2019- Reprints: Marketing
Distance-dependent memory for pictures and words, Journal of Memory and Language, 105, 119-130, 2019
E. Amit, S. Rim, G. Halbeisend, U. Cohen Priva, E. Stephane and Y. Trope
(Reprint no. 351)
Three experiments explored the effect of medium of presentation (pictures, words) and psychological distance (proximal, distal) on episodic memory. In particular, we predicted that memory would be better for congruent combinations of medium and distance (i.e., pictures of psychologically proximal entities and verbal labels of psychologically distal entities) than incongruent combinations (i.e., pictures of psychologically distal entities and verbal labels of psychologically proximal entities). Our results support this hypothesis. In Experiments 1 and 2, recall was better when medium and temporal distance were congruent than not. In Experiment 3 people recognition was better when medium and spatial distance were congruent than not. These findings suggest that the decay of memory for details over time is a specific case of a broader principle that governs our memory system and is based on psychological distance between the individual and the target entity. More broadly, these results speak to the growing literature, which suggests that one of the major roles of memory is prospection. Within this framing, our findings suggest that the memory system serves prospection using qualitatively different information processing devices, depending on the psychological distance of the target from the individual.
Lay theories of effortful honesty: Does the honesty-effort association justify making a dishonest decision?, Journal of Applied Psychology, 104(5), 659-677, 2019
J.J. Lee, M. Ong, B. Parmar and E. Amit
(Reprint no. 352)
Are our moral decisions and actions influenced by our beliefs about how much effort it takes to do the right thing? We hypothesized that the belief that honesty is effortful predicts subsequent dishonest behavior because it facilitates one’s ability to justify such actions. In Study 1 (N = 210), we developed an implicit measure of people’s beliefs about whether honesty is effortful, and we found that this lay theory predicts dishonesty. In Study 2 (N = 339), we experimentally manipulated individuals’ lay theories about honesty and effort and found that an individual’s lay theory that honesty is effortful increased subsequent dishonesty. In Study 3, we manipulated (Study 3a; N = 294) and measured (Study 3b; N = 153) lay theories, and then manipulated the strength of situational force that encourages dishonesty, and found that an individual’s lay theory influences subsequent dishonesty only in a weak situation, where individuals have more agency to interpret the situation. This research provides novel insights into how our lay theories linking honesty and effort can help us rationalize our dishonesty, independent of whether a particular moral decision requires effort or not.
Dynamic distance: Use of visual and verbal means of communication as social signals, Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology, 85, 2019
B. Torrez, C. Wakslak and E. Amit
(Reprint no. 353)
Across seven studies, we investigated how people's motivation to signal a proximity or distance orientation affects their choice of visual versus verbal means of communication. To explore this question we asked people to communicate using visual or verbal means of representation within diverse contexts (friendship: Studies 1a–1b, 4, and 5, workplace interactions: Studies 2a-2b, and professional websites: Study 3). Across all studies we found that people prefer visual (versus verbal) means of communication when aiming to signal a proximity rather than distance orientation towards the recipient of the message. More broadly, we suggest that people are active agents who use different mediums in a strategic way (conscious or not) in order to dynamically influence distance: visual representations are used to signal preference to reduce distance, and verbal representations to signal preference to increase distance.
The neural computation of inconsistent choice behavior, Nature Communications, 2019; doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09343-2
V. Kurtz-David, D. Persitz, R. Webb and D.J. Levy
(Reprint no. 354)
Research no: 06990100
Humans are often inconsistent (irrational) when choosing among simple bundles of goods, even without any particular changes to framing or context. However, the neural computations that give rise to such inconsistencies are still unknown. Similar to sensory perception and motor output, we propose that a substantial component of inconsistent behavior is due to variability in the neural computation of value. Here, we develop a novel index that measures the severity of inconsistency of each choice, enabling us to directly trace its neural correlates. We find that the BOLD signal in the vmPFC, ACC, and PCC is correlated with the severity of inconsistency on each trial and with the subjective value of the chosen alternative. This suggests that deviations from rational choice arise in the regions responsible for value computation. We offer a computational model of how variability in value computation is a source of inconsistent choices.
