Matching Items (2)
Description
I propose that norms regulate behaviors that negatively impact an individual's survival and reproduction. But because monitoring and enforcing of norms can be costly, individuals should be selective about which norms they police and under what circumstances they should do so. Two studies tested this idea by experimentally activating fitness-relevant motives and having participants answer questions about the policing of norms. The first study examined a norm prescribing respect for status and another proscribing sexual coercion. Results from Study 1 failed to support the hypotheses; activating a status-seeking motive did not have the predicted effects on policing of the respect-status norm nor did activating a mating motive have the predicted effects on policing of the respect-status norm or anti-coercion norm. Study 2 examined two new norms, one prescribing that people stay home when sick and the other proscribing people from having sex with another person's partners. Study 2 also manipulated whether self or others were the target of the policing. Study 2 failed to provide support; a disease avoidance motive failed to have effects on policing of the stay home when sick norm. Individuals in a relationship under a mating motive wanted less policing of others for violation of the mate poaching norm than those in a baseline condition, opposite of the predicted effects.
ContributorsSmith, M. Kristopher (Author) / Neuberg, L. Steven (Thesis director) / Presson, Clark (Committee member) / Hruschka, J. Daniel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Past research on knowledge has differentiated between dimensions of knowledge, for example amount or coherence. This dissertation introduces a novel dimension of knowledge, the Motivational Utility of Knowledge (MUK), that is based on hierarchies of human needs (e.g., physical safety, status/esteem, actualization, reproduction). The effects of MUK are tested in a set of four studies on the topic of houselessness. All four studies used the same dataset. Adults in the United States (N = 190) were recruited from an online survey platform and paid for participation. They were first asked about their conceptions of houselessness. Next, they read a set of four texts arguing different views of houselessness, and administered a comprehension test, an emotion while reading test, and asked if the text conflicted with their beliefs. They were then reassessed on their conceptions and administered the MUK scale. Finally, they were given a demographics questionnaire, including questions about their personal experience with houselessness, and were administered a general prior knowledge test and a vocabulary knowledge test. Study 1 examined MUK as a construct and assessed the factor structure of the scale. The analyses showed that the subscales of MUK loaded onto a single factor – overall value of houselessness knowledge. Study 2 situated MUK within the domain of conceptual change. The results demonstrated that participants’ conceptions of houselessness were related to MUK, and that their propensity to engage in conceptual change depended on MUK. Study 3 situated MUK within the domain of text comprehension research and demonstrated that the text-belief consistency effect is enhanced when participants have high MUK. Finally, Study 4 examined MUK as a mediator between conceptions and comprehension and examined the role of MUK in predicting negative emotions. Overall, the findings suggest that MUK plays a role in conceptual change and text comprehension such that participants with high MUK are less likely to revise their knowledge and have worse comprehension when the text conflicts with their beliefs. In addition, MUK may predict emotions while reading about controversial topics, as participants with high MUK were more likely to report negative emotions while reading.
ContributorsWatanabe, Micah (Author) / McNamara, Danielle S. (Thesis advisor) / Brewer, Gene (Committee member) / Firetto, Carla (Committee member) / Roscoe, Rod (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023