Peer-reviewed articles by Ronald Fischer
Novel approaches are needed to increase preparedness behaviours in populations with high disaster... more Novel approaches are needed to increase preparedness behaviours in populations with high disaster risk. Crucially, such approaches need to take into account the relationships that people have with place. We report a randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness of an online place attachment mental visualisation task to increase preparedness behaviours. Findings from a pilot (Study 1) using pre and post-test measures showed mixed evidence for the influence of mental visualisation on place attachment. Using a pre-registered randomised controlled trial with a two-week follow-up in a community sample (Study 2), we expected that visualising one's house or neighbourhood would result in stronger intentions to prepare, and greater implementation of preparedness behaviours at a follow-up, when compared to visualising a neutral place. Findings showed no main effect of visualisation on survival, mitigation, or community preparedness behaviours. These studies broadly indicate that our online mental place visualisation task was not sufficient to influence preparedness behaviours. We discuss implications of these findings for the advancement of place attachment theory and behaviour-change techniques.
This paper presents a bibliometric study and general overview of research on ritual. I searched t... more This paper presents a bibliometric study and general overview of research on ritual. I searched the Web of Science Core Collection on Nov 22, 2020 for studies published between 2000 and 2020 with the term "ritual*" in the title, keywords or abstract. A data corpus of 16,600 Englishlanguage publications was further analysed using publication statistics, citation metrics, co-citation networks and network analyses of keywords. Evolutionary research on religious ritual with an emphasis on signaling was identified as a central area of research with strong impact on the study of ritual overall. Distinct clusters of clinical, neuroscience, developmental and health research using rituals were also identified and these clusters showed high citation metrics. Concerning publication outlets, archaeology journals publish a large number of papers on ritual, but the impact of these publications as measured by citations weakens over time. Changes in research trends suggest a maturation and specialization of ritualistic research over the last 20 years, with greater isolation and disconnectedness of individual research themes. The list of key publications based on contemporary impact metrics and historical co-citation networks can be used to provide a common language and theoretical lens for researchers to facilitate interaction between different disciplines.
We examined the effectiveness of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (P... more We examined the effectiveness of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) of the theory of planned behavior on COVID-19 relevant behavioral intentions and behaviors. We conducted a meta-analysis of 335 effect sizes from 83 samples across 31 countries (N ¼ 68,592). We found strongest effects for PBC, but contrary to previous research also moderately strong effects of subjective norms. Focusing on systematic context effects: (a) norm-behavior associations at individual level were strengthened if population norms were stronger; (b) collectivism strengthened norm effects in line with cultural theories, but also attitude and PBC associations, suggesting that COVID-relevant behaviors show collective action properties; (c) in line with cultural theory, tightness-looseness strengthened normative effects on behaviors; and (d) contrary to postmodernization theory, national wealth weakened attitude and PBC associations. These analyses provide new theoretical and practical insights into behavioral dynamics during an acute public health crisis.
Humans are intrinsically motivated to bond with others. The ability to experience affiliative emo... more Humans are intrinsically motivated to bond with others. The ability to experience affiliative emotions (such as affection/tenderness, sexual attraction, and admiration/awe) may incentivize and promote these affiliative bonds. Here, we interrogate the role of the critical reward circuitry, especially the Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) and the septo-hypothalamic region, in the anticipation of and response to affiliative rewards using a novel incentive delay task. During Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI), participants (n = 23 healthy humans; 14 female) anticipated and watched videos involving affiliative (tenderness, erotic desire, and awe) and nonaffiliative (i.e ., food) rewards, as well as neutral scenes. On the one hand, anticipation of both affiliative and nonaffiliative rewards increased activity in the NAcc, anterior insula, and supplementary motor cortex, but activity in the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) increased in response to reward outcomes. On the other hand, affiliative rewards more specifically increased activity in the septo-hypothalamic area. Moreover, NAcc activity during anticipation correlated with positive arousal for all rewards, whereas septo-hypothalamic activity during the outcome correlated with positive arousal and motivation for subsequent re-exposure only for affiliative rewards. Together, these findings implicate a general appetitive response in the NAcc to different types of rewards but suggests a more specific response in the septo-hypothalamic region in response to affiliative rewards outcomes. This work also presents a new task for distinguishing between neural responses to affiliative and non-affiliative rewards.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had immense impact on people's lives, potentially leading individuals t... more The COVID-19 pandemic has had immense impact on people's lives, potentially leading individuals to reevaluate what they prioritize in life (i.e., their values). We report longitudinal data from Australians 3 years prior to the pandemic, at pandemic onset (April 2020, N ¼ 2,321), and in November-December 2020 (n ¼ 1,442). While all higher order values were stable prior to the pandemic, conservation values, emphasizing order and stability, became more important during the pandemic. In contrast, openness to change values, emphasizing self-direction and stimulation, showed a decrease during the pandemic, which was reversed in late 2020. Self-transcendence values, emphasizing care for close others, society, and nature, decreased by late 2020. These changes were amplified among individuals worrying about the pandemic. The results support psychological theory of values as usually stable, but also an adaptive system that responds to significant changes in environmental conditions. They also test a new mechanism for value change, worry.
