进化心理学认为女性会随生理周期的变化发生心理和行为的波动,这是由于短暂受孕机会造成的繁衍动机的波动。排卵带来的受孕机会使得女性产生更加强烈的性欲,追求、吸引配偶。为了确保子女基因的优良,女性在排卵期偏好具备优良基因特质的男性,同时采取自我保护行为以避免遗传基因被玷污。此外,女性排卵期的特征还会影响到男性的动机和行为。未来研究应进一步探索排卵期对女性同性间竞争等其他动机的影响,以及消费行为等方面的研究,以拓展实践启示。

进化动机影响社会认知的研究关 注社会认知的起源、机能及影响。进化动机影响社会认知的一般特点有(1)特殊性,如成功地解决求偶问题的机制不能用来解决身体危险有关的问题,(2)灵活 性,如不同类别的环境线索自动地激活与线索类别有关的社会信息。借用传统的社会认知研究方法,研究者发现特定的线索会启动相应的进化动机(如面孔吸引力启 动人们的求偶动机),进化动机激活后就能引导人们加工有利于这种动机(或目标)实现的信息(如性别相关的风险信息等)。未来的进化动机影响社会认知的研究 可以结合积极心理学(positive psychology)与具身认知(embodied cognition)的理论假设,以产生更有价值的研究成果。

文化多样性及文化交流使得个体自我构念表现出动态性特征。现有研究从聚合文化的视角出发,表明自我构念动态性表现在认知、动机和情绪三个层面。文化的动态建构和文化的情境认知理论为自我构念动态性提供了理论解释。自我构念的动态性受到个体多元文化经历、文化认同、非本质主义观念和文化智力的影响。现有研究暗示出自我构念动态性具有神经和潜在的生物基础。未来研究应对自我构念的动态性特征进行心理、神经和生物层面的考察。

演化心理学认为人类的心理机能受到演化压力的塑造,性选择作为重要的演化动力因素,在人类心理机能的形成过程中扮演着重要角色。与性选择密切相连的求偶动机可以影响包括注意、知觉、记忆、决策及社会行为在内的一系列心理现象和行为,但求偶动机操控方法的混乱及研究过程中对文化和层级选择的忽视制约了这一领域工作的开展。进一步深化相关研究,以行为数据为基础,从神经、激素和基因层面建构立体的研究框架对于揭示背后机制有着重要作用。

幼儿的关注点受环境影响很大,丰富多彩的园内装饰会极大地吸引幼儿的注意力,从而影响幼儿的社会化进程和参与活动的积极性。本研究通过在幼儿园活动中融入动态灯光系统,探讨灯光对幼儿社会行为发展的影响。运用统计分析和录像分析两种方法对数据进行处理,结果发现在动态灯光条件下,实验组幼儿在自信、视线对人、回应指令、积极合作、分享、口头语言上明显高于对照组,而在自卑、视线对物、消极合作的均值上明显低于对照组。独立样本T检验还发现实验组和对照组在自信、回应指令和口头语言上存在显著差异。幼儿园应重视灯光对幼儿社会行为的潜在影响,可以在条件允许时增加安装有动态灯光系统的多媒体教室;教师应根据活动的具体内容选用相应的动态灯光,并特别注意动态灯光对幼儿语言与艺术学习的积极作用,多采用小组活动或舞台展示活动等组织形式。

隐喻是一种常见的语言现象。概念隐喻理论认为,隐喻不仅是一种语言修辞手段,隐喻反映了人类认知的重要特征：人类的抽象概念系统是以感知觉经验和具体概念为基础发展形成的。根据概念隐喻理论,主体可以以感知运动经验对抽象概念进行体验式表征与加工。大量研究证明,抽象概念的加工同对其进行隐喻化描述的身体经验具有关联。这些研究主要涉及空间隐喻、温度隐喻、洁净隐喻、触觉隐喻等。未来的研究应探讨多重隐喻对认知的影响、探索塑造隐喻映射单向作用与相互作用的因素,并关注概念隐喻理论的应用性等问题。

照明在人类生活、工作和学习中发挥着举足轻重的作用,除了提供基本的视觉作用（对周围事物的大小、颜色、形状等方面的视觉感知）外,还会对人的生理、心理功能产生显著影响,如调节褪黑素分泌、影响生物节律,促进认知加工、调节由季节变化引起的情绪情感障碍（SAD）等。这种对生理、心理活动产生直接或间接的影响即为照明的非视觉作用。近年来,照明的非视觉作用及其背后的神经机制得到了研究者的广泛关注和大量实证研究,并取得了丰硕成果。未来研究需从模型建构、动态照明等角度入手进一步探索照明的非视觉作用及其脑神经机制。

Bright light is used to treat winter depression and might also have positive effects on mood in some healthy individuals. We examined possible links between bright light exposure and social interaction using naturalistic data. For 20 days in winter and/or summer, 48 mildly seasonal healthy individuals wore a light meter at the wrist and recorded in real-time their behaviours, mood, and perceptions of others during social interactions. Possible short-term effects of bright light were examined using the number of minutes, within any given morning, afternoon or evening, that people were exposed to light exceeding 1000 lux (average: 19.6 min). Social interactions were labelled as having occurred under conditions of no, low or high bright light exposure. Independent of season, day, time, and location, participants reported less quarrelsome behaviours, more agreeable behaviours and better mood when exposed to high but not low levels of bright light. Given that the effects were seen only when exposure levels were above average, a minimum level of bright light may be necessary for its positive effects to occur. Daily exposure levels were generally low in both winter and summer. Spending more time outdoors and improving indoor lighting may help optimize everyday social behaviour and mood across seasons in people with mild seasonality.

Long-term care facilities are currently installing dynamic lighting systems with the aim to improve the well-being and behaviour of residents with dementia. The aim of this study was to investigate the implementation of dynamic lighting systems from the perspective of stakeholders and the performance of the technology. Therefore, a questionnaire survey was conducted with the management and care professionals of six care facilities. Moreover, light measurements were conducted in order to describe the exposure of residents to lighting. The results showed that the main reason for purchasing dynamic lighting systems lied in the assumption that the well-being and day/night rhythmicity of residents could be improved. The majority of care professionals were not aware of the reasons why dynamic lighting systems were installed. Despite positive subjective ratings of the dynamic lighting systems, no data were collected by the organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of the lighting. Although the care professionals stated that they did not see any large positive effects of the dynamic lighting systems on the residents and their own work situation, the majority appreciated the dynamic lighting systems more than the old situation. The light values measured in the care facilities did not exceed the minimum threshold values reported in the literature. Therefore, it seems illogical that the dynamic lighting systems installed in the researched care facilities will have any positive health effects.

Abstract The current review evaluates the status hypothesis, which states that that the desire for status is a fundamental motive. Status is defined as the respect, admiration, and voluntary deference individuals are afforded by others. It is distinct from related constructs such as power, financial success, and social belongingness. A review of diverse literatures lent support to the status hypothesis: People's subjective well-being, self-esteem, and mental and physical health appear to depend on the level of status they are accorded by others. People engage in a wide range of goal-directed activities to manage their status, aided by myriad cognitive, behavioral, and affective processes; for example, they vigilantly monitor the status dynamics in their social environment, strive to appear socially valuable, prefer and select social environments that offer them higher status, and react strongly when their status is threatened. The desire for status also does not appear to be a mere derivative of the need to belong, as some theorists have speculated. Finally, the importance of status was observed across individuals who differed in culture, gender, age, and personality, supporting the universality of the status motive. Therefore, taken as a whole, the relevant evidence suggests that the desire for status is indeed fundamental. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Survey sheds light on the ‘crisis’ rocking research.

