Certainty in holistic thinking and responses to contradiction: Dialectical proverbs, counter-attitudinal change and ambivalence.

The present research examined whether consideration of individuals' certainty in their holism can enhance the ability of this individual difference to predict how they respond to contradiction-relevant outcomes. Across four studies, participants first completed a standardized measure of holistic-analytic thinking. Then, they rated how certain they were in their responses to the holism scale or were experimentally induced to feel high or low certainty.

Holism and Causal Responsibility: The Role of Number and Valence of Event Consequences.

The present research examines the effect of holistic-analytic thinking style on causal responsibility. Across seven studies ( = 4,103), participants' thinking style was either measured or manipulated. Then, the valence or number of consequences varied in several scenarios involving a cause-consequence relationship.

Individual differences in thinking style and dealing with contradiction: The mediating role of mixed emotions.

The present research examined how individuals' thinking style (holistic vs. analytic) is associated with the way they deal with contradictory information and whether experiencing mixed emotions can mediate this relationship. Participants first completed the thinking style measure and then were exposed to two contradictory pieces of information (Studies 1 and 2).

Promoting healthy eating by enhancing the correspondence between attitudes and behavioral intentions.

Background: Healthy eating campaigns are not always successful in changing food-related attitudes. Even when interventions produce the desired outcomes in attitudes, it is often challenging to translate those psychological changes into subsequent behaviors. Previous research has shown that elaboration (amount of thinking) is a critical construct for understanding the ability of attitudes to guide behavior.

Post-traumatic cognitions and quality of life in terrorism victims: the role of well-being in indirect versus direct exposure.

Background: The effect of indirect (versus direct) exposure to a traumatic event on the quality of life of terrorist attack victims has received considerable attention in the literature. However, more research is required to examine whether the symptoms and underlying processes caused by both types of exposure are equivalent. Our main hypothesis is that well-being plays a different role depending on indirect vs.

The evaluation of green companies changes after remembering tip of the tongue experiences.

Background: This research explores the extent to which attitudes towards an environmentally-friendly topic (a green company) are affected by a “tip of the tongue” (TOT) experience.

Method: In this experiment, participants were first exposed to a description of a green company that elicited mostly positive or negative thoughts. As part of an apparently unrelated study, participants were then asked to describe an experience of TOT that either was or was not successfully resolved.

Feelings of ease and attitudes toward healthy foods.

Background: The successful impact of health campaigns often depends on the extent to which interventions are effective in changing attitudes. The goal of the present research was to examine to what extent the ease adolescents experience in generating thoughts can influence persuasion in the domain of a health-relevant topic.

Method: Participants were asked to generate either positive or negative thoughts about the Mediterranean diet.