Journal of Applied Social Psychology最新文献

Microaggressions are speech or actions constituting indirect, subtle, or unintentional acts of discrimination, and awareness of their harmful effects has grown in recent years. Increased awareness could improve inter-group interactions, but also poses challenges. Fear of misspeaking, or fear of being subject to microaggressions can stifle interactions. We investigated how people from different racial and ethnic groups and political orientations judge the severity of various forms of racial microaggressions, and we tested a specific strategy to mitigate the harm of racial microaggressions. Specifically, in Experiment 1, White participants (WP) and participants of colour (POC) rated the severity of various microaggressions (depicted in vignettes). Participants also reported their political orientation and strength of racial/ethnic identity. Regardless of racial/ethnic group, left-leaning political orientation was associated with higher perceived severity of racial microaggressions. Furthermore, severity ratings from POC were higher for those who identified more strongly with their ethnic/racial group. In Experiment 2, we again obtained severity ratings, but we used microaggression vignettes that were manipulated to reveal the source s mindset as either reparatory and open-minded (ROM), or not. Critically, severity ratings were significantly lower for vignettes in which ROM was messaged. The importance of these results is twofold. First, they reveal that political orientation can override other factors like racial group membership when judging the severity of racial microaggressions, and second, they show that augmenting problematic speech with information about mindset, can mitigate perceived harm. Overall, this work contributes to a richer understanding of microaggressions, and has implications for theory and practice.

When people are confronted with research that contradicts their own personal experiences, they tend to deny the science. Using a secondary multinational data set collected during the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (N = 46,490), we tested this “seeing is believing” effect as it relates to the link between direct and indirect personal experience with COVID-19 and public health behaviors (PHBs) through COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and perceived risk of infection. Indirect experience with COVID-19 was associated with lower endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, which negatively predicted risk perception of infection, and, in turn, positively predicted PHBs. However, direct experience positively predicted COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, while it negatively predicted perceived risk. Moreover, while indirect experience positively predicted PHBs, direct experience largely negatively predicted PHBs. Implications of these findings as it relates to the “seeing is believing” effect are discussed.

The article listed below, intended for publication in the Special Issue “Nothing so (Ultimately) Theoretical as Good Practice: Building Social Psychological Theory by Demonstrating Novel Social Phenomena” was inadvertently published in a regular issue, volume 52, issue 12. This was due to a production error and is not attributable to the authors or guest editors.

This article should be cited as shown below.

McClure, J. H. C. & Cole, S. N. (2022). Controllability is key: Goal pursuit during COVID-19 and insights for theories of self-regulation. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 52, 1196–1210. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12920

We apologize for this error.

The article listed below, intended for publication in the Special Issue “Nothing so (Ultimately) Theoretical as Good Practice: Building Social Psychological Theory by Demonstrating Novel Social Phenomena” was inadvertently published in a regular issue, volume 52, issue 12. This was due to a production error and is not attributable to the authors or guest editors.

This article should be cited as shown below.

Crandall, C. S., Bahns, A. J., & Gillath, O. (2022). Do masks affect social interaction? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 52, 1172–1178. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12918

We apologize for this error.

Some participants in the conversation about changing scientific norms have recommended that researchers articulate detailed, formalized theories from the outset. Also, leading psychology journals have historically prioritized research that conveys at least the appearance of a satisfying theoretical conclusion. We argue that simply demonstrating social phenomena is a vital component of the theory-generation process itself, and that it is counterproductive to require authors to derive all predictions from established theoretical frameworks. Our point goes beyond calling for descriptive and exploratory research: much can be learned by carrying out carefully formulated confirmatory tests of a phenomenon before claiming to know its relationship with past or future theories. The heart of science is the practice of subjecting ideas to systematic, transparent tests, regardless of whether those ideas stem from broad, thoroughly articulated theories or provisional reasoning about phenomena. Publication standards that require definitive theoretical or practical conclusions incentivize hasty ones. We need researchers playing the long game, so we need outlets for research that has not fully established what is going on and why. This special issue aimed to provide such an outlet.

