Elise J. Percy | Northwestern University (original) (raw)
Papers by Elise J. Percy
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, 2011
This Article begins with a curious puzzle: Why has the traditional voluntary manslaughter doctrin... more This Article begins with a curious puzzle: Why has the traditional voluntary manslaughter doctrine in criminal law—the so-called "heat of passion" defense to a charge of murder—proven so resistant to change, even in the face of more than a half-century of seemingly compelling empirical and normative arguments in favor of doctrinal reform? What could possibly account for the traditional doctrine's surprising resilience? In this Article, we propose a solution to this puzzle. The Article introduces a new conceptual theory about metaphor—the "sticky metaphor" theory—that highlights an important aspect of metaphorical language and metaphorical thought that has been almost completely overlooked in the existing literature of law, psychology, and linguistics."* We believe the "sticky metaphor" theory may turn
Journal of law and policy, 2010
Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 2019
Through her leadership and commitment to diversity, she has made the Journal and Psi Chi an even ... more Through her leadership and commitment to diversity, she has made the Journal and Psi Chi an even better organization. Following her lead, Psi Chi Journal has implemented a diversity statement and is committed to supporting this statement and standards. Dr. Domenech Rodríguez has left a long lasting impact on Psi Chi-one that we can all be proud of. ABOUT PSI CHI Psi Chi is the International Honor So ci ety in Psychology, found ed in 1929. Its mission: "recognizing and promoting excellence in the science and application of psy chol ogy." (Note. Our new mission statement is available at http://www.psichi.org/?page=purpose) Mem ber ship is open to undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and alumni mak ing the study of psy chol ogy one of their major interests and who meet Psi Chi's min i mum qual i fi ca tions. Psi Chi is a member of the As so cia tion of Col lege Honor So ci et ies (ACHS), and is an affiliate of the Ameri can Psy cho logi cal As so cia tion (APA) and the Association for Psy cho log i cal Science (APS). Psi Chi's sister honor society is Psi Beta, the na tion al honor society in psychology for com mu nity and junior colleges. Psi Chi functions as a federation of chap ters located at over 1,150 senior col leg es and universities around the world. The Psi Chi Central Office is lo cat ed in Chatta nooga, Ten nessee. A Board of Directors, com posed of psy chol o gy faculty who are Psi Chi members and who are elect ed by the chapters, guides the affairs of the Or ga ni za tion and sets pol i cy with the ap prov al of the chap ters. Psi Chi membership provides two major opportunities. The first of these is ac a dem ic rec og ni tion to all in duc tees by the mere fact of mem ber ship. The sec ond is the opportunity of each of the Society's local chapters to nourish and stim u late the pro fes sion al growth of all members through fellowship and activities de signed to augment and en hance the reg u lar cur ric u lum. In addition, the Or ga ni za tion provides programs to help achieve these goals including con ven tions, research awards and grants competitions, and publication opportunities. JOURNAL PURPOSE STATEMENT The twofold purpose of the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research is to foster and reward the scholarly efforts of Psi Chi members, whether students or faculty, as well as to provide them with a valuable learning experience. The articles pub lished in the Journal represent the work of under graduates, graduate students, and faculty; the Journal is dedicated to increas ing its scope and relevance by accepting and involving diverse people of varied racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious, and social class backgrounds, among many others. To further support authors and enhance Journal visibility, articles are now available in the PsycINFO ® , EBSCO ® , Crossref ® , and Google Scholar databases. In 2016, the Journal also became open access (i.e., free online to all readers and authors) to broad en the dissemination of research across the psychological science community.
Oxford Handbooks Online, 2013
APA handbook of personality and social psychology, Volume 2: Group processes., 2015
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2013
This article describes two experiments linking native-language grammar rules with implications fo... more This article describes two experiments linking native-language grammar rules with implications for perception of similarity and recognition memory. In prenominal languages (e.g., English), adjectives usually precede nouns, whereas in postnominal languages (e.g., Portuguese), nouns usually precede adjectives. We explored the influence of such rules upon similarity judgments about, and recognition of, objects with multiple category attributes (one nominal attribute and one adjectival attribute). The results supported the hypothesized primacy effect of native-language word order such that nouns generally carried more weight for Portuguese speakers than for English speakers. This pattern was observed for judgments of similarity (i.e., Portuguese speakers tended to judge objects that shared a noun-designated attribute as more similar than did English speakers), as well as for false alarms in recognition memory (i.e., Portuguese speakers tended to falsely recognize more objects if they possessed a familiar noun attribute, relative to English speakers). The implications of such linguistic effects for the cognition of similarity and memory are discussed.
Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 2014
Interpersonal touch is a hallmark of close relationships (Monsour, 1992) and both signifies and r... more Interpersonal touch is a hallmark of close relationships (Monsour, 1992) and both signifies and reinforces the bond between individuals who rely upon one another (see Fiske, 1992, 2004). When administered by an outgroup member, might this embodied cue to friendship reduce prejudice? To address this question, the present research investigated the effects of touch as literal "intergroup contact." EFFECTS OF INTERPERSONAL TOUCH Incidental touch, even between strangers, has repeatedly been shown to increase prosocial behavior and compliance (see Gallace & Spence, 2010). For example, customers who are touched by a waitress tend to give larger tips (e.g., Crusco & Wetzel, 1984), and touched men cooperate more in a public goods game (Kurzban, 2001). These findings are consistent with developmental and neuropsychological evidence (
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011
Counterfactual thoughts typically take the form of implied or explicit if-then statements. We pro... more Counterfactual thoughts typically take the form of implied or explicit if-then statements. We propose that the multiplicative combination of "if likelihood" (the degree to which the antecedent condition of the counterfactual is perceived to be likely) and "then likelihood" (the perceived conditional likelihood of the outcome of the counterfactual, given the antecedent condition) determine the strength and impact of counterfactuals. This construct, termed counterfactual potency, is a reliable predictor of the degree of influence of counterfactual thinking upon judgments of regret, causation, and responsibility. Through 4 studies, we demonstrate the predictive power of this construct in a variety of contexts and show that it plays a causal role in determining the strength of the effects of counterfactual thought. Implications of counterfactual potency as a central factor of counterfactual influence are discussed.
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, 2011
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2009
In the present research, we investigated the influence of native-language adjective-noun word ord... more In the present research, we investigated the influence of native-language adjective-noun word order on category accessibility for nouns and adjectives by comparing Portuguese speakers (in whose language nouns precede adjectives) with English speakers (in whose language adjectives precede nouns). In two studies, we presented participants with different numbers of verbal or pictorial stimuli, and subsequently they answered questions about noun- and adjective-conditioned frequencies. The results demonstrated a primacy effect of nativelanguage word order. Specifically, although both populations showed a speed advantage for noun-conditioned questions, this tendency was significantly stronger for Portuguese than for American participants. We discuss the important role of native-language syntax rules for the categorization and representation of information.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011
When making decisions, people typically gather information from both social and nonsocial sources... more When making decisions, people typically gather information from both social and nonsocial sources, such as advice from others and direct experience. This research adapted a cognitive learning paradigm to examine the process by which people learn what sources of information are credible. When participants relied on advice alone to make decisions, their learning of source reliability proceeded in a manner analogous to traditional cue learning processes and replicated the established learning phenomena. However, when advice and nonsocial cues were encountered together as an established phenomenon, blocking (ignoring redundant information) did not occur. Our results suggest that extant cognitive learning models can accommodate either advice or nonsocial cues in isolation. However, the combination of advice and nonsocial cues (a context more typically encountered in daily life) leads to different patterns of learning, in which mutually supportive information from different types of sources is not regarded as redundant and may be particularly compelling. For these situations, cognitive learning models still constitute a promising explanatory tool but one that must be expanded. As such, these findings have important implications for social psychological theory and for cognitive models of learning.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2009
Stereotype formation may be based on the exaggeration of real group differences (category accentu... more Stereotype formation may be based on the exaggeration of real group differences (category accentuation) or the misperception of group differences that do not exist (illusory correlation). This research sought to account for both phenomena with J. K. attention theory of category learning. According to the model, the features of majority groups are learned earlier than the features of minority groups. In turn, the features that become associated with a minority are those that most distinguish it from the majority. This second process is driven by an attention-shifting mechanism that directs attention toward group-attribute pairings that facilitate differentiation of the two groups and may lead to the formation of stronger minority stereotypes. Five experiments supported this model as a common account for category accentuation and distinctiveness-based illusory correlation. Implications for the natures of stereotype formation, illusory correlation, and impression formation are discussed.
Journal of Law & Policy, 2011
Drafts by Elise J. Percy
Manipulation intended to induce awareness of one's own idiosyncratic tendencies, potentially as a... more Manipulation intended to induce awareness of one's own idiosyncratic tendencies, potentially as a means of reducing prejudice against any groups socially identified as "odd", "weird", or "crazy" by way of becoming aware of the degree to which each of us deviates from "normal". Special thanks to Alison Place.
