The interactive effect of mental contamination and cognitive fusion on anxiety

The name similarity effect is the tendency to like people, places, and things with names similar to our own. Although many researchers have examined name similarity effects on preferences and behavior, no research to date has examined whether individual differences exist in susceptibility to those effects. This research reports the results of two experiments that examine the role of self-monitoring in moderating name similarity effects. In the first experiment, name similarity effects on brand attitude and purchase intentions were found to be stronger for respondents high, rather than low, in self-monitoring. In the second experiment, the interactive effect observed in the first study was found to be especially true in a public (vs. private) usage context. These findings are consistent with theoretical expectations of name similarity effects as an expression of egotism manifested in the image and impression management concerns of high self-monitors.

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When Apologies for Injustice Matter

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040.13.4.239 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 239-247 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

David De Cremer ◽

Barbara C. Schouten

Keyword(s):

Laboratory Study ◽

Interaction Effect ◽

Interactive Effect ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Fairness Perceptions ◽

Organizational Survey ◽

Experimental Laboratory

The present research examined the idea that the effectiveness of apologies on promoting fairness perceptions depends on how meaningful and sincere the apology is experienced. More precisely, it was predicted that apologies are more effective when they are communicated by an authority being respectful to others. A study using a cross-sectional organizational survey showed that an apology (relative to giving no apology) revealed higher fairness perceptions, but only so when the authority was respectful rather than disrespectful. In a subsequent experimental laboratory study the same interaction effect (as in Study 1) on fairness perceptions was found. In addition, a similar interaction effect also emerged on participants’ self-evaluations in terms of relational appreciation (i.e., feeling valued and likeable). Finally, these self-evaluations accounted (at least partly) for the interactive effect on fairness perceptions.

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Interactive Effect of Dispositional Cognitive Avoidance, Magnitude of Threat, and Response Efficacy on the Persuasive Impact of Threat Communications

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000077 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 94-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Steffen Nestler ◽

Boris Egloff

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Interactive Effect ◽

Cognitive Avoidance ◽

Effective Response ◽

Response Efficacy ◽

Internet Study ◽

High Threat

This internet study investigated the effect of individual differences in cognitive avoidance on the persuasive impact of threat communications. A total of 289 participants completed a measure of dispositional cognitive avoidance and read either a high- or a low-threat communication that provided either an effective response to reduce the threat or not. We found that cognitive avoidance did not moderate the effect of magnitude of threat when response efficacy was low. By contrast, cognitive avoidance was relevant when efficacy was high: After a high-threat message, low cognitive avoiders reported more favorable attitudes toward and intentions to adopt the action recommendation than high cognitive avoiders. Further analyses showed that severity perceptions mediate this effect of avoidance on attitudes and intentions. Individual differences in cognitive avoidance are thus an important moderator of the effectiveness of threat communications.

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