Browsing by Subject "Psychology"

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An Absolute Intelligence Scale: A Study in Method
(1918-08) Arthur, Mary Grace
Allocation of attention and the encoding of emotional memories.
(2011-07) Blank, Michael Patrick
Emotional reactivity to visual scenes affects both how we attend to them and how they are remembered, but it is not clear how these attention and memory effects are related. Weapon-focus theories (e.g., Loftus, 1979) suggest that attention is restricted to emotion-provoking parts of scenes, and that such restriction of attention affects the specificity of the memory that is stored. I directly tested whether “weapon-focus-like” restriction of attention predicts subsequent visually-specific memory for emotional scenes by recording eye movements while participants viewed relatively emotional and relatively non-emotional slides during initial encoding. Even though visually-specific memory was equivalent for all types of scenes, different patterns of eye movements predicted subsequent memory for emotional and non-emotional scenes. For emotional scenes only, visually-specific memory was predicted when eye movements were restricted to emotional parts of the scenes during encoding. For non-emotional scenes, visually-specific memory was predicted when more fixations of shorter duration were made, and attention was relatively broadened across the scene during encoding. Experiments 2 and 3 tested whether these patterns of eye movements reflect local or global processing of scenes, but across both experiments, there was no evidence that local and global processing influenced subsequent memory effects. The subsequent memory effects from Experiment 1 were replicated in Experiment 2, but in Experiment 3, a relative broadening of attention – more fixations of shorter duration – predicted subsequent memory for all scenes, a pattern that had only been observed for nonemotional scenes previously. Experiment 4 was conducted to test whether this occurred because emotional reactions to emotional scenes were reduced by having participants simply view each scene, which reduces emotional responses when compared to cases where valence and arousal judgments are made as they were in previous experiments. Experiment 4 replicated the subsequent memory effects from Experiment 3, demonstrating important boundary conditions on the subsequent memory effects established in the first two experiments. These results suggest that qualitatively distinct memory representations may be stored for emotional and non-emotional scenes, but both representations are capable of supporting visually-specific memory.
Analysis of Wind-Driven and Water-Driven Transportation of Gross Solids in Urban Watersheds
(2023) Narváez, Natalie;
Watershed health is heavily influenced by urbanization and the export of associated pollutants such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) that leach into stormwater and accelerate the effects of eutrophication. In urban watersheds, gross solids materials have been shown to contribute significant amounts of P to stormwater runoff. Positive correlations have been identified between precipitation patterns and influxes of gross solids to stormwater runoff. However, the role of wind-driven transportation as a contributor of organic material to urban stormwater solids remains poorly understood in comparison to the role of water-driven transportation. Wind-blown leaf litter has the potential to travel beyond the hydrologically connected areas that bound much of the research on stormwater solids. To address this knowledge gap, a detailed analysis was conducted on identifiable tree material from gross solids samples captured at two different rain garden sites - one parking lot site and one residential street site - with low canopy cover in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan region in Minnesota, USA, to assess the possible mechanisms behind their deposition into the rain garden sites. It was assumed that material from outside of the watershed was transported by wind. Findings showed that material from outside the hydrologic watershed plays a significant role in the prevalence of gross solids, with an average percentage of 29% of material from outside the watershed and 71% from inside the watershed. Material from outside the watershed represented the majority of identified material from the residential street site. Material from within the watershed appeared to rise and fall along with precipitation patterns while material from outside the watershed appeared to fluctuate opposite them, suggesting that material from outside the watershed is more dominant in dryer conditions. Results of this study suggest that material from outside the watersheds represents a significant portion of leaf litter and other plant materials that constitute the organic fraction of urban stormwater solids.
