The current study investigates whether self-talk phrases can infuence behavior in Ultimatum Games. In our three self-talk treatments, participants were instructed to tell themselves (i) to keep... Show moreThe current study investigates whether self-talk phrases can infuence behavior in Ultimatum Games. In our three self-talk treatments, participants were instructed to tell themselves (i) to keep their own interests in mind, (ii) to also think of the other person, or (iii) to take some time to contemplate their decision. We investigate how such so-called experimenter-determined strategic self-talk phrases afect behavior and emotions in comparison to a control treatment without instructed self-talk. The results demonstrate that other-focused self-talk can nudge proposers towards fair behavior, as ofers were higher in this group than in the other conditions. For responders, self-talk tended to increase acceptance rates of unfair ofers as compared to the condition without self-talk. This efect is signifcant for both other-focused and contemplation-inducing self-talk but not for self-focused self-talk. In the selffocused condition, responders were most dissatisfed with unfair ofers. These fndings suggest that use of self-talk can increase acceptance rates in responders, and that focusing on personal interests can undermine this efect as it negatively impacts the responders’ emotional experience. In sum, our study shows that strategic selftalk interventions can be used to afect behavior in bargaining situations. Show less
Children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often show comorbid emotional and behavior problems. The aim of this longitudinal study is to examine the relation between emotion... Show moreChildren and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often show comorbid emotional and behavior problems. The aim of this longitudinal study is to examine the relation between emotion control (i.e., negative emotionality, emotion awareness, and worry/rumination) and the development of internalizing and externalizing problems. Boys with and without ASD (N = 157; age 9–15) were followed over a period of 1.5 years (3 waves). We found that baseline levels of worry/rumination was a specific predictor of later externalizing problems for boys with ASD. Furthermore, the developmental trajectory of worry/rumination predicted the development of internalizing and externalizing problems in both groups. Our findings suggest that worry/rumination may constitute a transdiagnostic factor underlying both internalizing and externalizing problems in boys with and without ASD. Show less
Stoffels, M.; Nijs, M.; Spinhoven, P.; Mesbah, R.; Hagenaars, M.A. 2017
