Understanding how the presence of music in advertisements influences consumer behaviour.

This study investigated how consumer behaviour is influenced by music's emotional valence (sad vs. happy) in advertisements. Female participants (N = 134) watched the same four advertisements with either happy or sad background music. The advertisements were split into two advertising breaks which were embedded in a television programme. Participants were tested on their recognition and recall of the advertised material, as well as their intentions to buy the advertised products. As predicted, the results revealed that brand recognition was higher with sad background music in the advertisements, while buying intention was higher when the advertisements were paired with happy background music. Although overall advertisement free recall was found to be better for sad than happy music, musical valence was not found to affect product recall. The findings are discussed in terms of the power of emotions and the possible effects of brand attitudes and music congruity. Limitations and suggestions for future research are presented.

Social, Demographic, and Psychological Factors Associated with Middle-Aged Mother's Vocabulary: Findings from the Millennium Cohort Study.

Based on a sample of 8271 mothers, this study explored a set of psychological and sociodemographic factors associated with their vocabulary, drawing on data from a large, nationally representative sample of children born in 2000. The dependent variable was maternal vocabulary assessed when cohort members were at fourteen years of age, and the mothers were in their mid-forties. Data were also collected when cohort members were at birth, 9 months old, and at ages 3, 7, 11 and 14 years. Correlational analysis showed that family income at birth, parent-child relationship quality at age 3, maternal educational qualifications at age 11, and maternal personality trait Openness at age 14 were significantly and positively associated with maternal vocabulary. It also showed maternal malaise at 9 months and children's behavioral adjustment at age 7, and maternal traits Neuroticism and Agreeableness at age 14 were significantly and negatively associated with maternal vocabulary. Maternal age was also significantly and positively associated with vocabulary. Regression analysis showed that maternal age, malaise, parent-child relationship quality, children's behavioral adjustment, maternal educational qualifications, and traits Openness and Agreeableness were significant predictors of maternal vocabulary, accounting for 33% of total variance. The implications and limitations are discussed.

Correlates of climate change skepticism.

While much research has examined the correlates of climate change beliefs from an alarmist perspective, less work has systematically measured climate change skepticism. This study aims to create a comprehensive tool capturing climate skeptics' beliefs and test its association with individual difference variables. 502 European adults completed a 22-item questionnaire on climate change (CC) skepticism as well as measures of ambiguity tolerance, belief in a just world (BJW), dark-side personality traits, and self-esteem. Principal components analysis revealed a four dimension structure of CC. Political ideology was the most consistent and significant predictor across the climate change skepticism factors. Dark-side traits, also played a role. Future research should further validate this measure and explore how climate change information could be tailored to different audiences. Understanding the nuances and causes of climate skepticism can enable more effective communication to promote sustainability.

Correlates of the Dark Tetrad.

This study explored demographic, ideological, self-rating and personality traits correlates of the Dark Tetrad (DT4) which measures Narcissism (Special), Machiavellianism (Crafty), Psychopathy (Wild), and Sadism (Mean) traits. In total, 447 adults completed three tests: a bright-side, work-related, personality test (HPTI: High Performance Type Indicator), a dark-side test (Short Dark Tetrad) and a number of self-ratings. Correlations and regressions showed that all four dark traits were associated with low Adjustment (Neuroticism), but also with high Risk-Taking and Competitiveness (low Agreeableness). The various measures accounted for a third of the variance in explaining the Mean (Sadistic) score, and 40 % for Special (Narcissism). Trait Competitiveness was most closely associated with all four dark traits.

Positive self-beliefs mediate the association between body appreciation and positive mental health.

