Results of 3 experiments suggest that feeling empathy for a member stigmatized group can improve attitudes toward the as whole. In Experiments 1 and 2, inducing young woman with AIDS (Experiment 1) or homeless man 2) led to more positive people homeless, respectively. Experiment tested possible limits empathy-attitude effect by highly group, convicted murderers, measuring this immediately then 1-2 weeks later. provided only weak evidence improved murderers but strong

Research has demonstrated that left-prefrontal cortical activity is associated with positive affect, or approach motivation, and right-prefrontal negative withdrawal motivation. In past research, emotional valence (positive-negative) been confounded motivational direction (approach-withdrawal), such that, for instance, the only emotions examined were both related. Recent research trait anger, a but approach-related emotion, increased decreased activity, suggesting prefrontal asymmetrical not...

The anterior regions of the left and right cerebral hemispheres have been posited to be specialized for expression experience approach withdrawal processes, respectively. Much evidence supporting this hypothesis has obtained by use asymmetry in electroencephalographic alpha activity. In most research, however, motivational direction confounded with affective valence such that, instance, motivation relates positively positive affect. present we tested that dispositional anger, an...

Three studies examined the moderating role of motivations to respond without prejudice (e.g., internal and external) in expressions explicit implicit race bias. In all studies, participants reported their attitudes toward Blacks. Implicit measures consisted a sequential priming task (Study 1) Association Test (Studies 2 3). Study 3 used cognitive busyness manipulation preclude effects controlled processing on responses. each study, bias was moderated by motivation prejudice, whereas...

Research has found that positive affect broadens attention. However, these studies have manipulated is low in approach motivation. Positive high motivation should reduce the breadth of attention, as organisms shut out irrelevant stimuli they desired objects. Four examined attentional consequences approach-motivated positive-affect states. Results were consistent with predictions. Participants showed less global focus after viewing high-approach-motivating than low-approach-motivating (Study...

Part 1. Introduction. Harmon-Jones, Winkielman, A Brief Overview of Social Neuroscience. 2. Emotion Processes. Beer, The Importance Emotion-Social Cognition Interactions for Functioning: Insights from Orbitofrontal Cortex. Heberlein, Adolphs, Neurobiology Recognition: Current Evidence Shared Substrates. Kudielka, Hellhammer, Kirschbaum, Ten Years Research with the Trier Stress Test - Revisited. Norris, Cacioppo, I Know How You Feel: and Emotional Information Processing in Brain. Ochsner,...

Dispositional tendencies toward appetitive motivation have been hypothesized to be related the development of psychopathology. Moreover, decreased left-frontal cortical activity has reported in depression and low-trait positive affect high-trait negative affect. The present study tested hypothesis that relatively greater left- than right-frontal would heightened approach-related dispositional tendencies. Resting frontal asymmetrical activity, as measured by electroencephalographic alpha...

On the basis of terror management theory proposition that self-esteem provides protection against concerns about mortality, it was hypothesized would reduce worldview defense produced by mortality salience (MS). The results Experiments 1 and 2 confirmed this hypothesis showing individuals with high (manipulated in Experiment 1; dispositional 2) did not respond to MS increased defense, whereas moderate did. 3 suggested effects first experiments may have occurred because facilitates...

Several discrete emotions have broad theoretical and empirical importance, as shown by converging evidence from diverse areas of psychology, including facial displays, developmental behaviors, neuroscience. However, the measurement these states has not progressed along with theory, such that when researchers measure subjectively experienced emotions, they commonly rely on scales assessing dimensions affect (positivity negativity), rather than emotions. The current manuscript presents four...

Over twenty years of research have examined the cognitive consequences positive affect states, and suggested that leads to a broadening cognition (see review by Fredrickson, 2001). However, this has primarily is low in approach motivational intensity (e.g., contentment). More recently, we systematically varies intensity, found high motivation desire) narrows cognition, whereas broadens Gable & Harmon-Jones, 2008a Gable, P. A. E. 2008a. Approach-motivated reduces breadth attention....