the exodus of migrant workers from major cities highlighted the need to include low-income groups in research; hence, purposive sampling was used. We interviewed 45 participants in phase A and 35 participants in phase B; the latter was drawn from the phase A pool based on availability and willingness. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Analysis revealed four themes of participants’ experiences, namely: (1) transitioning from a disrupted normal to a “new normal”; (2) accountability and lack of trust; (3) fear and uncertainty; and (4) perceived lack of control. Within the themes, coping with stressors was observed in six broad categories: (1) distraction, (2) escape/avoidance, (3) positive cognitive restructuring, (4) problem solving, (5) seeking support, and (6) religious coping. Results enabled the drawing of parallels and contrasts between various socioeconomic, religious, and sexual/gender groups and were discussed from the lens of cognitive appraisal theory and coping. The implications of these findings in psychological crisis intervention and policy are discussed, pointing toward the need to allow a collaborative effort and mutual trust to build a resilient society.

Remote learning during COVID-19: cognitive appraisals and perceptions of english medium of instruction (EMI) students

Many countries responded to the Covid-19 pandemic by transforming all face-to-face (F2F) courses to emergency remote teaching with a sudden decision. This rapid shift was unexpected and staggering for the university students. The purpose of the present study is to explore how students studying in English Medium Instructed (EMI) programs cognitively appraised the transformation from F2F to online learning, and to examine if there is any relation between perceived self-efficacy in academic second language (L2) use, quality of interaction, and course satisfaction. Using an online survey, data was collected from a total of 306 graduate and undergraduate students studying in different universities in Turkey. The study found that the majority of the students appraised the transformation as a threat. The students' cognitive appraisals and perceived level of interactional quality, and satisfaction negatively correlated. There was a strong positive correlation between the perceived level of interactional quality and satisfaction. Observed gender, major and year level differences are also reported. The findings have significant implications for decision makers and instructors. Universities are likely to continue remote teaching for a while, thus institutions need to capture how students are affected by the remote learning experience to envisage short and long-term scenarios, and to optimize the quality of their services accordingly.

When Less Is More: How Complexity Impacts Goal Setting, Judgment Accuracy, and Deals in Negotiation

In two studies, we examine how objective complexity-in terms of numbers of negotiable issues-affects negotiators' aspirations, perceptions, actions, and ultimately, the quality of agreements they reach. We hypothesized and found that when negotiators had a greater number of issues to resolve, they were less ambitious for their own outcomes and developed less accurate insights into their partners' interests.

Understanding Police Performance Under Stress: Insights From the Biopsychosocial Model of Challenge and Threat

We examine when and how police officers may avoid costly errors under stress by leveraging theoretical and empirical work on the biopsychosocial (BPS) model of challenge and threat. According to the BPS model, in motivated performance contexts (e.g., test taking, athletics), the evaluation of situational and task demands in relation to one's perceived resources available to cope with those demands engenders distinct patterns of peripheral physiological responding. Individuals experience more challenge-like states in which blood circulates more efficiently in the periphery when they evaluate their coping resources as meeting or exceeding the task demands. Conversely, individuals experience more threat-like states in which blood circulates less efficiently in the periphery when they view the situation or task demands as exceeding their coping resources. Patterns of response consistent with challenge and threat states have been shown to predict important performance and decision-making outcomes in stressful contexts, and repeated experiences of threat-like patterns of physiological activity are thought to have detrimental effects on long-term cardiovascular health. To date, however, research has not used the biopsychosocial model to understand police decision-making under stress. Here, we review relevant empirical work from the perspective of the BPS model concerning how minority status and power can shape challenge and threat responding and contribute to decision-making under stress. We then detail a research agenda aimed at improving the translational value of research being conducted within the BPS model for understanding complex performance and decision-making in the real world, including among law enforcement personnel.

Testosterone, Cortisol and Financial Risk-Taking

Both testosterone and cortisol have major actions on financial decision-making closely related to their primary biological functions, reproductive success and response to stress, respectively. Financial risk-taking represents a particular example of strategic decisions made in the context of choice under conditions of uncertainty. Such decisions have multiple components, and this article considers how much we know of how either hormone affects risk-appetite, reward value, information processing and estimation of the costs and benefits of potential success or failure, both personal and social. It also considers how far we can map these actions on neural mechanisms underlying risk appetite and decision-making, with particular reference to areas of the brain concerned in either cognitive or emotional functions.

Stress, cognitive appraisal, coping, and event free survival in patients with heart failure

OBJECTIVES

To describe self-reported stress level, cognitive appraisal and coping among patients with heart failure (HF), and to examine the association of cognitive appraisal and coping strategies with event-free survival.

METHODS

This was a prospective, longitudinal, descriptive study of patients with chronic HF. Assessment of stress, cognitive appraisal, and coping was performed using Perceived Stress Scale, Cognitive Appraisal Health Scale, and Brief COPE scale, respectively. The event-free survival was defined as cardiac rehospitalization and all-cause death.

RESULTS

A total of 88 HF patients (mean age 58 ± 13 years and 53.4% male) participated. Linear and cox regression showed that harm/loss cognitive appraisal was associated with avoidant emotional coping (β = -0.28; 95% CI: -0.21 - 0.02; p = 0.02) and event free survival (HR = 0.53; 95% CI: 0.28 - 1.02; p = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The cognitive appraisal of the stressors related to HF may lead to negative coping strategies that are associated with worse event-free survival.

