We are excited to share news about our forthcoming paper in Journal of Communication on “The Influence of Affective and Cognitive Appeals on Persuasion Outcomes: A cross-cultural meta-analysis.”!
 
This meta-analysis compares the persuasiveness of affective versus cognitive appeals across societies that vary on individualism-collectivism, and affective appeals were found to be more persuasive than cognitive appeals in collectivistic societies, thus suggesting that in persuasion, cultural tendencies to prioritize the group’s needs may encourage the integration of emotions from affective appeals in individuals’ attitudes and behavior.  Preprint here: <pdf>

During this past summer, our lab gathered for a BBQ to celebrate the end of the Academic Year 2023/2024. It was a relaxing and joyful moment where we came together to celebrate the hard work and progress that everyone has accomplished in the past year. During the gathering, we shared great food and stories. Many thanks to Charlie for organising the BBQ, and to Reiner and Charlie for grilling the food. We hope everybody enjoyed the company and the meal, and feel ready for the upcoming year!

Congratulations to Reiner Ng Wei Jie on passing his PhD oral defense! Reiner’s PhD thesis is entitled “What changes the trust for conflicting information: The influence of affect-cognition and subjective ambivalence”, and he examined how affect-cognition matching can increase the extent of subjective ambivalence to consequently reduce the amount of trust that is given to conflicting content. This work offers insights into how subjective ambivalence can explain the decline in trust when people encounter conflicting information – a scenario that is increasingly prevalent in today's media landscape. The findings have practical implications on how practitioners may strategically create content that minimises subjective ambivalence to enhance the trustworthiness of their conflicting but accurate content. We wish Reiner all the best!

Congratulations to Gabriel Goh on passing his PhD oral defense! In Gabriel's PhD thesis "Horizontal-Verticality in Ingroup and Outgroup Derogation: An Integrative Cultural Perspective of the Black Sheep and Ingroup Leniency Effects", he examined how horizontal and vertical cultural orientations shape reactions to deviant behavior within and between groups. This research has implications for understanding cultural variations in social identity processes, intergroup relations, and responses to norm violations at both the ecological and individual levels of analysis. We wish Gabriel all the best!

Congratulations to Dr. Ya Hui Michelle SEE who will be a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University in AY24-25! At CASBS, she will examine when and how the tailoring of persuasion and interventions is effective for improving intergroup relations.

Congratulations to Teo Min Yu who has joined the National Environment Agency! In her master's thesis, Minyu reported her research findings on the effects of disparagement humor on prejudice confrontation. These findings were presented at the 2024 meeting at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (San Diego, CA). We wish her all the best! 

Congratulations to Jenifer D/O Christopher, Yerui Chang, Terance Tan De Lun, Rachel Sng Wei Yi, Teo Min Yu, and Wang Binhui on your thesis submission and graduation! All the best in your future endeavors! 
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Our lab will be giving virtual presentations at SPSP this year! Dr. See has an on-demand research spotlight that features research that examines the use of emotional advocacies by couples who are in romantic relationships. Reiner Ng has a presentation on how affect-cognition matching increases the correspondence between objective ambivalence and subjective ambivalence.  
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