Browsing by Person "Wilson, Stuart"

Now showing 1 - 13 of 13

Adaptive memory: fitness relevant stimuli show a memory advantage in a game of pelmanism
(Psychonomic Society, 2011-08) Wilson, Stuart; Darling, Stephen; Sykes, S.
A pelmanism (matched-pairs) game was used in order to test the hypothesis that survival-relevant stimuli that are likely to have been present during human evolution (e.g. a snake in attack position) enjoy a memory advantage over other survival-relevant (but modern-) stimuli (e.g. a threatening image of a gunman). Survival-relevant stimuli were matched for arousal, and presented in one of two 5x4 grids along with filler items. Participants were asked to match the pairs in the grids by clicking on successive squares to reveal stimuli. Participants made significantly fewer errors when matching evolutionarily relevant- survival stimuli compared to other stimuli. Additionally, on incorrect trials, attempted matches were significantly closer to the location of evolutionarily relevant targets than for other stimuli. Results suggest that objects which likely posed a consistent threat throughout human evolutionary history are better remembered than other, equally arousing and survival relevant, stimuli.
Collective directional movement and the perception of social cohesion
(Wiley, 2020-01-03) Wilson, Stuart; Mansour, Jamal K.
We argue that perceivers associate collective directional movement – groups moving from one place to the next – with higher levels of social cohesion. Study 1 shows that pairs are rated as being more cohesive when described as engaging in directional movement compared to non-directional activities. Study 2 replicates this finding using film clips. Study 3 reveals that the proximity of directionally moving dyads is a better predictor of perceived cohesion than behavioural synchrony. Study 4 replicates the original finding and reveals that perceptions of common fate and shared goals both contribute to the effect, with the former having more predictive power than the latter. We suggest that collective directional movement is an invariant part of social environments and is utilised by perceivers to make inferences about social dynamics.
Divergent Thinking in the Grasslands: Thinking about object function in the context of a grassland survival scenario elicits more alternate uses than control scenarios
(Taylor & Francis, 2016-03-14) Wilson, Stuart
The survival processing effect is a recall advantage for information processed in the context of a grassland survival scenario. The current studies build upon previous research suggesting the effect is due to elaborative encoding and functional thinking. In two experiments participants completed the alternate uses test- under five conditions: baseline, grassland survival, Ebola survival, moving to a new home & planning a bank heist. Experiment 1 stimuli were everyday objects. Experiment 2 stimuli were functionally ambiguous mystery- objects. Number of generated uses was highest in the baseline, but the grasslands scenario was consistently highest of the schematic conditions. Recall data lend support to the mnemonic superiority of the grasslands condition. Results suggest that grassland scenarios place fewer attenuating constraints on divergent thinking. It is suggested that the survival processing effect might be usefully conceptualised as an effect of creatively thinking about object function in response to broadly defined problems.
Implicit Learning in a Card Prediction Task
(European Journal of Parapsychology, 2007) Wilson, Stuart; Hamlin, Iain
Two experiments are described in which participants were asked to make predictions about which of four cards they would be presented with next. The order that the cards were presented in was governed by a non-salient underlying sequence, in one condition, and by a pseudo random-number generator in the other. In experiment one, playing cards were used, and no effects were found. In experiment two, Zener ESP cards were used and it was found that participants were more likely to make successful predictions in the sequence condition, but not the random condition. Furthermore, correct responses were associated with faster reaction times. We also found that extroversion was positively correlated with success in the sequence condition, as was the extent to which participants reported being guided by psychic forces. These results are discussed in terms of framing effects and task demands.
Interpersonal psi - exploring the role of the experimenter and the experimental climate in a ganzfeld telepathy task
(European Journal of Parapsychology, 2005) Sherwood, S. J.; Roe, C. A.; Holt, N. J.; Wilson, Stuart
This study examined the relationship between participants' presession perceptions of mood and expectations of success, rapport and the quality of the interactions with the experimenter, and the subsequent outcome of the ganzfeld telepathy sessions. A total of 38 ganzfeld telepathy trials were conducted by three different experimenters using an automated free-response testing system. Participants consisted mainly of volunteers from the local community and the experimenters' friends and acquaintances. Overall psi task performance, based upon ratings of the target relative to the dummy video clips, was slightly and non-significantly below chance (mean z - -.015, SD = .81, one-sample t(37)=-.11, p=.90, two-tailed r=-.002); there were no significant differences between the experimenters. The findings concerning potential links between subsequent psi task performance and participants' and experimenters' ratings of their pre-session personal feelings and expectations and their perceptions of the rapport and quality of interaction between all parties are somewhat unclear and, in some cases, contradictory. More qualitative analyses of, for example, filmed interactions between participants and psi-inhibitory and psi-conducive experimenters might identify more reliable predictors of psi performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)
The mnemonic potency of functional facts
(Springer, 2024-12-20) Wilson, Stuart
Learning and remembering what things are used for is a capacity that is central to successfully living in any human culture. The current paper investigates whether functional facts (information about what an object is used for) are remembered more efficiently compared with nonfunctional facts. Experiment 1 presented participants with images of functionally ambiguous objects associated with a (made-up) name and a (made-up) fact that could relate either to the object’s function or to something nonfunctional. Results show that recall of object names did not depend on whether they were associated with a functional or nonfunctional fact, while recall of the functional facts was significantly better than the nonfunctional facts. The second experiment replicated this main effect and further found that functional facts are remembered more efficiently after they have been associated with confirmatory (as opposed to disconfirmatory) feedback. It is suggested that semantic information is not unitary, and that one way of categorising semantic information is in terms of its adaptive relevance. Potential mechanisms are proposed and discussed, along with suggestions for future research.
