19 results on '"Munro, Geoffrey D."'
Search Results
2. Gaming in the Classroom: An Innovative Way to Teach Factorial Designs
- Author
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Stansbury, Jessica A. and Munro, Geoffrey D.
- Abstract
This study tested the effectiveness of video game use for instruction of factorial designs in a research methods course. Students designed and conducted a mini study, playing "Dance, Dance, Revolution", using video game scores as the dependent variable. A mixed-design analysis of variance revealed a significantly greater increase from pretest to posttest in content knowledge in the Wii activity condition compared to lecture-only and no-content control conditions. Implementing this nontraditional teaching method engaged students and increased knowledge of factorial designs in a research method course. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure and 1 note.)
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. How Much Evidence Is Enough? Biased Thresholds in Judgments of Scientific Conclusions.
- Author
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Munro, Geoffrey D. and Huang, Ting
- Subjects
- *
SCIENCE journalism , *CITIZEN journalism , *AERONAUTICAL safety measures , *SCIENTIFIC community , *HYPOTHESIS - Abstract
People are biased in their consumption of scientific information. The current research investigated conclusion thresholds, testing the hypothesis that more scientific evidence is needed to arrive at a non-preferred than a preferred conclusion. Participants read brief summaries of scientific studies exploring the nature of homosexuality (Study 1; N = 126) and air safety that supported either the Democratic or the Republican position on the issue (Study 2; N = 311). Participants read summaries until a conclusion could be made about the evidence. Supporting the hypotheses, participants read fewer study summaries when the results of those studies supported their preferred conclusion than when they did not. Recommendations focus on how the scientific community and science journalism can address this bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Political Partisan Prejudice: Selective Distortion and Weighting of Evaluative Categories in College Admissions Applications
- Author
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Munro, Geoffrey D., Lasane, Terell P., and Leary, Scott P.
- Subjects
Political parties ,Universities and colleges ,College admissions ,Psychology and mental health ,Sociology and social work - Abstract
To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2010.00665.x Byline: Geoffrey D. Munro (1), Terell P. Lasane ([dagger]), Scott P. Leary ([dagger]) Abstract: Two methods by which people make prejudicial yet justifiable judgments were assessed in a simulated college admissions paradigm in which participants evaluated 2 applications. In the preference condition, the stronger applicant was described as a member of a different political party than the participant. In the control condition, no political party was indicated. Supporting a political partisan prejudice effect, among strong partisans, the stronger applicant was favored in the control condition, but the weaker applicant was favored in the preference condition. No effect was found for weak partisans. Additionally, participants supported their biases by altering the importance of (Study 1) and distorting the strength of (Study 2) different types of application information. Author Affiliation: (*)Towson University ([dagger])St. Mary's College of Maryland
- Published
- 2010
5. The Scientific Impotence Excuse:Discounting Belief-Threatening Scientific Abstracts
- Author
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Munro, Geoffrey D.
- Subjects
Impotence ,Homosexuality ,Psychology and mental health ,Sociology and social work - Abstract
To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2010.00588.x Byline: Geoffrey D. Munro (1) Abstract: The scientific impotence discounting hypothesis predicts that people resist belief-disconfirming scientific evidence by concluding that the topic of study is not amenable to scientific investigation. In 2 studies, participants read a series of brief abstracts that either confirmed or disconfirmed their existing beliefs about a stereotype associated with homosexuality. Relative to those reading belief-confirming evidence, participants reading belief-disconfirming evidence indicated more belief that the topic could not be studied scientifically and more belief that a series of other unrelated topics could not be studied scientifically. Thus, being presented with belief-disconfirming scientific evidence may lead to an erosion of belief in the efficacy of scientific methods. Author Affiliation: (*)Towson University Article note: (1) Geoffrey D. Munro, Department of Psychology Towson University, Towson, MD 21252. E-mail: gmunro@towson.edu
- Published
- 2010
6. The dark side of self-affirmation: confirmation bias and illusory correlation in response to threatening information
- Author
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Munro, Geoffrey D. and Stansbury, Jessica A.
