Theories, queries, “frames” and language games: Commentary on Wall, Crookes, Johnson Weber (2020) (and the literature on risky-choice framing)

In a recent article, Wall, Crookes, Johnson and Weber (2020) claim that Query Theory has better explanatory success in accounting for recent data than the Explicated Valence Account of Tombu and Mandel (2015). In this commentary, I first argue that this claim is not supported by the full range of available evidence. I then draw attention to the pernicious problem in framing studies in which researchers do not adequately ensure that framing manipulations are what they claim to be—namely, extensionally equivalent re-descriptions of the same events or event classes. The difficulty of estab- lishing extensional equivalence in the context of experimental language games (such as the Asian Disease Problem) is under-appreciated. Unfortunately, inter-subjective agreement that the extensional equivalence assumption is met, even amongst a majority of respectable decision theorists, does not constitute sufficient evidence that it is met. Empirical evidence challenges the equivalence assumption, raising meta-theoretical questions about the integrity of some framing research.

Prediction Consistency: A Test of the Equivalence Assumption across Different Indicators of the Same Construct

Prominent theoretical constructs such as the Big Five personality factors often inspire the development and use of different inventories. This practice rests on the vital assumption that different indicators equivalently assess the same construct—otherwise, it would often be inappropriate to draw conclusions on the construct level. In comparison to the evidence typically relied on to support this equivalence assumption, we argue that a direct test of prediction consistency will provide further insights: prediction consistency is a necessary condition for the equivalence assumption that indicators from different inventories predict an external criterion to the same extent. Here, we outline guidelines how to design studies to establish prediction consistency and illustrate this approach in an experiment testing the prediction consistency of the Agreeableness indicators from three prominent Big Five inventories. Specifically, we considered prediction consistency with respect to honesty (vs. cheating) as the behavioral criterion for which a specific a priori hypothesis can be derived on theoretical grounds. Results contradicted predictions consistency and thus the equivalence assumption by showing qualitatively different relations to behavioral honesty, thereby also emphasizing that the interchangeability of inventories should generally be subjected to a strict test, rather than assumed. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology

Anisotropic ductile damage fully coupled with anisotropic plastic flow: Modeling, experimental validation, and application to metal forming simulation

The main goal of this paper is the modeling, numerical simulation, and experimental validation of the anisotropic ductile damage effects on initially anisotropic plastic flow with mixed (isotropic and kinematic) nonlinear hardening under large plastic strains for metal forming processes simulation. A symmetric second-rank damage tensor together with a symmetrized fourth-rank damage-effect tensor is used to describe the anisotropic ductile damage evolution and its effect on the large plastic flow with hardening. Following the concept of effective state variables in the framework of the total energy equivalence assumption, the “Murakami” fourth-rank damage-effect tensor is chosen to describe the anisotropic damage effect on the elastic-plastic behavior including the mixed hardening. The “Lemaitre” ductile anisotropic damage evolution relationships, where the principal directions of the damage rate tensor are governed by those of the plastic strain rate tensor, are used. As difference with the works cited above, the nonlinear mixed isotropic and kinematic hardening is taken into account considering the full and strong damage effects through the effective state variables deduced from the total energy equivalence assumption initially proposed by Saanouni et al. The non-associative plasticity theory is considered, and the “ Hill 1948 ” quadratic (equivalent) stress norm is used to describe the large plastic anisotropic flow accounting for mixed isotropic and kinematic hardening with anisotropic damage effects. The formulation is performed assuming finite plastic strains and small elastic strains through the so-called rotated frame formulation. The obtained model was implemented into ABAQUS/Explicit® FE software thanks to the user’s developed subroutine VUMAT. The numerical aspects related to the time discretization of the fully coupled anisotropic constitutive equations are carefully described. Finally and for the validation purpose, the model is identified using an appropriate experimental data base concerning the grade 316L stainless steel to simulate numerically some metal forming processes.

An offspring signal of quality affects the timing of future parental reproduction

Solicitation signals by offspring are well known to influence parental behaviour, and it is commonly assumed that this behavioural effect translates into an effect on residual reproduction of parents. However, this equivalence assumption concerning behavioural and reproductive effects caused by offspring signals remains largely untested. Here, we tested the effect of a chemical offspring signal of quality on the relative timing and amount of future reproduction in the European earwig ( Forficula auricularia ). We manipulated the nutritional condition of earwig nymphs and exposed females to their extract, or to solvent as a control. There were no significant main effects of exposure treatment on 2nd clutch production, but exposure to extracts of well-fed nymphs induced predictable timing of the 2nd relative to the 1st clutch. This result demonstrates for the first time that an offspring signal per se , in the absence of any maternal behaviour, affects maternal reproductive timing, possibly through an effect on maternal reproductive physiology.