While past studies have demonstrated the role of group-based emotions in intergroup attitudes within the context of intractable conflicts, it is unknown how individual temporal perspectives, namely collective future orientations and political ideology, moderate the relationship between conflict-related emotions and support for policies. In two exploratory studies, we adopted a functional approach to emotions in conflict and examined whether the associations between the three group-based emotions of compassion, hope, and hatred and support for conciliatory versus aggressive policies were moderated by individual perceptions of collective future and by political ideology. The results indicate that the way group-based emotions predict support for policies is moderated by both future and political orientation, such that high collective future orientation reduces the effect of positively-valenced emotions on support for conciliatory policies, and increases the effect of negatively-valenced emotions on support for aggressive policies, but only among leftwingers. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of this nuanced link between group-based emotions and support for policies, moderated by political ideology and collective future orientation.

Veterinarian work may take an emotional toll on practitioners and their mental health, potentially driving premature exit from the profession. Performing animal euthanasia is frequently identified as a potential risk factor for sustainable mental health. Yet, research has demonstrated mixed results between euthanasia performance and detrimental mental health outcomes, suggesting the potential for factors that moderate this association. In this three-wave longitudinal survey study, including 110 currently practicing veterinarians (88% female), we examined whether the type of empathy experienced by these practitioners plays a role in the association between performing animal euthanasia and career sustainability. Two types of empathy, cognitive empathy (i.e., understanding the affective experience of another) and emotional empathy (i.e., experiencing another's emotional state) were assessed. Job disengagement at 12 months was predicted by the interaction between animal euthanasia frequency in the past 12 months and emotional empathy in the past 6 or 12 months. Perceived resilience at 12 months was predicted by the interaction between animal euthanasia frequency in the past 12 months and emotional empathy a year prior. For these outcomes, the effects of performing animal euthanasia on career sustainability were moderated by emotional empathy. Higher levels of emotional empathy were associated with worse outcomes. Veterinarians may seek to understand the affective experience of the client or patient and provide compassionate care in a sustainable way. However, they should do so while avoiding the costs of emotional empathy. This work has implications for veterinarian training to support career sustainability.

Worldview conflict has been shown to determine prejudice toward members of groups holding opposite views. In two experimental studies, we aimed at generalizing the consequences of worldview conflict to the reception of immigrants by a host population. We hypothesized that members of a host population have a more favorable attitude toward immigrants when they share the same worldviews. In Study 1 (N = 181), we took the example of same-sex marriage and showed that participants rated immigrants who held worldviews congruent with their own more favorably. In Study 2 (N = 467), we found that members of the host population were more favorable to a naturalization request by a high-social-status immigrant when s/he agreed with them concerning the Black Lives Matter movement. However, that worldviews congruency effect was not found for a low-social-status immigrant. Consequences of worldview conflict on the reception of immigrants are discussed.

COVID-19 has highlighted worldwide the importance of a strong social and political fabric. Those countries that fared best were ones where there was community connection, belonging, a volunteering ethos, and a belief in the legitimacy of official institutions, all deemed critical aspects of social cohesion. It has become clear that understanding and strengthening social cohesion in times of stability is critical to successfully navigate crisis. Despite its importance, evidence from many countries indicates that this important “social glue” is fragile and at risk, requiring consistent investments to maintain and strengthen it. Governments and communities around the world are looking to evidence-based strategies to strengthen social cohesion. To facilitate this goal, a systematic review is conducted of four major databases identifying 52 studies with high-quality evidence of what works and why. We also included the results of three systematic reviews that had investigated the impact of social capital and/or social cohesion on health-related variables specifically to broaden our search and enrich our findings (n = 21; total = 73). Using themes identified across governments, it is possible to classify the strengths and limitations of existing research. It becomes clear that the most common effective strategies were (1) awareness raising and coutering existing stereotypes and (2) offering opportunities for positive contact and a more co-operative assessment of intergroup relations. Missing are leadership processes that can (re)define group-based values, norms, and behaviors. Specific intervention strategies are outlined as well as directions for future research.