Showing papers by "Phoebe C. Ellsworth published in 2009"

Evolution, emotions, and emotional disorders.

Abstract: Emotions research is now routinely grounded in evolution, but explicit evolutionary analyses of emotions remain rare. This article considers the implications of natural selection for several classic questions about emotions and emotional disorders. Emotions are special modes of operation shaped by natural selection. They adjust multiple response parameters in ways that have increased fitness in adaptively challenging situations that recurred over the course of evolution. They are valenced because selection shapes special processes for situations that have influenced fitness in the past. In situations that decrease fitness, negative emotions are useful and positive emotions are harmful. Selection has partially differentiated subtypes of emotions from generic precursor states to deal with specialized situations. This has resulted in untidy emotions that blur into each other on dozens of dimensions, rendering the quest for simple categorically distinct emotions futile. Selection has shaped flexible mechanisms that control the expression of emotions on the basis of an individual's appraisal of the meaning of events for his or her ability to reach personal goals. The prevalence of emotional disorders can be attributed to several evolutionary factors.

"Race salience" in juror decision-making: misconceptions, clarifications, and unanswered questions.

Abstract: In two frequently cited articles, Sommers and Ellsworth (2000, 2001) concluded that the influence of a defendant's race on White mock jurors is more pronounced in interracial trials in which race remains a silent background issue than in trials involving racially charged incidents. Referring to this variable more generally as "race salience," we predicted that any aspect of a trial that leads White mock jurors to be concerned about racial bias should render the race of a defendant less influential. Though subsequent researchers have further explored this idea of "race salience," they have manipulated it in the same way as in these original studies. As such, the scope of the extant literature on "race salience" and juror bias is narrower than many realize. The present article seeks to clarify this and other misconceptions regarding "race salience" and jury decision-making, identifying in the process avenues for future research on the biasing influence of defendant race.

An S-shaped relationship between changes in appraisals and changes in emotions.

Abstract: Previous research on appraisal theories of emotion has shown that emotions and appraisals are related but has not specified the nature of the relationships. This research examined the functional forms of appraisal-emotion relationships and demonstrated that for all seven appraisals studied, appraisals relate to emotions in an S-shaped (ogival) fashion: Changes in appraisals at extreme levels are associated with only small changes in emotions, but changes at moderate levels are associated with substantial changes in emotions. With a few exceptions, ogival relationships were found for the relationships between seven appraisals (Goal Achievement Expectancy, Agency, Control, Certainty, Fairness, Pleasantness, and Motive Congruence) and numerous relevant emotions across different sample-types, cultures, and methods.

Juror Decision-Making: Misconceptions, Clarifications, and LJnanswered Questions

Abstract: In two frequently cited articles, Sornmers and Ellsworth (2000, 2001) concluded that the influence of a defendant's race on White rnock jurors is more pronounced in interracial trials in which race remains a silent background issue than in trials involving racially charged incidents. Referring to this variable more generally as "race saliencer" we predicted that any aspect of a trial that leads White rnock iurors to be concerned about racial bias should render the race of a defendant less influential. Though subsequent researchers have further explored this idea of "race saliencer" they have manipulated it in the sarne way as in these original studies. As such, the scope of the extant literature on "race salience" and iuror bias is narrower than rrany realize. The present article seeks to clarify this and other rnisconceptions regarding "race salience" and iury decision-making, identifying in the process avenues for future research on the biasing influence of defendant race. Copyright iar 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.