In the past two decades, the advance in computational power and the availability of social interaction data have opened the way for applying statistical physics such as Monte-Carlo simulations, mean-field approximations, and theories of non-linear dynamics and network topology to explain and predict social dynamics. Opinion dynamics is an important topic in the study of social dynamics. In particular, Social Judgment Theory (SJT) is a well-established theory which explains how an individual's opinion changes upon encountering a new idea. SJT is not limited to predicting individual behavior. It also provides a framework for us to exploit statistical mechanical methods to simulate the collective opinion dynamics. Therefore, we proposed a SJT-based model to study opinion dynamics by using both agent-based and density-based approaches. Our model can be regarded as an extension of the famous Deffuant model. Unlike the Deffuant model, our model exhibits opinion polarization, which is a crucial topic in the real world. Through in-depth investigation, we found that the boomerang effect suggested in SJT could be an origin of opinion polarization. In this thesis, I presented and compared the results obtained from agent-based and density-based approaches. I also applied mean-field analysis to explain the interesting observations in phase diagrams and collective opinion dynamics. Lastly, by further adapting our model to heterogeneous agents, I discovered that advocating open-mindedness to a small fraction of agents could reduce the total number of final opinion clusters and the degree of opinion polarization. Our findings might help us to search for feasible solutions towards the problem of opinion polarization. / published_or_final_version / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy

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根據進化心理學理論，厭惡情緒是通過啟動回避行為來抵禦潛在的病菌的感染而演化出來的行為免疫系統。在進化過程中，厭惡情緒通過組間和組內兩種策略來防止病菌的侵害。組間策略包括回避組間個體以及可能攜帶病菌的人或物，組內策略包括作出更多的從眾行為以及更嚴格的道德判斷。本研究旨在對厭惡情緒的組內策略進行研究。已有實驗顯示厭惡情緒促使成年被試對道德違背行為的判斷更嚴格以及做出更多的從眾行為。目前還沒有研究考察這種影響隨著年齡的增長會出現怎樣變化，因此本研究從發展的角度考察厭惡情緒對道德判斷和從眾行為的影響。研究一以小學一年級、四年級兒童和成人為被試。結果顯示，厭惡組中小學四年級和成人的道德評價比中性組更為嚴格；控制組中一年級、四年級和成人被試都存在厭惡情緒評分與行為判斷的相關。研究二以小學一年級、五年級、初中以及高中學生為被試，使用焦慮情緒和中性情緒啟動組作為對照。研究發現厭惡情緒對被試的從眾得分影響不顯著。對控制組中的五年級、初中和高中被試的回歸分析發現，厭惡圖片引發的焦慮情緒越高從眾得分越高。在社會道德反射問卷上，五年級和高中的厭惡組被試的道德判斷比中性組更為嚴格。在道德違背行為判斷上，五年級和高中的厭惡組被試的道德評價比焦慮組更為嚴格。同時回歸分析發現厭惡圖片引發的厭惡情緒越高道德判斷越嚴格。 / 與預期一致，厭惡情緒對小學低年級兒童的道德判斷並沒有影響，厭惡情緒對道德判斷的影響出現在小學高年級，並從高中階段一直持續到成人階段。與預期不符的是，厭惡情緒對初中生的道德判斷沒有影響。此外，沒有出現厭惡情緒對從眾行為的影響，而是發現厭惡圖片誘發的焦慮感受越強從眾行為越多。總之，本研究發現厭惡情緒可能是道德判斷內化的基礎，而厭惡材料引發的焦慮情緒可能是引起從眾行為增加的原因。將來的研究可以重點考察厭惡情緒的組內策略在中學階段是如何發展的，以及厭惡啟動材料誘發的厭惡情緒和焦慮情緒對從眾行為是否有不同的影響。 / According to the perspective of evolutionary psychology, disgust is an integral part of behavioral immune system evolvedto resist the potential infectious disease by activating avoidance behavior. Specifically, disease infection can be minimized by between-group vs. within-group strategies of disgusting emotion, i.e., by avoiding out-group people and those who may carry disease vs. by complying with the majority and with rigid morality standards, respectively. This dissertation focuses on the within-group strategy. Previous studies showed that disgusting emotion increased conformity behaviors and triggered more severe moral judgments in young adults and it is still unknown how this influence developed as children grew up. To fill up this gap, I investigated the impact of disgust on moral judgments and conformity behaviors from the developmental perspective. In Study 1, we compared the moral judgments in the states of disgust vs. neutral emotionin primary school students (grades 1 and 4) and young adults. Results revealed the influence of disgust emotion on the moral judgment in grade 4 students and adults, but not in grade 1 students. In the control group, there were significant correlations between disgust evaluation and moral judgment in all participant groups. In Study 2 that involved grades 1 and 5 primary school, middle school, and high school students, I investigated the influence of disgust emotion on the conformity behavior and moral judgment by using both anxiety and neutral groups as controls. Results showed no difference between disgust group and control group on conformity scores. However, for the neutral group in grade 5, middle school, and high school students, the higher anxiety induced by disgusting pictures, the higher the participants’ conformity scores. In moral judgments in sociomoral reflection measures-short form, grade 5 and high school students showed harsher judgments in the disgust group than in the neutral group. As to behaviors’ moral judgment, grade 5 and high school students showed harsher judgments in the disgust group than in the anxiety group. Regression analyses showed that the stronger disgust feeling induced by disgusting pictures, the harsher moral judgments the participants made. / Consistent with my prediction, disgust emotion influenced the moral judgments in higher-grade primary school students and this persisted from high-school age to young adults and did not influence the moral judgments in lower-grade primary school students. Contrary to my expectation, there was no influence of disgust emotion on the moral judgment in middle school students and no influence of disgust emotion on conformity behavior in all participant groups. However, anxiety induced by disgusting pictures predicted the conformity scores, suggesting that anxiety should be taken into account when investigating the effect of disgust emotion. Overall, consistent with evolutionary psychology theories, disgust can be the foundation of internalization of moral judgment. but inconsistent with evolutionary psychology theories, anxiety, rather than disgust, induced by disgusting pictures predicted the conformity scores. Future studies should emphasize more on the within-group strategies of disgust emotion in middle school students and investigate the differential effects of disgust and anxiety emotion induced by disgust stimuli on the conformity behavior. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 彭明. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2015. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-104). / Abstracts also in English. / Peng Ming.

