Niels Van Quaquebeke

Jumping to Conclusions Is Associated with Paranoia but Not General Suspiciousness: A Comparison of Two Versions of the Probabilistic Reasoning Paradigm

Theoretical models ascribe jumping to conclusions (JTCs) a prominent role in the pathogenesis of paranoia. While many earlier studies corroborated this account, some newer investigations have found no or only small associations of the JTC bias with paranoid symptoms. The present study examined whether these inconsistencies in part reflect methodological differences across studies. The study was built upon the psychometric high-risk paradigm. A total of 1899 subjects from the general population took part in an online survey and were administered the Paranoia Checklist as well as one of two different variants of the probabilistic reasoning task: one variant with a traditional instruction (a) and one novel variant that combines probability estimates with decision judgments (b). Factor analysis of the Paranoia Checklist yielded an unspecific suspiciousness factor and a psychotic paranoia factor. The latter was significantly associated with scores indicating hasty decision making. Subjects scoring two standard deviations above the mean of the Paranoia Checklist showed an abnormal data-gathering style relative to subjects with normal scores. Findings suggest that the so-called decision threshold parameter is more sensitive than the conventional JTC index. For future research the specific contents of paranoid beliefs deserve more consideration in the investigation of decision making in schizophrenia as JTC seems to be associated with core psychosis-prone features of paranoia only.

The Power of Pictures: Vertical Picture Angles in Power Pictures

Conventional wisdom suggests that variations in vertical picture angle cause the subject to appear more powerful when depicted from below and less powerful when depicted from above. However, do the media actually use such associations to represent individual differences in power? We argue that the diverse perspectives of evolutionary, social learning, and embodiment theories all suggest that the association between verticality and power is relatively automatic and should, therefore, be visible in the portrayal of powerful and powerless individuals in the media. Four archival studies (with six samples) provide empirical evidence for this hypothesis and indicate that a salience power context reinforces this effect. In addition, two experimental studies confirm these effects for individuals producing media content. We discuss potential implications of this effect.

Entwicklung und erste Validierung zweier Instrumente zur Erfassung von Führungskräfte-Kategorisie- rung im deutschsprachigen Raum

Zusammenfassung. Der kognitionspsychologisch geprgte Ansatz der Fhrungskraft-Kategorisierung geht davon aus, dass Mitarbei- ter umso positiver auf ihre Fhrungskrfte reagieren, je strker diese ihren impliziten Vorstellungenber Fhrung (Fhrungsprototy- pen) entsprechen - also eine hohe Passung mit diesen aufweisen. Da Fhrungsprototypen stark kulturgeprgt sind, erscheinen die vor- handenen, vorwiegend aus dem englischsprachigen Raum stammenden Instrumente fr Forschung im deutschsprachigen Raum jedoch wenig geeignet. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden deshalb zwei neu entwickelte Mase vorgestellt. Zum einen wurde der deutsche GLO- BE-Datensatz in Hinblick auf zentrale Fhrungsattribute in Deutschland reanalysiert, um eine Erhebung der Passung mit einem sozial geteilten Fhrungsprototyp mcglich zu machen. Zum anderen wurde ein piktorales Mas zur Erhebung der Passung mit einem idiosyn- kratischen Fhrungsprototyp entwickelt. Whrend der Vorteil des ersten Instruments die inhaltliche Auswertbarkeit des Passungspro- fils ist, liegt der Vorteil des piktoralen Instrumentes in seiner hohen Effizienz und Kulturunabhngigkeit. Auch wenn eine erste Unter- suchung in einem Unternehmen (N = 104) die konvergente und Kriteriumsvaliditt beider Instrumente besttigt, so schrnkt das Studien- design (Querschnitt mit Common Source Data) eine Einschtzung der psychometrischen Qualitt beider Instrumente ein. Notwendig erscheinende Folgestudien werden daher abschliesend beschrieben. Schlsselwcrter: Fhrung, Leader Categorization Theory, Implicit Leadership Theories, Implizite Fhrungstheorien, ILT, Kategorisie- rung Development and first validation of two scales to measure leader categorization in German-speaking countries Abstract. The cognitive psychological approach of leader categorization suggests that subordinates respond more positively to leaders when these fit their implicit expectations about leaders (i.e., their leader prototype). However, because cultural factors greatly affect leader prototypes, the mostly Anglo-American instruments are not suitable for research in German-speaking countries. We therefore present two newly developed instruments. To assess a leaders fit with a socially shared leader prototype in Germany, we reanalyzed the original German GLOBE data with respect to core German leadership attributes. To assess a leaders fit with peoples idiosyncratic leader prototypes, we developed a pictorial one-item measure. While the advantage of the first instrument lies in the interpretability of the fit profile, the advantage of the pictorial instrument is its efficient and culture-free measurement. In an organizational study (N = 104), convergent and criterion validity of both instruments were confirmed; however, the interpretability of the psychometric properties is limited due to the study design (cross-sectional with common source data). Necessary follow-up studies are thus outlined

