The Influence of Weight Bias on Processes and Outcomes in Negotiation.

In two studies, using a mix of samples, we examined the influence of weight bias on behaviors in competitive, potentially high stakes situations. As predicted, weight bias directed focal actors' treatment of counterparts in a negotiation. Negotiators made lower value offers to overweight counterparts relative to average-weight counterparts. In addition, overweight counterparts also received more negative messages over the course of their negotiation and were evaluated less favorably after the negotiation than average-weight counterparts.

When Less Is More: How Complexity Impacts Goal Setting, Judgment Accuracy, and Deals in Negotiation.

In two studies, we examine how objective complexity-in terms of numbers of negotiable issues-affects negotiators' aspirations, perceptions, actions, and ultimately, the quality of agreements they reach. We hypothesized and found that when negotiators had a greater number of issues to resolve, they were less ambitious for their own outcomes and developed less accurate insights into their partners' interests.

The Push and Pull of Network Mobility: How Those High in Trait-Level Neuroticism Can Come to Occupy Peripheral Network Positions.

Field research shows that people's network positions are determined, at least in part, by their traits. For instance, over time, actors higher in trait-level neuroticism move out to the network periphery. What is unknown is how this happens. Drawing on personality and social psychological theory, we generated a model that could explain the movement of actors who are higher in neuroticism. Our aim is to add to the existing empirical literature on the interplay of actor level traits and social networks, and do so using methods that can establish possible causal pathways. In four experiments, we tested two explanatory mechanisms-aversion on the part of alters and avoidance on the part of focal actors. Results showed that potential alters indeed perceived actors higher in neuroticism as aversive, leading them to block these actors from well-connected spots. Specifically, low perceived levels of likability prevented actors from being nominated to better positions. In a test of avoidance, actors higher in neuroticism recognized the benefits of better-connected network positions, but also saw them as costly, and thus, declined opportunities to occupy them. This work shows how both alters and egos can determine egos' place in networks, and specifies how this is done.

Negotiators' bargaining histories and their effects on future negotiation performance.

In 2 studies the authors show that the quality of deals negotiators reach are significantly influenced by their previous bargaining experiences. As predicted, negotiators who reached an impasse on a prior negotiation were more likely either to impasse in their next negotiation or to reach deals of low joint value compared to those who had reached an initial agreement. Notably, the impact of past performance on subsequent deals was just as strong for negotiators who changed partners on the 2nd occasion. Results highlight the role of bargaining histories as significant predictors of negotiation behavior. Moreover, they suggest that, at least in some cases, negotiations should be conceptualized as interrelated exchanges rather than separable incidents.

Precursors to onset clusters in acquisition.

Two lawful relationships involving word-initial onset clusters have been advanced in the acquisition literature; namely, that clusters imply affricates (Lleó & Prinz, 1996, 1997), and that liquid clusters imply a liquid distinction (Archibald, 1998). This study evaluated and extended the validity of these implicational laws in a population of 110 children (aged 3;0 to 8;6) with functional phonological delays who contributed extended speech samples for computational analyses. Results indicated that, for the most part, the composition of children's sound systems were in compliance with the proposed laws; however, there were noted asymmetries and apparent exceptions in the data. The asymmetries motivated an integration of the two laws to reveal a pattern of segmental-prosodic cyclicity consistent with deterministic models of phonological acquisition. The apparent exceptions highlighted the relevance of independent methodologies and offered a potential theoretical alternative with the Resolvability Principle as directions for future research.

Implicationally Related Error Patterns and the Selection of Treatment Targets.

This paper compares some of the different claims that have been made concerning acquisition by traditional rule-based derivational theories and the more recent framework of optimality theory. Case studies of children with phonological delays are examined with special attention given to two seemingly independent error patterns, namely, place harmony and spirantization. Contrary to the expectations of derivational theories, these (and other) error patterns are argued to be implicationally related. Optimality theory is shown to offer a principled explanation for the facts with novel implications for clinical treatment.