scholarly journals Moses, money, and multiple-choice: The Moses illusion in a multiple-choice format with high incentives

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Speckmann ◽  
Christian Unkelbach
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Communication ◽  
Correct Answer ◽  
Cooperative Communications ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Total N ◽  
Communication Context ◽  
Moses Illusion ◽  
Choice Approach

AbstractWhen people answer the question “How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the Ark?”, they usually respond with “two,” although Moses does not appear in the biblical story of the Ark. We investigated this “Moses illusion” in a multiple-choice format and tested the influence of monetary incentives on the illusion’s strength. Thereby, we addressed the role of a cooperative communication context for the illusion’s emergence, as well as the role of participants’ motivation. In four experiments (total N = 914), we found that the Moses illusion persists in a multiple-choice format. As the multiple-choice format realizes a cooperative context in which the correct answer is always available, we exclude a cooperative context explanation for the illusion. Monetary incentives reduced the strength of the illusion. However, the reduction was numerically and statistically small. We thereby show that the illusion is not due to violations of cooperative communications, and not due to a lack of motivation. The multiple-choice approach will facilitate further research on the Moses illusion and the data provide additional evidence for the Moses illusion’s empirical robustness and constrain its theoretical explanations.

Supernatural norm enforcement: Thinking about Karma and God reduces selfishness among believers

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindel White ◽  
John Michael Kelly ◽  
Azim Shariff ◽  
Ara Norenzayan
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Framing Effects ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Total N ◽  
Norm Enforcement ◽  
Dictator Games ◽  
Within Subjects

Four experiments (total N = 3591) examined how thinking about Karma and God increases adherence to social norms that prescribe fairness in anonymous dictator games. We found that (1) thinking about Karma decreased selfishness among karmic believers across religious affiliations, including Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and non-religious Americans; (2) thinking about God also decreased selfishness among believers in God (but not among non-believers), replicating previous findings; and (3) thinking about both karma and God shifted participants’ initially selfish offers towards fairness (the normatively prosocial response), but had no effect on already fair offers. These supernatural framing effects were obtained and replicated in high-powered, pre-registered experiments and remained robust to several methodological checks, including hypothesis guessing, game familiarity, demographic variables, between- and within-subjects designs, and variation in data exclusion criteria. These results support the role of culturally-elaborated beliefs about supernatural justice as a motivator of believer’s adherence to prosocial norms.

STEROID RECEPTOR PHENOTYPE, EXPRESSION OF HER-2/NEU, PD-1, PD-L1 AND LYMPHOCYTIC-MACROPHAGAL INFILTRATION OF ENDOMETRIAL CARCINOMAS: COMPARISON OF MODERN MOLECULAR BIOLOGICAL TYPES OF THE DISEASE (THE ROLE OF BODY MASS INDEX)

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-78
Author(s):  
Lev Bershteyn ◽  
Aleksandr Ivantsov ◽  
Aglaya Ievleva ◽  
A. Venina ◽  
I. Berlev
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Tumor Tissue ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
The Body ◽  
Molecular Profile ◽  
Total N ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Her 2

The aim of this study was to evaluate steroid receptors’ status of tumor tissue in different molecular biological types of endometrial cancer (EC), subdivided according to the current classification, and their colonization by lymphocytic and macrophage cells, taking into account body mass index of the patients. Materials and methods: Material from treatment-naive patients with EC (total n = 229) was included; the number of sick persons varied depending on the method used. The average age of patients was close to 60 years, and about 90% of them were postmenopausal. It was possible to divide the results of the work into two main subgroups: a) depending on the molecular biological type of the tumor (determined on the basis of genetic and immunohistochemical analysis), and b) depending on the value of the body mass index (BMI). The latter approach was used in patients with EC type demonstrating a defective mismatch repair of the incorrectly paired nucleotides (MMR-D) and with a type without characteristic molecular profile signs (WCMP), but was not applied (due to the smaller number of patients) in EC types with a POLE gene mutation or with expression of the oncoprotein p53. According to the data obtained, when comparing various types of EC, the lowest values of Allred ER and PR scores were revealed for POLE-mutant and p53 types, while the “triple-negative” variant of the tumor (ER-, PR-, HER2/neu-) was most common in POLE-mutant (45.5% of cases) and WCMP (19.4%) types of EC. The p53+ type of EC is characterized by inclination to the higher expression of the macrophage marker CD68 and lymphocytic Foxp3, as well as mRNA of PD-1 and SALL4. In addition to the said above, for WCMP type of EC is peculiar, on the contrary, a decrease in the expression of lymphocytic markers CD8 (protein) and PD-L1 (mRNA). When assessing the role of BMI, its value of >30.0 (characteristic for obesity) was combined with an inclination to the increase of HER-2/neu expression in the case of MMR-D EC type and to the decrease of HER-2 /neu, FOXp3 and ER expression in WCMP type. Conclusions: The accumulated information (mainly describing here hormonal sensitivity of the tumor tissue and its lymphocytic-macrophage infiltration) additionally confirms our earlier expressed opinion that the differences between women with EC are determined by both the affiliation of the neoplasm to one or another molecular biological type (subdivided according to the contemporary classification), as well as by body mass value and (very likely) the associated hormonal and metabolic attributes.