The application of a person-oriented criterion-related configural approach to the relationship between personality traits and work behaviors
(2011-07) Shen, Winny
Within industrial-organizational psychology there exists a voluminous literature linking big five personality traits (i.e., emotional stability, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) with work criteria, demonstrating that personality is a consistent predictor of work outcomes of interest. However, the existing research literature has generally utilized a variable-oriented perspective, looking at relationships among variables, with much less research employing a person-oriented perspective, examining configurations of personality traits within an individual. As a complement to the existing variable-oriented research, the present study utilizes a new criterion-related profile pattern technique developed by Davison and Davenport (2002) to examine the relationship between big five personality configurations or profiles and job performance (i.e., task performance, organizational citizenship behaviors, counterproductive work behaviors) in Study 1 and leadership (i.e., evaluations of performance, promotion potential, and derailment potential) in Study 2. Overall the present results show that the relative contribution of personality level and personality profile mostly cross-validated within a given sample, but there also appeared to be variability in both the form and contribution of the personality profile across samples. Generally, personality level (i.e., mean elevation across big five traits) was consistently related to the work criteria examined across samples. Future research directions regarding the utility of configural methods, sources of variation regarding profile and level effects, substantive meaning of personality level effects, and the usefulness of a configurally-based approach to employee selection are proposed and discussed.
Application of the bifactor model to computerized adaptive testing.
(2011-01) Seo, Dong Gi
Most CAT has been studied under the framework of unidimensional IRT. However, many psychological variables are multidimensional and might benefit from using a multidimensional approach to CAT. In addition, a number of psychological variables (e.g., quality of life, depression) can be conceptualized as being consistent with a bifactor model (Holzinger & Swineford, 1937) in which there is a general dimension and some number of subdomains with each item loading on only one of those domains. The present study extended the work on the bifactor CAT of Weiss & Gibbons (2007) in comparison to a fully multidimensional bifactor method using multidimensional maximum likelihood estimation and Bayesian estimation for the bifactor model (MBICAT algorithm). Although Weiss and Gibbons applied the bifactor model to CAT (BICAT algorithm), their methods for item selection and scoring were based on unidimensional IRT methods. Therefore, this study investigated a fully multidimensional bifactor CAT algorithm using simulated data. The MBICAT algorithm was compared to the two BICAT algorithms under three different factors: the number of group factors, the group factor discrimination condition, and estimation method. A fixed- test length was used as the termination criterion for the CATs for Study 1. The accuracy of estimates using the BICAT algorithm and the MBICAT algorithm was evaluated with the correlation between true and estimated scores , the root mean square error (RMSE), and the observed standard error (OSE). Two termination criteria (OSE = .50 and .55) were used to investigate efficiency of the MBICAT for Study 2. This study demonstrated that the MBICAT algorithm worked well when latent scores on the secondary dimension were estimated properly. Although the MBICAT algorithm did not improve the accuracy and efficiency for the general factor scores compared to two BICAT algorithms, the MBICAT showed an improvement of the accuracy and efficiency for the group factors. In the two BICAT algorithms, the use of differential entry on the group factors did not make a difference compared to initial item at trait of 0 for both the general factor and group factor scales (Gibbons, et al., 2008) in terms of accuracy and efficiency.
Applying Antiracist Research Principles in Psychology: A Case Study of The CARPE DIEM Project
(2024-04) Sabia, Monir; Boles, Mallory; McIntyre, Kleara; Berg, Kalina; Lundeen, Ellen; Arnold, Jax
Historically, developmental psychology research has primarily studied White families through a color- and power-evasive lens and has applied deficit models to other ethnic-racial groups. To rectify inequities in the field and apply research that will promote racial justice, many individual researchers and the American Psychological Association (2019) have proposed antiracist guidelines to best guide researchers, support minority populations, and inform policy. For this poster, we extracted 38 antiracist research recommendations from six published articles, clustering them into four overarching principles, including 1) Supporting and amplifying BIPOC researchers and leadership, 2) Commitment to ethical translational and community-based participatory research, 3) Acknowledgement of researchers’ positionality and racial/ethnic bias within the project and commitment to ongoing learning, and 4) Explicit exploration of participants’ ethnic-racial identities, resilience, and systems of oppression. To illustrate these principles in action, we describe methods and team members’ reflections from The CARPE DIEM (Courageous, Antiracist, and Reflective Parenting Efforts: Deepening Intentionality with Each Moment) Study, a three-year, longitudinal, mixed-methods study evaluating an antiracist parenting intervention for White mothers and their young children. Implementing these principles encourages antiracist practices and equitable research that uplifts marginalized families and communities, and promotes a diverse, collaborative lab culture.
Association Study of CHRM2 Polymorphisms with Substance-Use Pathology and Personality Traits
(2011-01) Kirkpatrick, Robert M.
