Papers by David A Reinhard
Biological Psychology, 2021
Reminders of ingroup-perpetrated violence represent a psychological stressor that some people res... more Reminders of ingroup-perpetrated violence represent a psychological stressor that some people respond to defensively (e.g., justifying the violence), while others react non-defensively (e.g., accepting collective responsibility). To explain these divergent responses, we applied the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat to the context of intergroup conflict. Participants (N=130) read about either an ingroup (American) or outgroup (Australian) soldier torturing an Iranian captive. We recorded cardiovascular responses while participants video-recorded introductions to an Iranian confederate who they believed they would meet. In the ingroup (but not the outgroup) condition, cardiovascular responses of challenge (relative to threat) were associated with less psychological defensiveness of ingroup-perpetrated violence and greater support for diplomacy towards its victims. Self-reported challenge/threat appraisals demonstrated no such relationships. These findings suggest that motivational states of challenge and threat can differentiate defensive and non-defensive responses, and that these motivational states may be better captured with physiological rather than self-report measures.
Much has been written about how emotion colors what we think, but the reverse is equally true. Wh... more Much has been written about how emotion colors what we think, but the reverse is equally true. What we think about also affects emotion. Thus, thinking about missed opportunities makes us feel regret, thinking about misfortunes makes us feel sad, and thinking about new opportunities makes us feel excited. In this article, however, we emphasize not the content of emotion, but its intensity. For example, research finds that when asked to do so, individuals can change the intensity of their feelings in response to emotional images they view (e.g., Stefanucci & Storbeck, 2009) and even the intensity of their underlying reactions as measured by amygdala activity .
Seven studies converge to show that prompting people to think about a rival versus a nonrival co... more Seven studies converge to show that prompting people to think about a rival versus a nonrival competitor causes them to view current competitions as more connected to past ones, to be more concerned with long-term legacy, and to pursue personal goals in a more eager, less cautious manner. These results are consistent with a social–cognitive view of rivalry that defines it as a competitive relational schema. A preliminary analysis revealed that people were more likely to appeal to past competitions to explain the importance of current rivalry than nonrivalry contests. Experiment 1 showed that people view rivalry versus nonrivalry competitions as more embedded in an ongoing competitive narrative and that this perception increases legacy concerns. The next 2 experiments used a causal chain approach to examine the possibility of legacy concerns acting as a mediator between rivalry and eagerness. Experiment 2a demonstrated that longer (vs. shorter) competitive histories are associated with increased legacy con- cerns. Experiment 2b manipulated legacy concerns and found that this shifted regulatory focus toward eagerness. Finally, 3 experiments tested the direct effect of thinking about a rival on eager strategy selection: Thinking about rivals (vs. nonrivals) led people to be more interested in offensive than defensive strategies (Experiment 3), to initiate rather than delay their goal pursuit (Experiment 4), and to rely on spontaneous rather than deliberative reasoning (Experiment 5). We suggest that rivalries affect how people view their goals and the strategies they use for pursuing them, and that these effects are at least partially attributable to the shared history between individuals and their rivals.
Wilson, T.D., Reinhard, D.A., Westgate, E.C., Gilbert, D.T., Ellerbeck, N., Hahn, C., Brown, C.L., & Shaked, A. (2014). Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind. Science, 345, 75-77. Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind, Jul 4, 2014
In 11 studies, we found that participants typically did not enjoy spending 6 to 15 minutes in a r... more In 11 studies, we found that participants typically did not enjoy spending 6 to 15 minutes in a room by themselves with nothing to do but think, that they enjoyed doing mundane external activities much more, and that many preferred to administer electric shocks to themselves instead of being left alone with their thoughts. Most people seem to prefer to be doing something rather than nothing, even if that something is negative.
Participants evaluated a book as more important when it weighed heavily in their hands (due to a ... more Participants evaluated a book as more important when it weighed heavily in their hands (due to a concealed weight), but only when they had substantive knowledge about the book. Those who had read a synopsis (Study 1), had read the book (Study 2) and knew details about its plot (Study 3) were influenced by its weight, whereas those unfamiliar with the book were not. This contradicts the widely shared assumption that metaphorically related perceptual inputs serve as heuristic cues that people primarily use in the absence of more diagnostic information. Instead, perceptual inputs may increase the accessibility of metaphorically congruent knowledge or may suggest an initial hypothesis that is only endorsed when supporting information is accessible.
Background: Narcissism is characterized by grandiosity, low empathy, and entitlement. There has b... more Background: Narcissism is characterized by grandiosity, low empathy, and entitlement. There has been limited research regarding the hormonal correlates of narcissism, despite the potential health implications. This study examined the role of participant narcissism and sex on basal cortisol concentrations in an undergraduate population.
