Asymmetric Hedonic Contrast: Pain Is More Contrast Dependent Than Pleasure

2021 ◽  
pp. 095679762199114
Author(s):  
Guy Voichek ◽  
Nathan Novemsky
Keyword(s):  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Contrast Effects ◽  
Important Phenomenon ◽  
Hedonic Contrast ◽  
Gains And Losses

Research has shown that hedonic-contrast effects are a ubiquitous and important phenomenon. In eight studies ( N = 4,999) and four supplemental studies ( N = 1,809), we found that hedonic-contrast effects were stronger for negative outcomes than for positive outcomes. This asymmetric-contrast effect held for both anticipated and experienced affect. The effect makes risks that include gains and losses more attractive in the presence of high reference points because contrast diminishes the hedonic impact of losses more than gains. We demonstrated that the effect occurs because people are generally more attentive to reference points when evaluating negative outcomes, so drawing attention to reference points eliminates the asymmetric-contrast effect.

Hedonic Contrast Effects Are Larger When Comparisons Are Social

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 286-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carey K Morewedge ◽  
Meng Zhu ◽  
Eva C Buechel
Keyword(s):  
Social Comparison ◽  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Social Comparisons ◽  
Social Attention ◽  
Contrast Effects ◽  
Attentional Resources ◽  
Comparison Standards ◽  
Hedonic Contrast ◽  
The Impact

Abstract A hedonic contrast effect occurs when comparing a stimulus to its alternatives makes it better or worse. We find that counterfactual comparisons induce larger hedonic contrast effects when they are also social comparisons. Hedonic contrast effects influence happiness with a food or wage more when another person receives its counterfactual alternative than when no person receives its counterfactual alternative. Social attention, the propensity to attend to the experiences of other people, underlies the larger hedonic contrast effects induced by social comparisons. People pay more attention to counterfactual alternatives when they are also social comparison standards, and this difference in the allocation of attention mediates the larger hedonic contrast effects that social counterfactual comparisons induce. Reducing attentional resources with cognitive load or time pressure reduces the impact of social counterfactual comparisons, and drawing attention to nonsocial counterfactual comparisons increases their impact. Social attention makes comparisons stronger when they are social.

Reality Negotiation

2009 ◽  
pp. 474-482
Author(s):  
Raymond L. Higgins ◽  
Matthew W. Gallagher
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Negotiation Research ◽  
The Social ◽  
Coping Processes

This chapter presents an overview of the development and status of the reality negotiation construct and relates it to a variety of coping processes. The reality negotiation construct follows from the social constructionist tradition and first appeared in discussions of how excuses protect self-images by decreasing the causal linkage to negative outcomes. The reality negotiation construct was later expanded to include a discussion of how the process of hoping may be used to increase perceived linkage to positive outcomes. In the two decades since these constructs were first introduced, four individual differences measures have been developed, and the effects of these reality negotiation techniques have been studied extensively. Reality negotiation techniques can be both maladaptive and adaptive and have been shown to be associated with coping and social support in a variety of populations. The chapter concludes by highlighting a few areas in which reality negotiation research could expand to further its relevance and applicability to the field of positive psychology.

Neuronal responses to static texture patterns in area V1 of the alert macaque monkey

1992 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 961-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Knierim ◽  
D. C. van Essen
Keyword(s):  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Macaque Monkey ◽  
Average Difference ◽  
Contrast Effects ◽  
Neuronal Responses ◽  
Suppression Effect ◽  
Orientation Contrast ◽  
Classical Receptive Field ◽  
Oriented Line