A growing literature exists on the association of CHRM2 (the gene coding for cholinergic muscarinic receptor 2) with alcohol dependence (Wang et al., 2004), with the broader phenotype of substance dependence in general (Luo et al., 2005; Dick, Agrawal, et al., 2007), and with the still-broader phenotype of externalizing psychopathology (Dick et al., 2008). Additionally, one study has found association between CHRM2 and the personality traits of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness; its authors suggest that personality may substantially mediate the heritability of substance dependence (Luo et al., 2007). Guided by the relevant literature, which is reviewed at length, the present study investigates: (1) the association of CHRM2 and risk of substance use disorders; (2) the association of CHRM2 with personality characteristics; and, conditional on replication of these main effects, (3) the extent to which personality mediates CHRM2’s influence on substance use disorders. We use data from genotyped participants in two longitudinal studies, one of twins and their families and one of adopted siblings and their families. We use Raw Maximum Likelihood in Mx (see Neale et al., 2003) to examine the association of 4 CHRM2 SNPs with personality traits and with composite measures of disordered substance use, while taking into account the phenotypic covariance in different types of families. Our results provide no clear evidence of association of CHRM2 polymorphisms with broad personality traits or substance-abuse pathology. However, the validity of our results is considerably limited by the non-multivariate-normal distribution of the substance-use pathology variable, incompleteness of the available data, use of self-reported ethnicity instead of genomically-determined ancestry, and sparse coverage of the CHRM2 gene.
Avoiding Error: Where Psychology Meets Moral Character (2014-03-13)
(2014) University of Minnesota Duluth. Department of Philosophy; Phillips, Kate
Career decision-making competence: formulation and testing of a measurement model.
(2011-10) Bubany, Shawn Timothy
The study of career decision-making (CDM) has generated a number of constructs and assessment tools that have served to inform and facilitate the delivery of effective interventions. With the intention of promoting greater conceptual clarity and consistency, the construct CDM competence is proposed and defined here as success in completing CDM tasks typically required of individuals during certain developmental periods and within a specific sociocultural context. Toward the central goal of developing a valid measurement model of CDM competence, this study first used EFA to explore the structure of CDM competence to guide the formulation of a measurement model and then tested the CDM model in relation to latent constructs of social and general competence with structural equation modeling (SEM). For female (n= 228), male (n = 143), and entire (n = 371) samples, the EFA resulted in the retention of two factors that were interpreted as a general CDM competence factor and a distress and inadequacy of information factor. Comparison of separate EFA results for females and males suggested the variable of self-exploration may play a greater role in the structure of CDM competence for females than males. From the SEM, fit indices suggested that the data poorly fit the models with scales representing CDM, interpersonal and general competence latent factors for the female, male, and total samples.
Choosing a college major: Factors that might influence the way students make decisions.
(2009-11) Lee, Wei-Chun Vanessa
This current study investigated Janis and Mann's (1977) Conflict Model of Decision Making. Specifically, Janis and Mann's model was tested to examine decision-making styles (coping patterns) and students who either have already decided or who have yet to decide on their college major. Furthermore, the current study is aimed to expand Janis and Mann's model by testing the relationship between coping patterns and other personal variables. The personal variables included in the study were self-esteem, career decision making, self-efficacy, goal instability, personal growth initiative, and vocational interests. Undergraduate students (N = 230) from introductory psychology courses participated in the study. The results showed that the coping patterns from Janis and Mann's (1977) model were not related to any of the personal variables. Therefore, the current study did not find the personal variables played a role in students' decision-making coping patterns when choosing majors. In addition, vocational interests were not related to coping patterns, which meant that, when using Janis and Mann's (1977) model, Holland's vocational interests could not be categorize into rational and irrational types.
Color Theory and Psychological Connections in Marketing to College Students
(2020-12) Pratt, Chloe
There are over 30 million people in the United States that fall into the college-age population demographic (18-24 years old). This accounts for 10% of the total U.S. population (“Status and trends” 2019). Marketing to college students proves to be a challenge at times. Students are not as easily persuaded by advertisements as other demographics are. (Coray, 2020). Marketers face the problem of finding ways to persuade these consumers to purchase their products or services. One of the main ways that consumers are influenced by marketing is through the colors in logos and packaging. Most people, whether they know it or not, have preconceived ideas in their minds of what the different colors represent to them. Although each person has different color associations unique to them, they tend to be consistent between people overall. Marketers must figure out how to use these color associations to form a brand identity for the product or service they are trying to sell. In doing so, they have the ability to persuade consumer decision making. This study was designed to determine how college students perceive each color, and how their color perceptions affect their decision making. The results will be used to determine how to use color to market products or services to college aged Americans.
