British Journal of Social Psychology最新文献

Research suggests that social fear of crime and prejudice towards minority groups may be linked. We investigated (N_total = 7712) whether prejudice towards a social group that is stereotyped as more criminal (refugees) is more strongly associated with social fear of crime than prejudice towards a group that is less (homosexual individuals); and whether prejudice predicts social fear of crime or vice versa. We used a mixed-method approach to show that refugees are stereotyped as more criminal than homosexual individuals (pre-test). Subgroup characteristics of the criminally stereotyped group, such as country of origin (Study 1a) and flight motive (Study 1b) of refugees, qualified the prejudice–fear of crime link. Finally, whereas prejudice towards refugees predicted social fear of crime over time more strongly than vice versa, prejudice towards homosexual individuals did not (Study 2). Our results have important theoretical and practical implications suggesting prejudice reduction towards refugees as a criminally stereotyped group as a potential pathway to reduce social fear of crime.

System Justification Theory (SJT) proposes that members of disadvantaged groups perceive norms to express ingroup positivity. Adherence to these norms is assumed to result in open expressions of ingroup preferences on self-report measures while being unrelated to ingroup preferences assessed with indirect measures. We tested these assumptions with members of three disadvantaged groups: participants who identified as Gay or Lesbian (n = 196), as Black or African American (n = 202), or who reported higher weight (n = 208). We tested hypotheses on perceived norms and group attitudes at the individual level as well as at the social group level. While results at the group level suggest that differences in group attitudes between different disadvantaged groups are indeed related to differences in social norm perceptions between these groups, no consistent interrelations between norm perceptions and group attitudes were found at the individual level. We discuss the implications of these results, questioning SJTs basic postulate of group attitudes as manifestations of system justification processes in members of disadvantaged groups. We further argue that future research in this domain requires improved conceptual clarity in current theorizing, along with improved methodological operationalizations.

Even in the most egalitarian societies, hierarchies of power and status shape social life. However, power and received status are not synonymous—individuals in positions of power may or may not be accorded the respect corresponding to their role. Using a cooperatively collected dataset from 18,096 participants across 70 cultures, we investigate, through a survey-based correlational design, when perceived position-based power (operationalized as influence and control) of various powerholders is associated with their elevated social status (operationalized as perceived respect and instrumental social value). We document that the positive link between power and status characterizes most cultural regions, except for WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) and Post-Soviet regions. The strength of this association depends on individual and cultural factors. First, the perceived other-orientation of powerholders amplifies the positive link between perceived power and status. The perceived self-orientation of powerholders weakens this relationship. Second, among cultures characterized by low Self-Expression versus Harmony (e.g., South Korea, Taiwan), high Embeddedness (e.g., Senegal), and high Cultural Tightness (e.g., Malaysia), the association between power and status tends to be particularly strong. The results underline the importance of both individual perceptions and societal values in how position-based power relates to social status.

When individuals committed to a certain long-term identity goal fall short of relevant activities, they experience the state of self-incompleteness. This motivational state leads them to prioritize the identity goal pursuit by engaging in self-symbolizing behaviours. The present research investigates whether inducing a deliberative mindset in incomplete individuals by offering a choice will lead to a stronger preference for more effective options. In four studies, committed runners (N = 625) chose between two available options. In Studies 1 and 2, runners who experienced self-incompleteness were more likely to choose a more effective massage roller than runners who experienced self-completeness. In Studies 3 and 4, incomplete runners preferred a more effective phone application than complete runners. In Study 4, this effect was independent of a social reality induction. Further analyses revealed that effectiveness was related to the perceived effort of an option. Even though from a rational point of view people should prefer options that require less effort, participants committed to the identity goal of being a runner preferred to deal with their self-incompleteness feelings by engaging in the more effective but effortful means.

Both psychology and historical studies have addressed the question of the diffusion of collective action events, although using very different methodological approaches and with differing concepts. In the present paper, we present a novel approach, combining historiographical research methods with analytic concepts from social psychology, to explore the psychological processes underlying riot diffusion. Using archive data from the 1831 wave of ‘reform’ riots, thick description of two collective action events provides evidence that the purpose of participants' actions was to prevent troops from passing through their towns to put down riots elsewhere. Their actions to support rioters in another location involved risk to themselves, and so can't easily be explained in terms of personal or local self-interest. Instead, the evidence—in the form of context, utterances, and observations—is more consistent with the idea of common identity between people in the different locations motivating pre-emptive solidarity, inadvertently spreading the riots. The use of historical archive data and historiographical research methods, suggesting a previously undocumented form of solidarity between participants at riot events, contributes to new understandings of the diffusion of collective action and how to study it in both historical studies and social psychology.