- Subjects
Self-affirmation (Psychology) -- Research ,Self-perception -- Research ,Confirmation bias -- Research ,Psychology and mental health - Abstract
The effect of self-affirmation on reasoning biases was explored. After participants wrote about a value that was important to them (self-affirmation) or a value that was not important to them (no affirmation), they tested a hypothesis using a task commonly used to study the confirmation bias (Study 1) and assessed correlation from data presented in a 2 x 2 frequency table (Study 2). In both tasks, participants assessed the validity of a hypothesis that had either threatening or nonthreatening implications for their self-concepts. Nonaffirmed participants who tested threatening hypotheses exhibited the confirmation bias less frequently (Study 1) and assessed correlation more accurately (Study 2) than self-affirmed participants or participants who tested non-threatening hypotheses. Results support models of motivated reasoning that propose that information processing is altered in response to threatening information. By ameliorating the threat, self-affirmations can elicit less effective reasoning strategies. Keywords: motivated reasoning; self-affirmation; confirmation bias; illusory correlation
- Published
- 2009
7. Molding the past: biased assimilation of historical information
- Author
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Hulsizer, Michael R., Munro, Geoffrey D., Fagerlin, Angela, and Taylor, Stuart P.
- Subjects
Students -- Political aspects ,Ideology -- Political aspects ,Ideology -- Case studies ,Psychology and mental health ,Sociology and social work ,Kent State University -- Case studies - Abstract
The present study examined whether individuals' current political worldviews would bias perceptions of historical information gathered over the course of their lifetime. Kent State University students from 1995 and 2000 reported their political ideologies (e.g., conservative, liberal) and responded to items assessing their culpability and global attributions about the shooting of demonstrators by the National Guard at Kent State in 1970. The 1995 data revealed consistent support for biased responding to culpability and global attribution items. The 2000 data replicated the political ideology differences of the 1995 data. However, by including knowledge of the incident as an independent variable, the 2000 data revealed that the political ideology bias was strongest among people reporting high knowledge about the event.
- Published
- 2004
8. Using Daily Horoscopes To Demonstrate Expectancy Confirmation.
- Author
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Munro, Geoffrey D. and Munro, James E.
- Abstract
Describes a classroom demonstration that uses daily horoscopes to show the effect that expectation can have on judgment. Addresses the preparation, procedure, and results of the demonstration, and student evaluations. States that the demonstration appears to be effective for teaching students about expectancy confirmation. (CMK)
- Published
- 2000
9. Spontaneous skepticism: the interplay of motivation and expectation in responses to favorable and unfavorable medical diagnoses
- Author
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Ditto, Peter H., Munro, Geoffrey D., Apanovitch, Anne Marie, Scepansky, James A., and Lockhart, Lisa K.
- Subjects
Diseases -- Psychological aspects ,Reasoning ,Motivation (Psychology) ,Cognition ,Psychology and mental health - Abstract
The quantity of processing view of motivated reasoning predicts that individuals are more likely to spontaneously question the validity of unfavorable than favorable feedback even when the objective likelihood of the feedback is equivalent. Participants were videotaped self-administering a bogus medical test revealing either a favorable or an unfavorable result. In Studies I and 2, unfavorable result participants required more time to accept the validity of the test result and were more likely to spontaneously recheck its validity than were favorable result participants. However, unfavorable results also were perceived as less expected than were favorable results, even though the information supplied about their objective likelihood was identical. Study 3 showed that participants evaluating another student's results perceived favorable and unfavorable outcomes as equally likely, suggesting that the subjective likelihood of positive and negative feedback is also subject to motivational influence. Keywords: motivated reasoning; social cognition; illness perception; spontaneous attribution; expectancy processes
- Published
- 2003
10. Motivated sensitivity to preference-inconsistent information
- Author
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Ditto, Peter H., Munro, Geoffrey D., Scepansky, James A., Apanovitch, Anne Marie, and Lockhart, Lisa K.
- Subjects
Human information processing -- Research ,Motivation (Psychology) -- Research ,Psychology and mental health ,Sociology and social work - Abstract
If preference-inconsistent information initiates more effortful cognitive analysis than does preference-consistent information, then people should be more sensitive processors of information they do not want to believe than of information they do want to believe. Three studies supported this prediction. Study 1 found that inferences drawn from favorable interpersonal feedback revealed a correspondence bias, whereas inferences drawn from unfavorable feedback were sensitive to situational constraint. Study 2 showed this sensitivity to the quality of unfavorable feedback to disappear under cognitive load. Study 3 showed that evaluations of the accuracy of favorable medical diagnoses were insensitive to the probability of alternative explanation, whereas evaluations of unfavorable diagnoses were sensitive to probability information. The importance of adaptive considerations in theories of motivated reasoning is discussed.