Personality and Individual Differences, 2021
We examined the relationship between emotional stability as a more stable personality trait and C... more We examined the relationship between emotional stability as a more stable personality trait and COVID-related worries with basic human values in a Brazilian sample (N = 578) that is strongly affected by COVID-19. We tested whether emotional stability would moderate the effect of infection and economic worries on personal values. In line with predictions, we found that infection worries were more strongly related to Security values, especially among individuals with less emotional stability, whereas economic worries were more strongly correlated with Power values, in particular among individuals with less emotional stability. Findings for Achievement values suggested perceived behavioral control effects for individuals high in Emotional Stability. Our findings provide insights into possible longer-term psychological effects of the current pandemic. Emotional dynamics in connection with worries created by the pandemic could influence values of importance for societal functioning in the short to medium term.
We report a longitudinal study of Jeitinho brasileiro (salient cultural characteristic of Brazil)... more We report a longitudinal study of Jeitinho brasileiro (salient cultural characteristic of Brazil) during a period of significant political instability. Previous historical and anthropological sources have pointed to the importance of political instability for cultural changes in behaviors such as jeitinho. We are the first to examine possible individual-level dynamics over time, reporting a 3-year longitudinal study (N = 205) of two dimensions that differentiate keeping a socially pleasant social climate (simpatia) from trickery and breaking social norms. Using longitudinal network analysis, we found (a) reinforcing links between behavioral nodes within each of these two jeitinho clusters over time, (b) few between-cluster links, (c) withinperson and between-person components were distinct, and (d) only the between-person structure resembled the overall factor structure. Overall, our data show that cultural behaviors are systematically changing during a political crisis, offering first insights how cultural systems may change via shifts in individual behavior.
Research shows that place attachment is associated with disaster preparedness. In two studies we ... more Research shows that place attachment is associated with disaster preparedness. In two studies we examined (1) participants' place attachment at different spatial scales, (2) participants' preparedness (intentions and behaviors), and (3) place attachment as a mediator of previously identified demographic predictors of preparedness. Our findings show that place attachment is associated with both preparedness intentions and behavior. When controlling for socio-demographic predictors, participants who reported stronger house and neighborhood attachment also reported stronger intentions to prepare (Study 1). In Study 2, house attachment was associated with mitigative preparedness behavior, whereas neighborhood attachment was associated with community preparedness behavior. House and neighborhood attachment mediated the relationship between home ownership, length of residence, and preparedness. These findings suggest that place attachment varies by spatial scale which matters for different types of disaster preparedness. House and neighborhood attachment
What variables are associated with cross-cultural differences in values at the individual level? ... more What variables are associated with cross-cultural differences in values at the individual level? In this study, the statistical effect of variables associated with ecological demands and available economic and cognitive resources on self-reported values are investigated in two independent samples to test the replicability of effects. Values are operationalized using a 10-item version inspired by Schwartz' value theory. The effects of national wealth, climatic demands, availability of cool water, and parasite stress at the national level are used to predict value scores of individuals within nations using nationally representative data from all inhabited continents (k = 49 and k = 58; Ns = 64,491 and 81,991). Using mixed-effect models, new insights into individual-and nation-level dynamics in value scores are provided. First, the paper extends previous cultural theories to the individual level by investigating the effects of education and personal income as individual-level resources. Both personal income and education have strong direct effects on value scores. Second, higher education acts as a cognitive resource which turns climatic demands into challenges, effectively unpackaging nation-level
This open access article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeriva... more This open access article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND).