Community and prejudice: relationships among social capital, intergroup contact, group categorization, and racial attitudes.
(2011-06) Fisher, Emily Lynn
Interpersonal contact with members of different groups can reduce prejudice and encourage people to see members of other social categories as part of their own ingroups. This research examines a quality of the social environment that might facilitate this type of contact: social capital, or the norms about trust and reciprocity within a social network. People who believe that their communities have high levels of social capital may be likely to have positive contact with members of other social groups. This positive contact could then lead these people to focus on their shared identity as members of that community. Both of these processes could lead to improved attitudes about other groups. Two studies are conducted to test these relationships. Study 1 surveys students about their perceptions of social capital levels within their university community as well as their experiences with students of other races and their attitudes about racial groups. This study provides cross-sectional evidence that social capital relates to contact quality, social categorization and racial attitudes. Study 2 extends this theory by investigating how these variables affect each other over time. Panel data support the claim that social capital is an antecedent of intergroup contact and categorization. These two studies provide novel evidence that qualities of the social environment can influence individual-level experiences and intergroup attitudes.
A comparative study of item-level fit Indices in item response theory.
(2009-07) Davis, Jennifer Paige
Item-level fit indices (IFI) in item response theory (IRT) are designed to assess the degree to which an estimated item response function approximates an observed item response pattern. There are numerous IFIs whose theoretical sampling distributions are specified; however, in some cases little is known regarding the degree to which these indices follow their theoretical distributions in practice. If an IFI departs substantially from its theoretical distribution, degree of misfit will be misestimated, and test developers will have very little idea of whether their models provide accurate depictions of true item response behavior. Therefore, a Monte Carlo simulation study was conducted to assess the degree to which many available IFIs follow their theoretical distributions. The IFIs examined in this study were (1) Infit (VI) and Outfit (VO), two IFIs commonly used for the Rasch model; (2) Yen’s (1981) c2 (Q1) and Orlando and Thissen’s (2000) c2 (QO); (3) three Langrange multiplier statistics [LM(a), LM(b), and LM(ab)] proposed by Glas (1999); and (4) Dragow, Levine, and Williams’ (1985) person fit Lz modified by Reise (1990) to assess item fit. The primary research objective of this study was to determine how a number of factors (listed below) affect Type I error rates and empirical sampling distributions of IFIs. The relationship between IFIs and item parameters was also examined. The crossed between-subjects conditions were: IRT model (1-, 2-, and 3 parameter); data noise, operationalized as strictly unidimensional vs. essentially unidimensional data; item discrimination (high and low); test length (n = 15 and n = 75); and sample size (N = 500 and N = 1,500). There were also two crossed within-subjects factors to capture the impact of item and person parameter estimation error. The dependent variables in this study were IFI Type I error rates and empirical sampling distribution moments across 18,750 replicated items. Data were analyzed and summarized using ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and graphical procedures. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to directly assess distributional assumptions. The results of the study indicated that QO was the only statistic to adhere closely to its theoretical sampling distribution across all study conditions. For VI, VO, Lz, and Q1 statistics, sampling distributions were strongly influenced by test length, parameter estimation error, and, to a lesser degree, sample size. In the absence of parameter estimation error, all statistics more closely approximated their theoretical sampling distributions and were affected little by other study conditions. The presence of person parameter estimation error tended to have an inflationary effect on sampling distribution means whereas the presence of item parameter estimation error tended to have a deflationary effect on sampling distribution variances. VI, VO, and Lz functioned very similarly to one another, with Type I error rates tending to be grossly inflated for n = 15 and deflated for n = 75 when both person and item parameter error were present. Q1 Type I error rates were also grossly inflated for n = 15, but were near nominal levels for n = 75. Finally, the LM statistics generally exhibited inflated Type I error rates and were moderately influenced by IRT model and discrimination; only for LM(b) did empirical sampling distributions tend to approach theoretical distributions, primarily when discrimination was lower or for the 3-parameter model at both levels of discrimination.