To examine how personal preferences and social norms can influence women's occupancy of organizational leadership roles, this research compared leadership roles that differ in their stakeholder focus on private profit (PP), producing gains for shareholders, or on purpose beyond profit (PBP), producing gains for the community and society. Consistent with the greater representation of women leaders in non-profit than for-profit sectors, the research showed that men preferred and were expected to prefer leader roles focussed on PP and women preferred and were expected to prefer leader roles focussed on PBP. These differing preferences and normative expectations reflected divergent life goals, whereby men favoured agentic goals and women favoured communal goals, with social norms reflecting this gender difference. This research thus showed how the communal and agentic life goals of women and men are linked to their personal role preferences and to normative expectations about leader role occupancy, thus fostering gender segregated leader roles.

Feeling positively connected to other people is a basic human need. If this need is threatened by feeling lonely, people might become more susceptible to conspiracy theories to help make sense of their surroundings. Simultaneously, conspiracy beliefs could lead to loneliness because they can strain existing relationships. Using two pre-registered longitudinal studies, we investigated the reciprocal relationship between loneliness and conspiracy mentality (Study 1, N = 1604) and the more malleable specific conspiracy beliefs (Study 2, N = 1502) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models showed that people who are, on average, lonelier are also more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. However, the data provided no support for the notion that conspiracy beliefs and loneliness predicted each other over time. The research helps to understand the thus far mixed evidence on loneliness and conspiracy beliefs and adds important insights to the literature on conspiracy beliefs and need deprivation.

A central issue in adoption research is understanding why some individuals adapt to their adoption experience while others face considerable difficulties. The social identity approach (SIA) offers a valuable framework for examining this. Recent research has increasingly shown that identifying with social groups can protect and promote well-being. However, in the context of adoption, certain groups may also present challenges or become sources of strain. The present study seeks to understand how social identities shape individuals' adoption experiences. Semi-structured interviews (N = 16) with adults who were adopted through Mother and Baby Homes in Ireland were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis produced two interrelated themes: (1) ‘Adopted’ as a social identity, which explores how participants' ‘adopted’ status itself constitutes a significant social identity, leading to experiences of marginalization and exclusion and (2) Adoption as social identity loss, which describes how participants face contested membership and compromised belonging within important social groups. Both themes illustrate how the process of adoption can result in social identity loss. Discussion of this analysis considers the consequences of social identity change for adoption adjustment. These findings expand the theoretical application of the SIA, in the context of adoption.

Conspiracy theories and beliefs against LGBTQ+ people are a recurrent theme in the political agenda, depicting them as evil actors in a larger plot, seeking to undermine societal norms, institutions, and traditional values. Lessening LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs is crucial to reaching more social equality, and intergroup contact might represent a useful strategy. Study 1 (N = 253) investigated the associations of the quantity of direct contact with LGBTQ+ people, the quality of such contacts, and their interactive role with LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs. Taking a step forward, Studies 2 (N = 512) and 3 (N = 529) investigated, correlationally and experimentally, respectively, the relationship between the quality of contact with LGBTQ+ individuals and LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs, exploring the mediating associations of intergroup knowledge, empathy, and anxiety. Results consistently suggested that a higher quantity of direct contacts with LGBTQ+ people is negatively associated with LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs. Furthermore, positive contact was associated with lower conspiracy beliefs against LGBTQ+ people, with these associations being either partially (Study 2) or fully (Study 3) mediated by intergroup empathy. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of fostering positive intergroup interactions and enhancing empathy as strategies to combat harmful conspiracy beliefs about marginalized groups.

Social psychological processes related to identities and stereotypes—such as threat, belonging uncertainty, identity incompatibility and bias—can be ignited by features and practices in educational contexts, often further disadvantaging members of minoritised or underrepresented groups. Such psychological processes are consequential and predict hard academic outcomes such as attainment and progression. Although this knowledge can be harrowing, it also gives us the power to intervene. We propose three ways in which social psychology can be used to help create more inclusive education systems: by using interventions wisely, working with teachers to collaboratively create inclusive classrooms, and by fighting bias. We offer concrete examples of how social psychology is helping to reduce educational inequalities in these ways, as well as some suggestions for the future.