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Students and instructors show moderate levels of agreement about the quality of day-to-day teaching. In the present study, we replicated and extended this finding by asking how correspondence between student and instructor ratings is moderated by time of semester and student demographic variables. Participants included 137 students and 5 instructors. On 10 separate days, students and instructors rated teaching effectiveness and challenge level of the material. Multilevel modeling indicated that student and instructor ratings of teaching effectiveness converged overall, but more advanced students and Caucasian students converged more closely with instructors. Student and instructor ratings of challenge converged early but diverged later in the semester. These results extend our knowledge about the connection between student and faculty judgments of teaching.

Clinical views of neuroticism-linked distress often make reference to the perseverative sorts of mental processes that reinforce such experiences. The goal of the present 7 studies, involving 488 undergraduate participants, was to directly examine such perseverative processes. Individual differences in response perseveration were operationalized in terms of choice reaction time difficulties switching (vs. repeating) responses across consecutive trials. Response perseveration interacted with neuroticism in predicting negative emotion, dissatisfaction with life, and displays of negative emotion (Studies 1-4). Specifically, neuroticism-outcome relations were quite a bit stronger at high levels of perseveration. Additional studies (Studies 5-7) provided support for the convergent and discriminant validity of response perseveration. Overall, the results highlight the manner in which response perseveration reinforces experiences of negative emotion.

It is well-established that superior cognitive control abilities are associated with lower levels of anger and aggression. However, the precise emotion regulation operations underlying this relationship have been underspecified and underexplored in previous research. Drawing on neuropsychological models of cognitive control, the authors propose that limited capacity resources can be recruited within a hostile situation to promote a process of forgiveness. The results of 2 studies supported this proposal. Across studies, individual differences in hostility-primed cognitive control were assessed implicitly. In Study 1, hostility-primed cognitive control predicted less aggressive behavior in response to a laboratory provocation. Moreover, forgiveness mediated these effects. In Study 2, hostility-primed cognitive control predicted forgiveness of provocations in participants' daily lives and subsequent reductions in anger. In sum, the results contribute to a systematic understanding of how cognitive control leads to lower levels of anger and aggression. Keywords: anger, aggression, cognitive control, forgiveness, emotion regulation DOI: 10.1037/a0018962

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2009.00607.x Byline: Benjamin M. Wilkowski (1), Michael D. Robinson (2) Abstract: ABSTRACT This paper presents an integrative cognitive model, according to which individual differences in 3 cognitive processes jointly contribute to a person's level of trait anger and reactive aggression. An automatic tendency to attribute hostile traits to others is the first of these cognitive processes, and this process is proposed to be responsible for the more frequent elicitation of anger, particularly when hostile intent is ambiguous. Rumination on hostile thoughts is the second cognitive process proposed, which is likely to be responsible for prolonging and intensifying angry emotional states. The authors finally propose that low trait anger individuals use effortful control resources to self-regulate the influence of their hostile thoughts, whereas those high in trait anger do not. A particular emphasis of this review is implicit cognitive sources of evidence for the proposed mechanisms. The authors conclude with a discussion of important future directions, including how the proposed model can be further verified, broadened to take into account motivational factors, and applied to help understand anger-related social problems. Author Affiliation: (1)University of Wyoming (2)North Dakota State University Article note: Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ben Wilkowski, University of Wyoming, Department of Psychology, Department 3415, 1000 East University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071. E-mail: BWilkows@uwyo.edu.

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2009.00606.x Byline: Michael D. Robinson (1), Benjamin M. Wilkowski (2) Abstract: ABSTRACT The situational factors precipitating anger and reactive (i.e., emotional) aggression have been well documented in the social psychology literature. However, there are pronounced individual differences in reactivity to hostile cues that are equally important in understanding such outcomes. Indeed, in predicting tendencies toward anger and reactive aggression, it appears critical to simultaneously consider both individual difference and situational factors. This case is first made. Subsequently, the utility of this individual difference realm in understanding wider personality processes related to social cognition, reactivity, and self-regulation is highlighted. Individual difference frameworks of this type are scattered across multiple literatures. For this reason, the present special section of the Journal of Personality invited contributions from experts in developmental, social, cognitive, trait, and biological subdisciplines of psychology. The final section introduces the invited papers and makes a brief case for broader process-related conclusions that are generally apparent. Author Affiliation: (1)North Dakota State University (2)University of Wyoming Article note: Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Michael Robinson, Psychology (NDSU Dept 2765), PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050. E-mail: Michael.D.Robinson@ndsu.edu.