scholarly journals Sex differences in the phylum‐level human gut microbiota composition

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Koliada ◽  
Vladislav Moseiko ◽  
Mariana Romanenko ◽  
Oleh Lushchak ◽  
Nadiia Kryzhanovska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Microbiota Composition ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Total N ◽  
Human Gut Microbiota ◽  
Gut Microbiota Composition

Abstract Background Evidence was previously provided for sex-related differences in the human gut microbiota composition, and sex-specific discrepancy in hormonal profiles was proposed as a main determinant of these differences. On the basis of these findings, the assumption was made on the role of microbiota in the sexual dimorphism of human diseases. To date, sex differences in fecal microbiota were demonstrated primarily at lower taxonomic levels, whereas phylum-level differences between sexes were reported in few studies only. In the present population-based cross-sectional research, sex differences in the phylum-level human gut microbiota composition were identified in a large (total n = 2301) sample of relatively healthy individuals from Ukraine. Results Relative abundances of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, as determined by qRT-PCR, were found to be significantly increased, while that of Bacteroidetes was significantly decreased in females compared to males. The Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio was significantly increased in females compared to males. Females had 31 % higher odds of having F/B ratio more than 1 than males. This trend was evident in all age groups. The difference between sexes was even more pronounced in the elder individuals (50+): in this age group, female participants had 56 % higher odds of having F/B ratio > 1 than the male ones. Conclusions In conclusion, sex-specific differences in the phylum-level intestinal microbiota composition were observed in the Ukraine population. The F/B ratio was significantly increased in females compared to males. Further investigation is needed to draw strong conclusions regarding the mechanistic basis for sex-specific differences in the gut microbiota composition and regarding the role of these differences in the initiation and progression of human chronic diseases.

Addressing common errors and misconceptions in integral calculus with clickers and classroom voting

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-85
Author(s):  
Kelly Cline ◽  
Holly Zullo ◽  
David A Huckaby
Keyword(s):  
Correct Answer ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Small Group Discussion ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Integral Calculus ◽  
Common Features ◽  
Incorrect Answer ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Common student errors and misconceptions can be addressed through the method of classroom voting, in which the instructor presents a multiple-choice question to the class, and after a few minutes for consideration and small-group discussion, each student votes on the correct answer, using a clicker or a phone. If a large number of students have voted for one particular incorrect answer, the instructor can recognize and address the issue. In order to identify multiple-choice questions that are especially effective at provoking common errors and misconceptions, we recorded the percentages of students voting for each option on each question used in 25 sections of integral calculus, taught by 7 instructors, at 4 institutions, over the course of 12 years, on a collection of 172 questions. We restricted our analysis to the 115 questions which were voted on by at least 5 different classes. We present the six questions that caused the largest percentages of students to vote for a particular incorrect answer, discuss how we used these questions in the classroom, and examine the common features of these questions. Further, we look for correlations between question characteristics and the mean percentage of students voting for common errors on these questions, and we find that questions based on general cases have higher percentages of students voting for common errors.

scholarly journals A chip off the (im)moral block? Lay beliefs about genetic heritability predicts whether family members’ actions affect self-judgments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Peetz ◽  
Michael Jeremy Adam Wohl ◽  
Anne E Wilson ◽  
Andrew Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Moral Self ◽  
Total N ◽  
Lay Beliefs ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Related Family ◽  
Genetic Heritability

The idea of heritability may have consequences for individuals’ sense of self by connecting identity to the actions of others who happen to share genetic ties. Across seven experimental studies (total N=2,628), recalling morally bad or good actions by family members influenced individuals’ moral self among those who endorse a lay belief that moral character is genetically heritable, but not among those who did not endorse this belief (Study 1-5). In contrast, recalling actions by unrelated individuals had no effect, regardless of lay beliefs (Study 2, 5), the endorsement of other relevant lay beliefs did not moderate the effect of parent’s actions on self-judgments (Study 3). Individuals who endorsed heritability beliefs also chose less helpful responses to hypothetical helping scenarios if they had recalled unhelpful (vs. helpful) acts by a genetically-related family member (Study 5). Taken together, these studies suggest that lay beliefs in the role of genetics are important for self-perceptions.

scholarly journals Beyond “fake news”: The role of analytic thinking in the detection of inaccuracy and partisan bias in news headlines

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M Ross ◽  
David Gertler Rand ◽  
Gordon Pennycook
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Analytic Thinking ◽  
Total N ◽  
Partisan Bias ◽  
News Content ◽  
Political Bias ◽  
Political Partisanship ◽  
News Headlines

Why is misleading partisan content believed and shared? An influential account posits that political partisanship pervasively biases reasoning, such that engaging in analytic thinking exacerbates motivated reasoning and, in turn, the acceptance of hyperpartisan content. Alternatively, it may be that susceptibility to hyperpartisan misinformation is explained by a lack of reasoning. Across two studies using different subject pools (total N = 1977), we had participants assess true, false, and hyperpartisan headlines taken from social media. We found no evidence that analytic thinking was associated with increased polarization for either judgments about the accuracy of the headlines or willingness to share the news content on social media. Instead, analytic thinking was broadly associated with an increased capacity to discern between true headlines and either false or hyperpartisan headlines. These results suggest that reasoning typically helps people differentiate between low and high quality news content, rather than facilitating political bias.