[Abstract unavailable]

ABSTRACT Two studies were conducted to investigate the impact of socially-induced positive affect on organizational conflict. In Study I, male and female subjects were provoked or not provoked, and then exposed to one of several treatments designed to induce positive affect among them. Results indicated that several of these procedures (e.g., mild flattery, a small gift, self-deprecating remarks by an opponent) increased subjects' preference for resolving conflict through collaboration, but reduced their preference for resolving conflict through competition. In addition, self-deprecating remarks by an opponent (actually an accomplice) increased subjects' willingness to make concessions to this person during negotiations. In Study 2, male and female subjects were exposed to two treatments designed to induce positive affect (humorous remarks, mild flattery). These were presented before, during, or after negotiations with another person (an accomplice). Both treatments reduced subjects' preferences for resolving conflict through avoidance and increased their preferences for resolving conflict through collaboration, but only when delivered during or immediately after negotiations. Together, the results of both studies suggest that simple interventions designed to induce positive affect among the parties to conflicts can yield several beneficial effects.

Three studies examined the effects of key aspects of indoor lighting (illuminance, spectral distribution) on the performance of tasks that did not primarily involve visual processing. It was hypothesized that lighting conditions which generated positive affect among subjects would influence behavior and cognition in ways consistent with the findings of previous research on the influence of such affect. Results of all three studies offered partial support for this hypothesis. In Study 1, male and female subjects exposed to relatively low levels of illuminance (150 lux) assigned higher performance appraisals to a fictitious employee and included a broader range of words in specific word categories than subjects exposed to relatively high levels of illuminance (1500 lux). In Study 2, subjects exposed to warm white light reported stronger preferences for resolving interpersonal conflicts through collaboration and weaker preferences for resolving conflicts through avoidance than subjects exposed to cool-white light. Additionally, illuminance and spectral distribution (color) interacted to influence subjects' self-set goals on a clerical coding task. In Study 3, receipt of a small, unexpected gift and exposure to warm-white light both increased the amount of time subjects were willing to donate as unpaid volunteers. In addition, in the absence of a gift, subjects volunteered more time under low than under high illuminance.

Translational Psychiatry explores the more translational area between the research in neuroscience and conceptually novel treatments

The extent to which stigmatized interaction partners engender perceivers' threat reactions (i.e., stigma-threat hypothesis) was examined. Experiments 1 and 2 included the manipulation of stigma using facial birthmarks. Experiment 3 included manipulations of race and socioeconomic status. Threat responses were measured physiologically, behaviorally, and subjectively. Perceivers interacting with stigmatized partners exhibited cardiovascular reactivity consistent with threat and poorer performance compared with participants interacting with nonstigmatized partners, who exhibited challenge reactivity. In Experiment 3, intergroup contact moderated physiological reactivity such that participants who reported more contact with Black persons exhibited less physiological threat when interacting with them. These results support the stigma-threat hypothesis and suggest the utility of a biopsychosocial approach to the study of stigma and related constructs.

Fluorescent illumination has become common, but its alleged effects on behavior are still controversial. This experiment was designed to determine whether warm white, cool white, and full-spectrum fluorescent spectra at approximately equal illuminances differentially affect performance on simple verbal and quantitative tasks, salary recommendations, rated attractiveness and friendliness of others, judged room attractiveness, estimated room size, and self-reported pleasure and arousal. The results showed no significant differences among the three lighting types on any of the dependent measures. A subsequent power analysis indicated that if differences actually do exist, they are quite small. Cool white or warm white lamps are recommended because they are much less expensive than full-spectrum lamps.

This paper describes two experiments concerning the effects of variations in lighting quality on office worker performance, health, and well-being. Experiment 1 had four experimental conditions: a regular array of fully direct recessed parabolic luminaires; direct/indirect luminaires with no control; direct/indirect luminaires with a switchable desk lamp; and, workstation-specific direct/indirect luminaires with control over the direct portion. Experiment 2 contrasted two conditions with no individual lighting control: a regular array of recessed prismatic lensed luminaires, and suspended direct/indirect luminaires. Participants considered the direct/indirect systems to be more comfortable than the direct-only systems, with a further increase in comfort associated with individual control in Experiment 1. There were no simple main effects of lighting quality on the performance of any task, although the expected changes in performance associated with task visibility, practice, and fatigue were found. Interactions between lighting quality and time suggested that having a degree of individual control of lighting tended to maintain motivation and vigilance over the day.

ABSTRACT Permanent morning shift workers often suffer from impaired sleep and complain about increased fatigue during the day due to an early rising time in the morning. A controlled field investigation with female permanent morning shift workers was conducted, which evaluated the acute, monthly and seasonal psycho-physiological and productivity-related impacts of a dynamic ambient lighting scenario. Dynamic lighting had an acute psycho-physiological calming effect and positively influenced sleep latency and anxiety/depression ratings. Finally, productivity (decreased mean relative handling time) was increased during the winter. This field study contributes to the growing knowledge about biological lighting impacts during shift work. Furthermore it indicates lighting effects on productivity-related and subjective measures for a sleep-deprived working population.

ABSTRACT An artificial skylight has been developed which aims at creating an impression of a daylight opening in the ceiling by means of an artificial sunspot and a blue sky with perceived infinite depth. It is the goal of this work to compare and quantify the perceived room atmosphere created by this artificial system with that created by a conventional lighting system. A total of 100 subjects participated in a randomized controlled study within which the short-term effects on room lighting- and room atmosphere-appearance were determined. Both the artificial skylight and the resulting room atmosphere were perceived as very natural and attractive. Thus, the first strong evidence for the expected positive effects of this artificial skylight was determined.

Abstract Background: Light interventions typically exert their mood-related effects during morning bright light exposures over several weeks. Evidence about immediate ambient room light effects on depressed individuals is still sparse. Objective: The present study aimed at examining the acute effects of a single moderately bright room light exposure on mood, and behavioural and cardiac stress reactions of mildly depressed geriatric inpatients during a short cognitive stimulation and while resting. Methods: Twenty-one inpatients were tested in a balanced cross-over design on 2 consecutive days under either conventional room light (standard light) or artificial sunlight conditions for 30 min. Room illumination was implemented with an artificial skylight, which perfectly imitated solar indoor illumination (e.g., cloudless sky and bright artificial sun). Light-induced changes of mood, heart rate, and heart rate variability were recorded while performing a perseveration test (acted as cognitive stimulation) twice. Additionally, light-related behaviour was observed during a resting period between the cognitive tests and various subjective ratings were obtained. Results: Compared to standard light, exposure to artificial sunlight had a subjective calming effect over time (p = 0.029) as well as decreased heart rate and increased vagal tone (root mean squared of successive inter-beat intervals), both under cognitive workload and in resting conditions. Effect sizes of reported cardiac reactions were large. Cognitive variables were not influenced by light. Additionally, under the higher corneal illuminance of the artificial sunlight, patients perceived stronger glare (p = 0.030) and kept their eyes closed for longer times (p = 0.033) during the resting period. However, patients did not avoid bright light exposure while resting but voluntarily stayed within the area directly lit by the artificial sun nearly all the time (97%). Conclusion: To our knowledge, this study for the first time demonstrated immediate psychophysiological effects of a single, short room light exposure in mildly depressed geriatric inpatients during a short cognitive stimulation and while resting. The findings complement reported evidence on immediate alerting and mood-related effects of bright light exposures.

