Free will and consciousness: how might they work?
Free will and consciousness: how might they work?
During the time I was reading this book, I came across an article in my daily newspaper suggesting that people should begin to worry that free will is an illusion. According to this book, the reporter fell victim to the ill-sketched portrait of the topic drawn by some of the leaders in the debate. The collection of essays (13 of them) in this book emphasize that the discourse concerning free will is still lively and heterogeneous in content and offers... / more
On the dark and bright sides to vengeance: Cognitive, behavioral and affective consequences of aggression
keywords:
Aggression / Catharsis / Goals / Knowledge Activation
On the dark and bright sides to vengeance: Cognitive, behavioral and affective consequences of aggression
In the present article it is argued that aggression or more specifically, taking revenge has contrary to previous research findings not only negative (i.e., aggression increasing) but also positive (i.e., aggression reducing) consequences. Whereas aggressive thoughts and aggressive behavior might be reduced by taking revenge, negative feelings most likely increase. Thus, a fine-grained analysis of the consequences of revenge is warranted. / more
General action and inaction goals: Definitions & effects
keywords:
action / energization / Goals / inaction / priming
General action and inaction goals: Definitions & effects
What motivates a person to go out and do the things that they do? This is a deceptively simple question that has kept scientists and philosophers busy for thousands of years. We discuss the role of activity and inactivity in goals. / more
Family Honour and the Purity of the Family’s Essence: A Relational Models Approach
keywords:
communal relations / family / honour cultures
Family Honour and the Purity of the Family’s Essence: A Relational Models Approach
In cultures where honour is valued, chastity is one of the codes for honour. When this code is violated, the honour of the family is threatened. Relational Models Theory (Fiske, 1992) contributes to an understanding of this phenomenon. It posits that people often represent their families as sharing a common essence whose purity needs to be protected. According to the laws of sympathetic magic, contact and similarity are two conditions through which contamination of the essence... / more
The Role of Honor and Culture in Group-Based Humiliation, Anger and Shame
The Role of Honor and Culture in Group-Based Humiliation, Anger and Shame
Imagine that your national football team has to play against the team of a neighboring country. You are very excited about this event and invited your friends over to watch the game together. When the other team scores a second goal and is winning, you see that the football fans of that team are burning your national flag in the stadium. How would you feel, if that were to happen? What would you think about the... / more
Honor and Emotion
keywords:
culture / emotion / family honor / morality
Honor and Emotion
This paper discusses honor and its effects on emotion. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, the definition of honor is discussed. This section answers the questions ‘what is honor,’ and ‘are there different types of honor?’ Later, there is an overview on the ways in which honor influences emotional experiences and expressions. Throughout the paper, conclusions are reached based on honor and emotion research in Mediterranean, Northern European, North American and Middle-Eastern cultures. Imagine as... / more
Honor in the Past: The Case of Mexico
Honor in the Past: The Case of Mexico
Although at times honor is associated with bygone eras, lately it has also been very much in the news. Headlines scream when husbands, fathers, or even brothers, kill their female relatives for breaking their honor code. The logic behind these heinous acts is often related to disobedience of moral strictures such as staying out, associating with male non-relatives, wearing makeup or marrying without permission. / more
The dish on gossip: Its origins, functions, and bad reputation
keywords:
bad reputation / benefits / connectedness / evolution / gossip
The dish on gossip: Its origins, functions, and bad reputation
Gossip is ubiquitous – chances are that you have shared, heard, or been the topic of gossip today. Why do we love to talk about other people? Is gossiping part of our human nature? Are there benefits of gossip, to either the individual or to society? In this article I will review what researchers have learned about the nature of ... / more
It’s your choice! – Or is it really?
keywords:
change blindness / choice blindness / decision making / eyewitnesses
It’s your choice! – Or is it really?
For most of us it is difficult to imagine that we could decide to buy a v-neck sweater and end up with round-neck collar without even noticing the difference. If this happened in a wide variety of situations, it would mean that we are often not fully aware of the decisions we make. According to researchers studying a phenomenon called choice blindness, this is precisely the case. Numerous studies have shown that we often fail to... / more
When the thought of yourself nags you: How failure to attain cultural standards brings suicide on the fringe of consciousness
keywords:
escape / failure / self-awareness / standards / suicide-related thought accessibility
When the thought of yourself nags you: How failure to attain cultural standards brings suicide on the fringe of consciousness
On September 9, 2009, Dr. Sapandeep Sahni hanged herself after her pregnancy test came out negative for the fourth time. She had a daughter, but she and her family desired for her to have a son. It was culturally important. Otherwise, Dr. Sahni’s life could be seen as a success: she held a relatively prestigious job (a general practitioner), was planning to become an eye specialist, was popular with colleagues and patients alike, and was well off, living in a... / more