Journal of Social Psychology最新文献

Moral licensing, a phenomenon where initial moral behavior can lead to later immoral behavior, challenges the sustainability of moral behavior over short-term periods. In the framework of moral self-regulation, current research examined the inhibitory effects of high moral identity and moral elevation on moral licensing. Across three studies we consistently found that recalling past moral behavior can trigger moral licensing (Study 1, 2, 3). Moreover, moral licensing shows individual differences (Study 2). Specifically, those with high moral identity are more likely to show moral consistency, while those with low moral identity are more likely to show moral licensing. Finally, we found that moral licensing of people with low moral identity can be inhibited by moral elevation (Study 3). We argue that both high moral identity and moral elevation emphasize a higher ideal moral self, which makes individuals maintain their desire for morality, and thus effectively inhibits the effect of moral licensing.

Previous findings have raised doubt in whether comparable conformity effects can be obtained for information from humans and computers or other systems of little or no social importance. In the present study, we compared the impact of "other choices" (i.e. choices of another agent that did or did not match the participant's initial choices) of humans and computers on preferences of participants for one of two pictures. In Experiment 1, we found conformity effects only when the other choices came from humans. In Experiment 2, we manipulated the attention allocated to encoding picture-choice combinations by means of a secondary go/nogo task. Conformity effects were found for humans and computers if the secondary task did not require a response. In Experiment 3, we manipulated the attention allocated to retrieving picture-choice combinations, which resulted in conformity effects for all conditions. Taken altogether, our findings suggest that conformity effects can be obtained for "computerized" informational sources under attentional conditions that reduce the specificity of encoding or the selectivity of retrieving event files.

In this study, we draw on social identity and social exchange theory to propose pathways via which emotional intelligence directed toward others in the organization has an impact on employee effectiveness. Findings from 122 supervisor-employee dyads showed that employees' other-oriented emotional intelligence is related to their organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) via the mechanisms of building high-quality exchanges with one's leaders and coworkers. We theorize and find evidence for unique mechanisms involved in mediating the effects of other-oriented emotional intelligence on taking charge and helping. Furthermore, both helping others and taking charge influenced performance ratings. We discuss theoretical and practical implications as well as limitations and areas for future research.

The study explored people's reactions to observing the ostracism of stigmatized targets. Participants (n = 198) who observed ostracism experienced need threat regardless of the target's identity. Participants regarded included addicts more positively than ostracized addicts, especially on traits that are considered unique to humans. As for dehumanization, subtle measures demonstrate that ostracized targets are perceived as less human. In contrast, our original measure of blatant dehumanization suggests that targets of ostracism are perceived as more human. The study stresses the inconsistency between dehumanization measurements and the need to specify what each measure taps into and how each contributes to the theory.

Conspiracy theories tend to be disseminated in times when anxiety and uncertainty prevail. Thus, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic was fertile ground for the dissemination of conspiracy theories. The current study examined the role of conspiracy belief in the association between individual differences in perceptions of lack of control and certainty, and willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Participants (N = 323) completed measures of willingness to get vaccinated, belief in COVID-19 vaccines conspiracy, intolerance of uncertainty (IOU), perceived personal control, and political uncontrollability. Results show that conspiracy beliefs mediated the positive association between perceived personal control and willingness to get vaccinated, and the negative association between political uncontrollability and willingness to get vaccinated. Additionally, conspiracy belief had a suppression effect on the association between IOU and willingness to get vaccinated. These findings indicate that uncertainty and sense of lack of control heighten the need for an explanation that offers some degree of clarity, which in turn is related to adoption of conspiracy theories and may consequently have negative effects on health behavior.

In this study, we gather empirical evidence supporting the assumption that political trust is related to the ignorance of political performance problems, which ignorance, in turn, has a palliative function as it protects subjective well-being. We hypothesized that political trust has a stronger positive effect on the evaluation of political performance (and indirectly on subjective well-being) if actual performance is more questionable. These hypotheses were tested by multilevel structural equation modeling. Our multilevel moderated mediation models supporting this hypothesis were based on the 2018 European Social Survey dataset (N = 49,519) extended with county-level indices indicating actual performance in healthcare, education, and economy. The results also imply that the bigger the actual problem is, the stronger ignorance is driven by political trust.

Psychological dread is a phenomenon with which virtually everyone is familiar, whether dreading a medical appointment, a job interview, or the impending death of a loved one. Despite the prevalence of dread in most people's everyday lives, surprisingly little empirical research has explored the construct. The purpose of the current research was to examine psychological dread (Study 1 and Study 2) and to compare dread to extreme persistent fear (Study 2). Respondents across both studies completed surveys on which they described a dreaded experience (Studies 1 and 2) or an extremely feared event (Study 2) and answered questions about the event. Participants reported uncertainty and lack of control surrounding events associated with both dread and extreme persistent fear. They also anticipated that they would feel relief when these events were over, but this relief was greater with dread than fear. Implications for coping with dread and extreme persistent fears are discussed along with comparisons of the types of events most commonly associated with dread and extreme fear.

This study explores how exploitative leadership affects employees' work passion, a vital element for engagement, creativity, and productivity. It further delves into how trust in leaders mediates this relationship. By applying social exchange theory and conservation of resources theory and analyzing responses from 384 full-time employees through covariance-based structural equation modeling using SmartPLS, the findings confirm the negative effects of exploitative leadership on work passion. They also underscore the significant mediating role of trust in leaders. These insights underline the importance of addressing exploitative leadership in organizational policies and enhancing trust to improve work passion. The study not only provides valuable information for organizations but also lays the groundwork for future research on leadership styles, trust, and employee passion.

We verified whether social class shapes different models of the self in China, by integrating individuals' social mobility beliefs and exploring the mediating effect of sense of control. Participants were randomly assigned to one of 2 (subjective social class: upper vs. low class) × 2 (social mobility beliefs: high vs. low mobility) manipulation conditions. They then completed the sense of control questionnaire and self-focused attention task. High mobility belief could alleviate the difference in perception among different subjective social classes and improve lower classes' control perception. Sense of control mediates subjective social class effects and social mobility beliefs on self-focused attention.