Research on the effects of windows has clearly indicated that humans want and need daylight to perform and feel well in indoor environments. However, until now, beneficial skylight effects have rarely been investigated. The present laboratory study aimed to quantify temporary artificial skylight effects using a randomized controlled study design.One hundred healthy young subjects either stayed in a windowless office environment that was illuminated by fluorescent lamps or an artificial skylight system that provided a virtual view of a cloudless sky and sun. Subjects rated room atmosphere parameters and their mood states, and participated in two different decision-making tests.Our results indicated that study participants felt more connected to the nature and perceived the windowless test room as more “lively,” and less “tense” and “detached” under artificial skylight as compared to that under fluorescent illumination. Furthermore, under artificial skylight, subjects reported lower feelings of tension, anxiety, and claustrophobic symptoms, and a higher positive mood state. Finally, subjects made riskier as well as more selfish decisions under artificial skylight.Thus, daylight-substituting technologies may profoundly influence mood states and alter decision-making behavior in windowless environments.

Abstract Tested the possibility that liking may influence rating accuracy by operating as an integral dimension in 66 undergraduate raters. Ss evaluated vignettes of 4 professors; liking was manipulated with 40 trait terms (e.g., amusing, greedy, bashful) that engendered different liking levels, but had little implication for professor performance. Results indicate a significant effect on rating accuracy, suggesting that liking is an integral dimension that is difficult to separate from performance dimensions. Results support the potential importance of affect in appraisal. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Based on metaphorical associations between light and goodness, we hypothesized that experiencing brightness increases the salience of moral considerations and the likelihood of engaging in ethical behavior. The results of three experiments supported these predictions. In Experiment 1, participants in a well-lit room acted less selfishly in the dictator game and were more likely to return undeserved money than were those in a moderately or a dimly lit room. In Experiment 2, participants' monetary donations were positively associated with environment lighting. In Experiment 3, participants in a well-lit room volunteered to code more data sheets than did participants in moderate brightness. Experiments 2 and 3 used implicit and explicit measures of the salience of morality to self to demonstrate that the relationship between brightness and ethical behavior is driven by an increased mental accessibility of morality. Control over environment lighting may be an effective approach to increasing ethical behavior. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract Rape and domestic violence are two of the most controversial types of criminal behavior. Both are violent crimes and both are usually directed towards women. This research examines the short-term effect of weather and temporal variations (time of day, day of week, holidays, etc.) on calls for police service in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The influence of these variables on domestic violence and rape is compared and it is found that the two types of crimes are affected in very different ways by the independent variables used. The results suggest that the occurrence of domestic violence is much more highly influenced by immediate temporal and weather variables such as time of day, day of week and ambient temperature. However, rape appears not to be as greatly affected by immediate situational conditions and contexts. Possible explanations for the findings and implications of the research are discussed.

Using daily fluctuations in local sunshine as an instrument for sentiment, we study its effect on day-to-day decisions of lower-level financial officers. Positive sentiment is associated with higher credit approvals, and negative sentiment has the opposite effect of a larger magnitude. These effects are stronger when financial decisions require more discretion, when reviews are less automated, and when capital constraints are less binding. The variation in approval rates affects ex post financial performance and produces significant real effects. Our analysis of the economic channels suggests that sentiment influences managers' risk tolerance and subjective judgment.

Abstract Conducted 2 field studies on the relationship of weather variables to helping behavior. In Study 1 (540 adult Ss), which was executed in the spring and summer and subsequently replicated in the winter, the amount of sunshine reaching the earth was found to be a strong predictor of an S's willingness to assist an interviewer. Smaller relationships were also found between helping and temperature, humidity, wind velocity, and lunar phase. Exp II was conducted indoors with 130 dining parties to control for comfort factors. Sunshine, lunar phase, and S's age and sex were found to predict the generosity of the tip left for a restaurant waitress. Sunshine and temperature were also significantly related to the 6 waitresses' self-reports of mood. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Notwithstanding its effects on the classical visual system allowing image formation, light acts upon several non-image-forming (NIF) functions including body temperature, hormonal secretions, sleep-wake cycle, alertness, and cognitive performance. Studies have shown that NIF functions are maximally sensitive to blue wavelengths (460-480 nm), in comparison to longer light wavelengths. Higher blue light sensitivity has been reported for melatonin suppression, pupillary constriction, vigilance, and performance improvement but also for modulation of cognitive brain functions. Studies investigating acute stimulating effects of light on brain activity during the execution of cognitive tasks have suggested that brain activations progress from subcortical regions involved in alertness, such as the thalamus, the hypothalamus, and the brainstem, before reaching cortical regions associated with the ongoing task. In the course of aging, lower blue light sensitivity of some NIF functions has been reported. Here, we first describe neural pathways underlying effects of light on NIF functions and we discuss eye and cerebral mechanisms associated with aging which may affect NIF light sensitivity. Thereafter, we report results of investigations on pupillary constriction and cognitive brain sensitivity to light in the course of aging. Whereas the impact of light on cognitive brain responses appears to decrease substantially, pupillary constriction seems to remain more intact over the lifespan. Altogether, these results demonstrate that aging research should take into account the diversity of the pathways underlying the effects of light on specific NIF functions which may explain their differences in light sensitivity.

A significantly earlier onset of menstruation by 1.2days, on average, was found following light therapy in 38 winter depressives; in two of them it could be classified as a minor side effect. There was no association between this shortening and depression improvement. A direct action of light on the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis is suggested.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The study determined the effect of seasons and meteorological variables on ovarian-menstrual function. METHODS: Women (N=129) living in Novosibirsk (55°N), Russia, provided data on normal menstrual cycles for over 1 year between 1999 and 2008. Of these, 18 together with 20 other healthy women were investigated once in winter and once in summer in 2006-2009. The investigated variables included serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH) and prolactin on day 65 7 of the menstrual cycle, ovary follicle size (by ultrasound) on day 65 12 and ovulation occurrence on subsequent days. RESULTS: In summer vs. winter, there was a trend towards increased FSH secretion, significantly larger ovarian follicle size, higher frequency of ovulation (97% vs. 71%) and a shorter menstrual cycle (by 0.9 days). LH and prolactin levels did not change. In all seasons combined, increased sunshine (data derived from local meteorological records) 2-3 days before the presumed ovulation day (calculated from the mean menstrual cycle) led to a shorter cycle length. Air/perceived temperature, atmospheric pressure, moon phase/light were not significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian activity is greater in summer vs. winter in women living in a continental climate at temperate latitudes; sunshine is a factor that influences menstrual cycle.

Studies comparing the efficacy of dawn simulation to conventional bright light for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder (in parallel groups) have yielded conflicting results. This crossover study investigated treatment outcomes and long-term treatment preference. Forty winter depressives were treated for a week with bright light (4.300lx for 30–45min shortly after awakening) or dawn simulation (gradually increasing light during the last 30min of sleep achieving 100lx before alarm beep, with the dawn simulator placed closer to the open eyes for a further 15min: 250lx). The depression level was self-rated using SIGH-SAD-SR. Depression scores reduced similarly following bright light and dawn simulation: for 43.8% and 42.2% (medians), respectively; efficacy ratio was 23:17. The preference was also similar (21:19). Among those who preferred bright light, the most common reason was that they perceived the bright light to be more effective (19/21; it was more effective, p=0.0096; this subgroup tended to have more severe depression) and ease of use (6/21). Among those who preferred the dawn simulator, the reasons were a more “natural” action (9/19), device compactness and/or time-saving (10/19) and in 4 cases where bright light caused eyestrain. Not overhead naturalistic light for dawn simulation, self-rating of depression. Dawn simulation is similarly effective to bright light in the treatment of winter depression. Patients with more severe depression tended to report greater improvement with bright light; in such cases, this would outweigh the non-clinical advantages of dawn simulation.

