Existing research reports inconsistent findings with regard to the effect of color on cognitive task performances. Some research suggests that blue or green leads to better performances than red; other studies record the opposite. Current work reconciles this discrepancy. We demonstrate that red (versus blue) color induces primarily an avoidance (versus approach) motivation (study 1, n = 69) and that red enhances performance on a detail-oriented task, whereas blue enhances performance on a creative task (studies 2 and 3, n = 208 and 118). Further, we replicate these results in the domains of product design (study 4, n = 42) and persuasive message evaluation (study 5, n = 161) and show that these effects occur outside of individuals' consciousness (study 6, n = 68). We also provide process evidence suggesting that the activation of alternative motivations mediates the effect of color on cognitive task performances.

Music theory distinguishes between two types of meanings that music can impart: (1) embodied meaning, which is purely hedonic, context independent, and based on the degree of stimulation the musical sound affords, and (2) referential meaning, which is context dependent and reflects networks of semantic-laden, external world concepts. Two studies investigate which (if either) of these background music meanings influence perceptions of an advertised product and when. Findings suggest that people who engage in nonintensive processing are insensitive to either type of meaning. However, more intensive processors base their perceptions on the music's referential meaning when ad message processing requires few resources, but they use the music's embodied meaning when such processing is relatively resource demanding.

Much research has explained regulatory focus effects via the alternative psychological states (eagerness vs. vigilance) people experience when they adopt different regulatory foci. This article identifies for the first time the cognitive mechanism that underlies regulatory focus effects. We propose that promotion-focus individuals engage in relational elaboration, which entails identifying commonalities or abstract relationships among disparate items. In contrast, prevention-focus individuals engage in item-specific elaboration, which involves focusing on specific attributes of each item independent of others. Results support our theorizing by demonstrating that promotion-focus (prevention-focus) individuals exhibit enhanced performance on tasks that require relational (item-specific) elaboration.

Two-dimensional layered semiconductors have recently emerged as attractive building blocks for next-generation low-power non-volatile memories. However, Hongzhou Zhang: hozhang@tcd.ie 1 arXiv:1811.09545v1 [cond-mat.mtrl-sci] 23 Nov 2018 † J.J. and D.K. contributed equally to this project. D.K. performed electrical measurements on samples of different layer thickness and irradiation dose, as well as atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. CVD growth of MoS 2 monolayers was carried out by C.P.C. Mechanically-exfoliated devices were prepared by J.J. and D.K. Raman and PL spectroscopy was carried out by C.P.C. and analysed by P.M.. J.J and D.K. carried out EBL to fabricate the FET devices. H.S. assisted with fabrication and wirebonding of devices tested in Peking University (PKU). D.K., J.J. and P.M. carried out the HIM irradiations in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) while J.J and Y.Z. conducted the HIM exposures in PKU. J.J carried out the electrical tests (endurance and potentiation) with assistance from H.S and Y.Z in PKU. P.M. performed FIB processing of irradiated devices and carried out TEM of the cross-sectioned lamellae with assistance from C.D.. D.S.F. carried out helium exposures and TEM imaging of the plan-view irradiated devices after J.J. transferred the samples onto TEM grids. Z.L. oversaw the electrical characterisation work in PKU, while R.Z. and J.X. facilitated microscopy experiments in PKU. N.M and G.S.D. oversaw the material growth process and spectroscopic experiments in TCD. J.J.B. and H.Z. conceived the study and supervised the project. The manuscript was written by J.J., D.K. and P.M. All authors agreed with the final version of the paper.

Despite the popularity of social networks and technologies that intend to enhance social interaction, more Americans feel lonely now than before. This research examines how loneliness affects consumers' responses to consensus-related social cues in marketing contexts. Results from three studies show that lonely consumers prefer minority-endorsed products, whereas nonlonely consumers prefer majority-endorsed products. However, this pattern occurs only when consumers' product preferences are kept private. When product preferences are subject to public scrutiny, lonely consumers shift their preferences to majority-endorsed products. Results also reveal the underlying mechanisms. Minority-endorsed products fit better with the feelings of loneliness, and this fit mediates the effect of loneliness and endorsement type (i.e., majority vs. minority endorsement) on product evaluations in private consumption contexts. Yet, when their preferences are subject to public scrutiny, lonely consumers are concerned about being negatively evaluated by others, and this concern causes them to conform to the majority.

This article examines the effect of spatial confinement on consumer choices. Building on reactance theory and the environmental psychology literature, we propose that spatially confined consumers react against an incursion to their personal space by making more varied and unique choices. We present four laboratory experiments and one field study to support our theorizing. Study 1 demonstrates that people in narrower aisles seek more variety than people in wider aisles. Study 2 indicates that this effect of confinement in narrow aisles also extends to more unique choices. Study 3 shows that perceptions of confinement exert their strongest influence on people who are chronically high in reactance. Study 4 suggests that influencing perceptions of confinement is sufficient to evoke variety seeking. Finally, the field study uses crowding as a proxy for confinement and finds a positive relationship between crowding and variety seeking in real grocery purchases. (c) 2009 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

Two-dimensional semiconductors can be used to build next-generation electronic devices with ultrascaled channel lengths. However, semiconductors need to be integrated with high-quality dielectrics—which are challenging to deposit. Here we show that single-crystal strontium titanate—a high-κ perovskite oxide—can be integrated with two-dimensional semiconductors using van der Waals forces. Strontium titanate thin films are grown on a sacrificial layer, lifted off and then transferred onto molybdenum disulfide and tungsten diselenide to make n-type and p-type transistors, respectively. The molybdenum disulfide transistors exhibit an on/off current ratio of 108 at a supply voltage of 1 V and a minimum subthreshold swing of 66 mV dec−1. We also show that the devices can be used to create low-power complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor inverter circuits.

Music can convey two meanings: one referential that consists of descriptive associations, and another embodied that is purely hedonic. We reasoned that consumer characteristics such as one's gender and Need for Cognition (NFC) can affect which meaning(s) of ad background music people use when forming product perceptions. Yet, are such meanings and their use unique to music, or could they extend to other forms of aesthetics? Two studies explore these issues, revealing parallel outcomes when background materials contain either music or graphic art designs: high (low) NFC males are sensitive to only referential (embodied) meaning, whereas females use both meanings. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Society for Consumer Psychology.