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Mohr G, Ince RAA, Benwell CSY. Information search under uncertainty across transdiagnostic psychopathology and healthy ageing. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:353. [PMID: 39227371 PMCID: PMC11372192 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-03065-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
When making decisions in everyday life, we often rely on an internally generated sense of confidence to help us revise and direct future behaviours. For instance, confidence directly informs whether further information should be sought prior to commitment to a final decision. Many studies have shown that aging and both clinical and sub-clinical symptoms of psychopathology are associated with systematic alterations in confidence. However, it remains unknown whether these confidence distortions influence information-seeking behaviour. We investigated this question in a large general population sample (N = 908). Participants completed a battery of psychiatric symptom questionnaires and performed a perceptual decision-making task with confidence ratings in which they were offered the option to seek helpful information (at a cost) before committing to a final decision. Replicating previous findings, an 'anxious-depression' (AD) symptom dimension was associated with systematically low confidence, despite no detriment in objective task accuracy. Conversely, a 'compulsive behaviour and intrusive thoughts' (CIT) dimension was associated with impaired task accuracy but paradoxical over-confidence. However, neither symptom dimension was significantly associated with an increased or decreased tendency to seek information. Hence, participants scoring highly for AD or CIT did not use the option to information seek any more than average to either increase their confidence (AD) or improve the accuracy of their decisions (CIT). In contrast, older age was associated with impaired accuracy and decreased confidence initially, but increased information seeking behaviour mediated increases in both accuracy and confidence for final decisions. Hence, older adults used the information seeking option to overcome initial deficits in objective performance and to increase their confidence accordingly. The results show an appropriate use of information seeking to overcome perceptual deficits and low confidence in healthy aging which was not present in transdiagnostic psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Mohr
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Robin A A Ince
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Christopher S Y Benwell
- Division of Psychology, School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
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Vivanco Carlevari A, Oosterwijk S, van Kleef GA. Why do people engage with the suffering of strangers? Exploring epistemic, eudaimonic, social, and affective motives. Cogn Emot 2024:1-21. [PMID: 39101590 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2385691] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Reading violent stories or watching a war documentary are examples in which people voluntarily engage with the suffering of others whom they do not know. Using a mixed-methods approach, we investigated why people make these decisions, while also mapping the characteristics of strangers' suffering to gain a rich understanding. In Study 1 (N = 247), participants described situations of suffering and their reasons to engage with it. Using qualitative thematic analysis, we developed a typology of the stranger (who), the situation (what), the source (how), and the reason(s) for engaging with the situation (why). We categorised the motives into four overarching themes - epistemic, eudaimonic, social, and affective - reflecting diversity in the perceived functionality of engaging with a stranger's suffering. Next, we tested the robustness of the identified motives in a quantitative study. In Study 2, participants (N = 250) recalled a situation in which they engaged with the suffering of a stranger and indicated their endorsement with a variety of possible motives. Largely mirroring Study 1, Study 2 participants engaged to acquire knowledge, for personal and social utility, and to feel positive and negative emotions. We discuss implications for understanding the exploration of human suffering as a motivated phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastassia Vivanco Carlevari
- Social Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Suzanne Oosterwijk
- Social Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gerben A van Kleef
- Social Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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3
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Ter Meer J, Kamyar R, Orlovsky C, Hung TY, Benrey T, Dinh-Luong E, Quer G, Moore Vogel J. Engagement with health research summaries via digital communication to All of Us participants. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2024:ocae185. [PMID: 39052991 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocae185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Summaries of health research can be a complementary way to return value to participants. We assess how research participants engage with summaries via email communication and how this can be improved. MATERIALS AND METHODS We look at correlations between demographic subgroups and engagement in a longitudinal dataset of 305 626 participants (77% are classified as underrepresented in biomedical research) from the All of Us Research Program. We compare this against engagement with other program communications and use impact evaluations (N = 421 510) to measure the effect of tailoring communication by (1) eliciting content preferences, (2) Spanish focused content, (3) informational videos, and (4) article content in the email subject line. RESULTS Between March 2020 and October 2021, research summaries reached 67% of enrolled participants, outperforming other program communication (60%) and return of results (31%), which have a high uptake rate but have been extended to a subset of eligible participants. While all demographic subgroups engage with research summaries, participants with higher income, educational attainment, White, and older than 45 years open and click content most often. Surfacing article content in the email subject line and Spanish focused content had negative effects on engagement. Video and social media content and eliciting preferences led to a small directional increase in clicks. DISCUSSION Further individualization of tailoring efforts may be needed to drive larger engagement effects (eg, delivering multiple articles in line with stated preferences, expanding preference options). Our findings are likely a conservative representation of engagement effects, given the coarseness of our click rate measure. CONCLUSIONS Health research summaries show promise as a way to return value to research participants, especially if individual-level results cannot be returned. Personalization of communication requires testing to determine whether efforts are having the expected effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Ter Meer
- Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
| | | | - Christina Orlovsky
- Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
| | - Ting-Yang Hung
- Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
| | | | - Ethan Dinh-Luong
- Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
| | - Giorgio Quer
- Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
| | - Julia Moore Vogel
- Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
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Caci B, Giordano G. Direct Losses and Media Exposure to Death: The Long-Term Effect of Mourning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Clin Med 2024; 13:3911. [PMID: 38999478 PMCID: PMC11242252 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13133911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: The social distancing policies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic forced many individuals to confront their mortality and worry about losing loved ones, making it impossible to say goodbye to them properly. Those not directly experiencing loss were inundated with information about COVID-19-related deaths throughout social media, leading to vicarious grief. This study delved into the long-term effects of direct and vicarious mourning on people's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A sample of 171 adults (65% female) aged 19-66 years (Mage = 25.8, SD = 8.57) voluntarily participated in an online survey assessing self-reported psychological measures of complicated grief, stress, depression, dispositional neuroticism, trait anxiety, and situational anxiety. Results: MANOVAs revealed that direct mourning experiences had an extremely severe impact on anxiety, stress, and fear of COVID-19, and a moderate effect on those without personal losses. Indeed, participants reporting high media exposure showed higher scores of depression and stress. Conclusions: Findings from the current study displayed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people engaged more in proximal defenses than distal ones, taking health-protective measures, experiencing increased anxiety levels toward virus infection, and feeling distressed. Additionally, vicarious mourning was more strongly associated with depression due to emotional empathy with others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Caci
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movements, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy;
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Kelly CA, Blain B, Sharot T. "How" web searches change under stress. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15147. [PMID: 38956247 PMCID: PMC11220009 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65895-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
To adjust to stressful environments, people seek information. Here, we show that in response to stressful public and private events the high-level features of information people seek online alter, reflecting their motives for seeking knowledge. We first show that when people want information to guide action they selectively ask "How" questions. Next, we reveal that "How" searches submitted to Google increased dramatically during the pandemic (controlling for search volume). Strikingly, the proportion of these searches predicted weekly self-reported stress of ~ 17K individuals. To rule out third factors we manipulate stress and find that "How" searches increase in response to stressful, personal, events. The findings suggest that under stress people ask questions to guide action, and mental state is reflected in features that tap into why people seek information rather than the topics they search for. Tracking such features may provide clues regrading population stress levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Kelly
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP, UK.
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, WC1B 5EH, UK.
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139, USA.
| | - Bastien Blain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Tali Sharot
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP, UK.
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, WC1B 5EH, UK.
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139, USA.
