Article
Psychology, Experimental
Jan Philipp Rudloff, Markus Appel
Summary: The distribution of mis- and disinformation highlights the importance of understanding individuals' epistemic beliefs. Research shows that individuals with post-truth epistemic beliefs have difficulty distinguishing fake news from accurate news.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN MEMORY AND COGNITION
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Social
Jan Philipp Rudloff, Fabian Hutmacher, Markus Appel
Summary: This study validates the relationship between the Dark Factor of Personality and post-truth epistemic beliefs, as well as the association between post-truth epistemic beliefs and COVID-19 conspiracy endorsement and behavior. The findings emphasize the importance of considering epistemic beliefs when addressing major challenges to humanity.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Tom Rosman, Kathrin Adler, Luisa Barbian, Vanessa Blume, Benno Burczeck, Vivien Cordes, Dilara Derman, Susanne Dertli, Hannah Glas, Virginia Heinen, Stefan Kenst, Marie Khosroschahli, Laura Kittel, Corinna Kraus, Alica Linden, Anastasia Mironova, Lena Olinger, Fatbardh Rastelica, Theresia Sauter, Vera Schnurr, Elisabeth Schwab, Yves Vieyra, Andreas Zidak, Ivana Zidarova
Summary: The study found that beliefs in justification by authority were significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccination intentions compared to prosocial values. Additionally, beliefs in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines mediated the relationship between justification by authority and vaccination intentions.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Marco Giancola, Massimiliano Palmiero, Simonetta D'Amico
Summary: This study investigated the role of the Dark Triad (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism) in vaccine hesitancy, considering the sequential mediating effects of conspiracy beliefs and risk perception. Results showed that conspiracy beliefs and risk perception fully mediated the association between the Dark Triad and vaccine hesitancy. Implications and future research directions were discussed.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
History & Philosophy Of Science
Esther K. H. Ng
Summary: The skepticism on democracy's ability to produce good outcomes has always existed. Democratic theorists argue that democracy is the only legitimate form of government as it promotes freedom, equality, and justice. However, doubts about the cognitive capacities of ordinary citizens have always been a concerning issue.
SOCIAL EPISTEMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Jane A. Dickerson, Janet A. Englund, Xing Wang, Julie C. Brown, Danielle M. Zerr, Bonnie Strelitz, Eileen J. Klein
Summary: This study analyzed immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in healthcare workers. Factors such as age, time, and vaccine reactogenicity were found to be associated with the magnitude and durability of the response. The study observed higher antibody responses in participants who experienced symptoms after the second dose of the vaccine. Age and sex did not have an impact on antibody levels.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ramadan Mohamed Elkalmi, Shazia Qassim Jamshed, Azyyati Mohd Suhaimi
Summary: The study found that the majority of religious studies and science students in Malaysia have a positive attitude towards vaccination, with few expressing opposition. Religious factors and concerns about vaccine harm were the main reasons for non-supporters, while many believed vaccination aligns with the Islamic concept of protecting life. It is recommended to implement well-designed programs to reshape students' religious beliefs and convictions towards vaccination.
JOURNAL OF RELIGION & HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Political Science
Ward E. Jones
Summary: The term "post-truth" is often used to describe a society where false and biased beliefs have corrupted public opinion and policymaking. However, its current usage is unhelpful and distracting, at best, and demeaning and humiliating, at worst. A more accurate characterization of contemporary societies would be "post-trust," where testimony from knowledge workers or marginalized groups is no longer influential in shaping public opinion and policymaking.
Article
Ethics
Wade Munroe
Summary: The US population is becoming more divided along partisan lines, even on empirical issues. Theories explaining political polarization and other phenomena related to post-truth rely on social-epistemic structures like echo chambers and epistemic bubbles. This paper critically analyzes C. Thi Nguyen's analysis of these structures and argues that his focus on cognitive mechanisms overlooks the effects of social-epistemic structures on our emotions.
PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Omid Noroozi
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between students' epistemic beliefs and argumentation performance in the context of essay writing and peer feedback. It finds that students' beliefs about the nature of scientific knowledge significantly influence their performance in these tasks, while beliefs about Internet-specific justification of knowledge are not as important. Epistemic beliefs do not play a significant role in the uptake of peer feedback.
INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATION AND TEACHING INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Letter
Psychology, Social
Severi Luoto, Peter K. Jonason
Summary: The authors address methodological concerns raised by critics and discuss the potential adaptive response of elevated Dark Triad traits in nonheterosexual individuals to environmental harshness. They reject prejudiced views of homosexuality and advocate for continuing to use the term homosexual as a purely descriptive scientific term.
PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Kun Zuo
Summary: This study examines the impact of innovative learning environment, career planning, and socio-cultural adaptation-related difficulties faced by international students on their choices of higher education institutions in China. The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected students' education and their preferences in terms of learning environment, cultural adaptation, career planning, and personality development. After the outbreak, international students are more inclined to maintain the option of distance education.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Ville Kivimaki
Summary: This study explores the connection between student diaries and academic achievement, as well as the relationship between students' epistemic beliefs and academic achievement. It also tests the feasibility of implementing an epistemic belief questionnaire and a structured learning diary in a naturalistic degree program setting. The results indicate that collecting student-originated learning process data and connecting it with independent psychological measures can best predict academic achievement. Structured learning diaries are viable learning and measurement tools that can be used at scale and for long periods.
FRONTIERS IN EDUCATION
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Olivia Godfrey, Tim Bogg, Elizabeth Milad
Summary: This study examined psychosocial and behavioral predictors of COVID-19 vaccination in a stratified U.S. sample over a span of 18 months. The results indicated that the absence of children in the household and higher education level were prospective factors predicting vaccination. Greater vaccination intention during the assessment period from December 2020 to January 2021 predicted vaccination in the fall of 2021. Additionally, greater openness and less conservative political beliefs were found to predict vaccination through stronger intention. Employer mandates, flu vaccine history, and reliable health information sources were also predictors of higher vaccination rates. Contrary to expectations, greater conscientiousness predicted lower vaccination rates.
ANNALS OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Religion
Jennifer A. Herdt
Summary: Theological discussion must acknowledge the link between biblical inerrancy and partisan epistemology, as well as examine whether postliberal theologies also contribute to cognitive isolation. Groups threatened by loss of social influence are prone to partisan epistemology, which unjust power can exploit for dominance. Jesus, facing Pilate as a post-truth figure, provides a model of disruptive engagement that resists epistemic injustice and fosters inclusive communities.
STUDIES IN CHRISTIAN ETHICS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Social
Jan Philipp Rudloff, Fabian Hutmacher, Markus Appel
Summary: This study validates the relationship between the Dark Factor of Personality and post-truth epistemic beliefs, as well as the association between post-truth epistemic beliefs and COVID-19 conspiracy endorsement and behavior. The findings emphasize the importance of considering epistemic beliefs when addressing major challenges to humanity.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY
(2022)
Article
Communication
Fabian Hutmacher, Regina Reichardt, Markus Appel
Summary: This study investigated the role of motivated reasoning and numeracy in the context of the current pandemic, finding that participants tended to evaluate studies based on their prior attitudes towards mask mandates, and individuals with higher numeracy were less biased in their evaluation of statistical information.
PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Communication
Markus Appel, Christoph Mengelkamp
Summary: Three experiments were conducted to examine the impact of screen size (smartphone vs. computer screen) on narrative transportation. The results indicated that smaller screen size does not impair narrative transportation, and interaction effects with manipulations were explored. Future implications and research were discussed.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Fabian Hutmacher, Markus Appel
Summary: This article proposes a psychological model that examines the effects of personalization in digital environments. It connects personalization with motivational tendencies, psychological needs, and well-being. Based on the model, the authors review studies from various domains to explain the positive and negative effects of personalization on individuals. While personalization can have desirable outcomes such as reducing choice overload, lack of transparency and user involvement in the personalization process can potentially threaten human well-being. Design recommendations and future research directions are discussed.