PLOS One, 2019
Prejudiced attitudes and political nationalism vary widely around the world, but there has been l... more Prejudiced attitudes and political nationalism vary widely around the world, but there has been little research on what predicts this variation. Here we examine the ecological and cultural factors underlying the worldwide distribution of prejudice. We suggest that cultures grow more prejudiced when they tighten cultural norms in response to destabilizing ecological threats. A set of seven archival analyses, surveys, and experiments (∑N = 3,986,402) find that nations, American states, and pre-industrial societies with tighter cultural norms show the most prejudice based on skin color, religion, nationality, and sexuality, and that tightness predicts why prejudice is often highest in areas of the world with histories of ecological threat. People's support for cultural tightness also mediates the link between perceived ecological threat and intentions to vote for nationalist politicians. Results replicate when controlling for economic development, inequality, conservatism, residential mobility, and shared cultural heritage. These findings offer a cultural evolutionary perspective on prejudice , with implications for immigration, intercultural conflict, and radicalization.
The current study aimed to replicate the development of the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire ... more The current study aimed to replicate the development of the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) in a sample of 399 undergraduate students. We factor analyzed the Mindful Attention and Awareness Questionnaire (MAAS), the Freiburg Mindfulness Scale, the Southampton Mindfulness Questionnaire (SMQ), the Cognitive Affective Mindfulness Scale Revised (CAMS-R), and the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS), but also extended the analysis by including a conceptually related measure, the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS), and a conceptually unrelated measure, the Langer Mindfulness Scale (LMS). Overall, we found a partial replication of the five-factor structure, with the exception of non-reacting and non-judging which formed a single factor. The PHLMS items loaded as expected with theoretically related factors, whereas the LMS items emerged as separate factor. Finally, we found a new factor that was mostly defined by negatively worded items indicating possible item wording artifacts within the FFMQ. Our conceptual validation study indicates that some facets of the FFMQ can be recovered, but item wording factors may threaten the stability of these facets. Additionally, measures such as the LMS appear to measure not only theoretically, but also empirically different constructs.
Mindfulness, 2020
Objectives The goal of the current study was to investigate the universality of the five-factor m... more Objectives The goal of the current study was to investigate the universality of the five-factor model of mindfulness and the measurement equivalence of the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Methods The study used FFMQ data from published and unpublished research conducted in 16 countries (total N = 8541). Using CFA, different models, proposed in the literature, were fitted. To test the cross-cultural equivalence of the best fitting model, a multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was used. Further, the equivalence of individual facets of the FFMQ and potential sources of non-equivalence was explored. Results The best fitting models in most samples were a five-facet model with a higher-order mindfulness factor and uncorrelated positive and negative item-wording factors and a five-facet model with a correlated facets and uncorrelated positive and negative item-wording factors. These models showed structural equivalence, but did not show metric equivalence (equivalent factor loadings) across cultures. Given this lack of equivalent factor loadings, not even correlations or mean patterns can be compared across cultures. A similar pattern was observed when testing the equivalence of the individual facets; all individual facets failed even tests of metric equivalence. A sample size weighted exploratory factor analysis across cultures indicated that a six-factor solution might provide the best fit across cultures with acting with awareness split into two factors. Finally, both the five-and six-factor solution showed substantially better fit in more individualistic and less tight cultures. Conclusions Overall, the FFMQ has conceptual and measurement problems in a cross-cultural context, raising questions about the validity of the current conceptualization of mindfulness across cultures. The results showed that the fit of the FFMQ was substantially better in individualistic cultures that indicate that further data from non-Western cultures is needed to develop a universal conceptualization and measurement of mindfulness.