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Kobayashi K, Kable JW. Neural mechanisms of information seeking. Neuron 2024; 112:1741-1756. [PMID: 38703774 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
We ubiquitously seek information to make better decisions. Particularly in the modern age, when more information is available at our fingertips than ever, the information we choose to collect determines the quality of our decisions. Decision neuroscience has long adopted empirical approaches where the information available to decision-makers is fully controlled by the researchers, leaving neural mechanisms of information seeking less understood. Although information seeking has long been studied in the context of the exploration-exploitation trade-off, recent studies have widened the scope to investigate more overt information seeking in a way distinct from other decision processes. Insights gained from these studies, accumulated over the last few years, raise the possibility that information seeking is driven by the reward system signaling the subjective value of information. In this piece, we review findings from the recent studies, highlighting the conceptual and empirical relationships between distinct literatures, and discuss future research directions necessary to establish a more comprehensive understanding of how individuals seek information as a part of value-based decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Kobayashi
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Joseph W Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Firth J, Torous J, López-Gil JF, Linardon J, Milton A, Lambert J, Smith L, Jarić I, Fabian H, Vancampfort D, Onyeaka H, Schuch FB, Firth JA. From "online brains" to "online lives": understanding the individualized impacts of Internet use across psychological, cognitive and social dimensions. World Psychiatry 2024; 23:176-190. [PMID: 38727074 PMCID: PMC11083903 DOI: 10.1002/wps.21188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In response to the mass adoption and extensive usage of Internet-enabled devices across the world, a major review published in this journal in 2019 examined the impact of Internet on human cognition, discussing the concepts and ideas behind the "online brain". Since then, the online world has become further entwined with the fabric of society, and the extent to which we use such technologies has continued to grow. Furthermore, the research evidence on the ways in which Internet usage affects the human mind has advanced considerably. In this paper, we sought to draw upon the latest data from large-scale epidemiological studies and systematic reviews, along with randomized controlled trials and qualitative research recently emerging on this topic, in order to now provide a multi-dimensional overview of the impacts of Internet usage across psychological, cognitive and societal outcomes. Within this, we detail the empirical evidence on how effects differ according to various factors such as age, gender, and usage types. We also draw from new research examining more experiential aspects of individuals' online lives, to understand how the specifics of their interactions with the Internet, and the impact on their lifestyle, determine the benefits or drawbacks of online time. Additionally, we explore how the nascent but intriguing areas of culturomics, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality are changing our understanding of how the Internet can interact with brain and behavior. Overall, the importance of taking an individualized and multi-dimensional approach to how the Internet affects mental health, cognition and social functioning is clear. Furthermore, we emphasize the need for guidelines, policies and initiatives around Internet usage to make full use of the evidence available from neuroscientific, behavioral and societal levels of research presented herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Firth
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
- Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - John Torous
- Division of Digital Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - José Francisco López-Gil
- One Health Research Group, Universidad de las Americas, Quito, Ecuador
- Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jake Linardon
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Alyssa Milton
- Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Australian Research Council, Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Lee Smith
- Centre for Health Performance and Wellbeing, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ivan Jarić
- Laboratoire Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Hannah Fabian
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Davy Vancampfort
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- University Psychiatric Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Henry Onyeaka
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Felipe B Schuch
- Department of Sports Methods and Techniques, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
- Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Institute of Health Sciences, Universidad Autônoma de Chile, Providência, Chile
| | - Josh A Firth
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Offer K, Mischkowski D, Rahwan Z, Engel C. Deliberately ignoring inequality to avoid rejecting unfair offers. COMMUNICATIONS PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 2:48. [PMID: 39242970 PMCID: PMC11332100 DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00093-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Why do people punish experienced unfairness if it induces costs for both the punisher and punished person(s) without any direct material benefits for the punisher? Economic theories of fairness propose that punishers experience disutility from disadvantageous inequality and punish in order to establish equality in outcomes. We tested these theories in a modified Ultimatum Game (N = 1370) by examining whether people avoid the urge to reject unfair offers, and thereby punish the proposer, by deliberately blinding themselves to unfairness. We found that 53% of participants deliberately ignored whether they had received an unfair offer. Among these participants, only 6% of offers were rejected. As expected, participants who actively sought information rejected significantly more unfair offers (39%). Averaging these rejection rates to 21%, no significant difference to the rejection rate by participants who were directly informed about unfairness was found, contrary to our hypothesis. We interpret these findings as evidence for sorting behavior: People who punish experienced unfairness seek information about it, while those who do not punish deliberately ignore it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Offer
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Center for Adaptive Rationality (ARC), Lentzeallee 94, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Stephanstrasse 1a, Leipzig, Germany.
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychology, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Dorothee Mischkowski
- Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn, Germany
- Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Zoe Rahwan
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Center for Adaptive Rationality (ARC), Lentzeallee 94, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Engel
- Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn, Germany
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Bahadir O, Dundar C. The impact of online health information source preference on intolerance to uncertainty and cyberchondria in a youthful generation. Indian J Psychiatry 2024; 66:360-366. [PMID: 38778859 PMCID: PMC11107926 DOI: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_715_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The increasing utilization of the Internet to access health-related information is believed to heighten anxiety and trigger cyberchondria due to the presence of conflicting and sometimes overly detailed information. Aim To investigate the levels of cyberchondria and intolerance of uncertainty among university students and their relationship with different online health information sources. Methods Between June and July 2022, 420 university students (mean age = 21.5 ± 2 years, 54% female) participated in this cross-sectional study. The socio-demographic form, Uncertainty Intolerance Scale (IUS), and Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS) were used in data collection. Pearson correlation test and binary logistic regression analysis were used to identify factors associated with cyberchondria. Results Forums and private hospital/clinic websites were the most frequently utilized online health information sources, while governmental websites were the least. The mean scores for CSS and IUS were 81.5 and 41.0, respectively. There was no significant gender-based difference in CSS and IUS scores. Students who used newspapers/magazines and social media for health information had significantly higher scores on both scales. Cyberchondria had a negative association with age [odds ratio (OR) = 0.90], a positive significant relationship with newspaper/magazine website use (OR = 7.24), and IUS score (OR = 1.09). There was a positive and moderate correlation between CSS and IUS scores (r = 0.39, P < 0.001). Conclusions Our results underline the susceptibility to cyberchondria and intolerance of uncertainty among young adults who used less reliable online health information sources and highlight promoting online health literacy to reduce vulnerabilities and the need for further research on socio-demographic determinants in both mental problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozkan Bahadir
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Türkiye
| | - Cihad Dundar
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Türkiye
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10
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Schulz L, Bhui R. Political reinforcement learners. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:210-222. [PMID: 38195364 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Politics can seem home to the most calculating and yet least rational elements of humanity. How might we systematically characterize this spectrum of political cognition? Here, we propose reinforcement learning (RL) as a unified framework to dissect the political mind. RL describes how agents algorithmically navigate complex and uncertain domains like politics. Through this computational lens, we outline three routes to political differences, stemming from variability in agents' conceptions of a problem, the cognitive operations applied to solve the problem, or the backdrop of information available from the environment. A computational vantage on maladies of the political mind offers enhanced precision in assessing their causes, consequences, and cures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lion Schulz
- Department of Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max-Planck-Ring 8-14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Rahul Bhui
- Sloan School of Management and Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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11
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Prati A, Saucet C. The causal effect of a health treatment on beliefs, stated preferences and memories. JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS 2024; 94:102864. [PMID: 38359587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2024.102864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The paper estimates the causal effect of a health treatment on patients' beliefs, preferences and memories about the treatment. It exploits a natural experiment which occurred in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. UK residents could choose to opt into the vaccination program, but not which vaccine they received. The assignment to a vaccine offered little objective information for learning about its qualities, but triggered strong psychological demand for reassuring beliefs. We surveyed a sample of UK residents about their beliefs on the different COVID-19 vaccines before and after receiving their jab. Before vaccination, individuals exhibit similar prior beliefs and stated preferences about the different vaccines. After vaccination, however, they update their beliefs overly optimistically about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine they received, state that they would have chosen it if they could, and have distorted memories about their past beliefs. These results cannot be explained by conventional experience effects. At the aggregated level, they show that random assignment to a health treatment predicts a polarization of opinions about its quality. At the individual level, these findings provide evidence in line with the predictions of motivated beliefs and over-inference from weak signals in a real-world health setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Prati
- University College London, United Kingdom; University of Oxford, United Kingdom; London School of Economics, United Kingdom.
