Understanding flirtation in negotiation, 'shooter bias,' love during marriage, and more

Does flirtation help or hurt a woman negotiating? According to new research, it helps – creating better economic outcomes for the female negotiators, if the flirtatiousness is perceived as above and beyond friendliness. The study examined "feminine charm" in negotiations through four different experiments, looking at the balance between friendliness and flirtatiousness. Flirtation as opposed to friendliness, the research found, signals self-interest and competitiveness. "Feminine Charm: An Experimental Analysis of its Costs and Benefits in Negotiations," Laura Kray (kray[at]haas.berkeley.edu), Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, online July 19, 2012 – forthcoming, October 2012.

Across two new studies, researchers have found that individuals concerned with the future consequences of their actions are more likely to exercise and adopt healthier eating habits. The researchers created a new model to help predict people's health-related behaviors based on how they view immediate and long-term consequences. "Promotion Orientation Explains Why Future Oriented People Exercise and Eat Healthy: Evidence from the Two-Factor Consideration of Future Consequences-14 Scale," Jeff Joireman (joireman[at]wsu.edu) et al., Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, forthcoming online July 2012 – in print, October 2012.

People usually blame cultural stereotypes of Black men for why White police officers mistakenly shoot unarmed Black suspects more often than White ones on computerized simulations. New research, however, reveals another important factor: how individuals view threats from outside groups, independent of culture or race. Across two studies, participants with strong beliefs about interpersonal threats were more likely to mistakenly shoot members of outside groups versus members of their own groups. "The Basis of Shooter Biases: Beyond Cultural Stereotypes," Saul Miller (saul.miller[at]uky.edu) et al., Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, online June 18, 2012 – forthcoming, October 2012.

Husbands and wives express love differently in their relationships, according to a new study. Looking at data collected at four time points over 13 years of marriage, researchers found that while both genders were equally likely to show love through affection, wives expressed love by being less antagonistic while husbands showed love by initiating sex or sharing activities together. "Do Men and Women Show Love Differently in Marriage?" Elizabeth A. Schoenfeld (eschoenfeld[at]utexas.edu) et al., Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, online June 18, 2012 – forthcoming, November 2012.

Absent a persuasive threatening message, self-affirmation validates a person's initial stance toward climate change, according to new research. The researchers found that exercises to affirm self-image polarized people's beliefs about environmental policies. "Promoting or Jeopardizing Lighter Carbon Footprints? Self-Affirmation Can Polarize Environmental Orientations," Anne-Marie van Prooijen (a.van-prooijen[at]sussex.ac.uk), Social Psychological and Personality Science, online June 27, 2012 – forthcoming in print.

Creating big differences in pay among professional athletes spurs greater team cooperation, according to a recent study. Past research has suggested that creating a hierarchy based on pay hurts commitment, cooperation and performance, but the new research, based on data from the NBA, contradicts those findings. It finds that hierarchy can help teams achieve their shared goals, especially in sports like basketball that require close teamwork. "When Hierarchy Wins: Evidence From the National Basketball Association," Nir Halevy (halevy_nir[at]gsb.stanford.edu) et al., Social Psychological and Personality Science, July 2012.

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