Although many psychological models suggest that human beings are invariably motivated to avoid negative stimuli, more recent theories suggest that people are frequently motivated to approach angering social challenges in order to confront and overcome them. To examine these models, the current investigation sought to determine whether angry facial expressions potentiate approach-motivated motor behaviors. Across 3 studies, individuals were faster to initiate approach movements toward angry facial expressions than to initiate avoidance movements away from such facial expressions. This approach advantage differed significantly from participants' responses to both emotionally neutral (Studies 1 & 3) and fearful (Study 2) facial expressions. Furthermore, this pattern was most apparent when physical approach appeared to be effective in overcoming the social challenge posed by angry facial expressions (Study 3). The results are discussed in terms of the processes underlying anger-related approach motivation and the conditions under which they are likely to arise. Keywords: anger, approach motivation, motor behavior, facial expressions DOI: 10.1037/a0017992

Objectives: Past taxonomies of goal‐content have focused (either exclusively or predominantly) on generally‐desirable values, and they suggest that some values oppose other values. However, many goals are generally‐undesirable (i.e., the average person is committed to avoiding them), and these "vices" have been under‐studied. This is an important gap because other models suggest that the "opposite" of a value is actually a vice. Methods: To fill this gap, we conducted a lexical investigation. Two large samples (involving 504 undergraduates & 257 online participants) first rated their commitment to approaching or avoiding a large number of goals from the English lexicon. Results: Analyses indicated that vices can be summarized in terms of Elitism, Rebellion, and Disrepute, which appear opposite from Inclusiveness, Tradition, and Prominence values (respectively) in MDS models. In Study 3 (involving 280 undergraduates) and Study 4 (involving 261 online participants), we found that Schwartz values of Universalism, Tradition, and Self‐Enhancement actually appeared opposite from Elitism, Rebellion, and Disrepute (respectively) in MDS models, rather than from other values. Conclusions: This investigation develops an instrument which can distinguish between different vices at a holistic level, and it suggests that they are actually the opposite of select values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A regulatory perspective on trait anger suggests that low-trait-anger individuals may recruit limited-capacity cognitive control resources following the activation of hostile thoughts. Because no prior studies directly examine such processes, the present studies seek to do so. Study 1 reveals that a simple word-evaluation paradigm can be used to examine individual differences in hostile reactivity, in that high-trait-anger individuals display more pronounced tendencies to evaluate words negatively following a hostile prime. Studies 2-4 examine a cognitive control account of such findings. Study 2 finds that time-limiting evaluations eliminate trait-linked differences in evaluative priming. Studies 3 and 4 find that low-trait-anger individuals display deficits on a secondary task immediately following the activation of a hostile thought. All studies, then, converge on the link between low trait anger and the spontaneous recruitment of limited-capacity cognitive control resources following hostile primes. Keywords: trait anger; affect regulation; cognitive control; priming; aggression

The present studies reinvigorate the construct of traitedness from a cognitive perspective. Tendencies toward habit (vs. flexibility) were assessed by examining response dominance performance within choice reaction time tasks. Consistent with the idea that response dominance reflects a tendency toward habitual modes of thought and action, three studies involving 428 undergraduates revealed that trait-outcome and test-retest correlations were higher among individuals higher in response dominance. In Studies 1 and 2, such trait-consistency effects took the form of stronger relations between extraversion and neuroticism, on one hand, and mood states and behavior, on the other. In Study 3, such tendencies took the form of higher test-retest correlations related to daily experiences of mood states, somatic symptoms, and life satisfaction. Together, the studies reveal a consistent effect of response dominance on trait-like consistency and raise some important issues for future studies of the traitedness construct. Keywords: traitedness; reaction time; extraversion; neuroticism; emotion

Clinical views of neuroticism-linked distress often make reference to the perseverative sorts of mental processes that reinforce such experiences, The goal of the present 7 studies, involving 488 undergraduate participants, was to directly examine such perseverative processes. Individual differences in response perseveration were operationalized in terms of choice reaction time difficulties switching (vs. repeating) responses across consecutive trials, Response perseveration interacted with neuroticism in predicting negative emotion, dissatisfaction with life, and displays of negative emotion (Studies 1-4). Specifically, neuroticism-outcome relations were quite a bit stronger at high levels of perseveration. Additional studies (Studies 5-7) provided support for the convergent and discriminant validity of response perseveration. Overall. the results highlight the manner in which response perseveration reinforces experiences of negative emotion. Keywords: personality, perseveration, neuroticism, cognition, emotion

Many theorists have stressed the benefits of goal‐conducive habits. However, past research has not yet demonstrated that habits benefit goal‐pursuit in daily life independently of more effortful forms of goal‐pursuit. Additionally, it is unclear if habits are triggered independently of conscious self‐regulatory processes. To address these issues, we conducted three intensive experience sampling studies. We found that habitual behaviours facilitated goal‐progress independently of effortful goal‐directed behaviours. Additionally, we evaluated three sets of predictions regarding the relationship between habits and other effortful self‐regulatory processes. The goal‐independent account suggests that habits function independently of planning and testing processes. The goal‐dependent account suggests that habits are influenced by these processes, and the hybrid account suggests that these processes indirectly influence habits through their association with contextual cue exposure. The results were consistent with the hybrid account, in that planning and testing were associated with habit enactment, but this association was mediated by contextual cue exposure. Collectively, our results suggest that one must consider both conscious self‐regulatory processes and automatic cue‐response associations to understand how the benefits of goal‐conducive habits are realized in daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]