Methods and Findings: Participants were 106 undergraduate students (79 females, 27 males, mean age 20.1 years) from one Midwestern and one Southwestern American university. Narcissism was assessed using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, and basal cortisol concentrations were collected from saliva samples in a laboratory setting. Regression analyses examined the effect of narcissism and sex on cortisol (log). There were no sex differences in basal cortisol, F(1,97) = .20, p=.65, and narcissism scores, F(1,97)=.00, p=.99. Stepwise linear regression models of sex and narcissism and their interaction predicting cortisol concentrations showed no main effects when including covariates, but a significant interaction, b = .27, p = .04. Narcissism was not related to cortisol in females, but significantly predicted cortisol in males. Examining the effect of unhealthy versus healthy narcissism on cortisol found that unhealthy narcissism was marginally related to cortisol in females, b = .27, p = .06, but significantly predicted higher basal cortisol in males, b = .72, p = .01, even when controlling for potential confounds. No relationship was found between sex, narcissism, or their interaction on self- reported stress.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the HPA axis is chronically activated in males with unhealthy narcissism. This constant activation of the HPA axis may have important health implications.
PLoS ONE, 2012
Background: Narcissism is characterized by grandiosity, low empathy, and entitlement. There has b... more Background: Narcissism is characterized by grandiosity, low empathy, and entitlement. There has been limited research regarding the hormonal correlates of narcissism, despite the potential health implications. This study examined the role of participant narcissism and sex on basal cortisol concentrations in an undergraduate population.
In two studies we demonstrate the influence that weight cues have on product perceptions. In Stud... more In two studies we demonstrate the influence that weight cues have on product perceptions. In Study 1 we examine the effects of visual weight cues on the sensation of physical weight. Participants judged that a CD case with an album cover containing images of heavy objects was heavier than the same CD case with light imagery. In Study 2 we examine the effects of physical weight on metaphorically related judgments. Holding a heavy version of The Catcher in the Rye increased participant's ratings of importance when compared to a lighter version. These two findings demonstrate that perceptual inputs can influence the experience of other perceptions and abstract concepts. Study 2 provides findings consistent with the embodied perspective of cognition, suggesting that the abstract concept of importance is grounded in a person's physical experience with the weight of an object.
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Papers by David A Reinhard
Methods and Findings: Participants were 106 undergraduate students (79 females, 27 males, mean age 20.1 years) from one Midwestern and one Southwestern American university. Narcissism was assessed using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, and basal cortisol concentrations were collected from saliva samples in a laboratory setting. Regression analyses examined the effect of narcissism and sex on cortisol (log). There were no sex differences in basal cortisol, F(1,97) = .20, p=.65, and narcissism scores, F(1,97)=.00, p=.99. Stepwise linear regression models of sex and narcissism and their interaction predicting cortisol concentrations showed no main effects when including covariates, but a significant interaction, b = .27, p = .04. Narcissism was not related to cortisol in females, but significantly predicted cortisol in males. Examining the effect of unhealthy versus healthy narcissism on cortisol found that unhealthy narcissism was marginally related to cortisol in females, b = .27, p = .06, but significantly predicted higher basal cortisol in males, b = .72, p = .01, even when controlling for potential confounds. No relationship was found between sex, narcissism, or their interaction on self- reported stress.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the HPA axis is chronically activated in males with unhealthy narcissism. This constant activation of the HPA axis may have important health implications.
Methods and Findings: Participants were 106 undergraduate students (79 females, 27 males, mean age 20.1 years) from one Midwestern and one Southwestern American university. Narcissism was assessed using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, and basal cortisol concentrations were collected from saliva samples in a laboratory setting. Regression analyses examined the effect of narcissism and sex on cortisol (log). There were no sex differences in basal cortisol, F(1,97) = .20, p=.65, and narcissism scores, F(1,97)=.00, p=.99. Stepwise linear regression models of sex and narcissism and their interaction predicting cortisol concentrations showed no main effects when including covariates, but a significant interaction, b = .27, p = .04. Narcissism was not related to cortisol in females, but significantly predicted cortisol in males. Examining the effect of unhealthy versus healthy narcissism on cortisol found that unhealthy narcissism was marginally related to cortisol in females, b = .27, p = .06, but significantly predicted higher basal cortisol in males, b = .72, p = .01, even when controlling for potential confounds. No relationship was found between sex, narcissism, or their interaction on self- reported stress.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the HPA axis is chronically activated in males with unhealthy narcissism. This constant activation of the HPA axis may have important health implications.