Abstract
Simple, self-posed questions may modulate behavioral repetition of choices in situations that are neither fully habitual nor fully intentional. In six experiments, participants were trained to repeatedly choose their preferred door out of an array of three doors. Questions generally increased speed in the upcoming task, supporting past findings that even exposure to question-like syntax can enhance performance. More importantly, affirmatively phrased questions like Which one should I choose?, framed either as an instruction to make the choice or as material unrelated to the study, produced more choice repetition than presenting either no question at all or a control question. In contrast, negatively phrased questions like Which one should I not choose? decreased behavior repetition. These effects allowed efficient and fast responding and thus showed features of automaticity. These findings imply that self-talk questions can affect choices in various domains of interest to social, clinical, educational, and health psychology.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 103840 |
| Journal | Journal of Experimental Social Psychology |
| Volume | 85 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 1 2019 |
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Keywords
- Decision making
- Inner speech
- Motivation
- Self-talk
- Social cognition
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Sociology and Political Science
Cite this
The modulating role of self-posed questions in repeated choice : Integral and incidental questions can increase or decrease behavioral rigidity. / Lohmann, Sophie; Jones, Christopher R.; Albarracin, Dolores.
In: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 85, 103840, 01.11.2019.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The modulating role of self-posed questions in repeated choice
T2 - Integral and incidental questions can increase or decrease behavioral rigidity
AU - Lohmann, Sophie
AU - Jones, Christopher R.
AU - Albarracin, Dolores
PY - 2019/11/1
Y1 - 2019/11/1
N2 - Simple, self-posed questions may modulate behavioral repetition of choices in situations that are neither fully habitual nor fully intentional. In six experiments, participants were trained to repeatedly choose their preferred door out of an array of three doors. Questions generally increased speed in the upcoming task, supporting past findings that even exposure to question-like syntax can enhance performance. More importantly, affirmatively phrased questions like Which one should I choose?, framed either as an instruction to make the choice or as material unrelated to the study, produced more choice repetition than presenting either no question at all or a control question. In contrast, negatively phrased questions like Which one should I not choose? decreased behavior repetition. These effects allowed efficient and fast responding and thus showed features of automaticity. These findings imply that self-talk questions can affect choices in various domains of interest to social, clinical, educational, and health psychology.
AB - Simple, self-posed questions may modulate behavioral repetition of choices in situations that are neither fully habitual nor fully intentional. In six experiments, participants were trained to repeatedly choose their preferred door out of an array of three doors. Questions generally increased speed in the upcoming task, supporting past findings that even exposure to question-like syntax can enhance performance. More importantly, affirmatively phrased questions like Which one should I choose?, framed either as an instruction to make the choice or as material unrelated to the study, produced more choice repetition than presenting either no question at all or a control question. In contrast, negatively phrased questions like Which one should I not choose? decreased behavior repetition. These effects allowed efficient and fast responding and thus showed features of automaticity. These findings imply that self-talk questions can affect choices in various domains of interest to social, clinical, educational, and health psychology.
KW - Decision making
KW - Inner speech
KW - Motivation
KW - Self-talk
KW - Social cognition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85069049462&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85069049462&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jesp.2019.103840
DO - 10.1016/j.jesp.2019.103840
M3 - Article
VL - 85
JO - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
SN - 0022-1031
M1 - 103840
ER -