Previous work has supported direct, positive associations between body appreciation and positive mental health, but has largely neglected to examine possible indirect mechanistic pathways. Here, we propose one relevant mediational pathway, wherein body appreciation is associated with positive mental health via positive self-beliefs (i.e., cognitions that lead individuals to view themselves, their lives, and/or their futures under a positive outlook). To test this hypothesis, we asked an online sample of 496 adults (249 women, 247 men) from the United Kingdom to complete measures of body appreciation, positive self-beliefs, and positive mental health. Participants also completed measures of self-efficacy and resilience, and provided their demographic information. Correlational analysis revealed significant, positive, and strong associations between body appreciation and facets of positive self-beliefs and positive mental health, respectively. Structural equation modelling showed that positive self-beliefs mediated the association between body appreciation and positive mental health after controlling for self-efficacy and resilience. This model was robust across women and men separately, and the mediational effects remained intact in sensitivity and robustness analyses. We discuss ways in which greater body appreciation may help individuals develop and maintain positive self-beliefs, which in turn shape mental health outcomes.

"Never mind the fine print": The interaction of semantics with attitude strength beliefs on corporate cover-ups.

This study examined the interaction between attitude strength and the cognitive constraints imposed by the semantic properties of measurement items. It made use of digital algorithms and built on the semantic theory of survey response (STSR), examining how people who hold strong beliefs about contemporary issues violate cognitive constraints in expressing strong attitudes. We examined the beliefs people hold concerning attempts to hide, or cover up, information about organisational scandals. Beliefs in cover-ups are related to beliefs in conspiracy theories in that they tend to overrate cues of wrongdoing, disregarding information that may render a more nuanced picture of events. We obtained responses from 405 people who rated their self-images and personal strengths, and explored how these variables influenced the respondents' beliefs in corporate cover-ups. Using latent semantic analysis (LSA), we differentiated between attitude strength and cognitive processing of the survey items. Results indicated that people with inflated self-images tended to override cognitive cues in endorsing extreme types of cover-ups such as removing accusers. Conversely, people who parse the information more carefully had a more tempered view on cover-ups and were more inclined to believe in subtle forms such as twisting stories.

The Big-Five personality factors, cognitive ability, health, and social-demographic indicators as independent predictors of self-efficacy: A longitudinal study.

This study set out to examine to what extent a set of psychological, health and socio-demographic factors are associated with self-efficacy (SE) in a large sample of over 12,000 participants over a two-year period. We were interested in the correlates of self-efficacy (criterion variable) with gender, age, education and occupation, the Big-Five personality factors and cognitive ability, as well as mental and physical health (predictor variables). Regression analyses showed that four of the Big-Five personality factors (extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness), cognitive ability, mental and physical health, gender, education and occupation were all significant and independent predictors of self-efficacy, accounting for 23% of the variance of the outcome variable. Personality variables, particularly Neuroticism and Conscientiousness, were the most powerful predictors of SE two years later. The implications for encouraging SE in individuals are discussed.

Correlates of Conscientiousness: Findings from the Millennium Cohort Study.

This study explored correlates of the trait Conscientiousness drawing on longitudinal data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), with a sample of 7,436 mothers. Data were collected when participants' children were born and again at ages nine months, 3, 11, and 14 years. Structural equation modeling showed that the family poverty indicator, self-esteem, parent-child relationship, children's behavioral problems, and education all had significant and direct effects on maternal trait Conscientiousness. The strongest predictor was self-esteem (measured over 13 years previously), followed by children's behavioral problems and parent-child relationship quality. The implications for helping mothers and their children are considered and limitations are discussed.

Association between culture and the preference for, and perceptions of, 11 routes of medicine administration: A survey in 21 countries and regions.