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Fiedler S, Habibnia H, Fahrenwaldt A, Rahal RM. Motivated Cognition in Cooperation. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024; 19:385-403. [PMID: 37883800 PMCID: PMC10913374 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231193990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Successful cooperation is tightly linked to individuals' beliefs about their interaction partners, the decision setting, and existing norms, perceptions, and values. This article reviews and integrates findings from judgment and decision-making, social and cognitive psychology, political science, and economics, developing a systematic overview of the mechanisms underlying motivated cognition in cooperation. We elaborate on how theories and concepts related to motivated cognition developed in various disciplines define the concept and describe its functionality. We explain why beliefs play such an essential role in cooperation, how they can be distorted, and how this fosters or harms cooperation. We also highlight how individual differences and situational factors change the propensity to engage in motivated cognition. In the form of a construct map, we provide a visualization of the theoretical and empirical knowledge structure regarding the role of motivated cognition, including its many interdependencies, feedback loops, and moderating influences. We conclude with a brief suggestion for a future research agenda based on this compiled evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Fiedler
- Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria
- Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Alina Fahrenwaldt
- Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn, Germany
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Germany
| | - Rima-Maria Rahal
- Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn, Germany
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Mamakos M, Bodenhausen GV. Motivational drivers of costly information search. Cognition 2024; 244:105715. [PMID: 38211419 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Acquiring information that aids decision-making is subject to a trade-off of accuracy versus cost, given that time, effort, or money are required to obtain decision-relevant information. Three studies (N = 2010) investigated the motivational dynamics shaping the priorities that govern this trade-off. Motivational orientations related to both the decision-making process and its outcome were examined. Regulatory focus theory describes two broad orientations to goal pursuit: promotion focus, prioritizing eager achievement, versus prevention focus, prioritizing vigilant security. We hypothesized that when the framing of a decision-making task activates a prevention focus rather than a promotion focus, individuals would be more willing to assume the costs of acquiring additional information before making their decisions. To test this hypothesis, participants made incentivized decisions with the option of acquiring additional information before making a final decision; importantly, obtaining this information incurred financial costs. Results consistently confirmed that prevention-focused decision makers were indeed more willing to assume the costs of acquiring additional information than promotion-focused individuals. The first two studies involved a scenario where participants were indifferent to the specific outcome of the decision process; accuracy was their only concern. In the final study, searchable, accuracy-enhancing information was also related to decision makers' partisan political preferences. Regulatory focus and the preference for partisan-congenial information were observed to be co-occurring but functionally orthogonal drivers of costly information search. Thus, prevention-framed messages can motivate the search for decision-relevant information, even when this search is costly and could lead to disagreeable data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michalis Mamakos
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| | - Galen V Bodenhausen
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2211 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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Jiang D, Zhang Y, Zhu H, Wang X. Effect of empowerment: how and when do high-involvement work practices influence elder employees' innovative performance? Front Psychol 2024; 15:1336120. [PMID: 38375108 PMCID: PMC10875070 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1336120] [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: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction In today's fast-paced business environment, innovation from elder employees is increasingly vital to organizations. High-involvement work practices that emphasize engagement and empowerment have a significant impact on the innovation performance of these employees, harnessing their wealth of experience and fostering organizational growth. However, most of the current research on innovation performance focuses on the single factor of the individual or the organization, and most of them focus on the linear relationship; research on the factor of human resource practices, in particular high-involvement work practices, is inadequate. Methods Based on social exchange theory, this paper uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the impact of high-involvement work practices on elder workers' innovation performance using 278 valid samples from three time points, and the non-linear effects of exploratory and exploitative innovation on elder workers' innovation performance. Results (1) There is no significant relationship between high-involvement work practices and elder employees' innovation performance. (2) Exploratory innovation has a significant U-shaped relationship with innovation performance, i.e., as the level of exploratory innovation increases, the innovation performance of elder employees first decreases and then increases. There is a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between exploitative innovation and innovation performance, i.e., as the level of exploitative innovation increases, innovation performance first increases and then decreases. High-involvement work practices have a U-shaped effect on elder employees' innovation performance through exploitative innovation. (3) Transformational leadership moderates the direct effects of high-involvement on exploratory innovation and elder employees' innovation performance, and transformational leadership moderates the U-shaped effect of high-involvement work practices on elder employees' innovation performance through exploratory innovation. Discussion The conclusion is helpful for organizations to enhance elder employees' innovation performance by enriching high-involvement work practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daokui Jiang
- Business School, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Yiting Zhang
- Business School, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Honghong Zhu
- Business School, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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15
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Shen X, Helion C, Smith DV, Murty VP. Motivation as a Lens for Understanding Information-seeking Behaviors. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:362-376. [PMID: 37944120 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Most prior research characterizes information-seeking behaviors as serving utilitarian purposes, such as whether the obtained information can help solve practical problems. However, information-seeking behaviors are sensitive to different contexts (i.e., threat vs. curiosity), despite having equivalent utility. Furthermore, these search behaviors can be modulated by individuals' life history and personality traits. Yet the emphasis on utilitarian utility has precluded the development of a unified model, which explains when and how individuals actively seek information. To account for this variability and flexibility, we propose a unified information-seeking framework that examines information-seeking through the lens of motivation. This unified model accounts for integration across individuals' internal goal states and the salient features of the environment to influence information-seeking behavior. We propose that information-seeking is determined by motivation for information, invigorated either by instrumental utility or hedonic utility, wherein one's personal or environmental context moderates this relationship. Furthermore, we speculate that the final common denominator in guiding information-seeking is the engagement of different neuromodulatory circuits centered on dopaminergic and noradrenergic tone. Our framework provides a unified framework for information-seeking behaviors and generates several testable predictions for future studies.
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16
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Foust JL, Taber JM. Injunctive social norms and perceived message tailoring are associated with health information seeking. J Behav Med 2024; 47:1-14. [PMID: 37119363 PMCID: PMC10148588 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-023-00413-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Social norms messages may promote information seeking, especially when the norms refer to a group with which a person identifies. We hypothesized that tailored social norms messages would increase COVID-19 testing willingness and intentions. College students (n = 203, 75% female, 87% White) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 (Descriptive norms: Relevant vs. Irrelevant to COVID-19 testing) x 2 (Tailoring: Specific vs. General group information) experimental design. Participants reported COVID-19 testing willingness and intentions, perceived injunctive norms, and identification and connectedness with the group in the message. Although neither the norm nor tailoring manipulation worked as intended, participants who perceived greater message tailoring and injunctive norms reported greater willingness and intentions, with no effect of perceived descriptive norms on either outcome. Tailored messages as well as messages promoting injunctive norms may promote information seeking across health contexts, thereby enabling more informed decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy L Foust
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA.
