2017 Publications
Melody Recognition after Short Delays: Effects of Contour Complexity and Key-Distance
Thomas Reiner
Troy University
This study investigated melody recognition with a modification of the standard-comparison paradigm. Subjects listened to an original melody, were exposed to a silent retention interval, and then were presented with a target and a distractor. There were two types of trials. On target-same trials, listeners heard the target (the original melody) played in the same key exactly as it was previously heard and a distractor (a novel melody) played in a key either a major second or a perfect fourth from the original. On target-different trials, targets were heard in keys wither a major second or a perfect fourth from the original, while distractors were played in the same key as the original. The contours of targets and distractors were also examined. Retention intervals varied from 0.5 s to 15 s. The results indicate that contour complexity and key-distance interact in the recognition of short melodies
| Melody Recognition after Short Delays: Effects of Contour Complexity and Key-Distance |
From Cradle to Grave: Does Mortality Salience Facilitate a Preference for Our Own Attachment Styles?
Danielle N. Pues, Ryan F. Diak, and Rim M. Woldeslassie
St. Mary's University of Minnesota
Mario Casa de Calvo
University of North Texas at Dallas
Terror Management Theory (Greenberg, Pyszczynski, & Solomon, 1986) depicts humanity as fundamentally driven by the motivation to escape or transcend mortality concerns. Recent research shows that close relationships serve as anxiety buffers against death-related thoughts (Hirschberger, Florian, & Mikulincer, 2002; Smieja, Kalaska, & Adamcyzyk, 2006). The current research investigated whether mortality salience prompts individuals to exhibit preferences for those other who share their attachment styles. Participants were assessed on their own attachments styles and were randompy assigned to mortality salience or control conditions. Participants then rated their levels of attraction toward vingettes that exhibited secure, fearful, preoccupied, or dismissive characteristics. Results indicated that participants rated self-matching attachment vignettes significantly more favorably than non-matching vignettes, but only in the mortality salience condition. The current research suggests that attachments style may serve as a component of one’s subjective worldview that predicts interpersonal preferences when confronting mortality concerns.
Danielle N. Pues, Ryan F. Diak, and Rim M. Woldeslassie
St. Mary's University of Minnesota
Mario Casa de Calvo
University of North Texas at Dallas
Terror Management Theory (Greenberg, Pyszczynski, & Solomon, 1986) depicts humanity as fundamentally driven by the motivation to escape or transcend mortality concerns. Recent research shows that close relationships serve as anxiety buffers against death-related thoughts (Hirschberger, Florian, & Mikulincer, 2002; Smieja, Kalaska, & Adamcyzyk, 2006). The current research investigated whether mortality salience prompts individuals to exhibit preferences for those other who share their attachment styles. Participants were assessed on their own attachments styles and were randompy assigned to mortality salience or control conditions. Participants then rated their levels of attraction toward vingettes that exhibited secure, fearful, preoccupied, or dismissive characteristics. Results indicated that participants rated self-matching attachment vignettes significantly more favorably than non-matching vignettes, but only in the mortality salience condition. The current research suggests that attachments style may serve as a component of one’s subjective worldview that predicts interpersonal preferences when confronting mortality concerns.
| From Cradle to Grave: Does Mortality Salience Facilitate a Preference for Our Own Attachment Styles? |