Perceiving social cohesion: Movement synchrony and task demands both matter
(Sage Publications, 2019-03-14) Wilson, Stuart; Gos, Caroline
Previous research has shown that interpersonal synchrony is associated with a number of prosocial effects. We investigated the respective roles of behavioural synchrony and perceived task demands on perceptions of cohesion by performing two experiments in which participants viewed pairs of point-light figures engaging in four coordinated behaviours. Behaviours were seen twice, once in perfect in-phase synchrony and once with synchrony manipulated (phase-shift: 180° in Experiment 1 and 45°, 90°, 270° and 315° in Experiment 2). Dyads were rated on perceived exertion and perceived social cohesion. Results indicate that in-phase synchrony is associated with higher levels of perceived cohesion and that perceived exertion is a good predictor of cohesion ratings. Two interactions suggest that the effect is not purely perceptual and that participants observing coordinated movement also make inferences about the intentions of those observed. Results are discussed and future directions suggested.
Psi and associational processes
(The Parapsychology Press, 2005) Wilson, Stuart; Morris, R. L.; Pronto, E.; Tiliopoulos, Niko
If psi (1) is a real phenomenon, then logically it should follow some kind of psychological laws. One kind of model would posit that psi information, once it has entered the cognitive system, is subject to similar laws to other comparable incoming information (e.g., weak sensory stimuli--see Beloff, 1974; Nash, 1986; Schmeidler, 1986 for reviews). Furthermore, if the psi process somehow involves existing cognitive processes, then this could serve to reduce the amount of processing exclusive to psi that would otherwise be required. This is not a new suggestion; in 1946 Tyrell postulated that the psi percipient constructed a mediating vehicle which itself is the product ...
Psi, perception without awareness and False Recognition
(The Parapsychology Press, 2002) Wilson, Stuart
This article describes 2 experiments aimed at bringing comparisons between perception without awareness (PWA) and psi up to date. Experiment la is a replication of an established effect in the field of PWA. Participants ( aged 17-39 yrs) were presented with a list of nouns before taking part in an old/new recognition test. If a new test word was preceded by a biasing stimulus consisting of the same word for 50 ms, participants tended to classify the new word as old. This is known as the false recognition effect. Experiment lb attempted to obtain a similar effect using psi as a biasing stimulus. Random new words were displayed to a sender, who attempted to induce false recognition in the receiver by influencing them to respond old. No significant effect was found, although a nonsignificant gender interaction was observed. Results are discussed and future directions are suggested.
The dimensions of deception detection: Self-reported deception cue use is underpinned by two broad factors
(Wiley, 2018-03-30) Hamlin, Iain; Wright, Gordon R.; Van der Zee, Sophie; Wilson, Stuart
Many perceived cues to deception have been reported in the literature, but little attention has been paid to how they are combined when making deception judgments. The present research used a data-driven approach to investigate how cues are integrated when evaluating veracity. 215 participants performed a deception detection task before completing a deception cue use questionnaire. A factor analysis of the questionnaire data produced two dimensions, one associated with nonverbal cues to anxiety, the other associated with detail and level of involvement. The present work extends our understanding of deception detection processes and underlines the importance of examining not just the cues that people use but also the way in which they use them
The Naturalness of Weird Beliefs.
(British Psychological Society, 2010-06-12) Wilson, Stuart
Everyone knows that religious ideas are pervasive and robust, but what is it about our minds that make them so attractive? Even when traditional religious concepts have been rejected, many people are still drawn to the notion that there may be 'meaning' and 'purpose' to existence and find it odd if others don't share these beliefs. Are we hardwired to believe in weird things? Recent theoretical and empirical work has started to inform us that such beliefs may be a natural feature of our evolved minds, making belief the default and scepticism a cognitive effort.
Traveling groups stick together: How collective directional movement influences social cohesion
(Sage, 2018-08-02) Wilson, Stuart; Bassiou, Evangelia; Denli, Aysel; Dolan, Lynsey C.; Watson, Matthew
We tested the hypothesis that the social act of moving through space with others - collective directional movement - is associated with greater levels of group cohesion compared to static activities. We asked participants to imagine participating in activities as part of a same-sex group and found that imagining going on a journey is associated with higher levels of expected cohesion compared to imagining attending a meeting (Study 1) or an event (Study 2). Study 3 replicates the main effect using different manipulations and finds that it persists regardless of whether the imagined group were friends or strangers. Two further studies employed real-world tasks and show that the effect is not a consequence of goal ascription (Study 4) or synchrony/exertion (Study 5). We argue that the link between this activity and cohesion is a consequence of its ubiquity in social ecologies and the interdependence and shared common fate of those engaged in it.
Vitalistic Thinking in Adults
(British Psychological Society, 2013-11) Wilson, Stuart
Vitalistic thinking has traditionally been associated with reasoning about biological phenomena. The current research aimed to investigate a broader range of vitalistic thinking than previously studied. Esoteric notions of energy- are frequently used by individuals when making causal attributions for strange occurrences, and previous literature has linked such thinking with paranormal, magical and superstitious beliefs. Two experiments are described that aim to investigate whether adults are vitalistic when asked to make causal judgments, and whether this can be predicted by thinking styles and prior paranormal belief. Experiment 1 asked participants to rate three causal options (one of which was vitalistic) for six vignettes. Scores on one dimension of paranormal belief (New Age Philosophy) and analytical thinking significantly predicted vitalism, but scores on intuitive thinking and Traditional Paranormal Beliefs did not. Experiment 2 extended the findings by asking participants to generate their own causal responses. Again, paranormal belief was found to be the best predictor of vitalism, but this time Traditional Paranormal Beliefs were associated with vitalistic responses whilst both intuitive and analytical thinking were unable to significantly predict classification. Results challenge previous findings, suggesting that vitalistic thinking may operate differently when applied to everyday causal reasoning