William J. Skylark

Bio: William J. Skylark is an academic researcher from University of Cambridge. The author has contributed to research in topics: Population & Impression formation. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 20 publications receiving 167 citations.

People With Autism Spectrum Conditions Make More Consistent Decisions

Abstract: People with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) show reduced sensitivity to contextual stimuli in many perceptual and cognitive tasks. We investigated whether this also applies to decision making by examining adult participants’ choices between pairs of consumer products that were presented with a third, less desirable “decoy” option. Participants’ preferences between the items in a given pair frequently switched when the third item in the set was changed, but this tendency was reduced among individuals with ASC, which indicated that their choices were more consistent and conventionally rational than those of control participants. A comparison of people who were drawn from the general population and who varied in their levels of autistic traits revealed a weaker version of the same effect. The reduced context sensitivity was not due to differences in noisy responding, and although the ASC group took longer to make their decisions, this did not account for the enhanced consistency of their choices. The result...

Facial appearance affects science communication

Abstract: First impressions based on facial appearance predict many important social outcomes We investigated whether such impressions also influence the communication of scientific findings to lay audiences, a process that shapes public beliefs, opinion, and policy First, we investigated the traits that engender interest in a scientist’s work, and those that create the impression of a “good scientist” who does high-quality research Apparent competence and morality were positively related to both interest and quality judgments, whereas attractiveness boosted interest but decreased perceived quality Next, we had members of the public choose real science news stories to read or watch and found that people were more likely to choose items that were paired with “interesting-looking” scientists, especially when selecting video-based communications Finally, we had people read real science news items and found that the research was judged to be of higher quality when paired with researchers who look like “good scientists” Our findings offer insights into the social psychology of science, and indicate a source of bias in the dissemination of scientific findings to broader society

Social comparison processes in the experience of personal relative deprivation

Abstract: wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jasp | 1 Social scientists have long observed that how satisfied people are with their “lot in life” is largely determined by relative (e.g., what they have compared with what others around them have) rather than absolute standards of affluence (e.g., Crosby, 1976; Davis, 1959; Duesenberry, 1949; Runciman, 1966; Stouffer, Suchman, DeVinney, Star, & Williams, 1949). In a systematic review of these effects, Smith, Pettigrew, Pippin, and Bialosiewicz (2012) emphasized the importance of personal relative deprivation, which they characterized as a process beginning with an appraisal of one’s relative disadvantage leading to perceptions of unfairness that, in turn, give rise to feelings of anger, resentment, and dissatisfaction. Personal relative deprivation is associated with a variety of social outcomes, attitudes, and behaviors (Crosby, 1976; Mark & Folger, 1984; Walker & Smith, 2002). Indeed, since Smith et al.’s review, there has been burgeoning interest in the consequences of feeling relatively deprived, with experimental and correlational research finding that people higher Received: 4 January 2018 | Revised: 15 April 2018 | Accepted: 11 May 2018 DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12531

Initial evidence that non-clinical autistic traits are associated with lower income

Abstract: Among non-clinical samples, autistic traits correlate with a range of educational and social outcomes. However, previous work has not investigated the relationship between autistic traits and income, a key determinant of socio-economic status and well-being. In five studies (total N = 2491), we recruited participants without a diagnosis of autism from the general US population via an online platform and administered the short-form Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) as well as asked a range of demographic questions. We found a negative association between AQ and household income, which remained robust after controlling for age, gender, education, employment status, ethnicity, and socially desirable responding. The effect was primarily driven by the participant’s own income and was mainly due to the social subscale of the AQ. These results provide initial evidence that income is negatively related to autistic traits among the general population, with potential implications for a range of social, psychological, and health outcomes.

Winners and losers: communicating the potential impacts of policies

Abstract: Individual decision-makers need communications that succinctly describe potential harms and benefits of different options, but policymakers or citizens evaluating a policy are rarely given a balanced and easily understood summary of the potential outcomes of their decision. We review current policy option communication across diverse domains such as taxes, health, climate change, and international trade, followed by reviews of guidance and evidence for communication effectiveness. Our conceptual synthesis identifies four characteristics of policy options that make their communication particularly difficult: heterogeneous impacts on different segments of the population, multiple outcomes, long timescales, and large uncertainties. For communicators that are trying to inform rather than persuade, these complexities reveal a core tension between issue coverage and comprehensibility. We find little empirical evidence for how to communicate policy options effectively. We identify promising current communications, analyze them based on the above synthesis, and suggest priorities for future research. Recognizing the particular challenges of balanced, effective policy option communications could lead to better guidelines and support for policy decision-making.

Inequality in the long run

Abstract: This Review presents basic facts regarding the long-run evolution of income and wealth inequality in Europe and the United States. Income and wealth inequality was very high a century ago, particularly in Europe, but dropped dramatically in the first half of the 20th century. Income inequality has surged back in the United States since the 1970s so that the United States is much more unequal than Europe today. We discuss possible interpretations and lessons for the future.

The Extreme Male Brain theory of autism

Abstract: This encyclopedia entry gives the reader a brief overview of the origins of this prominent and sometimes controversial theory, including its origins and key tenets, the later developments of the theory in neuroscientific and hormone research, and the critical response to the theory.

Livestock policy for sustainable development

Abstract: The production and consumption of livestock products are under examination on environmental, human health and animal welfare grounds. However, a wealth of evidence suggests that the livestock sector has complex interactions with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with both the problem and solution spaces for livestock interventions varying depending on the context. To circumvent the uncertainty associated with incomplete or conflicting evidence for making policy recommendations, we suggest a sharper focus on local solutions to global targets, as well as due attention to cross-scale feedbacks that occur between them. Our analysis offers a lens that focuses on balancing both the costs and benefits of the livestock sector, and can be used to define better livestock policy that steers the planet towards a more sustainable and food-secure future. Livestock products are under scrutiny from environmental, human health and animal welfare perspectives. Future policy decisions must address and represent the complexity of the interactions between livestock and the Sustainable Development Goals, and beyond.

A Review of Oxytocin and Arginine-Vasopressin Receptors and Their Modulation of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Abstract: Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) play a key regulatory part in social and affiliative behaviors; two aspects highly compromised in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Furthermore, variants in the adjacent oxytocin-vasopressin gene regions have been found to be associated with ASD diagnosis and endophenotypes. This review focuses mainly on common OXTr single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), AVPR1a microsatellites and AVPR1b polymorphisms in relation to the development of autism. Although these genes did not surface in genome-wide association studies, evidence supports the hypothesis that these receptors and their polymorphisms are widely involved in the regulation of social behavior, and in modulating neural and physiological pathways contributing to the etiology of ASD. With a specific focus on variants considered to be among the most prevalent in the development of ASD, these issues will be discussed in-depth and suggestions to approach inconsistencies in the present literature will be provided. Translational implications and future directions are deliberated from a short-term and a forward-looking perspective. While the scientific community has made significant progress in enhancing our understanding of ASD, more research is required for the ontology of this disorder to be fully elucidated. By supplementing information related to genetics, highlighting the differences across male and female sexes, this review provides a wider view of the current state of knowledge of OXTr and AVPr mechanisms of functioning, eventually addressing future research in the identification of further risk factors, to build new strategies for early interventions.