We present a new method for personality assessment at a distance to uncover personality structure... more We present a new method for personality assessment at a distance to uncover personality structure in historical texts. We focus on how two 19th century authors understood and described human personality; we apply a new bottom-up computational approach to extract personality dimensions used by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to describe fictional characters in 21 novels. We matched personality descriptions using three person-description dictionaries marker scales as reference points for interpretation. Factor structures did not show strong convergence with the contemporary Big Five model. Jane Austen described characters in terms of social and emotional richness with greater nuances but using a less extensive vocabulary. Charles Dickens, in contrast, used a rich and diverse personality vocabulary, but those descriptions centred around more restricted dimensions of power and dominance. Although we could identify conceptually similar factors across the two authors, analyses of the overlapping vocabulary between the two authors suggested only moderate convergence. We discuss the utility and potential of automated text analysis and the lexical hypothesis to (i) provide insights into implicit personality models in historical texts and (ii) bridge the divide between idiographic and nomothetic perspectives. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology
Personality and Individual Differences, 2020
Individual differences in behavioral dispositions, values and motivation systems have been invest... more Individual differences in behavioral dispositions, values and motivation systems have been investigated in relative isolation from each other. We investigated the network structure of indicators derived from Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, Five-Factor Model and Basic individual values in a large sample of young adults (N = 749). The network showed evidence of a small world structure indicating a small number of densely connected networks is sufficient to describe human personality. We identified a number of nodes (indicators) that were central within the network. An Exploratory Graph Analysis suggested ten distinct network clusters, which varied in terms of behavioral approach versus inhibition; exploration vs constraint and self/ego vs social orientation, demonstrating the complexity of individual differences from a motivational-situational perspective. A more complex dimensional exploration of personality networks allows for a more nuanced understanding of how personality systems can be motivated within specific environments and towards different internal or external targets.
Frontiers in Psychology, 2019
Psychology has become less WEIRD in recent years, marking progress toward becoming a truly global... more Psychology has become less WEIRD in recent years, marking progress toward becoming a truly global psychology. However, this increase in cultural diversity is not matched by greater attention to cultural biases in research. A significant challenge in culture-comparative research in psychology is that any comparisons are open to possible item bias and non-invariance. Unfortunately, many psychologists are not aware of problems and their implications, and do not know how to best test for invariance in their data. We provide a general introduction to invariance testing and a tutorial of three major classes of techniques that can be easily implemented in the free software and statistical language R. Specifically, we describe (1) confirmatory and multi-group confirmatory factor analysis, with extension to exploratory structural equation modeling, and multi-group alignment; (2) iterative hybrid logistic regression as well as (3) exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis with Procrustes rotation. We pay specific attention to effect size measures of item biases and differential item function. Code in R is provided in the main text and online (see https://osf.io/agr5e/), and more extended code and a general introduction to R are available in the Supplementary Materials.
RELIGION, BRAIN & BEHAVIOR, 2019
Rituals are thought to bind individuals together. Rituals that are perceived high in pain and beh... more Rituals are thought to bind individuals together. Rituals that are perceived high in pain and behavioral synchrony increase social bonding, but the relative contribution of perceived pain vs. synchrony is unexplored. In addition, gender differences are rarely investigated in experimental studies of ritual, despite known gender differences in ritual participation, emotional processing, social bonding and pain processing. The current study uses data from 137 participants in a naturally occurring high ordeal ritual lasting 10 days. Because all individuals participated in multiple rituals varying in perceived pain and synchrony, it was possible to separate the unique and joint effects in a natural context. We found strong bonding effects for rituals perceived as painful, but not for synchrony. Rituals rated as higher in level of pain (involving cuts, piercings and burns) were associated with greater self-reported social bonding. Gender moderated these effects: Women reported stronger bonding after participating in non-synchronous rituals perceived higher in pain, whereas men reported greater bonding after synchronous activities with more perceived pain. These findings suggest that pain-related processes are a more potent social bonding mechanism than synchrony in naturally occurring high ordeal rituals, but that perceived pain may have different signaling functions depending on the gender of