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Promises and lies: can observers detect deception in written messages.

ABSTRACT: We design a laboratory experiment to examine predictions of trustworthiness in a novel three-person trust game. We investigate whether and why observers of the game can predict the trustworthiness of hand-written communications. Observers report their perception of the trustworthiness of messages, and make predictions about the senders' behavior. Using observers' decisions, we are able to classify messages as "promises" or "empty talk." Drawing from substantial previous research, we hypothesize that certain factors influence whether a sender is likely to honor a message and/or whether an observer perceives the message as likely to behonored: the mention of money; the use of encompassing words; and message length. We find that observers have more trust in longer messages and "promises"; promises that mention money are significantly more likely to be broken; and observers trust equally in promises that do and do not mention money. Overall, observers perform slightly better than chance at predicting whether a message will be honored. We attribute this result to observers' ability to distinguish promises from empty talk, and to trust promises more than empty talk. However, within each of these two categories, observers are unable to discern between messages that senders will honor from those that they will not.

SUBMITTER: Chen J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5425497 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Promises and lies: can observers detect deception in written messages.

Chen Jingnan J Houser Daniel D

Experimental economics 20160708 2

We design a laboratory experiment to examine predictions of trustworthiness in a novel three-person trust game. We investigate whether and why observers of the game can predict the trustworthiness of hand-written communications. Observers report their perception of the trustworthiness of messages, and make predictions about the senders' behavior. Using observers' decisions, we are able to classify messages as "promises" or "empty talk." Drawing from substantial previous research, we hypothesize ...[more]

PMID: 28553157

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Project description:BackgroundTailored, web-assisted interventions can reach many smokers. Content from other smokers (peers) through crowdsourcing could enhance relevance.PurposeTo evaluate whether peers can generate tailored messages encouraging other smokers to use a web-assisted tobacco intervention (Decide2Quit.org).MethodsPhase 1: In 2009, smokers wrote messages in response to scenarios for peer advice. These smoker-to-smoker (S2S) messages were coded to identify themes. Phase 2: resulting S2S messages, and comparison expert messages, were then e-mailed to newly registered smokers. In 2012, subsequent Decide2Quit.org visits following S2S or expert-written e-mails were compared.ResultsPhase 1: a total of 39 smokers produced 2886 messages (message themes: attitudes and expectations, improvements in quality of life, seeking help, and behavioral strategies). For not-ready-to-quit scenarios, S2S messages focused more on expectations around a quit attempt and how quitting would change an individual's quality of life. In contrast, for ready-to-quit scenarios, S2S messages focused on behavioral strategies for quitting. Phase 2: In multivariable analysis, S2S messages were more likely to generate a return visit (OR=2.03, 95% CI=1.74, 2.35), compared to expert messages. A significant effect modification of this association was found, by time-from-registration and message codes (both interaction terms p<0.01). In stratified analyses, S2S codes that were related more to "social" and "real-life" aspects of smoking were driving the main association of S2S and increased return visits.ConclusionsS2S peer messages that increased longitudinal engagement in a web-assisted tobacco intervention were successfully collected and delivered. S2S messages expanded beyond the biomedical model to enhance relevance of messages.Trial registrationThis study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT00797628 (web-delivered provider intervention for tobacco control [QUIT-PRIMO]) and NCT01108432 (DPBRN Hygienists Internet Quality Improvement in Tobacco Cessation [HiQuit]).

Project description:BackgroundAlthough African Americans have the lowest rates of smoking onset and progression to daily smoking, they are less likely to achieve long-term cessation. Interventions tailored to promote use of cessation resources in African American individuals who smoke are needed. In our past work, we demonstrated the effectiveness of a technology-assisted peer-written message intervention for increasing smoking cessation in non-Hispanic White smokers. In this formative study, we have adapted this intervention to be specific for African American smokers.ObjectiveWe aimed to report on the qualitative analysis of messages written by African American current and former smokers for their peers in response to hypothetical scenarios of smokers facing cessation challenges.MethodsWe recruited African American adult current and former smokers (n=41) via ResearchMatch between April 2017 and November 2017. We asked participants to write motivational messages for their peers in response to smoking-related hypothetical scenarios. We also collected data on sociodemographic factors and smoking characteristics. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify cessation strategies suggested by the study participants.ResultsAmong the study participants, 60% (25/41) were female. Additionally, more than half (23/41, 56%) were thinking about quitting, 29% (12/41) had set a quit date, and 27% (11/41) had used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days. Themes derived from the qualitative analysis of peer-written messages were (1) behavioral strategies, (2) seeking help, (3) improvements in quality of life, (4) attitudes and expectations, and (5) mindfulness/religious or spiritual practices. Under the behavioral strategies theme, distraction strategies were the most frequently suggested strategies (referenced 84 times in the 318 messages), followed by use of evidence-based treatments/cessation strategies. Within the seeking help theme, subthemes included seeking help or support from family/friends or close social networks (referenced 56 times) and health care professionals (referenced 22 times). The most frequent subthemes that emerged from improvements in the quality of life theme included improving one's health (referenced 22 times) and quality of life (referenced 21 times). Subthemes that emerged from the attitude and expectations theme included practicing positive self-talk (referenced 27 times), autonomy/independence from the smoking habit (referenced six times), and financial cost of smoking (referenced five times). The two subthemes that emerged from the mindfulness/religious or spiritual practices theme were use of self-awareness techniques (referenced 36 times) and religious or spiritual practices to cope (referenced 13 times).ConclusionsOur approach to adapt a prior peer-message intervention to African American smokers yielded a set of evidence-based messages that may be suitable for smokers at all phases of motivation to quit (ready to quit or not ready to quit). In future research, we plan to assess the impact of texting these messages to African American smokers in a smoking cessation trial.