Objectives Studies have shown a shortening of the menstrual cycle following light exposure in women with abnormally long menstrual cycles or with winter depression, suggesting that artificial light can influence reproductive hormones and ovulation. The study was designed to investigate this possibility. Design Placebo-controlled, crossover, counterbalanced order. Setting Medical centres and participants' homes in Novosibirsk (55 N), Russia. Participants Twenty-two women, aged 19-37 years, with baseline menstrual cycle length 28.1-37.8 d and no clinically evident endocrine abnormalities completed the study. The study lasted for two menstrual cycles separated by at least one off-protocol cycle. Interventions During one experimental cycle, bright light was administered at home for 1 wk with a light box emitting white light at 4,300 lux at 41 cm for 45 min shortly after awakening. During the other experimental cycle, dim light was <100 lux at 41 cm with a one-tube fluorescent source. Outcome Measures Blood samples and ultrasound scans were obtained in the afternoon before and after the week of light exposure, on day ~7 and 14 after menstruation onset. Further ultrasound scans after day 14 documented ovulation. Serum was assayed for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin (PRL), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and estradiol (E2). Results Concentrations of PRL, LH, and FSH were significantly increased with bright versus dim light exposure, as was follicle size (ANOVA, intervention day, p = 0.0043, 0.014, 0.049, and 0.042, respectively). The number of ovulatory cycles increased after exposure to bright compared to dim light (12 versus 6 cycles, Wilcoxon tied p = 0.034). Conclusions Morning exposure to bright light in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle stimulates the secretion of hypophyseal reproductive hormones, promotes ovary follicle growth, and increases ovulation rates in women with slightly lengthened menstrual cycles. This might be a promising method to overcome infertility. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00327366

ABSTRACT Light is known to stimulate reproductive function in women. We here investigated the immediate effect of light on reproductive hormones, addressing the role of blue-sensitive (~480 nm) melanopsin-based photoreception mediating the non-visual effects of light. Sixteen healthy women attended the Institute at ~07:25 (shortly after waking; sunglasses worn) twice in 2-3 days in April-May, within days 4-10 of their menstrual cycle. During one session, a broad-spectrum white-appearing light with a superimposed peak at 469 nm was presented against 5-10 lux background; during the other session, short-spectrum red light peaked at 651 nm with similar irradiance level (~7.0 W/m2, corresponds to ~1200 lux) was used. Venous blood was taken at 0, 22 and 44 minutes of light exposure to measure concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), prolactin, estradiol, progesterone and cortisol, and saliva was sampled to measure melatonin as a recognised indicator of the spectral-specific action of light. Melatonin values, as expected, were lower with white vs. red light (p=0.014), with the greatest difference at 22 minutes. Of the other hormones, only FSH concentrations differed significantly: they were mildly higher at white vs. red light (again, at 22 minutes; p=0.030; statistical analysis adjusted for menstrual cycle day and posture change [pre-sampling time seated]). Moderately bright blue-enhanced white light, compared to matched-by-irradiance red light, transiently (within 22 minutes) and mildly stimulated morning secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone in women in mid-to-late follicular phase of their menstrual cycle suggesting a direct functional link between the light and reproductive system.

To test the hypothesis that artificial light can be used to regularize the human menstrual cycle, 16 women with histories of menstrual irregularity and/or abnormally long cycles were studied. It was assumed that a 29-day cycle is the "normal" length. Thus, light exposure was begun on the evening of day 14, with the expectation that ovulation would be triggered by day 15 and menstruation on day 30. The light regimen was continued for 2-3 nights more. Temperature graphs indicated all subjects were ovulating. 41 control and 41 matching experimental cycle lengths were obtained. The experimental cycle lengths were less variable than the control lengths and showed a sharp peak at 29 days. In the 11 subjects exposed to light for more than 1 cycle, 9 showed a decrease in the range of cycle length (3.3% level of significance difference between control and experimental groups in terms of cycle length). It is concluded that these data provide evidence that photic stimulation can regularize menstrual cycle length and thus influence the time of ovulation, thereby facilitating use of the rhythm method of birth control. Further studies involving larger samples and more sophisticated measurements of ovulation in relation to photic stimulation are recommended.

The authors argue that self-image maintenance processes play an important role in stereotyping and prejudice. Three studies demonstrated that when individuals evaluated a member of a stereotyped group, they were less likely to evaluate that person negatively if their self-images had been bolstered through a self-affirmation procedure, and they were more likely to evaluate that person stereotypically if their self-images had been threatened by negative feedback. Moreover, among those individuals whose self-image had been threatened, derogating a stereotyped target mediated an increase in their self-esteem. The authors suggest that stereotyping and prejudice may be a common means to maintain one's self-image, and they discuss the role of self-image-maintenance processes in the context of motivational, sociocultural, and cognitive approaches to stereotyping and prejudice.

Abstract Most organisms display endogenously produced 24-hour fluctuations in physiology and behavior, termed circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are driven by a transcriptional-translational feedback loop that is hierarchically expressed throughout the brain and body, with the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus serving as the master circadian oscillator at the top of the hierarchy. Appropriate circadian regulation is important for many homeostatic functions including energy regulation. Multiple genes involved in nutrient metabolism display rhythmic oscillations, and metabolically related hormones such as glucagon, insulin, ghrelin, leptin, and corticosterone are released in a circadian fashion. Mice harboring mutations in circadian clock genes alter feeding behavior, endocrine signaling, and dietary fat absorption. Moreover, misalignment between behavioral and molecular circadian clocks can result in obesity in both rodents and humans. Importantly, circadian rhythms are most potently synchronized to the external environment by light information and exposure to light at night potentially disrupts circadian system function. Since the advent of electric lights around the turn of the 20th century, exposure to artificial and irregular light schedules has become commonplace. The increase in exposure to light at night parallels the global increase in the prevalence of obesity and metabolic disorders. In this review, we propose that exposure to light at night alters metabolic function through disruption of the circadian system. We first provide an introduction to the circadian system, with a specific emphasis on the effects of light on circadian rhythms. Next we address interactions between the circadian system and metabolism. Finally, we review current experimental and epidemiological work directly associating exposure to light at night and metabolism.

During adolescence, young people shift their circadian rhythm towards eveningness and their late chronotype does not fit into the morning-oriented school start times. Here, we tested the influence of a wake-up light (WuL; dawn simulation) on the subjective well-being and awakening of children and adolescents. The pupils were treated in a matched pairs procedure to obtain a within-subject comparison. Each individual used his/her usual device for getting up during one week (control week) and one week with the WuL. The sample was based on 44 boys and 59 girls from 7 to 18 years. During the WuL week, pupils awoke earlier, felt more alert at awakening, got up easier and reported a higher alertness during the second lesson at school. Evening types benefited more than morning types. The data suggest that the WuL seems a good device to improve rising, awakening and subjective well-being in children and adolescents, especially in evening types.

We articulate an evolutionary perspective on cultural variation, centering on the concept of evoked culture. We then demonstrate how the framework of evoked culture has been used to predict and explain cultural variation and report new tests of hypotheses about cultural variation in mate preferences. These tests demonstrate the predictive power of ecological variables such as parasite prevalence that are implicated by evolutionary psychological theories. New empirical tests provided little support for the predictions advanced by competing social role theories (e.g., Eagly & Wood, 1999), with some findings running opposite to those predicted by such theories. We propose that a well-articulated evolutionary perspective on cultural variation may be particularly useful because it can specify how variation in cultural practice itself may emerge. We conclude that discussions of cultural variation should move beyond false dichotomies of social versus biological and suggest that evolutionary psychology provides frameworks that transcend these dichotomies.