performers. ARTICLE HISTORY Collective rituals pose interesting questions from an evolutionary perspective, especially those rituals in which individuals voluntarily inflict pain, suffer injuries, or undergo extended periods of chanting or praying. These activities involve costs for participants that may seem to not have any immediate benefits, especially when considering the risks of injuries or involving costly taboos such as foregoing food, drink or sleep for extended periods of time. Recently, a number of studies have demonstrated that both discomfort or behavioral synchrony as specific features of collective ritual increase proso-ciality and social bonding (e.g., Xygalatas et al., 2013). Anthropolo-gical records indicate that many collective rituals involve both discomfort 1 (including states that outsiders would consider as painful) and synchrony 2 elements, with participants often singing, chanting and dancing while performing high ordeal activities (e.g., Turner, 1969; Whitehouse, 2004; Xygalatas, 2012a). Previous research has studied these effects in isolation, but most rituals vary along both dimensions. We address to what extent physical discomfort/high physical ordeal and
PlosOne
Culture-specific behaviour strategies provide an interesting window into individual differences r... more Culture-specific behaviour strategies provide an interesting window into individual differences research, producing a richer conceptualization of personality descriptions. Our aim is to describe the personality dimensions linked to a core socio-cultural behaviour pattern in Brazil: jeitinho. To reach this goal we conducted four studies. Our first set of studies (1a, 1b and 1c) examined the underlying structure of jeitinho as an individual difference variable and its nomological network with social values, the Big-Five, moral attitudes, and social dominance orientation. In Study 2, we confirm this structure and relate personal jeitinho to perceptions of jeitinho norms. Results demonstrated that personal jeitinho has two dimensions: Jeitinho Simpá tico is an individual's tendency to seek positive social interactions, avoid conflict , and find creative solutions; and Jeitinho Malandro captures behaviours such as the use of deception and trickery. These two behaviours are rooted in the same dimensions of the integrated model of values and personality.
Frontiers in Psychology
We aimed to examine the link between two types of joint action (synchrony and asynchrony) and cre... more We aimed to examine the link between two types of joint action (synchrony and asynchrony) and creativity (both divergent thinking and convergent thinking) using an established experimental paradigm. A secondary aim was to replicate and extend the amplified positive effects of shared intentionality (i.e., having a shared common goal) on social and affective responses. Participants (N = 138) were randomly assigned to move in synchrony, move in asynchrony, or passively observe others moving. To induce shared goals, participants were provided with either a shared group goal of working together or an individual goal of focusing on the individual participant's own movements. First, our results revealed that joint action in combination with group goal conditions decreases convergent thinking, but we found no support for differences in divergent thinking. This indicates that it may be the underlying shared goals combined with joint action that influences convergent thinking, and not synchronized movements. Second, we replicated synchrony's positive effect on cohesion and positive affect. These findings are consistent with evolutionary theories of group rituals as a means for inducing solidarity, and extend previous findings by showing that joint action with shared goals may potentially induce shared patterns of thought.
Journal for the Cognitive Science of Religion, 2018
The study of religion has experienced a much needed renaissance and diversification of approaches... more The study of religion has experienced a much needed renaissance and diversification of approaches. As emphasized by Turner, it is important that sociologists contribute to an endeavour that has been dominated by evolutionary biologists and psychologists in the last couple of years. Given the complexity of the phenomenon , we need more genuine dialogue and interdisciplinary engagement in order to develop integrative theories that allow both new predictions that can be empirically tested and/or better explanations of religion as a human universal that fill previously identified gaps. The current article takes an important step in this direction, yet it falls short by not delivering on what it promises. In the following, I am outlining how this project could be moved forward. Four different forms of selection are discussed across the article. In the first section , Darwin's form of natural selection is discussed. Much emphasis is placed on exaptations (using the now largely abandoned label of preadaptations), in particular in the domain of emotions, language and Theory of Mind. It is disappointing that much of the recent discussions within comparative and evolutionary biology that have discussed potential selection pressures for such traits in various animal species are missing (see for example Fitch et al. 2010). If we focus on exaptations, what were the initial selection pressures that led to the emergence of these traits that were then recruited for different purposes? There are interesting discussions on convergent evolution across various biological species that are starting to shed some new light on traits that were thought be uniquely human.
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Peer-reviewed articles by Ronald Fischer