Medicines can be taken by various routes of administration. These can impact the effects and perceptions of medicines. The literature about individuals' preferences for and perceptions of the different routes of administration is sparse, but indicates a potential influence of culture. Our aim was to determine: (i) any association between one's culture and one's preferred route of medicine administration and (ii) individual perceptions of pain, efficacy, speed of action and acceptability when medicines are swallowed or placed in the mouth, under the tongue, in the nose, eye, ear, lungs, rectum, vagina, on the skin, or areinjected. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey of adults was conducted in 21 countries and regions of the world, namely, Tunisia, Ghana, Nigeria, Turkey, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Malta, Brazil, Great Britain, United States, India, Serbia, Romania, Portugal, France, Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, mainland China and Estonia, using the Inglehart-Welzel cultural map to ensure coverage across all cultures. Participants scored the pain/discomfort, efficacy, speed of onset and acceptability of the different routes of medicine administration and stated their preferred route. Demographic information was collected. A total of 4435 participants took part in the survey. Overall, the oral route was the most preferred route, followed by injection, while the rectal route was the least preferred. While the oral route was the most preferred in all cultures, the percentage of participants selecting this route varied, from 98% in Protestant Europe to 50% in the African-Islamic culture. A multinomial logistic regression model revealed a number of predictors for the preferred route. Injections were favoured in the Baltic, South Asia, Latin America and African-Islamic cultures while dermal administration was favoured in Catholic Europe, Baltic and Latin America cultures. A marked association was found between culture and the preference for, and perceptions of the different routes by which medicines are taken. This applied to even the least favoured routes (vaginal and rectal). Only women were asked about the vaginal route, and our data shows that the vaginal route was slightly more popular than the rectal one.

Sex and national differences in internet addiction in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Understanding individual differences in psychology, and how they relate to specific addictions, may allow society to better identify those at most risk and even enact policies to ameliorate them. Internet addiction is a growing health concern, a research focus of which is to understand individual differences and the psychology of those most susceptible to developing it. Western countries are strongly overrepresented in this regard. METHOD: Here, sex and national differences in internet addiction are measured, using Young's 'Internet Addiction Test,' in two non-Western countries, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. >800 students aged 18 and 35 years (M = 20.65, SD = 1.48) completed a multidimensional internet addiction instrument. The instrument measures traits such as Withdrawal and Social Problems, Time Management and Performance and Reality Substitute. RESULTS: Analyses revealed that males scored higher than females and Saudis higher than Egyptians on nearly all scales, including the total score. Factor analysis of the 20-item instrument revealed three factors, all exhibiting sex and culture differences. CONCLUSIONS: These findings add to the body of evidence that males are higher than females in problematic internet use, as they are in addictive behaviors in general. Our findings may also imply that restrictions on male-female interaction, which are more pronounced in Saudi Arabia, may elevate the prevalence of internet addiction. The internet is also easier and cheaper to access in Saudi Arabia than in Egypt.

Maladaptive (dark-side) and adaptive (bright-side) personality traits and defense styles.

This study explores the relationship between bright- and dark-side personality traits and four major styles of defense mechanisms (DMs) as this relationship remains unexplored and important in understanding the DMs. In all, 435 adult working participants (241 men; 194 women; Mean age 46.06 yrs) mainly in middle management jobs, completed a 78-item, six-trait measure of bright-side personality (HPTI: High Potential Type Indicator), a 25-item five-trait measure of the dark-side personality (PID-5;BF: DSM-5-Brief Form) and 88-item, four-styles measure of defense mechanisms (Defense Style Questionnaire). The aim was to examine demographic (sex, age, education), ideological and personality trait correlates of the DMs. It was hypothesized that the dark-side traits, particularly Detachment would be most strongly related to the DMs. Thereafter, a hierarchical linear regression was performed with each DM factor as criterion and predictors being demography, ideology, self-esteem as well as bright- and dark-side personality traits. Detachment was associated with all DMs, particularly Maladaptive (r = 0.68) and Image Distorting Style (r = 0.38) while Conscientiousness was associated with none. One implication concerns the assessment of DMs by standard tests. Limitations are acknowledged and include method invariance and sample homogeneity.

Intelligence, Personality and Tolerance of Ambiguity.