The effect of lighting level and room decor on interpersonal communication was investigated. Arousal and comfort models were invoked to generate hypotheses that (a) brighter lighting would stimulate more general communication, (b) lower lighting levels would encourage more intimate communication, (c) over time, lower light levels would dampen both general and intimate communication, and (d) home-like decor would encourage more general and more intimate communication. In a 2 2 between-subjects design, pairs of female friends wrote two letters to one another in bright vs. soft lighting and office-like vs. home-like decor. All the hypotheses were confirmed, except that brighter light encouraged more rather than less intimate communication.

The effects of darkness on startle reactivity and prepulse inhibition were investigated in two studies with 25 subjects participating in each study. Acoustic startle stimuli that were or were not preceded by an acoustic prepulse were delivered in alternating periods of complete darkness or light. In both studies, darkness significantly increased the magnitude of startle but did not affect prepulse inhibition (PPI). The PPI results suggest that darkness did not increase attention to the auditory modality, so that the startle facilitation in the dark probably did not result from an attentional process. The increased startle in the dark was significantly correlated with the intensity of subjects' fear of the dark as children based on retrospective rating scales. It is hypothesized that the startle facilitation in the dark results from a change in affect rather than from a change in attention.

Previous research has demonstrated that female behaviors toward men or sexual interest are different across the menstrual cycle. However, women's receptivity to an explicit courtship solicitation still remained in question. In a field experiment, 20-year-old women were approached by 20-year-old male confederates in nightclubs and solicited to dance during the period when slow songs were played. A survey was administered to the women in order to obtain information about the number of days since the onset of previous menses. It was found that women in their fertile phase agreed more favorably to the dance request than women in their luteal phase or in their menstrual phase.

Abstract Research has demonstrated that women's behaviors toward men or sexual interest are different across the menstrual cycle. However, this effect was only found on verbal interest and the receptivity of women to a courtship solicitation had never been tested before. In a field experiment, 455 (200 with normal cycles and 255 pill-users) 18-25-year-old women were approached by 20-year-old male-confederates who solicited them for their phone number. A survey was administered to the women solicited 1 min later in order to obtain information about the number of days since the onset of their last menses. It was found that women in their fertile phase, but not pill-users, agreed more favorably to the request than women in their luteal phase or in their menstrual phase.

Studies have shown that pleasant weather conditions (namely sunshine) favor positive social relationships and improve moods. However, the effect of sunshine on romantic relationships has never been studied. In a field quasi-experiment 18 25-year-old women walking alone in the street were approached by an attractive 20-year-old male confederate who solicited them for their phone numbers. The women were solicited on days that were evaluated as being either sunny or cloudy but care was taken to control for temperature and not to solicit participants when it rained. It was found that women agreed more often to the confederate's courtship solicitation on the sunny days. Positive mood induction by the sun may explain such results.

Abstract Pleasant weather conditions (i.e., sunshine) favor positive social relationships and improve mood. However, the effect of sunshine on spontaneous helping still remains in question. In a field experiment, male and female confederates accidentally dropped a glove on the ground while walking in pedestrian streets. The confederate continued walking, apparently unaware of his/her loss. The experiment was conducted on predominantly cloudy or predominantly sunny days, but precaution was taken to control for the temperature and not to solicit participants when it rained. Passers-by helped the confederates more favorably on the sunnier days. Positive mood induced by sun may explain such results.

This meta-analysis examined the relationship between moral identity and moral behavior. It was based on 111 studies from a broad range of academic fields including business, developmental psychology and education, marketing, sociology, and sport sciences. Moral identity was found to be significantly associated with moral behavior (random effects model, r = .22, p < .01, 95% CI [.19, .25]). Effect sizes did not differ for behavioral outcomes (prosocial behavior, avoidance of antisocial behavior, ethical behavior). Studies that were entirely based on self-reports yielded larger effect sizes. In contrast, the smallest effect was found for studies that were based on implicit measures or used priming techniques to elicit moral identity. Moreover, a marginally significant effect of culture indicated that studies conducted in collectivistic cultures yielded lower effect sizes than studies from individualistic cultures. Overall, the meta-analysis provides support for the notion that moral identity strengthens individuals readiness to engage in prosocial and ethical behavior as well as to abstain from antisocial behavior. However, moral identity fares no better as a predictor of moral action than other psychological constructs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Abstract A distinction is made between two forms of morality on the basis of approach-avoidance differences in self-regulation. Prescriptive morality is sensitive to positive outcomes, activation-based, and focused on what we should do. Proscriptive morality is sensitive to negative outcomes, inhibition-based, and focused on what we should not do. Seven studies profile these two faces of morality, support their distinct motivational underpinnings, and provide evidence of moral asymmetry. Both are well-represented in individuals' moral repertoire and equivalent in terms of moral weight, but proscriptive morality is condemnatory and strict, whereas prescriptive morality is commendatory and not strict. More specifically, in these studies proscriptive morality was perceived as concrete, mandatory, and duty-based, whereas prescriptive morality was perceived as more abstract, discretionary, and based in duty or desire; proscriptive immorality resulted in greater blame, whereas prescriptive morality resulted in greater moral credit. Implications for broader social regulation, including cross-cultural differences and political orientation, are discussed.

Two experiments investigated the effect of indoor lighting on cognitive performance via mood. Experiment 1 varied two lighting parameters in a factorial, between-subject design: two illuminance levels (dim; 300 lx vs bright; 1500 lx) by two colour temperatures (‘warm’ white; 3000K vs ‘cool’ white; 4000K) at high CRI (Colour Rendering Index; 95). In experiment 2 the parameters of lighting were identical to the first experiment, except for the low CRI (CRI; 55). In both experiments gender was introduced as an additional grouping factor. Results in experiment 1 showed that a colour temperature which induced the least negative mood enhanced the performance in the long-term memory and problem-solving tasks, in both genders. In experiment 2, the combination of colour temperature and illuminance that best preserved the positive mood in one gender enhanced this gender's performance in the problem-solving and free recall tasks. Thus, subjects' mood valences and their cognitive performances varied significantly with the genders' emotionally different reactions to the indoor lighting. This suggests, in practice, that the criteria for good indoor lighting may be revised, taking into account females' and males' emotional and cognitive responses as well.

The study presents an investigation of the effects of the recommended office lighting on subjects' mood and cognitive performance in the physical setting of an office. In addition, a gender effect in the performance appraisal task was examined, both as a between- and within-subject factor. The results showed no significant effect of the lighting on the performance of cognitive tasks. However, an interaction between gender and color temperature on mood showed that 3000K (more reddish) and 4000K (more bluish) office lighting may communicate different affective loadings or meanings to each gender. The cognitive workload induced by almost 2 hours of intellectual work diminished the subjects' positive mood and augmented a negative mood. Moreover, independently of their gender, the raters evaluated the neutral female significantly different from the neutral male ratee. Implications of these findings for the mood effects of indoor lighting and the gender effect in work-related judgment are discussed.

How can the physical environment, especially light, facilitate conflict resolution? Previous research has led to no clear answers about optimal lighting conditions in conflict situations and, until now, potential moderators and mediators have been scarcely investigated. Building on research on light-induced cooperativeness, we expected that self-oriented individuals would be influenced by the lighting in social situations such as conflict resolution. In self-oriented individuals, dim warm light should promote interdependent self-construal and, in turn, lead to a preference for collaborative conflict resolution strategies. Two studies confirmed our assumptions, with social dominance orientation and trait interdependent self-construal serving as indicators of individuals' social orientation. Overall, these results provide an explanation for inconsistent previous findings and contribute to the understanding of light-induced changes in social behavior. Limitations as well as practical implications for lighting design in social spaces are discussed.

