Melanie Steffens - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Melanie Steffens
Experimental Psychology, Feb 27, 2015
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 00224490409552222, Jan 11, 2010
Attitudes toward lesbians, gay men, bisexual women, and bisexual men were assessed in a national ... more Attitudes toward lesbians, gay men, bisexual women, and bisexual men were assessed in a national representative sample of 2,006 self-identified heterosexual women and men living in Germany. Replicating previous findings, younger people held more favorable attitudes than older people; women held more favorable attitudes than men; and men held more favorable attitudes toward female than male homosexuality, whereas women did not differentiate. However, women held more favorable attitudes toward homosexuals than toward bisexuals, whereas men did not differentiate. Knowing a homosexual person was an important predictor of attitudes, as was political party preference. Both same-sex and opposite-sex sexual attraction were substantially related with attitudes. Our findings support the notion that attitudes toward lesbians, gay men, bisexual women, and bisexual men are related but distinct constructs.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011
Diskriminierung und Toleranz, 2009
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology A, 1998
Better retention of self-produced as opposed to experimenter-presented material is called generat... more Better retention of self-produced as opposed to experimenter-presented material is called generation effect; the reverse phenomenon is the negative generation effect. Both are found in intentional-learning experiments in which generating versus reading is manipulated between subjects. The present article presents an overview of those findings and aims at clarifying the conditions under which these effects emerge. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrate that if cue-target relations are manipulated within one list, a negative generation effect in free recall can be obtained for all items, no matter which cue-target relation they bear. In Experiment 3, cue-target relations were manipulated between lists. Here, a negative generation effect in free recall was found only in lists in which items were cued with words that mismatched the inter-target relations, whereas a positive generation effect was observed in those lists in which the generation cues matched the inter-target relations. A subsequent cued-recall test demonstrated that in cases of mismatch of relations, participants in the generate condition process cue-target relations at the expense of inter-target relations. The three-factor theory can be integrated with the task-demand account in a transfer-appropriate processing framework to accommodate these findings.
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology A, 1998
ABSTRACT There has been considerable debate about whether or not we need to distinguish between t... more ABSTRACT There has been considerable debate about whether or not we need to distinguish between the acquisition of implicit—and, independently thereof, the acquisition of explicit—knowledge in sequence learning tasks. Proponents of the view that a unitary knowledge base is formed assume (a) that the knowledge acquired is explicitly available, and (b) that information about sequence fragments forms the core of this explicit knowledge. Both of these issues are addressed empirically in the present article. In two experiments, an adapted process dissociation procedure and a suitable measurement model were used to separate recollective (explicit) and fluency-based (implicit) memory processes in a sequence learning task. Experiment 1 demonstrated that fluency-based processes came into play much later than recollective processes. Such recollective processes have been conceptualized as being based on simple knowledge about sequence fragments or chunks. Indeed, Experiment 2 showed that recollective processes are more likely to contribute to sequence judgements if chunks are readily available at test than if they are not. Together, these results are in line with the view that the learning of an event systematicity can be conceived of as the memorization of chunks of events that support both the speedingup of reaction times to systematic events and explicit, recollective memory processes even after relatively little training.
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology A, 2001
Two experiments are reported that demonstrate negative priming for auditory stimuli. Reaction tim... more Two experiments are reported that demonstrate negative priming for auditory stimuli. Reaction times and temporal order judgements were used as the dependent measures in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. In Experiment 1, participants classified tones presented to one ear as wind or string instruments while ignoring tones presented to the other ear. The task was identical for both the prime and the subsequent probe presentations. Probe reactions were slower for previously ignored tones than for tones that had not occurred during the prime presentation. Probe reactions to previously attended tones were faster than reactions to nonrepeated tones. In Experiment 2, the probe reactions were replaced by temporal order judgements. The probability of accepting a tone as antecedent was lower for previously ignored primes than for new tones. No difference was observed between previously attended and new tones. The results are compatible with the conclusion that distractor inhibition is a necessary component of the processes that bring about observable negative priming phenomena.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2005
Psychological Research, 2001
Journal of Sex Research, 2004
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011
Journal of Memory and Language, 2003
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 1998
R. H. Logie and D. A. Baddeley (1987) suggested that event counting may be supported by a phonolo... more R. H. Logie and D. A. Baddeley (1987) suggested that event counting may be supported by a phonologically based working-memory structure referred to as the phonological loop. However, inconsistent results concerning the detrimental effects of irrelevant speech on event counting led them to propose that lexical or semantic representations are also involved. In 4 experiments, the authors showed that this extension of Logie and Baddeley's original conceptualization was unnecessary. Instead, the number of irrelevant syllables spoken per time unit, a factor that was not taken into account in previous research, can explain Logie and Baddeley's results. In addition, the present results support the hypothesis that in cases of interference from the auditory channel, correction processes that help to recover the current running total from past running totals are also involved in counting performance.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 2000
M. R. Banaji and A. G. Greenwald (1995) demonstrated a gender bias in fame judgments--that is, an... more M. R. Banaji and A. G. Greenwald (1995) demonstrated a gender bias in fame judgments--that is, an increase in judged fame due to prior processing that was larger for male than for female names. They suggested that participants shift criteria between judging men and women, using the more liberal criterion for judging men. This "criterion-shift" account appeared problematic for a number of reasons. In this article, 3 experiments are reported that were designed to evaluate the criterion-shift account of the gender bias in the false-fame effect against a distribution-shift account. The results were consistent with the criterion-shift account, and they helped to define more precisely the situations in which people may be ready to shift their response criterion on an item-by-item basis. In addition, the results were incompatible with an interpretation of the criterion shift as an artifact of the experimental situation in the experiments reported by M. R. Banaji and A. G. Greenwald.
