2017 Publications
The Relationship between Perceived Cognitive Impairment and the Experience of Pain in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Tierra L. Willis
University of West Florida
Tammy Lowery Zacchilli
Saint Leo University
Rebecca Liller
University of South Florida
The purpose of this study was to assess whether cognitive impairment was related to the experience of pain in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Participants included 239 women and 33 men recruited through the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Multiple Sclerosis World support group website. It was predicted that, as cognitive impairment and cognitive general concerns increased for individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, neuropathic pain, pain intensity, and pain interference would increase as well. Cognitive concerns was the only significant predictor of neuropathic pain (β = .33, t = 2.97, p = .003). Cognitive impairment was the only significant predictor of pain intensity (β = .26, t = 2.41, p = .017). Finally, both cognitive general concerns (β = .25 t = 2.39, p = .018) and cognitive impairment (β = .26, t = 2.46, p = .015) were significant predictors of pain interference.
Tierra L. Willis
University of West Florida
Tammy Lowery Zacchilli
Saint Leo University
Rebecca Liller
University of South Florida
The purpose of this study was to assess whether cognitive impairment was related to the experience of pain in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Participants included 239 women and 33 men recruited through the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Multiple Sclerosis World support group website. It was predicted that, as cognitive impairment and cognitive general concerns increased for individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, neuropathic pain, pain intensity, and pain interference would increase as well. Cognitive concerns was the only significant predictor of neuropathic pain (β = .33, t = 2.97, p = .003). Cognitive impairment was the only significant predictor of pain intensity (β = .26, t = 2.41, p = .017). Finally, both cognitive general concerns (β = .25 t = 2.39, p = .018) and cognitive impairment (β = .26, t = 2.46, p = .015) were significant predictors of pain interference.
| The Relationship between Perceived Cognitive Impairment and the Experience of Pain in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis |
Social Cognitive Factors of Persuasion for Multi-Level Marketing Targets
Robert D. Mather, Dustin Belden, and Heather Sherwood
University of Central Oklahoma
Multi-level marketing (MLM) is the business practice of selling products or services through independent agents who are financially compensated for their sales and who may receive commissions from all sales made by the agents below them in the model. There is no empirical research regarding the social cognitive factors that affect the receptiveness of a multi-level marketing target to a persuasive message. The current study included manipulated components of a sales pitch for potential MLM recruits. There were several results. First, increased information about distributorship and testimonials changed target attitudes toward MLM. Second, key target attitudes towards MLM predicted signing up for an interview. Third, attitudes and familiarity with MLM predicted measures of perceived sales utility of MLM. Fourth, familiarity with MLM predicted attitude certainty and sales utility beliefs. Overall, sales utility moderated the relationship between MLM attitudes and the self-reported likelihood a participant would sign up for an interview.
Robert D. Mather, Dustin Belden, and Heather Sherwood
University of Central Oklahoma
Multi-level marketing (MLM) is the business practice of selling products or services through independent agents who are financially compensated for their sales and who may receive commissions from all sales made by the agents below them in the model. There is no empirical research regarding the social cognitive factors that affect the receptiveness of a multi-level marketing target to a persuasive message. The current study included manipulated components of a sales pitch for potential MLM recruits. There were several results. First, increased information about distributorship and testimonials changed target attitudes toward MLM. Second, key target attitudes towards MLM predicted signing up for an interview. Third, attitudes and familiarity with MLM predicted measures of perceived sales utility of MLM. Fourth, familiarity with MLM predicted attitude certainty and sales utility beliefs. Overall, sales utility moderated the relationship between MLM attitudes and the self-reported likelihood a participant would sign up for an interview.
| Social Cognitive Factors of Persuasion for Multi-Level Marketing Targets |
Roles, Affective States, and the Good/Bad Me:
Self-Aspect Descriptions and the Malleability of Evaluative Organization of Self-Knowledge
Alicia Limke-McLean, Patrick B. Mayfield, and Jeni C. Presley
University of Central Oklahoma
The evaluative organization of self-knowledge refers to the manner in which individuals organize self-relevant knowledge (Showers, 1992). This model includes a continuum that ranges from perfect compartmentalization (i.e., organizing positively and negatively valenced self-beliefs into separate self-aspects) to perfect integration (i.e., organizing positively and negatively valenced self-beliefs into the same self-aspects). The results of the current project extend the work on evaluative organization of self-knowledge in two ways. First, the results of Study 1 provide evidence that types of self-aspects are related to evaluative organizational styles. Second, the results of Study 2 suggest that evaluative organization is flexible. The second study also found that, as individuals become more compartmentalized under typical external conditions, changes in evaluative organization are linked to indices of psychological health.
Self-Aspect Descriptions and the Malleability of Evaluative Organization of Self-Knowledge
Alicia Limke-McLean, Patrick B. Mayfield, and Jeni C. Presley
University of Central Oklahoma
The evaluative organization of self-knowledge refers to the manner in which individuals organize self-relevant knowledge (Showers, 1992). This model includes a continuum that ranges from perfect compartmentalization (i.e., organizing positively and negatively valenced self-beliefs into separate self-aspects) to perfect integration (i.e., organizing positively and negatively valenced self-beliefs into the same self-aspects). The results of the current project extend the work on evaluative organization of self-knowledge in two ways. First, the results of Study 1 provide evidence that types of self-aspects are related to evaluative organizational styles. Second, the results of Study 2 suggest that evaluative organization is flexible. The second study also found that, as individuals become more compartmentalized under typical external conditions, changes in evaluative organization are linked to indices of psychological health.
| Roles, Affective States, and the Good/Bad Me: Self-Aspect Descriptions and the Malleability of Evaluative Organization of Self-Knowledge |
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 either 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.
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 either 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 swho share their attachment styles. Participants were assessed on their own attachments styles and were randomly 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 swho share their attachment styles. Participants were assessed on their own attachments styles and were randomly 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? |