In this study, 3836 adults completed a personality test (the HPTI) and a multidimensional intelligence test (GIA). Two prominent theories that link personality traits to intelligence (compensation and investment) were tested. There were more sex differences in the personality traits than in the IQ scores. Correlational and regression analyses results provided little evidence for either theory but pointed to the role of tolerance of ambiguity as a consistently significant, positive correlate of IQ at both the facet and domain levels. The role of this neglected trait is discussed. Limitations of various aspects of this study and its implications are considered.

Support for weight-related anti-discrimination laws and policies: Modelling the role of attitudes toward poverty alongside weight stigma, causal attributions about weight, and prejudice.

In the present study, we sought to position support for weight-related anti-discrimination laws and policies within a broader political and socioeconomic context. Specifically, we hypothesised that individualistic (rather than structural) anti-poverty attitudes would provide the basis for negative weight-related dispositions. To test this hypothesis, we asked 392 respondents from the United Kingdom to complete measures of support for weight-related anti-discrimination laws and policies, attributions about the causes of being larger-bodied, and weight-related stigma and prejudice. Path analysis with robust maximum likelihood estimation indicated that greater individualistic anti-poverty attitudes were significantly and directly associated with lower support for weight-related anti-discrimination laws and policies. This direct association was also significantly mediated by weight-related stigma and via a serial mediation involving both weight-related stigma and prejudice. Although greater individualistic anti-poverty attitudes were significantly associated with greater personal attributions for being larger-bodied, the latter did not emerge as a significant mediation pathway. The present findings highlight the importance of considering broader political and socioeconomic contextual factors that may provide a basis for the development, maintenance, and manifestation of negative weight-related dispositions.

Social Distancing and Shopping Behaviour: The Role of Anxiety, Attention, and Awareness on Safety Preferences while Queuing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased global anxiety, and many people shopped less frequently. This study quantifies customer preferences in where to shop while following social distancing regulations, specifically focusing on customers' anxiety. Collecting data online from 450 UK participants, we measured trait anxiety, COVID-19 anxiety, queue awareness, and queue safety preferences. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to develop novel queue awareness and queue safety preference variables from new items. Path analyses tested the hypothesised relationships between them. Queue awareness and COVID-19 anxiety were positive predictors of queue safety preference, with queue awareness partially mediating the effect of COVID-19 anxiety. These results suggest that customers' preferences for shopping at one business and not another may depend on safe queueing and waiting conditions, especially in those more anxious about COVID-19 transmission. Interventions that target highly aware customers are suggested. Limitations are acknowledged and areas for future development are outlined.

Sex in the dark: Sex differences on three measures of dark side personality.

This study examined sex differences in the scores on three different measures of the personality disorders (PDs) all derived from on-line surveys. Two groups (total N = 871) completed the Coolidge Axis-II Inventory which assessed 14 PDs; two groups (total N = 732) completed the Short Dark Tetrad which assessed 4 PDs; four groups (total N = 1558) completed the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form which assessed 5 PD dimensions. Cohen's d after ANOVAs, and binary regression analysis revealed consistent findings. In this study we calculated 63 d statistics of which 5 were d > 0.50 and 28 were d > 0.20. In two samples, each using two different instruments, men scored higher than women on Anti-Social, Narcissistic and Sadistic PD which is a consistent finding in the literature. Speculations are made about the origin of these differences. Limitations are acknowledged.

Beliefs about personal change.

In all, 510 Europeans completed an online questionnaire rating their beliefs about personal change, including the established Dweck Mindset measure. Their ratings of 27 characteristics from BMI to sexual preference factored into 5 interpretable factors labelled Personality, Beliefs and Habits, Health, Social Status and Physical. Correlation indicated beliefs about change were most related to religious beliefs but also sex and age. Dweck ratings of ability and personality growth were logically related to beliefs about change on the five factors and also to religious beliefs and self-rated optimism. Regressions indicated that being religious was the most consistent predictor about change, as well as age and education. Many beliefs about change were in direct contraction to the academic literature on the topic. Implications and limitations are acknowledged.