Experimental Psychology (formerly "Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie"), 2003
Experimental Psychology (formerly "Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie"), 2009
Research has shown abundant evidence for social projection, that is, the tendency to expect simil... more Research has shown abundant evidence for social projection, that is, the tendency to expect similarity between oneself and others (Krueger, 1998a, 1998b). This effect is stronger when others constitute an ingroup instead of an outgroup (Robbins & Krueger, 2005). A different line of research has shown evidence for ingroup projection, that is, the tendency to use ingroup instead of outgroup features to define an inclusive category (Wenzel, Mummendey, Weber, & Waldzus, 2003). In this research, we examine whether ingroup (i.e., Germans) projection to an inclusive category (i.e., Europeans) is different from the projection of self-attributes to the same inclusive category. In two studies, German participants rated how typical a series of attributes was for the ingroup, an inclusive category, the self, and an outgroup (i.e., Italians). The attributes varied in their relevance to the groups under consideration. The results showed that ingroup projection is stronger than social projection, but only when typical ingroup attributes are concerned. Moreover, ingroup projection weakened when the image of the ingroup was manipulated to be less positive, while social projection remained stable. These findings imply that ingroup projection is not simply social projection.
Experimental Psychology, Feb 27, 2015
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 00224490409552222, Jan 11, 2010
Attitudes toward lesbians, gay men, bisexual women, and bisexual men were assessed in a national ... more Attitudes toward lesbians, gay men, bisexual women, and bisexual men were assessed in a national representative sample of 2,006 self-identified heterosexual women and men living in Germany. Replicating previous findings, younger people held more favorable attitudes than older people; women held more favorable attitudes than men; and men held more favorable attitudes toward female than male homosexuality, whereas women did not differentiate. However, women held more favorable attitudes toward homosexuals than toward bisexuals, whereas men did not differentiate. Knowing a homosexual person was an important predictor of attitudes, as was political party preference. Both same-sex and opposite-sex sexual attraction were substantially related with attitudes. Our findings support the notion that attitudes toward lesbians, gay men, bisexual women, and bisexual men are related but distinct constructs.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011
Diskriminierung und Toleranz, 2009
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology A, 1998
Better retention of self-produced as opposed to experimenter-presented material is called generat... more Better retention of self-produced as opposed to experimenter-presented material is called generation effect; the reverse phenomenon is the negative generation effect. Both are found in intentional-learning experiments in which generating versus reading is manipulated between subjects. The present article presents an overview of those findings and aims at clarifying the conditions under which these effects emerge. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrate that if cue-target relations are manipulated within one list, a negative generation effect in free recall can be obtained for all items, no matter which cue-target relation they bear. In Experiment 3, cue-target relations were manipulated between lists. Here, a negative generation effect in free recall was found only in lists in which items were cued with words that mismatched the inter-target relations, whereas a positive generation effect was observed in those lists in which the generation cues matched the inter-target relations. A subsequent cued-recall test demonstrated that in cases of mismatch of relations, participants in the generate condition process cue-target relations at the expense of inter-target relations. The three-factor theory can be integrated with the task-demand account in a transfer-appropriate processing framework to accommodate these findings.
