Katrina Fincher
Biographic Data
| ID | 4235916 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Katrina Fincher |
| GIVEN NAMES | Katrina |
| FAMILY NAME | Fincher |
| SIGNATURE | FINCHER K |
| AFFILIATIONS | New School |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7384-7139 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 7 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 8 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 7 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Blindfolding, Perceptual Dehumanization and Tolerance for State‐Sanctioned Killing
The present work integrates cultural practices, perceptual psychology and social cognition to explore the psychological effects of blindfolding in state‐sanctioned punishment. Across four studies, we demonstrate how the use of blindfolds—a seemingly minor aspect of punishment rituals—attenuates configural face processing, a change we argue alters social behaviour. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that blindfolds are associated with a tolerance for har…
The effect of configural processing on mentalization
Eight studies ( N = 2,561) reveal that how we perceptually process a person's face affects our capacity to understand their mind. Studies 1A and B indicate this relationship functions via two separate pathways: (a) indirectly by increasing our sensitivity to the cues of a mind in a face and (b) directly by changing the way we relate to the mind behind the face. Six additional studies adopt perspective taking paradigms to provide further support f…
Harnessing dehumanization theory, modern media, and an intervention tournament to reduce support for retributive war crimes
We demonstrate how psychological scientists can curate rich-yet-accessible media to intervene on conflict-escalating attitudes during the earliest stages of violent conflicts. Although wartime atrocities all-too-often ignite destructive cycles of tit-for-tat war crimes, powerful third parties can de-escalate the bloodshed. Therefore, following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, we aimed to reduce Americans' support for committing retributive w…
The role of metadehumanization in explaining sacred conflict
Four studies examine the social cognitive mechanisms through which sacred values produce social schisms, focusing on the role of metadehumanization. Using hypothetical scenarios, Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that violators of sacred values feel dehumanized by value holders and reciprocate this dehumanization. Using real sacred values, Studies 3 and 4 show similar effects. Study 3 further controls for the effects of mere disagreement and finds part…
Experiential learning of cultural norms
How should I greet her? Should I do what he requests? Newcomers to a culture learn its interpersonal norms at varying rates, largely through trial-and-error experience. Given that the culturally correct response often depends on conditions that are subtle and complex, we propose that newcomers' rate of acculturation depends on not only their explicit aptitude (e.g., reasoning ability) but also their implicit aptitude (e.g., pattern recognition ab…
Metacognition fosters cultural learning
We investigated the role of metacognition in the process by which people learn new cultural norms from experiential feedback. In a lab paradigm, participants received many trials of simulated interpersonal situations in a new culture, each of which required them to make a choice, and then provided them with evaluative feedback about the accuracy of their choice with regard to local norms. Studies 1 to 3 found that participants higher on an indivi…
Why does the Cognitive Reflection Test (sometimes) predict utilitarian moral judgment (and other things)?
The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) is thought to correlate with measures of utilitarian moral judgment because it measures system-2 correction of an initial intuitive response. And some theories of moral judgment hold that the same thing often happens when people arrive a utilitarian judgments. We find, however, that CRT-type items (using logic as well as arithmetic) can work just as well when they do not have obvious intuitive answers at predic…
Metacognition fosters cultural learning
We investigated the role of metacognition in the process by which people learn new cultural norms from experiential feedback. In a lab paradigm, participants received many trials of simulated interpersonal situations in a new culture, each of which required them to make a choice, and then provided them with evaluative feedback about the accuracy of their choice with regard to local norms. Studies 1 to 3 found that participants higher on an indivi…
Harnessing dehumanization theory, modern media, and an intervention tournament to reduce support for retributive war crimes
We demonstrate how psychological scientists can curate rich-yet-accessible media to intervene on conflict-escalating attitudes during the earliest stages of violent conflicts. Although wartime atrocities all-too-often ignite destructive cycles of tit-for-tat war crimes, powerful third parties can de-escalate the bloodshed. Therefore, following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, we aimed to reduce Americans' support for committing retributive w…
The effect of configural processing on mentalization
Eight studies ( N = 2,561) reveal that how we perceptually process a person's face affects our capacity to understand their mind. Studies 1A and B indicate this relationship functions via two separate pathways: (a) indirectly by increasing our sensitivity to the cues of a mind in a face and (b) directly by changing the way we relate to the mind behind the face. Six additional studies adopt perspective taking paradigms to provide further support f…
The role of metadehumanization in explaining sacred conflict
Four studies examine the social cognitive mechanisms through which sacred values produce social schisms, focusing on the role of metadehumanization. Using hypothetical scenarios, Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that violators of sacred values feel dehumanized by value holders and reciprocate this dehumanization. Using real sacred values, Studies 3 and 4 show similar effects. Study 3 further controls for the effects of mere disagreement and finds part…
Experiential learning of cultural norms
How should I greet her? Should I do what he requests? Newcomers to a culture learn its interpersonal norms at varying rates, largely through trial-and-error experience. Given that the culturally correct response often depends on conditions that are subtle and complex, we propose that newcomers' rate of acculturation depends on not only their explicit aptitude (e.g., reasoning ability) but also their implicit aptitude (e.g., pattern recognition ab…
Why does the Cognitive Reflection Test (sometimes) predict utilitarian moral judgment (and other things)?