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, 2011
This Article begins with a curious puzzle: Why has the traditional voluntary manslaughter doctrin... more This Article begins with a curious puzzle: Why has the traditional voluntary manslaughter doctrine in criminal law—the so-called "heat of passion" defense to a charge of murder—proven so resistant to change, even in the face of more than a half-century of seemingly compelling empirical and normative arguments in favor of doctrinal reform? What could possibly account for the traditional doctrine's surprising resilience? In this Article, we propose a solution to this puzzle. The Article introduces a new conceptual theory about metaphor—the "sticky metaphor" theory—that highlights an important aspect of metaphorical language and metaphorical thought that has been almost completely overlooked in the existing literature of law, psychology, and linguistics."* We believe the "sticky metaphor" theory may turn
Journal of law and policy, 2010
Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 2019
Through her leadership and commitment to diversity, she has made the Journal and Psi Chi an even ... more Through her leadership and commitment to diversity, she has made the Journal and Psi Chi an even better organization. Following her lead, Psi Chi Journal has implemented a diversity statement and is committed to supporting this statement and standards. Dr. Domenech Rodríguez has left a long lasting impact on Psi Chi-one that we can all be proud of. ABOUT PSI CHI Psi Chi is the International Honor So ci ety in Psychology, found ed in 1929. Its mission: "recognizing and promoting excellence in the science and application of psy chol ogy." (Note. Our new mission statement is available at http://www.psichi.org/?page=purpose) Mem ber ship is open to undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and alumni mak ing the study of psy chol ogy one of their major interests and who meet Psi Chi's min i mum qual i fi ca tions. Psi Chi is a member of the As so cia tion of Col lege Honor So ci et ies (ACHS), and is an affiliate of the Ameri can Psy cho logi cal As so cia tion (APA) and the Association for Psy cho log i cal Science (APS). Psi Chi's sister honor society is Psi Beta, the na tion al honor society in psychology for com mu nity and junior colleges. Psi Chi functions as a federation of chap ters located at over 1,150 senior col leg es and universities around the world. The Psi Chi Central Office is lo cat ed in Chatta nooga, Ten nessee. A Board of Directors, com posed of psy chol o gy faculty who are Psi Chi members and who are elect ed by the chapters, guides the affairs of the Or ga ni za tion and sets pol i cy with the ap prov al of the chap ters. Psi Chi membership provides two major opportunities. The first of these is ac a dem ic rec og ni tion to all in duc tees by the mere fact of mem ber ship. The sec ond is the opportunity of each of the Society's local chapters to nourish and stim u late the pro fes sion al growth of all members through fellowship and activities de signed to augment and en hance the reg u lar cur ric u lum. In addition, the Or ga ni za tion provides programs to help achieve these goals including con ven tions, research awards and grants competitions, and publication opportunities. JOURNAL PURPOSE STATEMENT The twofold purpose of the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research is to foster and reward the scholarly efforts of Psi Chi members, whether students or faculty, as well as to provide them with a valuable learning experience. The articles pub lished in the Journal represent the work of under graduates, graduate students, and faculty; the Journal is dedicated to increas ing its scope and relevance by accepting and involving diverse people of varied racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious, and social class backgrounds, among many others. To further support authors and enhance Journal visibility, articles are now available in the PsycINFO ® , EBSCO ® , Crossref ® , and Google Scholar databases. In 2016, the Journal also became open access (i.e., free online to all readers and authors) to broad en the dissemination of research across the psychological science community.
Oxford Handbooks Online, 2013
APA handbook of personality and social psychology, Volume 2: Group processes., 2015
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2013
This article describes two experiments linking native-language grammar rules with implications fo... more This article describes two experiments linking native-language grammar rules with implications for perception of similarity and recognition memory. In prenominal languages (e.g., English), adjectives usually precede nouns, whereas in postnominal languages (e.g., Portuguese), nouns usually precede adjectives. We explored the influence of such rules upon similarity judgments about, and recognition of, objects with multiple category attributes (one nominal attribute and one adjectival attribute). The results supported the hypothesized primacy effect of native-language word order such that nouns generally carried more weight for Portuguese speakers than for English speakers. This pattern was observed for judgments of similarity (i.e., Portuguese speakers tended to judge objects that shared a noun-designated attribute as more similar than did English speakers), as well as for false alarms in recognition memory (i.e., Portuguese speakers tended to falsely recognize more objects if they possessed a familiar noun attribute, relative to English speakers). The implications of such linguistic effects for the cognition of similarity and memory are discussed.
Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 2014
Interpersonal touch is a hallmark of close relationships (Monsour, 1992) and both signifies and r... more Interpersonal touch is a hallmark of close relationships (Monsour, 1992) and both signifies and reinforces the bond between individuals who rely upon one another (see Fiske, 1992, 2004). When administered by an outgroup member, might this embodied cue to friendship reduce prejudice? To address this question, the present research investigated the effects of touch as literal "intergroup contact." EFFECTS OF INTERPERSONAL TOUCH Incidental touch, even between strangers, has repeatedly been shown to increase prosocial behavior and compliance (see Gallace & Spence, 2010). For example, customers who are touched by a waitress tend to give larger tips (e.g., Crusco & Wetzel, 1984), and touched men cooperate more in a public goods game (Kurzban, 2001). These findings are consistent with developmental and neuropsychological evidence (
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011
Counterfactual thoughts typically take the form of implied or explicit if-then statements. We pro... more Counterfactual thoughts typically take the form of implied or explicit if-then statements. We propose that the multiplicative combination of "if likelihood" (the degree to which the antecedent condition of the counterfactual is perceived to be likely) and "then likelihood" (the perceived conditional likelihood of the outcome of the counterfactual, given the antecedent condition) determine the strength and impact of counterfactuals. This construct, termed counterfactual potency, is a reliable predictor of the degree of influence of counterfactual thinking upon judgments of regret, causation, and responsibility. Through 4 studies, we demonstrate the predictive power of this construct in a variety of contexts and show that it plays a causal role in determining the strength of the effects of counterfactual thought. Implications of counterfactual potency as a central factor of counterfactual influence are discussed.
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, 2011
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2009
In the present research, we investigated the influence of native-language adjective-noun word ord... more In the present research, we investigated the influence of native-language adjective-noun word order on category accessibility for nouns and adjectives by comparing Portuguese speakers (in whose language nouns precede adjectives) with English speakers (in whose language adjectives precede nouns). In two studies, we presented participants with different numbers of verbal or pictorial stimuli, and subsequently they answered questions about noun- and adjective-conditioned frequencies. The results demonstrated a primacy effect of nativelanguage word order. Specifically, although both populations showed a speed advantage for noun-conditioned questions, this tendency was significantly stronger for Portuguese than for American participants. We discuss the important role of native-language syntax rules for the categorization and representation of information.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011
When making decisions, people typically gather information from both social and nonsocial sources... more When making decisions, people typically gather information from both social and nonsocial sources, such as advice from others and direct experience. This research adapted a cognitive learning paradigm to examine the process by which people learn what sources of information are credible. When participants relied on advice alone to make decisions, their learning of source reliability proceeded in a manner analogous to traditional cue learning processes and replicated the established learning phenomena. However, when advice and nonsocial cues were encountered together as an established phenomenon, blocking (ignoring redundant information) did not occur. Our results suggest that extant cognitive learning models can accommodate either advice or nonsocial cues in isolation. However, the combination of advice and nonsocial cues (a context more typically encountered in daily life) leads to different patterns of learning, in which mutually supportive information from different types of sources is not regarded as redundant and may be particularly compelling. For these situations, cognitive learning models still constitute a promising explanatory tool but one that must be expanded. As such, these findings have important implications for social psychological theory and for cognitive models of learning.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2009
Stereotype formation may be based on the exaggeration of real group differences (category accentu... more Stereotype formation may be based on the exaggeration of real group differences (category accentuation) or the misperception of group differences that do not exist (illusory correlation). This research sought to account for both phenomena with J. K. attention theory of category learning. According to the model, the features of majority groups are learned earlier than the features of minority groups. In turn, the features that become associated with a minority are those that most distinguish it from the majority. This second process is driven by an attention-shifting mechanism that directs attention toward group-attribute pairings that facilitate differentiation of the two groups and may lead to the formation of stronger minority stereotypes. Five experiments supported this model as a common account for category accentuation and distinctiveness-based illusory correlation. Implications for the natures of stereotype formation, illusory correlation, and impression formation are discussed.
Journal of Law & Policy, 2011
Manipulation intended to induce awareness of one's own idiosyncratic tendencies, potentially as a... more Manipulation intended to induce awareness of one's own idiosyncratic tendencies, potentially as a means of reducing prejudice against any groups socially identified as "odd", "weird", or "crazy" by way of becoming aware of the degree to which each of us deviates from "normal". Special thanks to Alison Place.