| | - Jennifer M Taber
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA
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17
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Bromberg-Martin ES, Feng YY, Ogasawara T, White JK, Zhang K, Monosov IE. A neural mechanism for conserved value computations integrating information and rewards. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:159-175. [PMID: 38177339 PMCID: PMC10774124 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01511-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Behavioral and economic theory dictate that we decide between options based on their values. However, humans and animals eagerly seek information about uncertain future rewards, even when this does not provide any objective value. This implies that decisions are made by endowing information with subjective value and integrating it with the value of extrinsic rewards, but the mechanism is unknown. Here, we show that human and monkey value judgements obey strikingly conserved computational principles during multi-attribute decisions trading off information and extrinsic reward. We then identify a neural substrate in a highly conserved ancient structure, the lateral habenula (LHb). LHb neurons signal subjective value, integrating information's value with extrinsic rewards, and the LHb predicts and causally influences ongoing decisions. Neurons in key input areas to the LHb largely signal components of these computations, not integrated value signals. Thus, our data uncover neural mechanisms of conserved computations underlying decisions to seek information about the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yang-Yang Feng
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Takaya Ogasawara
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - J Kael White
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kaining Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ilya E Monosov
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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18
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Horn S, Litovsky Y, Loewenstein G. Using curiosity to counter health information avoidance. Soc Sci Med 2024; 340:116383. [PMID: 38039766 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Information that is beneficial for health decision-making is often ignored or actively avoided. Countering information avoidance can increase knowledge of disease risk factors and symptoms, aiding early diagnoses and reducing disease transmission. We examine whether curiosity can be a useful tool in increasing demand for, and engagement with, potentially aversive but useful health information. METHODS Four pre-registered randomized online studies were conducted with 5795 participants recruited from online survey platforms. Curiosity for aversive health information was manipulated by providing a 'curiosity incentive' - identity-related information alongside aversive information - (Study 1), obscuring information (Studies 2 and 3), and eliciting guesses about the information (Studies 2 and 4). Willingness to view four types of aversive health information was elicited: alcohol consumption screening scores (Study 1), colon cancer risk scores (Study 2), cancer risk factors (Study 3), and the sugar content of drinks (Study 4). RESULTS In Study 1, the curiosity manipulation increased the likelihood that participants viewed information about the riskiness of their drinking. Studies 2 and 3 show that curiosity prompts can counter people's reluctance to learn about and assess their cancer risk. And Study 4 shows that using curiosity prompts to encourage engagement with aversive information (sugar content of drinks) also improves health-related choices (opting for a sugar-free drink alternative). CONCLUSION Curiosity prompts provide an effective and simple way to increase engagement with aversive health information.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yana Litovsky
- Department of Banking and Finance, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - George Loewenstein
- Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
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19
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Bode S, Jiwa M, Chum C, Frost L, Heekeren HR, Wingenfeld K, Deuter CE. Non-instrumental information seeking is resistant to acute stress. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19505. [PMID: 37945712 PMCID: PMC10636112 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46766-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research has shown that people intrinsically value non-instrumental information, which cannot be used to change the outcome of events, but only provides an early resolution of uncertainty. This is true even for information about rather inconsequential events, such as the outcomes of small lotteries. Here we investigated whether participants' willingness to pay for non-instrumental information about the outcome of simple coin-flip lotteries with guaranteed winnings was modulated by acute stress. Stress was induced using the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test (SECPT), and information-seeking choices were compared to a warm water control group. Our results neither support the hypothesis that stress decreases information-seeking by directing cognitive resources away from the relevance of the lotteries, nor the opposite hypothesis that stress increases information-seeking by driving anxiety levels up. Instead, we found that despite successful stress induction, as evidenced by increased saliva cortisol levels in the SECPT group, information valuation was remarkably stable. This finding is in line with recent findings that experimentally increased state anxiety did not modulate non-instrumental information seeking. Together, these results suggest that the aversiveness of "not knowing" is a stable cognitive state and not easily modulated by situational context, such as acute stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Bode
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, Australia.
| | - Matthew Jiwa
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, Australia
| | - Chelsea Chum
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, Australia
| | - Leilani Frost
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, Australia
| | - Hauke R Heekeren
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Universität Hamburg, 20148, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 12203, Berlin, Germany
- DZPG (German Center for Mental Health), 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian E Deuter
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
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20
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Ceccarini F, Capuozzo P, Colpizzi I, Caudek C. Breaking (Fake) News: No Personal Relevance Effect on Misinformation Vulnerability. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:896. [PMID: 37998643 PMCID: PMC10669344 DOI: 10.3390/bs13110896] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The massive spread of fake news (FN) requires a better understanding of both risks and protective psychological factors underlying vulnerability to misinformation. Prior studies have mostly dealt with news that do not bear any direct personal relevance to participants. Here, we ask whether high-stakes news topics may decrease vulnerability to FN. Data were collected during the national lockdown in Italy (COVID-19 news) and one year later (political news). We compared truth discrimination and overall belief for true news (TN) and FN concerning COVID-19 and political topics. Our findings indicate that psychological risk and protective factors have similar effects on truth discrimination, regardless of whether the news topic is highly or minimally personally relevant. However, we found different effects of psychological factors on overall belief, for high and low personal relevance. These results suggest that, given a high level of cognitive dissonance, individuals tend to rely on proximal or emotional sources of information. In summary, our study underscores the importance of understanding the psychological factors that contribute to vulnerability to misinformation, particularly in high-stakes news contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ceccarini
- Department of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates;
| | | | - Ilaria Colpizzi
- Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy;
| | - Corrado Caudek
- Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy;
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21
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Hsiung A, Poh JH, Huettel SA, Adcock RA. Curiosity evolves as information unfolds. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2301974120. [PMID: 37844235 PMCID: PMC10614840 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2301974120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
When people feel curious, they often seek information to resolve their curiosity. Reaching resolution, however, does not always occur in a single step but instead may follow the accumulation of information over time. Here, we investigated changes in curiosity over a dynamic information-gathering process and how these changes related to affective and cognitive states as well as behavior. Human participants performed an Evolving Line Drawing Task, during which they reported guesses about the drawings' identities and made choices about whether to keep watching. In Study 1, the timing of choices was predetermined and externally imposed, while in Study 2, participants had agency in the timing of guesses and choices. Using this dynamic paradigm, we found that even within a single information-gathering episode, curiosity evolved in concert with other emotional states and with confidence. In both studies, we showed that the relationship between curiosity and confidence depended on stimulus entropy (unique guesses across participants) and on guess accuracy. We demonstrated that curiosity is multifaceted and can be experienced as either positive or negative depending on the state of information gathering. Critically, even when given the choice to alleviate uncertainty immediately (i.e., view a spoiler), higher curiosity promoted continuing to engage in the information-gathering process. Collectively, we show that curiosity changes over information accumulation to drive engagement with external stimuli, rather than to shortcut the path to resolution, highlighting the value inherent in the process of discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Hsiung
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - Jia-Hou Poh
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - Scott A. Huettel
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - R. Alison Adcock
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
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22
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Foust JL, Taber JM. Information Avoidance: Past Perspectives and Future Directions. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023:17456916231197668. [PMID: 37819241 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231197668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
In the present age of unprecedented access to information, it is important to understand how and why people avoid information. Multiple definitions of "information avoidance" exist, and key aspects of these definitions deserve attention, such as distinguishing information avoidance from (lack of) information seeking, considering the intentionality and temporal nature of information avoidance, and considering the personal relevance of the information. In this review, we provide a cross-disciplinary historical account of theories and empirical research on information avoidance and seeking, drawing from research in multiple fields. We provide a framework of antecedents of information avoidance, categorized into beliefs about the information (e.g., risk perceptions), beliefs about oneself (e.g., coping resources), and social and situational factors (e.g., social norms), noting that constructs across categories overlap and are intertwined. We suggest that research is needed on both positive and negative consequences of information avoidance and on interventions to reduce information avoidance (when appropriate). Research is also needed to better understand temporal dynamics of information avoidance and how it manifests in everyday life. Finally, comprehensive theoretical models are needed that differentiate avoidance from seeking. Research on information avoidance is quickly expanding, and the topic will only grow in importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy L Foust
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University
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23
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Liew SX, Embrey JR, Newell BR. The non-unitary nature of information preference. Psychon Bull Rev 2023; 30:1966-1974. [PMID: 37076755 PMCID: PMC10716071 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02243-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Factors affecting information-seeking behaviour can be task-endogenous (e.g., probability of winning a gamble), or task-exogenous (e.g., personality trait measures). Various task-endogenous factors affecting non-instrumental information-seeking behaviour have been identified, but it is unclear how task-exogenous factors affect such behaviour, and if they interact with task-endogenous factors. In an online information seeking experiment (N = 279), we focus on the role that outcome probability, as a task-endogenous factor, has on information preferences. We find reliable preference for advance information on highly probable gains and low preference for highly probable losses. Comparisons with individual trait measures of information preference (e.g., intolerance of uncertainty scale, obsessive-compulsive inventory, information preferences scale) reveal minimal association between these task-exogenous factors with choice task performance. We also find minimal interaction between outcome probability and individual trait measures. Despite the choice task and trait measures purportedly tapping the same (or similar) construct, the absence of clear relationships ultimately suggests a multi-dimensional nature of information preference.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ben R Newell
- School of Psychology, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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24
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Matthews JR, Cooper PS, Bode S, Chong TTJ. The availability of non-instrumental information increases risky decision-making. Psychon Bull Rev 2023; 30:1975-1987. [PMID: 37038030 PMCID: PMC10716073 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02279-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Contemporary models of decision-making under risk focus on estimating the final value of each alternative course of action. According to such frameworks, information that has no capacity to alter a future payoff (i.e., is "non-instrumental") should have little effect on one's preference for risk. Importantly, however, recent work has shown that information, despite being non-instrumental, may nevertheless exert a striking influence on behavior. Here, we tested whether the opportunity to passively observe the sequence of events following a decision could modulate risky behavior, even if that information could not possibly influence the final result. Across three experiments, 71 individuals chose to accept or reject gambles on a five-window slot machine. If a gamble was accepted, each window was sequentially revealed prior to the outcome being declared. Critically, we informed participants about which windows would subsequently provide veridical information about the gamble outcome, should that gamble be accepted. Our analyses revealed three key findings. First, the opportunity to observe the consequences of one's choice significantly increased the likelihood of gambling, despite that information being entirely non-instrumental. Second, this effect generalized across different stakes. Finally, choices were driven predominantly by the likelihood that information could result in an earlier resolution of uncertainty. These findings demonstrate the importance of anticipatory information to decision-making under risk. More broadly, we provide strong evidence for the utility of non-instrumental information, by demonstrating its capacity to modulate primary economic decisions that should be driven by more motivationally salient variables associated with risk and reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian R Matthews
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wakō-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Patrick S Cooper
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Stefan Bode
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Trevor T-J Chong
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
- Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, Victoria, 3065, Australia.