The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) is thought to correlate with measures of utilitarian moral judgment because it measures system-2 correction of an initial intuitive response. And some theories of moral judgment hold that the same thing often happens when people arrive a utilitarian judgments. We find, however, that CRT-type items (using logic as well as arithmetic) can work just as well when they do not have obvious intuitive answers at predic…
Metacognition fosters cultural learning
We investigated the role of metacognition in the process by which people learn new cultural norms from experiential feedback. In a lab paradigm, participants received many trials of simulated interpersonal situations in a new culture, each of which required them to make a choice, and then provided them with evaluative feedback about the accuracy of their choice with regard to local norms. Studies 1 to 3 found that participants higher on an indivi…
The role of metadehumanization in explaining sacred conflict
Four studies examine the social cognitive mechanisms through which sacred values produce social schisms, focusing on the role of metadehumanization. Using hypothetical scenarios, Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that violators of sacred values feel dehumanized by value holders and reciprocate this dehumanization. Using real sacred values, Studies 3 and 4 show similar effects. Study 3 further controls for the effects of mere disagreement and finds part…
Experiential learning of cultural norms
How should I greet her? Should I do what he requests? Newcomers to a culture learn its interpersonal norms at varying rates, largely through trial-and-error experience. Given that the culturally correct response often depends on conditions that are subtle and complex, we propose that newcomers' rate of acculturation depends on not only their explicit aptitude (e.g., reasoning ability) but also their implicit aptitude (e.g., pattern recognition ab…
Harnessing dehumanization theory, modern media, and an intervention tournament to reduce support for retributive war crimes
We demonstrate how psychological scientists can curate rich-yet-accessible media to intervene on conflict-escalating attitudes during the earliest stages of violent conflicts. Although wartime atrocities all-too-often ignite destructive cycles of tit-for-tat war crimes, powerful third parties can de-escalate the bloodshed. Therefore, following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, we aimed to reduce Americans' support for committing retributive w…
The effect of configural processing on mentalization
Eight studies ( N = 2,561) reveal that how we perceptually process a person's face affects our capacity to understand their mind. Studies 1A and B indicate this relationship functions via two separate pathways: (a) indirectly by increasing our sensitivity to the cues of a mind in a face and (b) directly by changing the way we relate to the mind behind the face. Six additional studies adopt perspective taking paradigms to provide further support f…
Blindfolding, Perceptual Dehumanization and Tolerance for State‐Sanctioned Killing
The present work integrates cultural practices, perceptual psychology and social cognition to explore the psychological effects of blindfolding in state‐sanctioned punishment. Across four studies, we demonstrate how the use of blindfolds—a seemingly minor aspect of punishment rituals—attenuates configural face processing, a change we argue alters social behaviour. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that blindfolds are associated with a tolerance for har…
Psychology (7 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Cultural Differences and Values (5 works) · Social Psychology (5 works) · Cognitive psychology (4 works) · Cognition (3 works) · Dehumanization (3 works) · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment (3 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (3 works) · Criminology (2 works)