1. We recorded responses from neurons in area V1 of the alert macaque monkey to textured patterns modeled after stimuli used in psychophysical experiments of pop-out. Neuronal responses to a single oriented line segment placed within a cell's classical receptive field (CRF) were compared with responses in which the center element was surrounded by rings of elements placed entirely outside the CRF. The orientations of the surround elements either matched the center element, were orthogonal to it, or were random. 2. The addition of the textured surround tended to suppress the response to the center element by an average of 34%. Overall, almost 80% of the 122 cells analyzed in detail were significantly suppressed by at least one of the texture surrounds. 3. Cells tended to respond more strongly to a stimulus in which there was a contrast in orientation between the center and surround than to a stimulus lacking such contrast. The average difference was 9% of the response to the optimally oriented center element alone. For the 32% of the cells showing a statistically significant orientation contrast effect, the average difference was 28%. 4. Both the general suppression and orientation contrast effects originated from surround regions at the ends of the center bar as well as regions along the sides of the center bar. 5. The amount of suppression induced by the texture surround decreased as the density of the texture elements decreased. 6. Both the general suppression and the orientation contrast effects appeared early in the population response to the stimuli. The general suppression effect took approximately 7 ms to develop, whereas the orientation contrast effect took 18-20 ms to develop. 7. These results are consistent with a possible functional role of V1 cells in the mediation of perceptual pop-out and in the segregation of texture borders. Possible anatomic substrates of the effects are discussed.

scholarly journals Intention-Outcome Asymmetry Effect

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arunima Sarin ◽  
David Lagnado ◽  
Paul Burgess
Keyword(s):  
Moral Judgment ◽  
Moral Agent ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Asymmetry Effect

Knowledge of intention and outcome is integral to making judgments of responsibility, blame, and causality. Yet, little is known about the effect of conflicting intentions and outcomes on these judgments. In a series of four experiments, we combine good and bad intentions with positive and negative outcomes, presenting these through everyday moral scenarios. Our results demonstrate an asymmetry in responsibility, causality, and blame judgments for the two incongruent conditions: well-intentioned agents are regarded more morally and causally responsible for negative outcomes than ill-intentioned agents are held for positive outcomes. This novel effect of an intention-outcome asymmetry identifies an unexplored aspect of moral judgment and is partially explained by extra inferences that participants make about the actions of the moral agent.

scholarly journals Positive and negative incentive contrasts lead to relative value perception in ants

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Wendt ◽  
Kim S Strunk ◽  
Jürgen Heinze ◽  
Andreas Roider ◽  
Tomer J Czaczkes
Keyword(s):  
Reference Points ◽  
Contrast Effects ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Absolute Income ◽  
Value Perception ◽  
Quality Food ◽  
Relative Value ◽  
Medium Quality ◽  
Quality Of Food

Humans usually assess things not according to their absolute value, but relative to reference points – a main tenant of Prospect Theory. For example, people rate a new salary relative to previous salaries and salaries of their peers, rather than absolute income. We demonstrate a similar effect in an insect: ants expecting to find low-quality food showed higher acceptance of medium-quality food than ants expecting medium quality, and vice versa for high expectations. Further experiments demonstrate that these contrast effects arise from cognitive rather than mere sensory or pre-cognitive perceptual causes. Social information gained inside the nest can also serve as a reference point: the quality of food received from other ants affected the perceived value of food found later. Value judgement is a key element in decision making, and thus relative value perception strongly influences which option is chosen and ultimately how all animals make decisions.

Video conferencing software selection based on hybrid MCDM and cumulative prospect theory under a major epidemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Jie Xu ◽  
Jian Lv ◽  
Hong-Tai Yang ◽  
Yan-Lai Li
Keyword(s):  
Prospect Theory ◽  
Weighting Function ◽  
Video Conferencing ◽  
Cumulative Prospect Theory ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Software Selection ◽  
Interval Numbers ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Selection Decision ◽  
Gains And Losses

The video conferencing software is regarded as a significant tool for social distancing and getting incorporations up and going. Due to the indeterminacy of epidemic evolution and the multiple criteria, this paper proposes a video conferencing software selection method based on hybrid multi-criteria decision making (HMCDM) under risk and cumulative prospect theory (CPT), in which the criteria values are expressed in various mathematical forms (e.g., real numbers, interval numbers, and linguistic terms) and can be changed with natural states of the epidemic. Initially, the detailed description of video conferencing software selection problem under an epidemic are given. Subsequently, a whole procedure for video conferencing software selection is conducted, the approaches for processing and normalizing the multi-format evaluation values are presented. Furthermore, the expectations provided by DMs under different natural states of the epidemic are considered as the corresponding reference points (RP). Based on this, the matrix of gains and losses is constructed. Then, the prospect values of all criteria and the perceived probabilities of natural states are calculated according to the value function and the weighting function in CPT respectively. Finally, the proposed method is illustrated by an empirical case study, and the comparison analysis and the sensitivity analysis for the loss aversion parameter are conducted to prove the effectiveness and robustness. The results show that considering the psychological characteristics of DMs in selection decision is beneficial to avoid the unacceptable and potential loss risks. This study could provide a useful guideline for managers who intend to select appropriate video conferencing software.