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25
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Molinaro G, Cogliati Dezza I, Bühler SK, Moutsiana C, Sharot T. Multifaceted information-seeking motives in children. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5505. [PMID: 37679315 PMCID: PMC10485006 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40971-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
From an early age, children need to gather information to learn about their environment. Deciding which knowledge to pursue can be difficult because information can serve several, sometimes competing, purposes. Here, we examine the developmental trajectories of such diverse information-seeking motives. Over five experiments involving 521 children (aged 4-12), we find that school-age children integrate three key factors into their information-seeking choices: whether information reduces uncertainty, is useful in directing action, and is likely to be positive. Choices that likely reveal positive information and are useful for action emerge as early as age 4, followed by choices that reduce uncertainty (at ~age 5). Our results suggest that motives related to usefulness and uncertainty reduction become stronger with age, while the tendency to seek positive news does not show a statistically significant change throughout development. This study reveals how the relative importance of diverging, sometimes conflicting, information-seeking motives emerges throughout development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Molinaro
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP, UK.
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, WC1B 5EH, UK.
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA.
| | - Irene Cogliati Dezza
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, WC1B 5EH, UK
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sarah Katharina Bühler
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Christina Moutsiana
- Department of Social Sciences, University of Westminster, London, W1W 6UW, UK
| | - Tali Sharot
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP, UK.
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, WC1B 5EH, UK.
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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26
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Blain B, Pinhorn I, Sharot T. Sensitivity to intrinsic rewards is domain general and related to mental health. NATURE MENTAL HEALTH 2023; 1:679-691. [PMID: 38665692 PMCID: PMC11041740 DOI: 10.1038/s44220-023-00116-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Humans frequently engage in intrinsically rewarding activities (for example, consuming art, reading). Despite such activities seeming diverse, we show that sensitivity to intrinsic rewards is domain general and associated with mental health. In this cross-sectional study, participants online (N = 483) were presented with putative visual, cognitive and social intrinsic rewards as well as monetary rewards and neutral stimuli. All rewards elicited positive feelings (were 'liked'), generated consummatory behaviour (were 'wanted') and increased the likelihood of the action leading to them (were 'reinforcing'). Factor analysis revealed that ~40% of response variance across stimuli was explained by a general sensitivity to all rewards, but not to neutral stimuli. Affective aspects of mental health were associated with sensitivity to intrinsic, but not monetary, rewards. These results may help explain thriving and suffering: individuals with high reward sensitivity will engage in a variety of intrinsically rewarding activities, eventually finding those they excel at, whereas low sensitivity individuals will not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Blain
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Centre d’Economie de la Sorbonne, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, France
| | - India Pinhorn
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Tali Sharot
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
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27
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Reijnen E, Laasner Vogt L, Kühne SJ, Fiechter JP. Do Pictograms on Medication Packages Cause People to Consult Package Inserts Less Often? If so, With What Consequences? Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:696. [PMID: 37622836 PMCID: PMC10451860 DOI: 10.3390/bs13080696] [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: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Overall, pharmaceutical pictograms seem to improve medication adherence. However, little is known about how warning pictograms (e.g., "do not drive after taking") on medication packages influence patients' information-seeking strategies such as consulting the package insert (PI) to determine other features such as the correct dosage. In this online study, participants (358 students) were presented with three fictitious scenarios (e.g., headache after alcohol consumption; factor scenario) in which medication use would be contraindicated. Each scenario was accompanied by a visual presentation of a medication package that could contain three possible pictogram selections or arrangements (factor warning); some arrangements contained pictograms relevant to the situation represented by the scenario, while others did not. Participants had to decide which dosage of the represented medication they were allowed to take in the given scenario. In making this decision, they could consult the PI or not. Overall, in two out of the three scenarios (driving and pregnancy), medication packages with relevant pictograms resulted in fewer PI consultations but led to more correct dosage decisions ("no pill") than packages with irrelevant pictograms. Pictograms generally played no role in either the review of the PI consultation or dosage decisions in the alcohol scenario. Providing warning-relevant pictograms on medication packages can help people know when they should not take medication even without reading the PI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Reijnen
- School of Applied Psychology, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Pfingstweidstrasse 96, CH-8005 Zurich, Switzerland; (L.L.V.); (S.J.K.)
