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Why is it that people do not change their behavior in the face of global threats? We hypothesized that when people who have been encouraged to engage in pro-environmental behavior are threatened, they fall back into their (bad) habits instead of exhibiting behavioral change; existential threats may thereby counteract pro-environmental norms. We tested this hypothesis in two field studies in which participants were encouraged to reduce paper use. Although the requests initially resulted in decreased paper use, this pro-environmental behavior ceased when an existential threat was induced. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for social psychology theorizing and behavioral change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research on the effects of attitudes on memory has been conducted for at least 40 years. Although many writers have speculated about the role of opinion in guiding recall, the evidence has been inconsistent. Experts in the field have typically rejected the view that attitudes facilitate recall of supportive information. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the available research on the selective recall hypothesis. Although the meta-analysis generated a significant outcome, the index of effect size was modest (overall point-biserial correlation = .18), indicating that relatively little variance in recall was explained by the independent variable of subject attitude. Delayed memory tests were more likely to result in a positive result. Journal prominence, length of message, and nature of learning environment (incidental or intentional) were all unrelated to effect size. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper questions the usefulness of attribution theory in understanding aged individuals' descriptions of their own behavior. A study is described that indicates research is needed to show that (1) aged individuals are concerned about reasons for their own behaviors and (2) an aged individual's attributions are a major determinant of his/her behavior before using attribution theory to explain aged individuals' behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]