Predictors of Job Stress Among Southern Correctional Staff

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric G. Lambert ◽  
Linda D. Keena ◽  
Stacy H. Haynes ◽  
David May ◽  
Matthew C. Leone
Keyword(s):  
Job Stress ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Specific Work ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Correctional Staff ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Fear Of Victimization ◽  
Positive Effects

Job stress is a problem in corrections. Although the very nature of correctional work is stressful, workplace variables also contribute to correctional staff job stress. The job demands-resource model holds that job demands increase negative outcomes (e.g., job stress) and decrease positive outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction), whereas job resources help increase positive outcomes and decrease negative outcomes. An ordinary least squares regression analysis of self-reported survey data from 322 staff at a Southern prison indicated that input into decision-making and quality supervision had statistically significant negative effects on job stress, whereas role overload and fear of victimization had significant positive effects. Instrumental communication, views of training, and role clarity all had nonsignificant associations with stress from the job in the multivariate analysis. The results partially supported the job demands-resources model; however, the specific work environment variables varied in terms of their statistical significance. Correctional administrators need to be aware of the contribution that workplace variables have on job stress and make changes to reduce staff job stress.

Within Your Control? When Problem Solving May Be Most Helpful

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 932-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurel D. Sarfan ◽  
Peter Gooch ◽  
Elise M. Clerkin
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Behavioral Avoidance ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategy ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Perception Of Performance

Emotion regulation strategies have been conceptualized as adaptive or maladaptive, but recent evidence suggests emotion regulation outcomes may be context-dependent. The present study tested whether the adaptiveness of a putatively adaptive emotion regulation strategy—problem solving—varied across contexts of high and low controllability. The present study also tested rumination, suggested to be one of the most putatively maladaptive strategies, which was expected to be associated with negative outcomes regardless of context. Participants completed an in vivo speech task, in which they were randomly assigned to a controllable ( n = 65) or an uncontrollable ( n = 63) condition. Using moderation analyses, we tested whether controllability interacted with emotion regulation use to predict negative affect, avoidance, and perception of performance. Partially consistent with hypotheses, problem solving was associated with certain positive outcomes (i.e., reduced behavioral avoidance) in the controllable (vs. uncontrollable) condition. Consistent with predictions, rumination was associated with negative outcomes (i.e., desired avoidance, negative affect, negative perception of performance) in both conditions. Overall, findings partially support contextual models of emotion regulation, insofar as the data suggest that the effects of problem solving may be more adaptive in controllable contexts for certain outcomes, whereas rumination may be maladaptive regardless of context.

Reference Groups as Anchors in Judgments of other Groups: A Biasing Factor in “Rating Tasks”?

1980 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 967-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Montgomery
Keyword(s):  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Social Judgment ◽  
Contrast Effects ◽  
Reference Groups ◽  
Assimilation Effect ◽  
Social Judgment Theory ◽  
Male Undergraduate ◽  
Campus Organizations ◽  
The Prestige

A phenomenon which might bias rating tasks (the reference group as an anchor phenomenon) was explored by having 144 male undergraduate members of Greek, eating club, and independent organizations, and students belonging to none of these organizations rank 28 campus organizations in terms of relative prestige. In general, members of groups consistently overestimated the prestige of their own (assimilation effect), under-estimated the prestige of organizations dissimilar to their own (contrast effect), and had more pronounced assimilation and contrast effects than did subjects not belonging to the rated organizations. Moreover, members of groups placed a greater number of organizations dissimilar to their own into objectionable categories. These results suggest that it might be extremely difficult for highly ego-involved persons to maintain an appropriate judgmental set in such tasks when the ratings are made on the basis of the quality, prestige, and other such ill-defined criteria. Over-all, the results strongly supported predictions made from social judgment theory.

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