Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Exploring the moderating roles of expectation-bias belief and the ambiguity of stimulus effects on expectation effects(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2015) Carstens Namie, Emily Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ian M. HandleyExpectations about an upcoming experience often bias the actual or perceived experience later, a phenomenon known as the expectation effect (or bias). However, this phenomenon does not happen all of the time. Previous research shows that the level of belief one has that their expectations bias their experience moderates the influence of expectation effects on experience. However, research findings supporting this moderation conflict. Early research found that people higher in the belief that expectations bias their experience tend to correct against expectations and experience less expectation effects than people who are lower in such beliefs. Newer research found the complete opposite; people higher in belief that their expectations bias them experienced more expectation effects than people lower in expectation-bias belief. To explain these opposing patterns of results, the current thesis explored the possibility that the ambiguity of stimulus effects moderates the effect of expectation and expectation-bias belief on experience evaluations. Thus, the present thesis tested the hypothesis that people higher in expectation-bias belief would experience less expectation effects when encountering an ambiguous stimuli and more expectation effects when encountering a less ambiguous (concrete) stimuli, relative to people lower in this belief. In a reported experiment, participants were randomly assigned to either a control condition that received no expectation about the affective influence of an upcoming picture set, or a negative-expectation condition that received an expectation of negative affect regarding an upcoming picture set. Next, participants viewed the pictures and then completed measures of affect and expectation-bias belief. Statistical analyses revealed a significant interaction between expectations and expectation-bias belief in a pattern that replicated previous research by Carstens Namie and Handley (2005). However, the results did not support the overall hypothesis that stimulus ambiguity would moderate the interaction between expectations and expectation-bias belief. Explanations of the results, alternative explanations of the previous research, and possibilities for future research are discussed.Item Active versus passive expectancy for words(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1983) Nickol, Leo HenryItem The effect of action and inaction goals on the use of internal and external expectations(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2012) Jackson, Janine Michelle; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ian M. HandleyResearch consistent with the placebo effect demonstrates that expectations congruently influence perceptions and judgments of an experience (Price, Chung, & Robinson, 2005). Furthermore, expectations usually come from either external sources such as provided or situational information or internal sources such as prior experience with the stimuli (Stewart-Williams, 2004). Additionally, primes affect how external expectations influence an experience (Geers et al., 2005; Yosai et al., 2012). Internal expectations are similar to pre-existing attitudes, and action and inaction primes affect whether pre-existing attitudes affect attitude change (Albarracín & Handley, 2011). Given this, action and inaction goals should also influence the extent to which internal and external expectations affect perception of an experience. In a reported experiment, participants initially did or did not experience irritating noise blasts, and were then primed with action, inaction, or neutral goals. Participants then received information that a change in a computer screen color would produce calming affects, or they were told the color was a screen saver. All participants then experienced and rated a final set of noise blasts. Other dependent measures were also included that assessed evaluations of the information manipulation and comparative ratings of the stimuli. For individuals with relevant screen information and prior experience, it was predicted that action goals would increase the influence of the internal expectation on perception, and inaction primes would decrease the influence of the internal expectation on perception. For individuals with relevant screen information and no prior experience, action primes should increase the influence of the external expectation on perception, and inaction primes will decrease the influence of the external expectation. Inaction primes had the predicted effects on evaluations of the information manipulation, but not on direct ratings of the sounds or comparative ratings of the stimuli. Inaction inhibited the influence of the relevant external expectation in the prior experience group, and also inhibited the influence of the internal expectations in the prior experience-relevant information group. These results provide support for the conclusion that action and inaction primes influence the use of internal or external expectations in the interpretation of an experience. Future research and other implications are discussed.