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Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2007. / Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 57 p. Includes bibliographical references.

This study explores the differential validity of SJT responding formats (i.e., selecting a response to an SJT item). It was hypothesized that the SJT on which respondents identified the best and worst options would be related to cognitive ability because this type of SJT has a high cognitive load and thus acts like a knowledge test. It was also hypothesized that the SJT on which respondents rated the effectiveness of each option on a Likert scale would be related to personality because it taps into test taker?s behavioral tendencies. Results show that the best-and-worst SJT was not related to measures of education (a proxy for cognitive ability) or measures of personality. The SJT on which respondents rated the effectiveness of each option on a Likert scale was related to measures of personality but not education. Finally, because the Likert SJT has a greater number of responses, it was rescored as following the best-and-worst SJT keying. This converted SJT was related to neither measures of education nor measures of personality. The choose best-and-worst SJT significantly predicted performance, while the Likert SJT and a Likert SJT converted to a best-and-worst SJT did not predict performance.

In previous research, measurement of deontological and utilitarian beliefs relied on responses to classic moral dilemmas. While use of these dilemmas has proven fruitful they are fraught with potential confounds. This thesis describes the construction and validation of the Consequentialist scale, a tool designed to directly measure the endorsement of both utilitarian and deontological beliefs. The Consequentialist scale was tested against variables previously associated with moral judgments, namely emotional reactivity, Machiavellianism, intrinsic religiosity, and political conservatism. Results indicate that the Consequentialist scale provides added explanatory power that helps to elucidate cornerstone processes involved in moral judgments.

In previous research, measurement of deontological and utilitarian beliefs relied on responses to classic moral dilemmas. While use of these dilemmas has proven fruitful they are fraught with potential confounds. This thesis describes the construction and validation of the Consequentialist scale, a tool designed to directly measure the endorsement of both utilitarian and deontological beliefs. The Consequentialist scale was tested against variables previously associated with moral judgments, namely emotional reactivity, Machiavellianism, intrinsic religiosity, and political conservatism. Results indicate that the Consequentialist scale provides added explanatory power that helps to elucidate cornerstone processes involved in moral judgments.

This study explores the differential validity of SJT responding formats (i.e., selecting a response to an SJT item). It was hypothesized that the SJT on which respondents identified the best and worst options would be related to cognitive ability because this type of SJT has a high cognitive load and thus acts like a knowledge test. It was also hypothesized that the SJT on which respondents rated the effectiveness of each option on a Likert scale would be related to personality because it taps into test taker?s behavioral tendencies. Results show that the best-and-worst SJT was not related to measures of education (a proxy for cognitive ability) or measures of personality. The SJT on which respondents rated the effectiveness of each option on a Likert scale was related to measures of personality but not education. Finally, because the Likert SJT has a greater number of responses, it was rescored as following the best-and-worst SJT keying. This converted SJT was related to neither measures of education nor measures of personality. The choose best-and-worst SJT significantly predicted performance, while the Likert SJT and a Likert SJT converted to a best-and-worst SJT did not predict performance.

Thesis (B.A.)--Haverford College, Dept. of Psychology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.