Photoreceptive, melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells (mRGCs) encode ambient light (irradiance) for the circadian clock, the pupillomotor system, and other influential behavioral/physiological responses. mRGCs are activated both by their intrinsic phototransduction cascade and by the rods and cones. However, the individual contribution of each photoreceptor class to irradiance responses remains unclear. We address this deficit using mice expressing human red cone opsin, in which rod-, cone-, and melanopsin-dependent responses can be identified by their distinct spectral sensitivity. Our data reveal an unexpectedly important role for rods. These photoreceptors define circadian responses at very dim "scotopic" light levels but also at irradiances at which pattern vision relies heavily on cones. By contrast, cone input to irradiance responses dissipates following light adaptation to the extent that these receptors make a very limited contribution to circadian and pupillary light responses under these conditions. Our data provide new insight into retinal circuitry upstream of mRGCs and optimal stimuli for eliciting irradiance responses.

Light has profoundly influenced the evolution of life on earth. As widely appreciated, light enables us to generate images of our environment. However, light - through intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) - also influences behaviours that are essential for our health and quality of life but are independent of image formation. These include the synchronization of the circadian clock to the solar day, tracking of seasonal changes and the regulation of sleep. Irregular light environments lead to problems in circadian rhythms and sleep, which eventually cause mood and learning deficits. Recently, it was found that irregular light can also directly affect mood and learning without producing major disruptions in circadian rhythms and sleep. In this Review, we discuss the indirect and direct influence of light on mood and learning, and provide a model for how light, the circadian clock and sleep interact to influence mood and cognitive functions.

Dewan asserted 20 years ago that a bedside light could shorten and regularize the menstrual cycle among women with long and irregular menstrual patterns. To replicate this, seven volunteers slept with a 100-watt bulb by the bedside from days 13-17 of their menstrual cycles, while nine controls similarly used a dim red placebo (photographic safe light). Indeed, the 100-watt bulbs shortened menstrual cycles from a mean of 45.7 days to 33.1 days and reduced variability, but the placebo had no effect. These results suggest that light may have promise for treatment of infertility, for contraception, and for other endocrine interventions.

OBJECTIVE: Melatonin, a hormone released preferentially by the pineal gland during the night, affects circadian rhythms and aging processes. As animal studies have shown that melatonin increases resident-intruder aggression, this study aimed to investigate the impact of melatonin treatment on human aggression. METHODS: In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled between-participant design, 63 healthy male volunteers completed the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) after oral administration of melatonin or placebo. RESULTS: We found that when given the opportunity to administer high or low punishments to an opponent, participants who ingested melatonin selected the high punishment more often than those who ingested placebo. The increased reactive aggression under melatonin administration remained after controlling for inhibitory ability, trait aggression, trait impulsiveness, circadian preference, perceptual sensibility to noise, and changes in subjective sleepiness and emotional states. CONCLUSION: This study provides novel and direct evidence for the involvement of melatonin in human social processes.

Abstract Light is a potent stimulus for regulating circadian, hormonal, and behavioral systems. In addition, light therapy is effective for certain affective disorders, sleep problems, and circadian rhythm disruption. These biological and behavioral effects of light are influenced by a distinct photoreceptor in the eye, melanopsin-containing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), in addition to conventional rods and cones. We summarize the neurophysiology of this newly described sensory pathway and consider implications for the measurement, production, and application of light. A new light-measurement strategy taking account of the complex photoreceptive inputs to these non-visual responses is proposed for use by researchers, and simple suggestions for artificial/architectural lighting are provided for regulatory authorities, lighting manufacturers, designers, and engineers. Copyright 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The clinical implications of the SAM for OT therapeutic potential are discussed.

It is suggested that perceptions of the self, of others, and of the relationship between self and others are very powerful and that this influence is clearly reflected in culture. The independent view of the self, represented in Western culture, is contrasted with the interdependent view in many other cultures. (SLD)

With the advent of social networks where people disclose a lot of their information and opinions publicly, this research attempted to re-look at the effect of environmental lighting on willingness and actual disclosure of personal information. Previous literatures mostly addressed counseling setups and the findings were mixed. In order to clarify the effect of lighting on self-disclosure, two experiments were conducted with reported willingness to disclose (Experiment 1) as well as actual disclosure (Experiment 2) on a range of topics like social issues, body, money, work, and personality. While quite a handful of studies have reported differences in disclosure from very subtle environmental lighting manipulations, in both experiments we could not find any effect of ambient room lighting conditions on self-disclosure. These results call for caution both in over-interpreting subtle environmental effects and in increased generalization of perceptual metaphors to actual behavior.

This study aimed to investigate effects of the interior design of a counseling room on participants' self-disclosure and impressions of a counselor. The authors examined the effects of lighting and decorations. It tested four conditions crossing decorations (with or without home-like decorations) and type of lighting (bright or dim). Eighty undergraduate students (clients) were randomly assigned to one of the conditions and individually underwent a structured interview with an interviewer (a counselor) and then completed a questionnaire. The results showed that dim lighting yielded more pleasant and relaxed feelings, more favorable impressions of the interviewer, and more self-disclosure than did the bright lighting. However, the authors found no predominant pattern of the decorations. Thus, the pleasant and relaxed feelings related to dim lighting may well enhance the perceived attractiveness of a counselor and self-disclosure from clients. The results imply that interior design could influence communication and other relationships in counseling rooms.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The study proposes that room brightness creates impressions of a more spacious environment and that this perception positively impacts feelings and behaviors during high-threat conversations in particular. BACKGROUND: To a large extent healthcare providers depend on their patients' willingness to disclose information. In addition to characteristics related to the physician and topic of conversation, research indicates that environmental factors influence patients' affective experiences and self-disclosure. METHODS: A two-factor between-subjects experimental design was used in which participants (n = 90) were presented with a scenario describing a patient-physician encounter varying in communicated threat. Subsequently, participants were exposed to a picture in which room brightness was manipulated. Next, patient comfort, experienced spaciousness, and self-disclosure intentions were measured. RESULTS: An effect of brightness was found on affective experiences and self-disclosure intentions. In addition, the predicted interaction was obtained between brightness and communicated threat on these measures. Analyses confirmed that perceived spaciousness mediates the relationship between room brightness and self-disclosure intentions. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms that brightness impacts self-disclosure intentions. Additionally, this relationship is influenced by psychological circumstances, with a more pronounced need for spaciousness when in an anxious state of mind. The results suggest that the physical environment can be used as a tool to improve active participation. In addition, the results stress the importance of attending to the patient's state of mind in creating the right atmosphere.

Bright light therapy (BLT) is considered among the first-line treatments for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), yet a growing body of literature supports its use in other neuropsychiatric conditions including non-seasonal depression. Despite evidence of its antidepressant efficacy, clinical use of BLT remains highly variable internationally. In this article, we explore the autonomic effects of BLT and suggest that such effects may play a role in its antidepressant and chronotherapeutic properties. After providing a brief introduction on the clinical application of BLT, we review the chronobiological effects of BLT on depression and on the autonomic nervous system in depressed and non-depressed individuals with an emphasis on non-seasonal depression. Such a theory of autonomic modulation via BLT could serve to integrate aspects of recent work centered on alleviating allostatic load, the polyvagal theory, the neurovisceral integration model and emerging evidence on the roles of glutamate and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GABA).

It was hypothesized that darkness acts as a disinhibitor, and that subjects would deliver higher intensity shocks to a victim in a dimly lit setting than in a brightly lit setting. It was also predicted that this effect would be greater when subject and victim were in close proximity than when they were isolated from each other. The results supported these predictions. It was suggested that lighting may have important effects on social behaviors, and that further research on the influences of lighting on human behavior is needed.