Can We Trust the Internet to Measure Psychotic Symptoms

Online studies are increasingly utilized in applied research. However, lack of external diagnostic verification in many of these investigations is seen as a threat to the reliability of the data. The present study examined the robustness of internet studies on psychosis against simulation. We compared the psychometric properties of the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences scale (CAPE), a self-report instrument measuring psychotic symptoms, across three independent samples: (1) participants with a confirmed diagnosis of schizophrenia, (2) participants with self-reported schizophrenia who were recruited over the internet, and (3) clinical experts on schizophrenia as well as students who were asked to simulate a person with schizophrenia when completing the CAPE. The CAPE was complemented by a newly developed 4-item psychosis lie scale. Results demonstrate that experts asked to simulate schizophrenia symptoms could be distinguished from real patients: simulators overreported positive symptoms and showed elevated scores on the psychosis lie scale. The present study suggests that simulated answers in online studies on psychosis can be distinguished from authentic responses. Researchers conducting clinical online studies are advised to adopt a number of methodological precautions and to compare the psychometric properties of online studies to established clinical indices to assert the validity of their results.

Are you sure? Delusion conviction moderates the behavioural and emotional consequences of paranoid ideas

Introduction Paranoid beliefs strongly impact behaviour and emotion: Most people with paranoid delusions engage in safety behaviours and a relevant minority even commits violent acts under the influence of delusional thoughts. The present study examined whether different levels of belief conviction modulate subsequent behaviour and emotion. To be able to control for important confounds, we set up an analogue study using nonclinical participants. Methods Participants were recruited from the general population (N=1935) and asked to fill out the Paranoia Checklist. Individuals had to imagine being persecuted by a secret service, whereby the level of subjective conviction was set at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. Subsequently, participants had to estimate for 37 behavioural and emotional items how they might respond to this threat. Results Three quarters of the sample affirmed the presence of at least one paranoid idea from the Paranoia Checklist over the duration of a month. The level of belief conviction and paranoia was positively associated with behavioural and emotional consequences. Conclusions Our investigation suggests that a higher degree of belief conviction aggravates the behavioural consequences of persecutory beliefs in a linear fashion. The study is limited by its “what if” character and should be replicated with clinical participants. The study suggests that treatment approaches that aim to reduce overconviction may positively impact behaviour in psychosis.

Individual differences in the leader categorization to openness to influence relationship: The role of followers' self-perception and social comparison orientation

Contemporary so called follower-centric leadership theories often argue that “good leadership is in the eye of the beholder”. Leader categorization theory, for instance, suggests that subordinates use their cognitive representation of an ideal leader (ideal leader prototype) as an implicit “benchmark” to determine their openness towards the target’s leadership, i.e., influence. With the present study, we extend this rationale by hypothesizing that such benchmarking processes are subject to follower individual differences. In particular, we argue that the process of leader categorization plays a bigger role for subordinates who perceive themselves as ideal (potential) leaders. Moreover, this two-way moderation is proposed to be further qualified by subordinates’ disposition to engage in social comparison orientation. Results of two field samples with employees (N = 140; N = 287) confirm our hypotheses. In integrating the leader categorization perspective with an individual difference perspective, we not only expand the scope of follower-centric theorizing on social influence, but also support its validity.

Knowledge corruption for visual perception in individuals high on paranoia.