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology A, 1998
ABSTRACT There has been considerable debate about whether or not we need to distinguish between t... more ABSTRACT There has been considerable debate about whether or not we need to distinguish between the acquisition of implicit—and, independently thereof, the acquisition of explicit—knowledge in sequence learning tasks. Proponents of the view that a unitary knowledge base is formed assume (a) that the knowledge acquired is explicitly available, and (b) that information about sequence fragments forms the core of this explicit knowledge. Both of these issues are addressed empirically in the present article. In two experiments, an adapted process dissociation procedure and a suitable measurement model were used to separate recollective (explicit) and fluency-based (implicit) memory processes in a sequence learning task. Experiment 1 demonstrated that fluency-based processes came into play much later than recollective processes. Such recollective processes have been conceptualized as being based on simple knowledge about sequence fragments or chunks. Indeed, Experiment 2 showed that recollective processes are more likely to contribute to sequence judgements if chunks are readily available at test than if they are not. Together, these results are in line with the view that the learning of an event systematicity can be conceived of as the memorization of chunks of events that support both the speedingup of reaction times to systematic events and explicit, recollective memory processes even after relatively little training.
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology A, 2001
Two experiments are reported that demonstrate negative priming for auditory stimuli. Reaction tim... more Two experiments are reported that demonstrate negative priming for auditory stimuli. Reaction times and temporal order judgements were used as the dependent measures in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. In Experiment 1, participants classified tones presented to one ear as wind or string instruments while ignoring tones presented to the other ear. The task was identical for both the prime and the subsequent probe presentations. Probe reactions were slower for previously ignored tones than for tones that had not occurred during the prime presentation. Probe reactions to previously attended tones were faster than reactions to nonrepeated tones. In Experiment 2, the probe reactions were replaced by temporal order judgements. The probability of accepting a tone as antecedent was lower for previously ignored primes than for new tones. No difference was observed between previously attended and new tones. The results are compatible with the conclusion that distractor inhibition is a necessary component of the processes that bring about observable negative priming phenomena.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2005
Psychological Research, 2001
Journal of Sex Research, 2004
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011
Journal of Memory and Language, 2003
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 1998
R. H. Logie and D. A. Baddeley (1987) suggested that event counting may be supported by a phonolo... more R. H. Logie and D. A. Baddeley (1987) suggested that event counting may be supported by a phonologically based working-memory structure referred to as the phonological loop. However, inconsistent results concerning the detrimental effects of irrelevant speech on event counting led them to propose that lexical or semantic representations are also involved. In 4 experiments, the authors showed that this extension of Logie and Baddeley's original conceptualization was unnecessary. Instead, the number of irrelevant syllables spoken per time unit, a factor that was not taken into account in previous research, can explain Logie and Baddeley's results. In addition, the present results support the hypothesis that in cases of interference from the auditory channel, correction processes that help to recover the current running total from past running totals are also involved in counting performance.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 2000
M. R. Banaji and A. G. Greenwald (1995) demonstrated a gender bias in fame judgments--that is, an... more M. R. Banaji and A. G. Greenwald (1995) demonstrated a gender bias in fame judgments--that is, an increase in judged fame due to prior processing that was larger for male than for female names. They suggested that participants shift criteria between judging men and women, using the more liberal criterion for judging men. This "criterion-shift" account appeared problematic for a number of reasons. In this article, 3 experiments are reported that were designed to evaluate the criterion-shift account of the gender bias in the false-fame effect against a distribution-shift account. The results were consistent with the criterion-shift account, and they helped to define more precisely the situations in which people may be ready to shift their response criterion on an item-by-item basis. In addition, the results were incompatible with an interpretation of the criterion shift as an artifact of the experimental situation in the experiments reported by M. R. Banaji and A. G. Greenwald.
Experimental Psychology (formerly "Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie"), 2003
Experimental Psychology (formerly "Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie"), 2009
Research has shown abundant evidence for social projection, that is, the tendency to expect simil... more Research has shown abundant evidence for social projection, that is, the tendency to expect similarity between oneself and others (Krueger, 1998a, 1998b). This effect is stronger when others constitute an ingroup instead of an outgroup (Robbins & Krueger, 2005). A different line of research has shown evidence for ingroup projection, that is, the tendency to use ingroup instead of outgroup features to define an inclusive category (Wenzel, Mummendey, Weber, & Waldzus, 2003). In this research, we examine whether ingroup (i.e., Germans) projection to an inclusive category (i.e., Europeans) is different from the projection of self-attributes to the same inclusive category. In two studies, German participants rated how typical a series of attributes was for the ingroup, an inclusive category, the self, and an outgroup (i.e., Italians). The attributes varied in their relevance to the groups under consideration. The results showed that ingroup projection is stronger than social projection, but only when typical ingroup attributes are concerned. Moreover, ingroup projection weakened when the image of the ingroup was manipulated to be less positive, while social projection remained stable. These findings imply that ingroup projection is not simply social projection.