Correlations were calculated between daily self-evaluated mood reports (4 reports/day) of 10 student subjects and 10 meteorological-geophysical variables over a 90-day period. The variables included mean and/or change measures of temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, sunshine hours, wind speeds and global geomagnetic activity. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the weather matrix used could account for not more than 35% of the mood variance on the day of the evaluation. Lag correlations over the previous week clearly indicated a greater number of significant correlations between mood reports and weather of the previous two days. The mean correlation coefficient was 0.27. In general, "lower moods" were associated with fewer sunshine hours, higher relative humidity, and smaller humidity variations than "higher moods". It was concluded that mood reports can show weak responsivity to antecedent weather fluctuations.

The aims of the study were to test whether nocturnal white light can normalize menstrual cycles in oligomenorrheic women, and whether the phase of the menstrual cycle in which light is given is important for the shortening effect. Twenty-five women with long menstrual cycles (35.909000953.4 days on average) were treated for 10900093 cycles, each of which was preceded and followed by at least two untreated cycles. Treatments were 100 watt bedside lights administered for 5 consecutive nights. They centered at three different phases of the menstrual cycle: 60900097th, 1409000917th or 2309000925th days of the treated cycle (early, middle or late treatment, respectively). On average, the treatment cycle lengths were modestly, but significantly reduced compared to the duration of baseline cycles (more than 11 %). The difference in the effects of the early, middle and late treatment was not significant. However, if middle or late treatments were administered in the latter half of the interval between the menstrual cycle onset and probable time of ovulation, reductions of the treated cycle length were substantial (more than 20 %, resulting in cycles less than 33 days on average; p < 0.001). Other treatments produced only weak (up to 7 %), if any, cycle reductions. Moreover, we found a strong correlation (p < 0.001) between the duration of baseline cycle and differential effect of middle treatment (compared to early or late treatment). Middle treatments reduced treated cycle duration to the normal range in the subjects with shorter mean baseline cycles (<42 days), while in the subjects with longer duration of baseline cycle the shortening effect was produced by late treatments (p = 0.005 and p = 0.001, respectively). The results support the suggestion that a bedside lamp used on nights prior to ovulation can cause reduction of long menstrual cycles.

We proposed in the “Veil of Darkness” hypothesis that dark personalities (narcissists, Machiavellians, psychopaths) profit from conditions of less illumination where they can better manipulate others. As an initial test of this hypothesis in the domain of mating, we predicted that male dark personalities should be more successful in their courtship during dark/cloudy rather than bright/sunny weather. In a large naturalistic field-study, 59 men romantically advanced 1395 women on the street, while they were unobtrusively followed by confederate observers. We thus obtained ratings from men, women, and observers on women’s reactions to men’s advances. Machiavellians, but not narcissists and psychopaths, elicited more positive reactions from women during cloudy weather. This effect was mediated by Machiavellian men’s assuredness. We discuss different mechanisms that may constitute the observed Veil of Darkness effect for Machiavellianism.

Current discussion about the evidentiary value of published research in social ersonality psychology includes elements ranging in their premise. Some deride current practices as fundamentally flawed and call for extensive, perhaps even revolutionary, changes. Others are more circumspect, seeing the discipline as essentially healthy while acknowledging the need for evolution in several particulars about how research is conducted and reported. The articles in this special issue ofJESPoffer a variety of useful suggestions and recommendations in this latter regard. Our commentary provides an overarching perspective on these articles, suggesting a framework for considering their proposals in a way that stresses the promise of our science rather than its limitations.

In previous University of California, San Diego (UCSD) studies, nocturnal illumination shortened menstrual cycles that were longer than 33 days. The studies reported here extend the previous findings, confining the illumination to the sleep period.Two light levels (235 to 250 lux and less than 1 lux) and 2 modes of light delivery (lighted sleep mask and bedside lamp) were tested.235 to 250 lux treatment cycle lengths were significantly shorter than baseline, but not significantly shorter than the less than 1 lux treatment cycle lengths. Subjective reports of sleep disturbance were greater with the 235 to 250 lux treatment, but there was no significant difference in overall quality of sleep between the two light levels.The current data alone do not exclude spontaneous remission or suggestion, but our previous studies demonstrated significant contrasts between 235 to 250 lux and less than 1 lux light levels. This study suggests that treatment may be effective when confined to the sleep period, and that light masks, which do not disturb bed partners, may be used in place of bedside lamps.

Abstract Research has shown that greater degrees of sunshine experienced directly are associated with greater amounts of compliance and tipping. This paper describes two studies that investigated beliefs about sunshine and tipping. The studies were conducted at a casino hotel in Atlantic City; a male server who delivered food and drinks to guests' rooms acted as the confederate. In Study 1, the server reported to guests the actual sky conditions: sunny, partly sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Tip percentages increased linearly from the worst to the best conditions. Study 2 used an experimental design. The server informed guests that the weather was either warm and sunny, cold and sunny, warm and rainy, or cold and rainy. Guests were gullible because their rooms shielded them from the actual conditions. Belief in sunny skies produced greater tip percentages. The temperature belief manipulation had no effect. This research extended previous research by showing that beliefs about weather, in addition to actual weather, can affect behavior.

No abstract is available for this item.

An evolutionary perspective on human motivation provides a means of identifying conceptually distinct motivational systems (including motives pertaining to self-恜rotection, disease avoidance, affiliation, status, mate acquisition, mate retention, and parental care), each of which has unique implications for affect, cognition, and behavior. We provide an illustrative summary of some of these empirically documented implications--including those pertaining to individual differences in chronic motivational tendencies, as well as additional implications that follow from temporary activation of these motivational systems. We also summarize a variety of broader implications--both conceptual and practical--that follow from this framework.

ABSTRACT Two studies examined effects of ambient darkness and chronic beliefs about danger on activation of stereotypes about Blacks. Chronic beliefs were measured by a Belief in a Dangerous World (BDW) questionnaire. In Study, 1, participants in either a dimly lit or dark room saw photos of Black men and rated the extent to which specific traits described the cultural stereotype of Blacks. In Study 2, participants in either a well-lit or dark room completed reaction-time tasks assessing implicit associations between Blacks and evaluative attributes. Separate measures assessed stereotypes connoting danger versus those that are merely derogatory. Results revealed BDW x Darkness interactions on activation of danger-relevant stereotypes: BDW positively predicted activation in dark but not in light conditions. It appears that chronic beliefs about danger can facilitate activation of functionally relevant stereotypes, but this effect occurs primarily under circumstances (such as darkness) that heuristically suggest vulnerability to harm. Conceptual implications are discussed.

ABSTRACT The universality of S. H. Schwartz and W. Bilsky's (see record 1988-01444-001) theory of the psychological content and structure of human values was examined with data from Australia, Finland, Hong Kong, Spain, and the United States. Smallest space analyses of the importance ratings that individuals assigned to values revealed the same 7 distinct motivational types of values in each sample as had emerged earlier in samples from Germany and Israel: achievement, enjoyment, maturity, prosocial, restrictive conformity, security, self-direction. Social power, studied only in Hong Kong, also emerged. The structural relations among the value types suggest that the motivational dynamics underlying people's value priorities are similar across the societies studied, with an exception in Hong Kong. The interests that values serve (individual vs. collective) and their goal type (instrumental vs. terminal) also distinguished values in all samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

The role of affect in information processing has recently received attention, and several possible influences of affect have been suggested. The informational and directive effects of affect were investigated with subjects (N=61) who either described events in their recent past that made them feel good, described events that made them feel bad, or gave no description of life-events. Additionally, subjects expected to be put in either a good or a bad mood as a result of an external factor, or had no expectations concerning their mood. Describing positive life-events increased reported happiness and life satisfaction relative to a control group, while describing negative life-events decreased the indices of well-being. The impact of describing negative events was eliminated when subjects expected to feel bad due to an external influence, but was nonsignificantly increased when subjects expected to feel good because of an external influence. Subjects describing positive life-events

61We investigated effects of diurnal exposure to bright light after mental fatigue.61Participants felt less sleepy, more vital and happier when exposed to bright light.61Effects on subjective sleepiness and self-control were moderated by mental fatigue.61Physiological and performance-based measures showed mixed results.61Daytime bright light effects need not to be identical to effects reported at night.