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28
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Piksa M, Noworyta K, Gundersen AB, Kunst J, Morzy M, Piasecki J, Rygula R. Are we willing to share what we believe is true? Factors influencing susceptibility to fake news. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1165103. [PMID: 37654985 PMCID: PMC10467258 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1165103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The contemporary media landscape is saturated with the ubiquitous presence of misinformation. One can point to several factors that amplify the spread and dissemination of false information, such as blurring the line between expert and layman's opinions, economic incentives promoting the publication of sensational information, the zero cost of sharing false information, and many more. In this study, we investigate some of the mechanisms of fake news dissemination that have eluded scientific scrutiny: the evaluation of veracity and behavioral engagement with information in light of its factual truthfulness (either true or false), cognitive utility (either enforcing or questioning participants' beliefs), and presentation style (either sober or populistic). Results Two main results emerge from our experiment. We find that the evaluation of veracity is mostly related to the objective truthfulness of a news item. However, the probability of engagement is more related to the congruence of the information with the participants' preconceived beliefs than to objective truthfulness or information presentation style. Conclusion We conclude a common notion that the spread of fake news can be limited by fact-checking and educating people might not be entirely true, as people will share fake information as long as it reduces the entropy of their mental models of the world. We also find support for the Trojan Horse hypothesis of fake news dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Piksa
- Department of Pharmacology, Affective Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Karolina Noworyta
- Department of Pharmacology, Affective Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Jonas Kunst
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mikolaj Morzy
- Faculty of Computing and Telecommunications, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan, Poland
| | - Jan Piasecki
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Philosophy and Bioethics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Rafal Rygula
- Department of Pharmacology, Affective Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
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Tinghög G, Koppel L, Västfjäll D. Dual-process theory is Barbapapa. Behav Brain Sci 2023; 46:e144. [PMID: 37462179 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x22003211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
The biggest benefit of dual-process theory lies in its role as a benchmark theory that, regardless of its empirical plausibility, serves as a starting point for better and more domain-specific models. In this sense, dual-process theory is the Barbapapa of psychological theory - a blob-shaped creature that can be reshaped and adapted to fit in the context of any human behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustav Tinghög
- JediLab, Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Economics, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lina Koppel
- JediLab, Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Economics, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Daniel Västfjäll
- JediLab, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Division of Psychology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Decision Research, Eugene, OR, USA
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30
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Molinaro G, Collins AGE. Intrinsic rewards explain context-sensitive valuation in reinforcement learning. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002201. [PMID: 37459394 PMCID: PMC10374061 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
When observing the outcome of a choice, people are sensitive to the choice's context, such that the experienced value of an option depends on the alternatives: getting $1 when the possibilities were 0 or 1 feels much better than when the possibilities were 1 or 10. Context-sensitive valuation has been documented within reinforcement learning (RL) tasks, in which values are learned from experience through trial and error. Range adaptation, wherein options are rescaled according to the range of values yielded by available options, has been proposed to account for this phenomenon. However, we propose that other mechanisms-reflecting a different theoretical viewpoint-may also explain this phenomenon. Specifically, we theorize that internally defined goals play a crucial role in shaping the subjective value attributed to any given option. Motivated by this theory, we develop a new "intrinsically enhanced" RL model, which combines extrinsically provided rewards with internally generated signals of goal achievement as a teaching signal. Across 7 different studies (including previously published data sets as well as a novel, preregistered experiment with replication and control studies), we show that the intrinsically enhanced model can explain context-sensitive valuation as well as, or better than, range adaptation. Our findings indicate a more prominent role of intrinsic, goal-dependent rewards than previously recognized within formal models of human RL. By integrating internally generated signals of reward, standard RL theories should better account for human behavior, including context-sensitive valuation and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Molinaro
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Anne G E Collins
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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31
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Rischall I, Hunter L, Jensen G, Gottlieb J. Inefficient prioritization of task-relevant attributes during instrumental information demand. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3174. [PMID: 37264004 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38821-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In natural settings, people evaluate complex multi-attribute situations and decide which attribute to request information about. Little is known about how people make this selection and specifically, how they identify individual observations that best predict the value of a multi-attribute situation. Here show that, in a simple task of information demand, participants inefficiently query attributes that have high individual value but are relatively uninformative about a total payoff. This inefficiency is robust in two instrumental conditions in which gathering less informative observations leads to significantly lower rewards. Across individuals, variations in the sensitivity to informativeness is associated with personality metrics, showing negative associations with extraversion and thrill seeking and positive associations with stress tolerance and need for cognition. Thus, people select informative queries using sub-optimal strategies that are associated with personality traits and influence consequential choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Rischall
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura Hunter
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Greg Jensen
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, Reed College, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jacqueline Gottlieb
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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32
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Wylie J, Gantman A. People are curious about immoral and morally ambiguous others. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7355. [PMID: 37147324 PMCID: PMC10162000 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30312-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Looking to the popularity of superheroes, true crime stories, and anti-heroic characters like Tony Soprano, we investigated whether moral extremity, especially moral badness, piques curiosity. Across five experiments (N = 2429), we examine moral curiosity, testing under what conditions the moral minds of others spark explanation-seeking behavior. In Experiment 1, we find that among the most widely watched Netflix shows in the US over a five-month period, the more immoral the protagonist, the more hours people spent watching. In Experiments 2a and 2b, we find that when given a choice to learn more about morally good, bad, ambiguous, or average others, people preferred to learn more about morally extreme people, both good and bad. Experiment 3 reveals that people are more curious for explanations about (vs. descriptions of) morally bad and ambiguous people compared to morally good ones. Finally, Experiment 4 tests the uniqueness of curiosity for moral ambiguity. We find that people are more drawn to moral rather than aesthetic ambiguity, suggesting that ambiguity, which is cognitively taxing and sometimes avoided, preferentially engenders information seeking in the moral domain. These findings suggest deviations from moral normativity, especially badness, spur curiosity. People are curious about immorality and agents who differ from the norm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Wylie
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
| | - Ana Gantman
- The City University of New York Graduate Center, New York, USA
- Brooklyn College, New York, USA
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33
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Botvinik-Nezer R, Jones M, Wager TD. A belief systems analysis of fraud beliefs following the 2020 US election. Nat Hum Behav 2023:10.1038/s41562-023-01570-4. [PMID: 37037989 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01570-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Beliefs that the US 2020 Presidential election was fraudulent are prevalent despite substantial contradictory evidence. Why are such beliefs often resistant to counter-evidence? Is this resistance rational, and thus subject to evidence-based arguments, or fundamentally irrational? Here we surveyed 1,642 Americans during the 2020 vote count, testing fraud belief updates given hypothetical election outcomes. Participants' fraud beliefs increased when their preferred candidate lost and decreased when he won, and both effects scaled with partisan preferences, demonstrating partisan asymmetry (desirability effects). A Bayesian model of rational updating of a system of beliefs-beliefs in the true vote winner, fraud prevalence and beneficiary of fraud-accurately accounted for this partisan asymmetry, outperforming alternative models of irrational, motivated updating and models lacking the full belief system. Partisan asymmetries may not reflect motivated reasoning, but rather rational attributions over multiple potential causes of evidence. Changing such beliefs may require targeting multiple key beliefs simultaneously rather than direct debunking attempts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rotem Botvinik-Nezer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
| | - Matt Jones
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
- Research performed in part while at Google Research, Brain Team, Mountain View, CA, USA.
| | - Tor D Wager
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
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34
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Otero J, Sanjosé V. Knowledge and knowledge gaps in semantic memory of technical artifacts. NEW IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2023.101009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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35
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Hilchey MD, Soman D. Demand for information about potential wins and losses: Does it matter if information matters? JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.2322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Hilchey
- Rotman School of Management University of Toronto 105 St George St Toronto Ontario M5S 3E6 Canada
| | - Dilip Soman
- Rotman School of Management University of Toronto 105 St George St Toronto Ontario M5S 3E6 Canada
- Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Science and Economics, Rotman School of Management University of Toronto 105 St George St Toronto Ontario M5S 3E6 Canada
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36
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Deng SL, Nolte J, Löckenhoff CE. Information Avoidance in Consumer Choice: Do Avoidance Tendencies and Motives Vary by Age? Exp Aging Res 2023; 49:112-129. [PMID: 35311482 PMCID: PMC9485290 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2022.2051967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Prior research suggests that older adults seek less information in consumer choices than younger adults do. However, it remains unclear if intentional information avoidance plays a role in such effects. To test this possibility, we examined age differences in deliberate information avoidance in consumer decisions and explored a range of potential motives. Adult lifespan samples completed two pre-registered online studies, which assessed information avoidance using a slider scale (Study 1, N =195) and a forced-choice task (Study 2, N = 500). In Study 1, age differences in information avoidance were not significant, but methodological limitations could have obscured age effects. In Study 2, age was associated with higher information avoidance. Avoidance was higher among participants who reported that the information would not impact decision preferences, would elicit more negative affect, and would be useless. Although age was associated with lower perceived impact on decision preferences and lower concerns about affective responses, age differences in information avoidance remained significant when these variables were statistically controlled. In conclusion, in the context of consumer choices, deliberate information avoidance is higher among older consumers. Thus, interventions to promote the acquisition of relevant information would benefit from being tailored to the target age group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Deng