Studies revealed that patients with paranoid schizophrenia display overconfidence in errors for memory and social cognition tasks. The present investigation examined whether this pattern holds true for visual perception tasks. Nonclinical participants were recruited via an online panel. Individuals were asked to complete a questionnaire that included the Paranoia Checklist and were then presented with 24 blurry pictures; half contained a hidden object while the other half showed snowy (visual) noise. Participants were asked to state whether the visual items contained an object and how confident they were in their judgment. Data from 1966 individuals were included following a conservative selection process. Participants high on core paranoid symptoms showed a poor calibration of confidence for correct versus incorrect responses. In particular, participants high on paranoia displayed overconfidence in incorrect responses and demonstrated a 20% error rate for responses made with high confidence compared to a 12% error rate in participants with low paranoia scores. Interestingly, paranoia scores declined after performance of the task. For the first time, overconfidence in errors was demonstrated among individuals with high levels of paranoia using a visual perception task, tentatively suggesting it is a ubiquitous phenomenon. In view of the significant decline in paranoia across time, bias modification programs may incorporate items such as the one employed here to teach patients with clinical paranoia the fallibility of human cognition, which may foster subsequent symptom improvement.

Why follow? The interplay of leader categorization, identification, and feeling respected

Guided by both social cognitive and identity-based perspectives of leadership, the present study investigated how and when the process of leader categorization results in greater leader effectiveness. Specifically, we propose that the relationship between leader categorization and subordinates’ openness toward leadership should be partially mediated by subordinates’ identification with their leaders. Furthermore, seeking to corroborate that the issue of self-esteem is the central ingredient in the identification process, we argue that the mediation should become weaker the more subordinates feel that they are being treated disrespectfully by their leaders, and thus are explicitly undermined in their efforts toward self-enhancement. The proposed mediating effect was tested and supported in two field studies (N1 = 244, N2 = 645). In the second study, we also tested and found support for the proposed moderated mediation model. The theoretical and managerial consequences are discussed.

Willing and Able: Action-State Orientation and the Relation Between Procedural Justice and Employee Cooperation

Existing justice theory explains why fair procedures motivate employees to adopt cooperative goals, but it fails to explain how employees strive toward these goals. We study self-regulatory abilities that underlie goal striving, abilities that should thus affect employees’ display of cooperative behavior in response to procedural justice. Building on action control theory, we argue that employees who display effective self-regulatory strategies (action-oriented employees) display relatively strong cooperative behavioral responses to fair procedures. A multisource field study and a laboratory experiment support this prediction. A subsequent experiment addresses the process underlying this effect by explicitly showing that action orientation facilitates attainment of the cooperative goals that people adopt in response to fair procedures, thus facilitating the display of actual cooperative behavior. This goal striving approach better integrates research on the relationship between procedural justice and employee cooperation in the self-regulation and the work motivation literature. It also offers organizations a new perspective on making procedural justice effective in stimulating employee cooperation by suggesting factors that help employees reach their adopted goals.

„Ich folge Dir, wenn Du in meinen Augen eine gute Führungskraft bist, denn dann kann ich mich auch mit Dir identifizieren.“

Untergebene erfolgreich zu beeinflussen, ist eine der zentralen Funktionen von Fuhrung. Daher ist es fur die Fuhrungsforschung wie auch fur Praktizierende in Organisationen interessant zu verstehen, wann Untergebene ihre Fuhrungskrafte respektieren in dem Sinne, dass sie sich freiwillig und gerne gegenuber deren Einfluss offnen. Die Forschung zu Fuhrungskraftkategorisierung zeigt, dass die Einflussoffenheit von Untergebenen umso groser ist, je starker Fuhrungskrafte in der Wahrnehmung der Untergebenen deren idealen Fuhrungsprototypen entsprechen. Dieser Befund wird in der vorliegenden Arbeit mit identitatstheoretischen Konzepten der Fuhrungsforschung in Verbindung gebracht, die davon ausgehen, dass Identifikationsprozessen eine wichtige Rolle bei der Vermittlung von Einflussoffenheit zukommt. In zwei Feldstudien (N1 = 496 und N2 = 700) konnen wir zeigen, dass der Zusammenhang von Fuhrungskraftkategorisierung und der Offenheit von Untergebenen fur Fuhrungseinfluss partiell durch die Identifikation der Unte...