REVIEW OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Communication
Julia R. Winkler, Markus Appel, Marie-Luise C. R. Schmidt, Tobias Richter
Summary: Recent theory suggests that emotional shifts are characteristic of immersed story processing and precursors of narrative impact. Two experiments and a pilot study found a positive association between transportation and the number and intensity of emotional shifts, particularly with affective-level attitudes.
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Jan Philipp Rudloff, Markus Appel
Summary: The distribution of mis- and disinformation highlights the importance of understanding individuals' epistemic beliefs. Research shows that individuals with post-truth epistemic beliefs have difficulty distinguishing fake news from accurate news.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN MEMORY AND COGNITION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Timon M. J. Hruschka, Markus Appel
Summary: The study explores the concept of informal fallacies and their connection to fake news detection. It suggests that understanding informal fallacies can enhance individuals' ability to distinguish between fake news and real news.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Andrea Grundke, Jan-Philipp Stein, Markus Appel
Summary: Connecting two research lines, we hypothesized that eliciting empathy could mitigate or reverse the negative response to robots with mind. Two online experiments manipulated robot attributes and exposure to harm, and perceived empathy and likeability were measured. We observed a significant indirect effect of presenting the robot in a harmful situation on likeability, with empathy serving as a mediating variable. Furthermore, a residual negative influence of showing the robot in a harmful situation was detected. Our findings suggest that the uncanny valley of mind may be based on the robot's human-like imperfection rather than descriptions of its supposed mind.
COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Jan-Philipp Stein, Sophie Scheufen, Markus Appel
Summary: By portraying unrealistic body types, modern mass media have influenced people's perception of an ideal body to narrow and unachievable standards. In response, the body positivity movement on social media challenges restrictive body ideals and promotes a more inclusive view of the human physique. Two pre-registered experiments support the hypothesis that viewing body-positive online content expands women's concept of an ideal body to include a wider range of body shapes and weight-related standards. This research extends prior studies by emphasizing the importance of the range of bodily ideals.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY-GENERAL
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Markus Appel, Fabian Hutmacher, Theresa Politt, Jan-Philipp Stein
Summary: Mobile dating apps provide ways for idealized self-presentation through beauty filters, and a study shows that women perceive male Tinder users with filtered photos as more attractive but less trustworthy. Women are more inclined to date profiles that are perceived as attractive and trustworthy, leading to a positive effect of filter use on dating intention.
COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Communication
Tanja Veronika Messingschlager, Markus Appel
Summary: Creative artificial intelligence (AI) has attracted attention, however, AI-generated artworks are often evaluated negatively due to the perception that AI lacks agency and experience. Two experiments show that AI is consistently attributed with less agency and experience compared to human artists, leading to lower appreciation of visual artworks.
NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Educational
Marie-Luise C. R. Schmidt, Julia R. Winkler, Markus Appel, Tobias Richter
Summary: Emotional shifts in stories can enhance engagement with the story and contribute to narrative persuasion. The persuasive effect of the story may depend on the congruency between the audience's emotional experience and the emotions implied by the story.
DISCOURSE PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Silvana Weber, Markus Appel, Melanie C. Steffens, Vanessa Hirschhaeuser
Summary: The potential harm of sexist jokes in comedy towards women has been a hot topic of public debate. This study examines the impact of sexist comedy on women's cognitive performance through four experiments, finding that women who watched sexist stand-up comedy clips performed worse on subsequent tasks. Additionally, the study explores the moderating role of self-reported humor and coping sense of humor but finds inconsistent results.
PSYCHOLOGY OF AESTHETICS CREATIVITY AND THE ARTS
(2023)
Article
Communication
Markus Appel, Timo Gnambs
Summary: This study analyzes the representation of female characters in the top 30 highest-grossing movies worldwide for the past 40 years using the Bechdel-Wallace test. The results show that only half of these popular movies pass the test, while almost all movies pass the reverse test. Time trends indicate an increase in the percentage of movies passing the test over the past 10 years.
PSYCHOLOGY OF POPULAR MEDIA
(2023)