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Julia Nolte
- Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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37
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Kanaev IA. Entropy and Cross-Level Orderliness in Light of the Interconnection between the Neural System and Consciousness. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 25:418. [PMID: 36981307 PMCID: PMC10047885 DOI: 10.3390/e25030418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Despite recent advances, the origin and utility of consciousness remains under debate. Using an evolutionary perspective on the origin of consciousness, this review elaborates on the promising theoretical background suggested in the temporospatial theory of consciousness, which outlines world-brain alignment as a critical predisposition for controlling behavior and adaptation. Such a system can be evolutionarily effective only if it can provide instant cohesion between the subsystems, which is possible only if it performs an intrinsic activity modified in light of the incoming stimulation. One can assume that the world-brain interaction results in a particular interference pattern predetermined by connectome complexity. This is what organisms experience as their exclusive subjective state, allowing the anticipation of regularities in the environment. Thus, an anticipative system can emerge only in a regular environment, which guides natural selection by reinforcing corresponding reactions and decreasing the system entropy. Subsequent evolution requires complicated, layered structures and can be traced from simple organisms to human consciousness and society. This allows us to consider the mode of entropy as a subject of natural evolution rather than an individual entity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya A Kanaev
- Department of Philosophy, Sun Yat-sen University, 135 Xingang Xi Rd, Guangzhou 510275, China
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38
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Gottlieb J. Emerging Principles of Attention and Information Demand. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1177/09637214221142778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
I review recent literature on information demand and its implications for attention control. I argue that this literature motivates a view of attention as a mechanism that reduces uncertainty by selectively sampling sensory stimuli on the basis of expected information gain (EIG). I discuss emerging evidence on how individuals estimate the two quantities that determine EIG, prior uncertainty and stimulus diagnosticity (predictive accuracy). I also discuss the neural mechanisms that compute EIG and integrate it with rewards in frontoparietal, executive, and neuromodulatory circuits. I end by considering the implications of this framework for a broader understanding of the factors that assign relevance to sensory stimuli and the role of attention in decision making and other cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Gottlieb
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University
- Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University
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39
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Henss L, Pinquart M. Expectations do not need to be accurate to be maintained: Valence and need for cognitive closure predict expectation update vs. persistence. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1127328. [PMID: 36844348 PMCID: PMC9950727 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1127328] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Expectations about us and our environment serve to successfully anticipate the future, make accurate predictions, and guide behavior and decisions. However, when expectations are not accurate, individuals need to resolve or minimize incongruence. Coping is especially important when expectations affect important domains such as students' academic self-concept. Whether expectations are adjusted after expectation violation (accommodation), maintained by denying the discrepancy (immunization), or whether individuals modify behavior to minimize the likelihood of future expectation violations (assimilation) depends on situational and dispositional predictors. In our experiment, we examined valence of expectation violation (positive vs. negative) as a situational predictor together with need for cognitive closure (NCC) as a dispositional predictor with N = 297 participants in a word riddle study. MANCOVA revealed that students tended to assimilate and accommodate more strongly after worse-than-expected achievement, and also NCC promoted both stronger accommodation and assimilation. NCC interacted with the valence of expectation violation: individuals with high NCC reported more assimilation and accommodation only after worse-than-expected achievement. The results replicate and extend previous findings: individuals do not always strive to have the most accurate expectations possible. Instead, both affective (valence) and cognitive (NCC) predictors appear to affect which coping strategy is preferred by the individual.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Pinquart
- Department of Psychology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
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40
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Jiwa M, Cooper PS, Chong TTJ, Bode S. Hedonism as a motive for information search: biased information-seeking leads to biased beliefs. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2086. [PMID: 36747063 PMCID: PMC9902457 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29429-8] [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: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Confirmation bias in information-search contributes to the formation of polarized echo-chambers of beliefs. However, the role of valence on information source selection remains poorly understood. In Experiment 1, participants won financial rewards depending on the outcomes of a set of lotteries. They were not shown these outcomes, but instead could choose to view a prediction of each lottery outcome made by one of two sources. Before choosing their favoured source, participants were first shown a series of example predictions made by each. The sources systematically varied in the accuracy and positivity (i.e., how often they predicted a win) of their predictions. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling indicated that both source accuracy and positivity impacted participants' choices. Importantly, those that viewed more positively-biased information believed that they had won more often and had higher confidence in those beliefs. In Experiment 2, we directly assessed the effect of positivity on the perceived credibility of a source. In each trial, participants watched a single source making a series of predictions of lottery outcomes and rated the strength of their beliefs in each source. Interestingly, positively-biased sources were not seen as more credible. Together, these findings suggest that positively-biased information is sought partly due to the desirable emotional state it induces rather than having enhanced perceived credibility. Information sought on this basis nevertheless produced consequential biased beliefs about the world-state, highlighting a potentially key role for hedonic preferences in information selection and subsequent belief formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Jiwa
- University of Melbourne, School of Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, 3010, Australia.
| | - Patrick S Cooper
- University of Melbourne, School of Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, 3010, Australia.,Monash University, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Melbourne, 3800, Australia
| | - Trevor T-J Chong
- Monash University, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Melbourne, 3800, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, 3004, Australia.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, 3065, Australia
| | - Stefan Bode
- University of Melbourne, School of Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, 3010, Australia
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41
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Sheldon TL, DeShazo JR, Friscia BL. Micro-targeting consumers to reduce consumptive externalities. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284338. [PMID: 37141200 PMCID: PMC10159161 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
When correcting for consumption externalities policymakers may employ economic incentives, a uniform moral suasion intervention, or various micro-targeted moral suasion interventions. To assess the relative effectiveness of these policy interventions, we randomly assign consumers to different moral suasion treatments designed to increase their willingness to pay for energy efficient light bulbs. Both economic incentives and single moral suasion interventions have similar modest effects on household willingness to pay for this durable good. However, we find that optimally targeting moral suasion messages increases consumers' choice of the most efficient light bulbs even more than large subsidies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara L Sheldon
- Department of Economics, Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| | - J R DeShazo
- Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Bronwyn Lewis Friscia
- Department of Economics, Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States of America
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42
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A Reinforcement Meta-Learning framework of executive function and information demand. Neural Netw 2023; 157:103-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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43
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Sharot T, Rollwage M, Sunstein CR, Fleming SM. Why and When Beliefs Change. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 18:142-151. [PMID: 35939828 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221082967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Why people do or do not change their beliefs has been a long-standing puzzle. Sometimes people hold onto false beliefs despite ample contradictory evidence; sometimes they change their beliefs without sufficient reason. Here, we propose that the utility of a belief is derived from the potential outcomes associated with holding it. Outcomes can be internal (e.g., positive/negative feelings) or external (e.g., material gain/loss), and only some are dependent on belief accuracy. Belief change can then be understood as an economic transaction in which the multidimensional utility of the old belief is compared against that of the new belief. Change will occur when potential outcomes alter across attributes, for example because of changing environments or when certain outcomes are made more or less salient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tali Sharot
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London.,Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
| | - Max Rollwage
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.,Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London
| | | | - Stephen M Fleming
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.,Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London
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44
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Hertwig R, Ellerbrock D. Why people choose deliberate ignorance in times of societal transformation. Cognition 2022; 229:105247. [PMID: 36095910 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105247] [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: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The opening of East Germany's Stasi archives in 1991 has often been lauded as a model of transparency in a transformative period. Yet many citizens have rejected the opportunity to read their files. To examine the reasons people invoke for this deliberate ignorance, we combined survey methods from psychology with historiographical methodologies. Our findings reveal a diverse range of reasons for deliberate ignorance, including regulation of negative emotions, avoidance of personal conflict, scepticism about the information compiled, and rejection of the victorious political system's authority over the files. Participants thus appear to prioritise cooperation and harmony over justice concerns-in stark contrast to the institutional norm of transparency and justice. Shining a light on the role of deliberate ignorance at the individual level-and specifically the convergence or divergence of individual and collective memory culture-may help explain the pace of societal change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Hertwig
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
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45