Emotional Dynamics in Conflict and Negotiation: Individual, Dyadic, and Group Processes

Conflict is an emotional enterprise. We provide an integrative synthesis of theory and research on emotional dynamics in conflict and negotiation at three levels of analysis: the individual, the dyad, and the group. At the individual level, experienced moods and emotions shape negotiators' cognition and behavior. At the dyadic level, emotional expressions influence counterparts' cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses. At the group level, patterns of emotional experience and/or expression can instigate cooperation, coordination, and conformity, or competition, conflict, and deviance. Intrapersonal (individual-level) effects of diffuse moods can be explained by affect priming and affect-as-information models, whereas effects of discrete emotions are better explained by the appraisal-tendency framework. Interpersonal (dyadic- and group-level) effects of emotions are mediated by affective (e.g., emotional contagion) and inferential (e.g., reverse appraisal) responses, whose relative predictive power can be understood through the lens of emotions as social information (EASI) theory. We offer a critical assessment of the current literature, discuss practical implications for negotiation and conflict management, and sketch an agenda for future research.

Adaptive Appraisals of Anxiety Moderate the Association between Cortisol Reactivity and Performance in Salary Negotiations

Prior research suggests that stress can be harmful in high-stakes contexts such as negotiations. However, few studies actually measure stress physiologically during negotiations, nor do studies offer interventions to combat the potential negative effects of heightened physiological responses in negotiation contexts. In the current research, we offer evidence that the negative effects of cortisol increases on negotiation performance can be reduced through a reappraisal of anxiety manipulation. We experimentally induced adaptive appraisals by randomly assigning 97 male and female participants to receive either instructions to appraise their anxiety as beneficial to the negotiation or no specific instructions on how to appraise the situation. We also measured participants' cortisol responses prior to and following the negotiation. Results revealed that cortisol increases were positively related to negotiation performance for participants who were told to view anxiety as beneficial, and not detrimental, for negotiation performance (appraisal condition). In contrast, cortisol increases were negatively related to negotiation performance for participants given no instructions on appraising their anxiety (control condition). These findings offer a means through which to combat the potentially deleterious effects of heightened cortisol reactivity on negotiation outcomes.

An Integrative Framework of Stress, Attention, and Visuomotor Performance

The aim of this article is to present an integrative conceptual framework that depicts the effect of acute stress on the performance of visually guided motor skills. We draw upon seminal theories highlighting the importance of subjective interpretations of stress on subsequent performance and outline how models of disrupted attentional control might explain this effect through impairments in visuomotor control. We first synthesize and critically discuss empirical support for theories examining these relationships in isolation. We then outline our integrative framework that seeks to provide a more complete picture of the interacting influences of stress responses (challenge and threat) and attention in explaining how elevated stress may lead to different visuomotor performance outcomes. We propose a number of mechanisms that explain why evaluations of stress are related to attentional control, and highlight the emotion of anxiety as the most likely candidate to explain why negative reactions to stress lead to disrupted attention and poor visuomotor skill performance. Finally, we propose a number of feedback loops that explain why stress responses are often self-perpetuating, as well as a number of proposed interventions that are designed to help improve or maintain performance in real world performance environments (e.g., sport, surgery, military, and aviation).

Dual-Hormone Changes Are Related to Bargaining Performance

In the present research, we found that endogenous testosterone and cortisol changes were jointly related to bargaining outcomes. In a face-to-face competitive negotiation (Study 1) and a laboratory-based bargaining game (Study 2), testosterone rises were associated with high earnings and high relationship quality, but only if cortisol dropped. If cortisol rose, testosterone rises were associated with low earnings and poor relationship quality. Conflict between financial and social goals was related to the financially costly dual-hormone profile (testosterone increase and cortisol increase), whereas the absence of such conflict was related to the financially adaptive dual-hormone profile (testosterone increase and cortisol decrease). The findings suggest that when cortisol decreases, rising testosterone is implicated in adaptive bargaining behavior that maximizes earnings and relationship quality. But when cortisol increases, rising testosterone is related to conflict between social and financial motives, weak earnings, and poor relationship quality. These results imply that there are both bright and dark sides to rising testosterone in economic social interactions that depend on fluctuations in cortisol.

Why employees with higher challenging appraisals style are more affectively engaged at work? The role of challenging stressors: a moderated mediation model

Challenging stressors have been positively linked to various work outcomes. However, the role of individual differences in stress appraisal in shaping the function of challenging stressors and work outcomes has been rarely discussed. Drawing on the individual differences perspective, the authors propose that employees higher in challenge appraisal are more likely to have challenging stressors and are more responsive to such stressors to have a higher positive affect at work. Results obtained from 117 employees supported the hypotheses. The results indicated that challenge appraisal is positively related to challenging stressors. In addition, challenging stressors has a positive association with positive affect at work when challenge appraisal is high but has a null association when challenge appraisal is low. The findings suggest that challenging stressors does not necessarily bring positive work outcomes as suggested in past studies and highlight the importance of considering dispositional tendency in stress appraisal when looking into the function of challenging stressors and work outcomes.

The effect of challenge and threat states on performance: an examination of potential mechanisms

Challenge and threat states predict future performance; however, no research has examined their immediate effect on motor task performance. The present study examined the effect of challenge and threat states on golf putting performance and several possible mechanisms. One hundred twenty-seven participants were assigned to a challenge or threat group and performed six putts during which emotions, gaze, putting kinematics, muscle activity, and performance were recorded. Challenge and threat states were successively manipulated via task instructions. The challenge group performed more accurately, reported more favorable emotions, and displayed more effective gaze, putting kinematics, and muscle activity than the threat group. Multiple putting kinematic variables mediated the relationship between group and performance, suggesting that challenge and threat states impact performance at a predominately kinematic level.