Project description:BackgroundMore than half of adults in Germany have felt lonely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies highlight the importance of boosting positive emotions and social connectedness to combat loneliness. However, interventions targeting these protective psychosocial resources remain largely untested.ObjectiveIn this study, we aim to test the feasibility of a short animated storytelling video, written messages boosting social connectedness, and a combination of both for alleviating loneliness.MethodsWe enrolled 252 participants who were 18 years or older and spoke fluent German. Participants were recruited from a previous study on loneliness in Germany. We measured the effects of a combination of an animated video and written messages (intervention A), an animated video (intervention B), and written messages (intervention C) on loneliness, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and hope. We compared these with a control arm, which did not receive any intervention. The animated video was developed by Stanford University School of Medicine to reflect experiences of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and convey messages of hope and solidarity. The written messages communicate four findings from recent studies on loneliness in Germany: (1) over a period of 6 months, 66% of respondents in Germany reported feeling lonely (feelings of loneliness are surprisingly common); (2) physical activity can ease feelings of loneliness; (3) focusing on "what really matters" in one's life can help to ease feelings of loneliness; and (4) turning to friends for companionship and support can ease feelings of loneliness. Participants were randomized 1:1:1:1 to interventions A, B, C, and the control condition, using the randomization feature of the web-based platform "Unipark," on which our trial takes place. Both the study investigators and analysts were blinded to the trial assignments. The primary outcome, loneliness, was measured using the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8). Our secondary outcomes included the scores of the Coping with Loneliness Questionnaire, the 10-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), the 10-item General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the 12-item Adult Hope Scale (AHS).ResultsWe observed no statistically significant effect of the tested interventions on loneliness scores, controlling for the baseline loneliness score before an intervention (all P values >.11). However, we observed significantly greater intention to cope with loneliness after exposure to an animated video when compared with the control (β=4.14; t248=1.74; 1-tailed P=.04).ConclusionsOur results provide meaningful evidence for the feasibility of a full-scale study. Our study sheds light on the intention to cope with loneliness and explores the potential for creative digital interventions to enhance this psychological precursor, which is integral to overcoming loneliness.Trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register DRKS00027116; https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00027116.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Lectures with slide presentations are widely used to teach evidence-based medicine to large groups. Take-home messages (THMs) are poorly identified and recollected by students. We investigated whether an instruction to list THMs in written form on slides would improve the retention thereof by residents, and the residents' level of knowledge, 1 month after lectures. METHODS:Prospective blinded randomized controlled study was conducted. Twelve lectures (6 control and 6 intervention lectures) were delivered to 73 residents. For the intervention lectures, the lecturers were instructed to incorporate clear written THMs into their slide presentations. The outcomes were ability of resident to recollect THMs delivered during a lecture (as assessed by accordance rate between the lecturers' and residents' THMs) and knowledge (as assessed by multiple choice questions (MCQs)). RESULTS:Data for 3738 residents' THMs and 3410 MCQs were analyzed. The intervention did not significantly increase the number of THMs written on slides (77% (n?=?20/26), 95% CI 56-91 vs 64% (n?=?18/28), 95% CI 44-81, p?=?0.31) nor THMs retention (13% (n?=?238/1791), 95% CI 12-15 vs 17% (n?=?326/1947), 95% 15-18, p?=?0.40) nor knowledge (63.8?±?26.2 vs 61.1?±?31.4 /100 points, p?=?0.75). In multivariable analyses performed with all THMs written on slides from the two groups, a superior knowledge was associated with notetaking during lectures (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.41-2.51) and THMs retention (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.54-3.04); and THMs retention was associated with written THMs (OR 2.94, 95% CI 2.20-3.93). CONCLUSIONS:In lectures delivered to residents, a third of the THMs were not in written form. An intervention based on an explicit instruction to lecturers to provide THMs in written form in their slide presentations did not result in increased use of written THMs into the slide presentation or improvement of the THMs retention or level of knowledge. However, we showed that there was a strong positive association between writing THMs on a slide, retention of THMs and residents' knowledge. Further researches are needed to assess interventions to increase written THMs in lectures by faculty. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01795651 (Fev 21, 2013).

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Promises and lies: can observers detect deception in written messages.

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Promises and lies: can observers detect deception in written messages.

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