- Published
- 1998
11. Biased assimilation, attitude polarization, and affect in reactions to stereotype-relevant scientific information
- Author
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Munro, Geoffrey D. and Ditto, Peter H.
- Subjects
Self-efficacy (Psychology) -- Research ,Counterfactuals (Logic) -- Research ,Psychology and mental health ,Research - Abstract
Two studies examined (a) whether biased assimilation and attitude polarization occur in the processing of stereotype-relevant scientific information and (b) the role of affect in these processes. In Study 1, [...]
- Published
- 1997
12. Biases and their impact on opinions of transgender bathroom usage.
- Author
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Clements, Zakary A. and Munro, Geoffrey D.
- Subjects
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TRANSGENDER people , *BATHROOMS , *GENDER-nonconforming people , *PUBLIC opinion , *PREJUDICES , *PERSONALITY , *SOCIAL attitudes , *NARCISSISTS - Abstract
The relationship between personality traits and biased assimilation, evaluating arguments, and persuasive messages more favorably if supporting pre‐existing attitudes, lacks adequate research. Research suggests that higher narcissistic traits are associated with biased reactions. Additionally, research suggests that people with greater scientific reasoning abilities have more biased reactions to information that challenges their attitude, as they more easily locate flaws on topics that oppose their beliefs. Participants (N = 260) completed measures to identify their views on trans bathroom use, as well as other personality and attitude measures. They were randomly assigned to read one of the two articles using fake scientific data that either supported trans people using a bathroom reflecting their gender identity or that they should use a bathroom matching their sex‐assigned at birth. Participants rated the quality of the article significantly higher when their opinion on bathroom use was congruent with the article than when it was incongruent. We used regression analyses with participants' perceptions of the quality of the article as the outcome variable and scientific reasoning scores, narcissism personality index scores, open‐mindedness scores as predictor variables. In the mismatch group, the higher the scores on scientific reasoning, the lower the ratings of the quality of the opinion incongruent article. In the match group, the higher the scores on open‐mindedness, the lower the ratings of the quality of the opinion congruent article. This research suggests that bias reduction is necessary to function in a world where scientific facts are called into question on a consistent basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Perceptions of counterarguing and source derogation as attitude resistance techniques.
- Author
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Munro, Geoffrey D., Lesko, Joseph A., Clements, Zakary, Santoro, Antonia, and Tsai, Jeffrey
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Associations Between Sport Participation, Goal and Sportspersonship Orientations, and Moral Reasoning.
- Author
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Shrout, M. Rosie, Voelker, Dana K., Munro, Geoffrey D., and Kubitz, Karla A.
- Subjects
STATISTICAL correlation ,ETHICS ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,REGRESSION analysis ,SCALE analysis (Psychology) ,STATISTICS ,STATISTICAL power analysis ,DATA analysis ,ACHIEVEMENT ,SPORTS participation ,ELITE athletes ,DATA analysis software ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
This study examined associations between level of sport participation, goal and sportspersonship orientations, and moral reasoning in sport and nonsport situations and orientation by sport participation interactions. Participants were individuals with elite (n = 176), high school (n = 183), and youth sport (n = 78) participation. When judging sport situations, individuals who participated in elite sports demonstrated poorer moral reasoning than those who participated in high school and youth sports. At low levels of sportspersonship, individuals who participated in youth sports demonstrated higher moral reasoning than those who participated in high school and elite sports. When judging nonsport situations, moral reasoning was positively related to positive sportspersonship and negatively related to ego orientation but did not differ by sport participation. Within sport, sport participation and goal and sportspersonship orientations play a critical role in moral reasoning. However, these orientations may be more important than sport participation in moral reasoning beyond the sport context. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Connecting Psychological Science With Climate Change.
- Author
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Munro, Geoffrey D. and Behlen, Margaret M.