Sex Difference in Estimated Intelligence and Estimated Emotional Intelligence and IQ Scores.

In five different online studies of community samples, participants (N > 2,200) estimated their IQ and EQ on a single scale and completed three different, short, untimed intelligence tests. In all studies, women estimated their IQ significantly lower than men (effect sizes from 0.22-0.47) and estimated their EQ higher (effect size 0.04-0.32). In only one study were there actual sex differences in IQ test scores. All correlations between the two estimates were significant and positive, and ranged from .37 < r < .47. The robustness of the IQ-EQ hubris-humility effect across measures and populations is discussed. Limitations are acknowledged, particularly in the use of tests.

COVID-19 vaccination: Conspiracy theories, demography, ideology, and personality disorders.

OBJECTIVES: To understand the role of personal experience, religious and political beliefs as well as conspiracy theory beliefs on the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. METHOD: Just under 400 adults completed online questionnaires assessing to what extent they endorsed conspiracy theories (CTs) and an evidenced measure of personality disorders (PDs). One month later, they were asked about having the COVID-19 vaccine. We examined the relationship between demographic (age, sex, education), ideology (political and religious beliefs), general beliefs in CTs, PDs and attitudes toward vaccination. RESULTS: We found, as anticipated, conservative political orientation, religiosity, Cluster A PDs, and conspiracy thinking correlated negatively with vaccine acceptance. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the group of vaccine accepting individuals differed from the group of individuals either hesitant or resistant to the vaccine with respect to education, personal ideology, general conspiracy theory adherence, and cluster A PDs. Multinomial logistic regression indicates that religiosity, conspiracy thinking, and lower levels of education predict vaccine hesitancy or rejection. CONCLUSION: Implications for "rolling out" the vaccine are discussed in terms of who to target and how to address misbeliefs about vaccination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Sex Does Not Sell: The Effect of Sexual Content on Advertisement Effectiveness and Interference with Memory for Program Information.

Does increasing the sexual content of advertisements lead, though memory processes, to greater sales? By employing a between-participants design, we aimed to explore how sexual advertising affects explicit and implicit memory, and whether it impairs memory for information preceding the commercials (retroactive interference) or following the commercials (proactive interference). We randomly assigned 182 young participants in the UK to one of two groups who watched the same TV program containing an advertisement break during which either sexual or nonsexual advertisements were shown, while brands were held constant across conditions. Participants were then tested on their explicit and implicit memory for both the advertising content and program information. Results revealed that implicit memory was better for nonsexual than for sexual advertisements. Unexpectedly, there was no group difference in participants' explicit memory for the advertisements. Further, sexual advertising resulted in retroactive interference with program information, whereas proactive memory for program information was not impaired. We acknowledge various study limitations and discuss proposals for future research.

Doctors in distress: The personality profile of derailing doctors.

OBJECTIVE: This study looked at the bright and dark-side personality profile of distressed and potentially derailing doctors (82% male). The derailing doctors were on average 48.75 years old, and from many specialities, in particular, general practice and surgery. METHOD: In all, a group of 77 derailing British doctors, and a control group of 357 doctors completed a valid multi-dimensional test of bright-side (normal) personality (NEO-PI-R) and one of dysfunctional interpersonal themes (sub-clinical personality disorders) (HDS: Hogan Development Survey). RESULTS: Controlling for sex and age, the derailing doctors were more Neurotic (less resilient), and less Agreeable, Conscientious, Extraverted and Open-to- Experience. They were also more Excitable (Borderline), Sceptical (Paranoid), Cautious (Avoidant), Reserved (Schizoid), Leisurely (Passive Aggressive) and Bold (Narcissistic). Discriminant analysis showed age, Neuroticism, Extraversion, Leisurely and Excitable were, in that order, the greatest personality discriminators between those who did and did not derail. CONCLUSION: More research needs to be done on doctor derailment to inform the selection and training of doctors.