Research in the late evening and at night has shown that acute activating effects of light are particularly sensitive to short-wavelength light. Yet, findings on such effects during daytime are still inconclusive. This study (N=39) investigated effects of correlated colour temperature (CCT; 2700K vs. 6000 K, 500 lx on the desk) on individuals' experiences, performance, and physiology during one hour of exposure in the morning versus afternoon. Except for a higher subjective vitality in the 6000K condition in the morning, results showed no significant activating effects, and even subtle performance-undermining effects in the relatively high CCT condition. Moreover, participants rated both their mood and the light settings as less positive in the 6000K vs. 2700 K condition. It is therefore questionable whether lighting solutions with commonly experienced intensity levels should provide a higher CCT during daytime office hours.

Grounded and embodied cognitions have gained increasing interest in explaining the effects of the physical environments on social cognition and behavior. However, the very nature of the processes underlying embodiment is largely unknown. The current research aims at contributing to this issue by (1) differentiating between the embodiment of contents and procedures, (2) unfolding the processes underlying mechanism of an embodied procedure, and (3) showing its boundary conditions. Seven experiments investigated these refinements using the examples of darkness, self-construal, and cooperation in social dilemmas. The results provided consistent evidence that darkness triggers interdependent self-construal, which in turn promotes cooperation. Moreover, the individual's internal context and external context moderated the darkness-cooperation effect. These results contribute to the understanding of embodied and situated social cognition and behavior and provide a consistent explanation for the mixed findings of lighting on cooperation in particular and prosocial behavior in general.

Impulse and reflection jointly drive people's behavior. However, the impact of the physical environment, especially light and brightness, on reflective and impulsive behavior and the underlying processes have not been understood. We expected that light and brightness would increase self-awareness and, in turn, lead to a reflective and controlled self-regulation. Five studies confirmed our assumptions. Particularly, participants in a brightly lit room reported a higher public self-awareness than those in a dim room. Moreover, brightness triggers more controlled and reflective forms of self-regulation independent of whether lighting conditions (Study 2) or priming methods (Study 3) were used to manipulate brightness. Finally, two additional studies revealed that brightness facilitates the suppression of desires and socially undesirable impulses which signals high self-control. Overall, these results contribute to the understanding of automatic effects of light and brightness and effortless self-control. Limitations as well as practical implications for lighting design in therapeutical settings and retail spaces and are discussed.

Light is essential for vision and plays an important role in non-visual responses, thus affecting alertness, mood and circadian rhythms. Furthermore, light influences physiological processes, such as thermoregulation, and therefore may be expected to play a role in thermal comfort (TC) as well. A systematic literature search was performed for human studies exploring the relation between ocular light exposure, thermophysiology and TC. Experimental results show that light in the evening can reduce melatonin secretion, delay the natural decline in core body temperature (CBT) and slow down the increase in distal skin temperature. In the morning though, bright light can result in a faster decline in melatonin levels, thus enabling a faster increase in CBT. Moreover, the colour of light can affect temperature perception of the environment. Light with colour tones towards the red end of the visual spectrum leads to a warmer perception compared to more bluish light tones. It should be noted, however, that many results of light on thermal responses are inconclusive, and a theoretical framework is largely lacking. In conclusion, light is capable of evoking thermophysiological responses and visual input can alter perception of the thermal environment. Therefore, lighting conditions should be taken into consideration during thermophysiological research and in the design of indoor climates.

People are capable of thinking about the future, the past, remote locations, another person's perspective, and counterfactual alternatives. Without denying the uniqueness of each process, it is proposed that they constitute different forms of traversing psychological distance. Psychological distance is egocentric: Its reference point is the self in the here and now, and the different ways in which an object might be removed from that point-in time, in space, in social distance, and in hypotheticality-constitute different distance dimensions. Transcending the self in the here and now entails mental construal, and the farther removed an object is from direct experience, the higher (more abstract) the level of construal of that object. Supporting this analysis, research shows (a) that the various distances are cognitively related to each other, (b) that they similarly influence and are influenced by level of mental construal, and (c) that they similarly affect prediction, preference, and action.

Humans are a diurnal species usually exposed to light while engaged in cognitive tasks. Light not only guides performance on these tasks through vision but also exerts non-visual effects that are mediated in part by recently discovered retinal ganglion cells maximally sensitive to blue light. We review recent neuroimaging studies which demonstrate that the wavelength, duration and intensity of light exposure modulate brain responses to (non-visual) cognitive tasks. These responses to light are initially observed in alertness-related subcortical structures (hypothalamus, brainstem, thalamus) and limbic areas (amygdala and hippocampus), followed by modulations of activity in cortical areas, which can ultimately affect behaviour. Light emerges as an important modulator of brain function and cognition.

Studies on the effects of light in work environments show that specific lighting situations have different effects on human performance and social behavior. These findings suggest that beneficial lighting should also be applied in schools. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of variable lighting on pupils' fidgetiness and their aggressive and prosocial behaviors. The variable lighting system employed was equipped with seven lighting programs featuring different varieties of illuminance and color temperature. In a controlled, quasi-experimental field study, a combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal observations was collected. The participants included n =110 pupils of various age levels and school types and n =11 teachers from Hamburg. Fidgetiness was measured by the changes in pixel scores in a digital recording of the students. To quantify aggressiveness and prosocial behaviors, structured behavioral observations were conducted. Self-perceived changes throughout the school year were captured using questionnaires. The findings showed a significantly stronger decline in fidgetiness and observed aggressive behaviors and a tendency toward increased prosocial behaviors within the intervention group. In the long term, the pupils did not rate themselves as being calmer or less aggressive. Overall, the findings indicated that variable light could directly reduce pupils' restlessness and improve their social behaviors. Variable lighting can thus play a part in optimizing general conditions for school learning.

Abstract Urinary luteinizing hormone (LH) and the melatonin metabolite (6-sulfatoxymelatonin; aMT6s) were measured in normal young men following early morning light exposure. Eleven young healthy men ages 19-30 years participated in this study. During separate weeks in counterbalanced order, each subject received both 5 days of bright light treatment (BL) and 5 days of placebo light treatment (PL) for 1 h (05:00-06:00). LH excretion was increased 69.5% after bright light exposure, but was not changed by placebo light exposure. The acrophases and offsets of aMT6s were advanced, but the duration of aMT6s excretion was not changed after BL. Light stimulation of LH could have interesting applications in psychiatry and reproductive endocrinology.

Abstract Darkness can conceal identity and encourage moral transgressions; it may also induce a psychological feeling of illusory anonymity that disinhibits dishonest and self-interested behavior regardless of actual anonymity. Three experiments provided empirical evidence supporting this prediction. In Experiment 1, participants in a room with slightly dimmed lighting cheated more and thus earned more undeserved money than those in a well-lit room. In Experiment 2, participants wearing sunglasses behaved more selfishly than those wearing clear glasses. Finally, in Experiment 3, an illusory sense of anonymity mediated the relationship between darkness and self-interested behaviors. Across all three experiments, darkness had no bearing on actual anonymity, yet it still increased morally questionable behaviors. We suggest that the experience of darkness, even when subtle, may induce a sense of anonymity that is not proportionate to actual anonymity in a given situation.