- Subjects
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CLIMATE change , *ACTIVE learning , *PERSUASION (Psychology) , *HUMAN behavior , *SOCIAL psychology - Abstract
Students often have little understanding of the role psychological science plays in informing us about the impact of human behavior when addressing climate change. We designed an assignment for a social psychology course based on Frantz and Mayer’s use of the decision tree model of helping behavior to identify the psychological barriers that reduce the likelihood that people will take action against climate change. Students identified one barrier and designed a persuasion or influence attempt to address that barrier. The assignment integrated social psychological topics in several areas (e.g., helping behavior, persuasion). A pretest–posttest design revealed that students’ knowledge of the role of psychological science in understanding climate change increased compared to a control class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Gaming in the Classroom: An Innovative Way to Teach Factorial Designs.
- Author
-
Stansbury, Jessica A. and Munro, Geoffrey D.
- Subjects
- *
VIDEO games in education , *FACTORIAL experiment designs , *EXPERIMENTAL design , *DANCE Dance Revolution (Game) , *RESEARCH methodology , *EDUCATION - Abstract
This study tested the effectiveness of video game use for instruction of factorial designs in a research methods course. Students designed and conducted a mini study, playing Dance, Dance, Revolution, using video game scores as the dependent variable. A mixed-design analysis of variance revealed a significantly greater increase from pretest to posttest in content knowledge in the Wii activity condition compared to lecture-only and no-content control conditions. Implementing this nontraditional teaching method engaged students and increased knowledge of factorial designs in a research method course. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. The Scientific Impotence Excuse: Discounting Belief-Threatening Scientific Abstracts.
- Author
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Munro, Geoffrey D.
- Subjects
- *
SOCIAL psychology research , *HOMOSEXUALITY , *STEREOTYPES , *BELIEF & doubt , *SCIENCE & society , *HUMAN information processing , *SENSORY perception - Abstract
The scientific impotence discounting hypothesis predicts that people resist belief-disconfirming scientific evidence by concluding that the topic of study is not amenable to scientific investigation. In 2 studies, participants read a series of brief abstracts that either confirmed or disconfirmed their existing beliefs about a stereotype associated with homosexuality. Relative to those reading belief-confirming evidence, participants reading belief-disconfirming evidence indicated more belief that the topic could not be studied scientifically and more belief that a series of other unrelated topics could not be studied scientifically. Thus, being presented with belief-disconfirming scientific evidence may lead to an erosion of belief in the efficacy of scientific methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Biased Assimilation of Sociopolitical Arguments: Evaluating the 1996 U.S. Presidential Debate.
- Author
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Munro, Geoffrey D., Ditto, Peter H., Lockhart, Lisa K., Fagerlin, Angela, Gready, Mitchell, and Peterson, Elizabeth
- Subjects
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PREJUDICES , *ATTITUDE (Psychology) , *DEBATE , *ASSIMILATION (Sociology) , *REGRESSION analysis - Abstract
The tendency for people to rate attitude-confirming information more positively than attitude-disconfirming information (biased assimilation) was studied in a naturalistic context. Participants watched and evaluated the first 1996 Presidential Debate between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. Regression analyses revealed that predebate attitudes but not expectations predicted postdebate argument evaluations and perceived attitude change. Participants evaluated the arguments that confirmed their predebate attitudes as being stronger than the arguments that disconfirmed their predebate attitudes, and they perceived their postdebate attitudes to have become more extreme than their predebate attitudes. Self-reported affective responses mediated the association between predebate attitudes and postdebate argument evaluations. The role of affect in information-processing theories and the significance of the findings for sociopolitical debates are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Using Daily Horoscopes to Demonstrate Expectancy Confirmation.
- Author
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Munro, Geoffrey D. and Munro, James E.
- Subjects
- *
EXPECTATION (Psychology) , *HOROSCOPES , *LEARNING strategies , *TEACHING - Abstract
Prior expectations can lead a person to process information in a biased manner such that the expectations are confirmed. Despite its prevalence in everyday judgments, people lack insight into expectancy confirmation processes. The classroom demonstration we describe uses daily horoscopes to demonstrate the powerful effect that expectations can have on judgments. More students reported that the events of a recent day most closely matched the prediction for their particular astrological sign when the astrological signs were presented along with the predictions than when they were not. Students reported that the demonstration was interesting, and 95% of the students correctly answered a question regarding the phenomenon on a subsequent examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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