scholarly journals Cures That (Make You) Work

2021 ◽  
Vol 229 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana S. Aengenheister ◽  
Renée Urban ◽  
Georg Halbeisen
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Application ◽  
Social Perception ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Total N ◽  
Health Related Behaviors ◽  
Headache Treatment ◽  
Health Related

Abstract. Successful treatment not only depends on adhering to taking medication and attending therapy but also on behavioral changes. In two experiments (total N = 256), we investigated the hypothesis that the perceived social role of a treatment as partner (co-producer of a health-benefits) or servant (sole provider of health benefits) could promote or prevent intentions to engage in health-related behaviors. Specifically, we used headache treatment as an everyday example and found that participants were more inclined to engage in headache-reducing behaviors when painkillers were described as partners as compared to servants. Implications of these findings for the importance of anthropomorphic social perception in the clinical application are discussed.

scholarly journals A Generation System of Multiple Choice Questions Using Idioms with Multiple Component Keywords

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.33) ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Jae-Young Lee ◽  
. .
Keyword(s):  
Correct Answer ◽  
Random Number ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Random Numbers ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Generation System ◽  
Random Functions ◽  
Multiple Component ◽  
The Right

In order to alleviate the burden for the time-consuming and tedious tasks to make multiple choice questions, we proposed the system that generates multiple choice questions from the sentence with multiple component keywords and then relocates the questions selected by an array with random numbers instead of random functions in order to reduce the relocation time, after the system searches for the group of informative sentence with multiple component keywords by using special idioms. In this paper, the idiom is the CRm type idiom that has several components at the right side of this idiom including in a main informative sentence. The next sentences consist of other informative sentences including the components keywords. To make multiple choice questions, the system randomly selects an informative sentence including a component keyword and it also converts the informative sentence into a question. The selected component keyword is used as the correct answer and the three other component keywords are used as distractors. To produce many different questions about the same contents with different positions of the question and items, the system uses a random number array to reduce the relocation time.  

scholarly journals Risks of acts of terrorism and specific features of their estimation

2019 ◽  
pp. 198-210
Author(s):  
N. P. Tikhomirov ◽  
A. V. Novikov
Keyword(s):  
Russian Federation ◽  
National Economy ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Probability Estimation ◽  
Legal Basis ◽  
Global Community ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
High Level

The article studies specific features of relatively new risks of declining the level of social and economic stability of states due to acts of terrorism and approaches to their estimation and prevention. Specificity of these risks are shown, which are connected with unlimited spheres of activity and methods of terrorists, vagueness of their reasoning and so on, which determines the high level of uncertainty in probability estimation, damages and other consequences of their activity. The structure of damages was systemized, within the frames of which direct and indirect damages in different fields of national economy and population of global community were identified. Estimation of such damaged which took place in different countries was provided. Unique characteristics of risks of terroristic attacks were given, which differ from other types of economic risks and predetermine the necessity to develop specific steps and strategies of their prevention. Key lines in the activity aimed at reducing risks of terroristic threats were discussed that stipulate disclosing basic factors promoting their appearance, estimation of conditions and trends in their development and elaboration of methods counteracting such threats. Legal basis of counteracting terrorism in the Russian Federation was considered that imply strengthening the role of state in the struggle against this phenomenon, for example by allocation of necessary finance resources directed to the development of accessible network of information, to the improvement of objects’ safeguarding, insurance protection of the population and other lines in anti-terrorist activity. The author discusses possible approaches to estimation of probability of terroristic attacks by using binary and multiple choice with regard to indicators showing conditions of their conducting.

scholarly journals Disgust sensitivity and moral judgments of purity: The role of transgression weirdness

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fieke Maria Antoinet Wagemans ◽  
Mark John Brandt ◽  
Marcel Zeelenberg
Keyword(s):  
Moral Judgments ◽  
Disgust Sensitivity ◽  
Total N ◽  
Moral Domains ◽  
Moral Transgressions ◽  
The Relationship

Disgust sensitivity is more strongly related to moral judgments in the purity domain than to moral judgments in other moral domains. While this finding highlights the distinctiveness of moral domains, anti-modularity accounts suggest that the relationship is caused by the relative weirdness of purity transgressions and come to the conclusion that moral domains do not represent distinct mechanisms. In two studies (total N = 2,307), we test whether transgression weirdness accounts for disgust sensitivity’s stronger association with moral judgments of the purity as compared to other moral domains, but find little evidence for this claim. The relationship between disgust sensitivity and moral judgments of purity even remains when taking into account both (perceived) weirdness and (perceived) harmfulness of moral transgressions. These studies show that transgression weirdness and harmfulness cannot explain the disgust sensitivity–purity link, contradicting predictions following from popular anti-modularity accounts.

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