Comparing classification vs. continuum models of the structure of substance dependence and abuse.
(2009-12) Vrieze, Scott Ian
Substance use disorders are classified as categorical disorders by prominent nosologies [1]. A bevy of structural equation models have suggested dimensional solutions to drug dependence and abuse criteria. However, it is well known that factor models can fit categorical structures, and class models can fit dimensional structures. Recent research has thus compared relative fits of both latent class and trait models, and in some cases mixtures of latent traits. Results have been inconsistent, in large part due to the level of analysis. We attend to both problems by fitting models in a large sample with high base rates of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and stimulant disorders, allowing us to fit complex models both at fine and coarse levels of analysis (e.g., only alcohol items versus all items from a variety of drug classes). In general, dependence and abuse items from different drug classes can be modeled with drug-specific factors, one per drug. When more complex models are fit only to alcohol items, the best fitting model is a mixture of latent traits that maps closely onto DSM-IV-TR [1] nosology.
Comparisons of Chinese and European American college students on individual differences variables hypothesized to predict self-reported interpersonal competency.
(2008-12) Zhou, Shuangmei (Christine)
With the increasing economic development, more and more Westerners have opportunities to travel, study and work in China, which raises interesting questions regarding their abilities to establish interpersonal relationships with Chinese nationals. Previous research on cross-cultural adjustment speaks to the importance of effective interpersonal relationship with host nationals on the overall adjustment for expatriates. Efforts have been made to search for useful predictors that contribute to a successful adjustment process but the evidence is far from conclusive. The current study is designed to address some of the gaps in the literature by applying constructs such as naïve dialecticism, sense of self and indigenous Chinese personality traits, such as Interpersonal Relatedness, to investigate cross-cultural differences in establishing effective interpersonal relationships among Chinese and European American College Students. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated individually for both samples. Multiple regression for moderator analysis and Fisher's Z transformation were used to compare the differences in strengths of correlation coefficients for two samples. Results, limitations and directions for future research were discussed.
The contribution of fear conditioning to pathological anxiety: an investigation of conditioned fear generalization in OCD Traits and PTSD
(2014-08) Kaczkurkin, Antonia
A review of the literature demonstrates a lack of research on fear-generalization processes in many anxiety disorders including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Chapter 2 represents the first study that attempted to investigate the generalization of conditioned fear in individuals with obsessive-compulsive traits using startle EMG and behavioral measures. The results of this study demonstrated that individuals with high levels of Threat Estimation as measured by the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ-44) displayed overgeneralization of fear responses to a greater range of stimuli resembling the danger cue than those with low levels of Threat Estimation. In addition, despite etiological theories proposing that fear conditioning and overgeneralization of fear play prominent roles in the development and maintenance of PTSD, little research had been done on the neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to fear conditioning processes in PTSD patients and none have been specifically conducted on generalization. Chapter 3 investigated the neurobiological substrates associated with the overgeneralization of conditioned fear in PTSD patients using behavioral, skin conductance, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures. This study provides evidence that PTSD patients demonstrate overgeneralization of conditioned fear in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex, bilateral insula, left and right caudate, left inferior parietal lobule, and right superior frontal gyrus. This body of work provides novel evidence regarding the generalization of conditioned fear in OCD and PTSD.
Cortical Maturation and Verbal Fluency in Childhood, Adolescence, and Young Adulthood
(2009-11) Porter, James Norby
Neuroimaging studies of normative human brain development indicate that the brain matures at differing rates across time and brain regions, with some areas maturing into young adulthood. High-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) allows for a detailed morphometric analysis of these changes. In particular, changes in cortical thickness may index maturational progressions from an overabundance of neuropil toward efficiently pruned neural networks. Changes in sMRI measures have rarely been examined in relation to neuropsychological functions. In this study, healthy right-handed adolescents completed sMRI scanning and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT). Age-related associations of task performance and cortical thickness were assessed with cortical-surface-based analyses. Significant correlations between increasing COWAT performances and decreasing cortical thickness were found in left hemisphere language regions, including Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas. Task performance was also correlated with regions associated with intellectual capacity, effortful verbal and working memory processing, as well as performance monitoring. Structure-function associations were not significantly different between older and younger subjects. However, a main effect of sex was significant in left rostral middle frontal gyrus, with the effect driven primarily by younger males. Decreases in cortical thicknesses in regions that comprise the language network likely reflect maturation toward adult-like cortical organization and processing efficiency. The changes in brain structure that support verbal fluency appear to be reached in the early teens but with separate developmental trajectories for males and females, consistent with other studies of adolescent development.
