Browsing by Author "Fazio, Russell H."

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    Does the future look bright? Processing style determines the impact of valence weighting biases and self-beliefs on expectations
    (APA, 2019-02) Niese, Zachary Adolph; Libby, Lisa K.; Fazio, Russell H.; Eibach, Richard P.; Pietri, Evava S.; Psychology, School of Science
    People regularly form expectations about their future, and whether those expectations are positive or negative can have important consequences. So, what determines the valence of people’s expectations? Research seeking to answer this question by using an individual-differences approach has established that trait biases in optimistic/pessimistic self-beliefs and, more recently, trait biases in behavioral tendencies to weight one’s past positive versus negative experiences more heavily each predict the valence of people’s typical expectations. However, these two biases do not correlate, suggesting limits on a purely individual-differences approach to predicting people’s expectations. We hypothesize that, because these two biases appear to operate via distinct processes (with self-beliefs operating top-down and valence weighting bias operating bottom-up), to predict a person’s expectations on a given occasion, it is also critical to consider situational factors influencing processing style. To test this hypothesis, we investigated how an integral part of future thinking that influences processing style—mental imagery—determines each bias’s influence. Two experiments measured valence weighting biases and optimistic/pessimistic self-beliefs, then manipulated whether participants formed expectations using their own first-person visual perspective (which facilitates bottom-up processes) or an external third-person visual perspective (which facilitates top-down processes). Expectations corresponded more with valence weighting biases from the first-person (vs. third-person) but more with self-beliefs from the third-person (vs. first-person). Two additional experiments manipulated valence weighting bias, demonstrating its causal role in shaping expectations (and behaviors) with first-person, but not third-person, imagery. These results suggest the two biases operate via distinct processes, holding implications for interventions to increase optimism.
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    Recalibrating valence weighting biases to promote changes in rejection sensitivity and risk-taking
    (Elsevier, 2018) Pietri, Evava S.; Fazio, Russell H.; Psychology, School of Science
    Past research has found that modifying individuals' valence weighting tendencies by recalibrating them to weight positive and negative valence in a more balanced manner influenced a variety of judgments. The current research examines the utility of the recalibration procedure as a targeted intervention. In Experiment 1, we recruited participants high in rejection sensitivity (who are known to exhibit a negative weighting bias) and in Experiment 2, we recruited participants with high risk tendencies (who are known to exhibit a positive weighting bias). In both experiments, participants first played BeanFest, in which they were presented with beans varying in shape and speckles and learned which increased or decreased points. They later classified the game beans, as well as novel ones varying in their resemblance to the known positives or known negatives, as good or bad. In the recalibration condition, participants were told if they classified each bean correctly, thus receiving feedback regarding the appropriate weighting of resemblance to a known positive versus a negative. The controls, who received no feedback, were less accurate at classifying the novel the beans than the recalibration participants. Furthermore, in Experiment 1, the recalibration condition subsequently exhibited lower sensitivity to rejection than the control condition, with this reduction being stronger for individuals initially higher in rejection sensitivity. This effect was still present a week later. In Experiment 2, the recalibration condition reported diminished risk-tendencies, again with this effect being stronger for individuals with initially higher riskiness, and persisting for a week. Even more importantly, recalibration participants also engaged in less risky behavior on a laboratory task.
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    Recalibrating Valence Weighting Tendencies as a Means of Reducing Anticipated Discomfort with an Interracial Interaction
    (Sage, 2018-06) Pietri, Evava S.; Dovidio, John F.; Fazio, Russell H.; Psychology, School of Science
    We utilized a general intervention that affects (through “recalibration”) the way people generalize negative associations when evaluating objects to promote less negative expectations about an interaction with a Black Internet “chat” partner. During this intervention, participants played a game to learn which “beans” varying in shape and speckles increased or decreased their points. Participants later classified game beans and new beans as good or bad. Recalibration condition participants were told whether they classified beans correctly, thus receiving feedback regarding the appropriate weighting of resemblance to a known positive versus negative object. Control participants, who received no feedback, were more likely to classify new beans as negative than recalibration participants. Compared to control, the recalibration condition also anticipated feeling less intergroup anxiety during a chat with a Black partner (Experiments 1 and 2) and this effect was strongest among participants who reported fewer close interactions with Black people (Experiment 2).
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    The weighting of positive vs. negative valence and its impact on the formation of social relationships
    (Elsevier, 2017-11) Rocklage, Matthew D.; Pietri, Evava S.; Fazio, Russell H.; Psychology, School of Science
    Forming social relationships is an integral aspect of our lives and a topic fundamental to social psychology. Using a performance-based measure of individual differences in valence weighting, we demonstrate that the extent to which first-year college students weight positive versus negative valence when engaged in attitude generalization predicts how many peer relationships they develop during the subsequent two months (Study 1). Furthermore, we show that individuals strategically recruited for their high sensitivity to interpersonal rejection benefit from an intervention that recalibrates their valence-weighting tendencies from an overweighting of negative valence to a more balanced weighting of positive and negative valence (Study 2). Recalibration led to extended decreases in participants' rejection sensitivity and, most importantly, led them to develop more social relationships over a subsequent two-week period. These findings demonstrate that the weighting of positive versus negative valence is a fundamental process that influences complex social outcomes and that such valence weighting tendencies can be recalibrated so as to benefit individuals.