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Garcia-Arch J, Barberia I, Rodríguez-Ferreiro J, Fuentemilla L. Authority Brings Responsibility: Feedback from Experts Promotes an Overweighting of Health-Related Pseudoscientific Beliefs. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15154. [PMID: 36429874 PMCID: PMC9690443 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The popularity and spread of health-related pseudoscientific practices is a worldwide problem. Despite being counteracted by competent agents of our societies, their prevalence and spread continue to grow. Current research has focused on identifying which characteristics make us more likely to hold pseudoscientific beliefs. However, how we hold these beliefs despite all the available information against them is a question that remains unanswered. Here, we aimed to assess if the development of health-related pseudoscientific beliefs could be driven by a positive bias in belief updating. Additionally, we aimed to explore whether this bias could be exacerbated, depending on source credibility. In this study, participants (N = 116) underwent a belief updating task where they offered their agreement with various health-related pseudoscientific statements before and after receiving supporting and discrediting feedback from (a) experts (doctors), (b) peers, or (c) a random number generator. Our results suggest that when receiving feedback from experts (but not from peers or random feedback), the participants preferentially integrated supporting information relative to discrediting information about health-related pseudoscience. We discuss the implications of this biased belief updating pattern on health-related pseudoscientific research and suggest new strategies for intervention focused on increasing awareness, training, and consensus among healthcare practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josue Garcia-Arch
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, 08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institut de Neurociències (INUB), University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències (INUB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Itxaso Barberia
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institut de Neurociències (INUB), University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències (INUB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Grup de Recerca en Cognició i Llenguatge (GRECIL), Departament de Cognició, Desenvolupament i Psicologia de l’Educació, Secció Processos Cognitius, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institut de Neurociències (INUB), University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències (INUB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Grup de Recerca en Cognició i Llenguatge (GRECIL), Departament de Cognició, Desenvolupament i Psicologia de l’Educació, Secció Processos Cognitius, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lluís Fuentemilla
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, 08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institut de Neurociències (INUB), University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències (INUB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
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Preferences for seeking effort or reward information bias the willingness to work. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19486. [PMID: 36376340 PMCID: PMC9663561 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21917-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Research suggests that the temporal order in which people receive information about costs and benefits whilst making decisions can influence their choices. But, do people have a preference for seeking information about costs or benefits when making effort-based decisions, and does this impact motivation? Here, participants made choices about whether to exert different levels of physical effort to obtain different magnitudes of reward, or rest for low reward. Prior to each effort-based choice, they also had to decide which information they wanted to see first: how much physical effort would be required, or how large the reward would be. We found no overall preference for seeking reward or effort information first, but motivation did change when people saw reward or effort information first. Seeking effort information first, both someone's average tendency to do so and their choice to see effort first on a given trial, was associated with reductions in the willingness to exert higher effort. Moreover, the tendency to prefer effort information first was associated with reduced vigorous exercise and higher levels of fatigue in everyday life. These findings highlight that preferences for seeking effort information may be a bias that reduces people's willingness to exert effort in the lab and in everyday life.
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Cogliati Dezza I, Maher C, Sharot T. People adaptively use information to improve their internal states and external outcomes. Cognition 2022; 228:105224. [PMID: 35850045 PMCID: PMC10510028 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Information can strongly impact people's affect, their level of uncertainty and their decisions. It is assumed that people seek information with the goal of improving all three. But are they successful at achieving this goal? Answering this question is important for assessing the impact of self-driven information consumption on people's well-being. Here, over five experiments (total N = 727) we show that participants accurately predict the impact of information on their internal states (e.g., affect and cognition) and external outcomes (e.g., material rewards), and use these predictions to guide information-seeking choices. A model incorporating participants' subjective expectations regarding the impact of information on their affective, cognitive, and material outcomes accounted for information-seeking choices better than a model that included only objective proxies of those measures. This model also accounted for individual differences in information-seeking choices. By balancing considerations of the impact of information on affective, cognitive and material outcomes when seeking knowledge, participants became happier, more certain and made better decisions when they sought information relative to when they did not, suggesting that the actual consequences of receiving information aligned with their subjective expectations.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Cogliati Dezza
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, Ghent, BE, Belgium; The Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, 10-12 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5EH, UK.
| | - C Maher
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK; The Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, 10-12 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - T Sharot
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK; The Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, 10-12 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5EH, UK; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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Li Y, Daddaoua N, Horan M, Foley NC, Gottlieb J. Uncertainty modulates visual maps during noninstrumental information demand. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5911. [PMID: 36207316 PMCID: PMC9547007 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33585-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are intrinsically motivated to obtain information independently of instrumental incentives. This motivation depends on two factors: a desire to resolve uncertainty by gathering accurate information and a desire to obtain positively-valenced observations, which predict favorable rather than unfavorable outcomes. To understand the neural mechanisms, we recorded parietal cortical activity implicated in prioritizing stimuli for spatial attention and gaze, in a task in which monkeys were free (but not trained) to obtain information about probabilistic non-contingent rewards. We show that valence and uncertainty independently modulated parietal neuronal activity, and uncertainty but not reward-related enhancement consistently correlated with behavioral sensitivity. The findings suggest uncertainty-driven and valence-driven information demand depend on partially distinct pathways, with the former being consistently related to parietal responses and the latter depending on additional mechanisms implemented in downstream structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nabil Daddaoua
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mattias Horan
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas C Foley
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jacqueline Gottlieb
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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Rouault M, Weiss A, Lee JK, Drugowitsch J, Chambon V, Wyart V. Controllability boosts neural and cognitive signatures of changes-of-mind in uncertain environments. eLife 2022; 11:75038. [PMID: 36097814 PMCID: PMC9470160 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In uncertain environments, seeking information about alternative choice options is essential for adaptive learning and decision-making. However, information seeking is usually confounded with changes-of-mind about the reliability of the preferred option. Here, we exploited the fact that information seeking requires control over which option to sample to isolate its behavioral and neurophysiological signatures. We found that changes-of-mind occurring with control require more evidence against the current option, are associated with reduced confidence, but are nevertheless more likely to be confirmed on the next decision. Multimodal neurophysiological recordings showed that these changes-of-mind are preceded by stronger activation of the dorsal attention network in magnetoencephalography, and followed by increased pupil-linked arousal during the presentation of decision outcomes. Together, these findings indicate that information seeking increases the saliency of evidence perceived as the direct consequence of one's own actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Rouault
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Computationnelles, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), Paris, France.,Institut Jean Nicod, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France.,Département d'Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL University), Paris, France
| | - Aurélien Weiss
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Computationnelles, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), Paris, France.,Département d'Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL University), Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Junseok K Lee
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Computationnelles, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), Paris, France.,Département d'Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL University), Paris, France
| | - Jan Drugowitsch
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Valerian Chambon
- Institut Jean Nicod, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France.,Département d'Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL University), Paris, France
| | - Valentin Wyart
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Computationnelles, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), Paris, France.,Département d'Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL University), Paris, France
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50
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Mo L, Li H, Zhu T. Exploring the Suicide Mechanism Path of High-Suicide-Risk Adolescents-Based on Weibo Text Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11495. [PMID: 36141767 PMCID: PMC9517096 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescent suicide can have serious consequences for individuals, families and society, so we should pay attention to it. As social media becomes a platform for adolescents to share their daily lives and express their emotions, online identification and intervention of adolescent suicide problems become possible. In order to find the suicide mechanism path of high-suicide-risk adolescents, we explore the factors that influence is, especially the relations between psychological pain, hopelessness and suicide stages. METHODS We identified high-suicide-risk adolescents through machine learning model identification and manual identification, and used the Weibo text analysis method to explore the suicide mechanism path of high-suicide-risk adolescents. RESULTS Qualitative analysis showed that 36.2% of high-suicide-risk adolescents suffered from mental illness, and depression accounted for 76.3% of all mental illnesses. The mediating effect analysis showed that hopelessness played a complete mediating role between psychological pain and suicide stages. In addition, hopelessness was significantly negatively correlated with suicide stages. CONCLUSION mental illness (especially depression) in high-suicide-risk adolescents is closely related to suicide stages, the later the suicide stage, the higher the diagnosis rate of mental illness. The suicide mechanism path in high-suicide-risk adolescents is: psychological pain→ hopelessness → suicide stages, indicating that psychological pain mainly affects suicide risk through hopelessness. Adolescents who are later in the suicide stages have fewer expressions of hopelessness in the traditional sense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuling Mo
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - He Li
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tingshao Zhu
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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