Neural systems that facilitate the representation of social rank

Across species, animals organize into social dominance hierarchies that serve to decrease aggression and facilitate survival of the group. Neuroscientists have adopted several model organisms to study dominance hierarchies in the laboratory setting, including fish, reptiles, rodents and primates. We review recent literature across species that sheds light onto how the brain represents social rank to guide socially appropriate behaviour within a dominance hierarchy. First, we discuss how the brain responds to social status signals. Then, we discuss social approach and avoidance learning mechanisms that we propose could drive rank-appropriate behaviour. Lastly, we discuss how the brain represents memories of individuals (social memory) and how this may support the maintenance of unique individual relationships within a social group. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies’.

Psychological Birth Order and Achievement Goal Orientation of High School Students engaged in Shadow Education

The focus of the current study is to examine the nature of the relationship of goal orientation with psychological birth order. Likewise, it also looked into the ability of psychological birth order to influence the endorsement of achievement goals (mastery-approach and avoidance; performance- approach and avoidance). A total of 220 high school students engaged in shadow education answered the White-Campbell Psychological Birth Order Inventory (PBOI) and the Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ). Based on the regression analysis performed, only the pairing of psychological birth order and performance-approach is significant while those of psychological birth order, mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, and performance-avoidance are not significant. Further analysis revealed that those who are psychologically firstborns tend to endorse the mastery-approach goal orientation while those who are psychologically youngest or lastborn endorses mastery-avoidance.

Intra-individual changes in 3x2 achievement goals, friendship goals, motivational regulations and consequences in physical education

Introduction: This research examines intraindividual changes in 3x2 achievement goals in physical education classes during one semester, as well as the relationship of these changes with those in other motivational and outcome variables. Method: A total of 334 (178 boys and 156 girls) high school students (M = 13.12, SD = 1.05) completed five questionnaires in two different school years. Results: The results of the true intraindividual change model (TIC) provided unequivocal support for the separation of task-based and self-based goals, as well as the structures based on both valences of approach and avoidance. They also showed different intraindividual change patterns in the 3x2 achievement goals, indicating a progression in the stability of the goals depending on their definition. Intraindividual variability in achievement goals is directly related to intraindividual variability in dependent variables, with the task-approach goals TIC being the most adaptive. Conclusions: These goals should be prioritized.

What approach and avoidance factors drive Gen-Z consumers to buy bubble tea? An exploratory study

Purpose Bubble tea has become a popular beverage among the Gen-Z population in recent years, not only in Asia where this beverage originated, but also worldwide. This research aims to understand the motivational factors of Gen-Z consumers in Indonesia in purchasing bubble tea products. Design/methodology/approach This research adopts a qualitative methodology by interviewing 22 Gen-Z consumers living in Indonesia. A thematic-analysis approach and NVivo software are applied for the data analysis. Findings Eight factors, i.e. taste, texture, packaging, store, price, health, trend and brand, play important roles in explaining how the emotional dimensions (pleasure, arousal and dominance) created by the environmental stimuli of bubble tea were approached or avoided within the purchasing behaviors of Gen-Z consumers. This study also identified affiliation behaviors as the result of interactions between the three dimensions. Research limitations/implications As a qualitative study, this research used a particular and limited context to gain insights. Hence, a broader scale of research using a quantitative approach is recommended to validate the factors influencing purchasing behavior among the Gen-Z population. Practical implications This study can help practitioners to gain a better understanding of Gen-Z consumers’ behaviors on beverage products and to formulate effective marketing strategies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, by adopting a qualitative approach, this study is among the first to explore more deeply the emotional dimensions that drive Gen-Z’s decisions regarding whether to purchase a bubble tea product or not.

Assessing Automatic Approach-Avoidance Behavior in an Immersive Virtual Environment

The use of virtual reality (VR) promises enormous potential for studying human behavior. While approach and avoidance tendencies have been explored in various areas of basic and applied psychology, such as attitude and emotion research, basic learning psychology, and behavior therapy, they have rarely been studied in VR. One major focus of this research is to understand the psychological mechanisms underlying automatic behavioral tendencies towards and away from positively or negatively evaluated stimuli. We implemented a whole-body movement stimulus-response compatibility task to explore approach-avoidance behavior in an immersive virtual environment. We chose attitudinal stimuli—spiders and butterflies—on which people widely agree in their general evaluations (in that people evaluate spiders negatively and butterflies positively), while there is still substantial inter-individual variance (i. e., the intensity in which people dislike spiders or like butterflies). We implemented two parallel approach-avoidance tasks, one in VR, one desktop-based. Both tasks revealed the expected compatibility effects that were positively intercorrelated. Interestingly, however, the compatibility effect in the VR measure was unrelated to participants’ self-reported fear of spiders and stimulus evaluations. These results raise important implications about the usage of VR to study automatic behavioral tendencies.

When does presenteeism harm productivity the most? Employee motives as a key moderator of the presenteeism–productivity relationship

PurposeWhile presenteeism is empirically linked to lower productivity, the role of a person's motives for engaging in presenteeism has been overlooked. Using a Conservation of Resources Theory framework, we examine the moderating effects of presenteeism motives (approach and avoidance motives) on the presenteeism–productivity relationship.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 327 dental hygienists with chronic health conditions was surveyed. Moderated multiple regression was used to test study hypotheses.FindingsResults indicate that presenteeism does indeed appear to detriment productivity. However, we demonstrate that motives are an important moderator, such that high approach motives appear to mitigate the negative effects of presenteeism on productivity.Practical implicationsBased on our findings, we suggest managers strive to improve the approach motives of their employees through processes such as job enrichment.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates that presenteeism is not always detrimental to productivity, as approach motives appear to mitigate the negative effects of presenteeism on productivity. These results could drive future research on presenteeism, as well as inform best practices related to managing workers with chronic health issues.