Cultural Disparities of Suicidal Behavior in At Risk Populations
(2012-04-18) Hamilton, Emma
Adolescent suicide remains a debilitating and tragic phenomenon in the United States. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents, accounting for a greater number of fatalities than the next seven leading causes combined for 15 to 24-year-olds (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2006). Distinct ethnic groups show unique patterns suicidal behavior. “At risk” populations are classified as those with disproportionately high suicide attempt rates, among them being Latinos and African Americans, but also including American Indian/Alaska Natives and Asian American/Pacific Islanders. Because of the immense statistical differences of suicide rates among minority populations, further research is necessary to explore suicide perceptions and suicidal behavior according to various facets: ethnicity, gender, and the distinct risk and protective factors belonging to each group. This study attempted to explore these demographic groups in order to determine which were at further risk for suicidal behavior than others. Latino participants (n=X) were matched with African American (n=X) and American Indian (n=X) participants and each group completed a suicide awareness questionnaire examining perceptions of depression, suicidal risk and coping. Results incomplete but soon to come.
Delay and probability discounting: a longitudinal study of neural, cognitive, and emotional processes contributing to adolescent development.
(2010-06) Olson, Elizabeth Ayer
Adolescence is a time of rapid change in neurobehavioral characteristics, including emotional functioning, cognitive performance, and brain structure and function. The development of decision-making was examined in a group of adolescents (age 9-23) followed longitudinally over a two-year period. Delay and probability discounting tasks were used to assess decision-making. Change in discounting was examined in relation to baseline intelligence, working memory performance, personality factors, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. In addition, contributions of brain structural features to the development of discounting behavior were analyzed. These included cortical thickness, white matter volume, subcortical volume, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures including fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity. Delay discounting, but not probability discounting, showed significant maturation within individuals. Greater than expected maturation in delay discounting was seen in individuals with lower internalizing and externalizing psychopathology and higher positive emotionality. Brain structural factors predisposing toward greater than expected maturation included lower right frontal cortical thickness, larger cinguate and cuneate white matter volumes, larger hippocampal volumes, thicker parahippocampal gyrus cortical thickness, lower fractional anisotropy in the right temporal-parietal-occipital junction, and lower fractional anisotropy in the right amygdala/ pallidum/ hippocampus. Behavioral factors predisposing toward greater than expected change in probability discounting included female sex (for younger participants) and working memory performance (for males). Brain structural factors predisposing toward greater than expected change included cingulate white matter volume and higher mean diffusivity in the left parieto-occipital area. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for development of decision-making processes during adolescence.
Deliberation and intra-attitudinal complexity.
(2011-07) Lippmann, Brad Michael
American civil discourse suffers from the incivility of its rhetoric and the relative disengagement, ignorance, and bias of its citizenry. Without the space or motivation to discuss serious issues in a sober tone, discussion of serious topics devolves into name calling, sloganeering, and a general avoidance of the problems facing the country. Deliberative democratic theory - a normative model of democracy in which citizens engage in effortful, unbiased, reason-based deliberations with one another in service of finding and implementing a common good - has been advanced as a possible remedy to our civic shortcomings (Gutmann & Thompson, 2004). Extant research has shown that properly constructed deliberative environments increase participants' topic-specific knowledge and alter participants' attitudes. The study detailed here extends this line of research by examining deliberation's ability to induce complex attitudes, those with both a positive and negative evaluation of the attitude object. Further, it tests deliberation's ability to do so relative to non-deliberative alternatives in both a general sample and among those likely most and least ready to engage in deliberation. A process model of complexity induction and maintenance is presented and deliberation's relative ability to retain the complexity induced is assessed. Results indicate that deliberation yields comparable or lesser degrees of intra-attitudinal complexity in the short term and no advantage or deficit in the long term. Implications for the study of deliberation and measurement of intra-attitudinal complexity are discussed.

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