Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100171
Alexander Kirchner-Häusler , Jozefien De Leersnyder , Ayse K. Uskul , Fattana Mirzada , Vivian L. Vignoles , Rosa Rodríguez-Bailón , Vanessa A. Castillo , Susan E. Cross , Meral Gezici-Yalçın , Charles Harb , Shenel Husnu , Keiko Ishii , Panagiota Karamaouna , Konstantinos Kafetsios , Evangelia Kateri , Juan Matamoros-Lima , Rania Miniesy , Jinkyung Na , Zafer Özkan , Stefano Pagliaro , Yukiko Uchida
Greater “emotional fit” with one's cultural group is often associated with positive psychological and relational outcomes. However, the few empirical studies on this link have been limited to the comparison of Anglo-Western, independent, and East Asian, interdependent cultural contexts. In the current paper, we conceptually replicated findings from three studies on the link between emotional fit and well-being in Anglo-Western and East Asian contexts, using different methods and more comprehensive samples. Moreover, we expanded emotional fit research to the understudied Mediterranean region, characterized by an emphasis on “honor” and a distinct blend of independence and interdependence. We collected data from N = 3,097 participants from 12 countries and asked participants to report their emotional experience in 10 hypothetical situations and to rate their well-being in different domains. Our results largely replicated established positive links between emotional fit and well-being in the Anglo-West and East-Asia, as i) experiencing more culturally valued emotions (from which we infer cultural fit) was linked to better general well-being; ii) actual, calculated emotional fit in relationship-focused situations predicted better relational well-being; and iii) only in East Asia calculated emotional fit in culturally central contexts predicted psychological well-being and thriving. Our exploratory analyses on the Mediterranean region showed a non-homogenous pattern: while general well-being was consistently most strongly predicted by the intensity of disengaging emotions, relational and psychological well-being were differentially predicted by calculated emotional fit in relationship-focused situations across different Mediterranean sub-regions. The current work consolidates insights into how our well-being is shaped by the interplay between culture and emotional fit and strengthens evidence that there may be ‘universalism without uniformity’.
{"title":"Cultural fit of emotions and subjective well-being: Replicating comparative evidence and extending it to the Mediterranean region","authors":"Alexander Kirchner-Häusler , Jozefien De Leersnyder , Ayse K. Uskul , Fattana Mirzada , Vivian L. Vignoles , Rosa Rodríguez-Bailón , Vanessa A. Castillo , Susan E. Cross , Meral Gezici-Yalçın , Charles Harb , Shenel Husnu , Keiko Ishii , Panagiota Karamaouna , Konstantinos Kafetsios , Evangelia Kateri , Juan Matamoros-Lima , Rania Miniesy , Jinkyung Na , Zafer Özkan , Stefano Pagliaro , Yukiko Uchida","doi":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100171","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100171","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Greater “emotional fit” with one's cultural group is often associated with positive psychological and relational outcomes. However, the few empirical studies on this link have been limited to the comparison of Anglo-Western, independent, and East Asian, interdependent cultural contexts. In the current paper, we conceptually replicated findings from three studies on the link between emotional fit and well-being in Anglo-Western and East Asian contexts, using different methods and more comprehensive samples. Moreover, we expanded emotional fit research to the understudied Mediterranean region, characterized by an emphasis on “honor” and a distinct blend of independence and interdependence. We collected data from <em>N</em> = 3,097 participants from 12 countries and asked participants to report their emotional experience in 10 hypothetical situations and to rate their well-being in different domains. Our results largely replicated established positive links between emotional fit and well-being in the Anglo-West and East-Asia, as i) experiencing more culturally valued emotions (from which we infer cultural fit) was linked to better general well-being; ii) actual, calculated emotional fit in relationship-focused situations predicted better relational well-being; and iii) only in East Asia calculated emotional fit in culturally central contexts predicted psychological well-being and thriving. Our exploratory analyses on the Mediterranean region showed a non-homogenous pattern: while general well-being was consistently most strongly predicted by the intensity of disengaging emotions, relational and psychological well-being were differentially predicted by calculated emotional fit in relationship-focused situations across different Mediterranean sub-regions. The current work consolidates insights into how our well-being is shaped by the interplay between culture and emotional fit and strengthens evidence that there may be ‘universalism without uniformity’.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72748,"journal":{"name":"Current research in ecological and social psychology","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100171"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666622723000849/pdfft?md5=c9c913007ba0f13b6ffc1657550ac9e5&pid=1-s2.0-S2666622723000849-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138472675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100091
Katharina Henk , Florian Rosing , Fabian Wolff , Svenja B. Frenzel , Rolf van Dick , Valerie A. Erkens , Jan A. Häusser , Andreas Mojzisch , Diana Boer
Since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Germany, the German government has introduced various measures to counteract the pandemic. The implementation of safety measures can have counterproductive effects: people engage in risk compensatory behavior (fewer safety behaviors) after regulations are introduced and obligated by the government, which is known as the Peltzman effect (Peltzman, 1975). Based on the Peltzman effect, the researchers of this study hypothesized that people complied less with safety behaviors and took more health risks (e.g. keep less distance) after the implementation of more stringent COVID-19-related regulations (quarantine obligation and face mask duty) between the two measurement periods of this study. They also extended the Peltzman model by hypothesizing moderating roles of age, gender, and perceived COVID-19 threat. Results of the longitudinal survey study (N = 989, T1: 26 March – 31 March 2020 and T2: 27 April – 4 May 2020) confirm that people indeed complied less with safety recommendations over time associated with strengthened COVID-19-related regulations. Perceived COVID-19 threat to those in a person's surroundings (e.g. family, neighbors) had a positive impact on compliance, but age and gender had no effect. This extends the literature on the Peltzman effect by adding perceived COVID-19 threat as a new relevant construct, enabling the development of more effective safety preventions in the future.
{"title":"An examination and extension of the Peltzman effect during the Covid-19 pandemic","authors":"Katharina Henk , Florian Rosing , Fabian Wolff , Svenja B. Frenzel , Rolf van Dick , Valerie A. Erkens , Jan A. Häusser , Andreas Mojzisch , Diana Boer","doi":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100091","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100091","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Germany, the German government has introduced various measures to counteract the pandemic. The implementation of safety measures can have counterproductive effects: people engage in risk compensatory behavior (fewer safety behaviors) after regulations are introduced and obligated by the government, which is known as the Peltzman effect (Peltzman, 1975). Based on the Peltzman effect, the researchers of this study hypothesized that people complied less with safety behaviors and took more health risks (e.g. keep less distance) after the implementation of more stringent COVID-19-related regulations (quarantine obligation and face mask duty) between the two measurement periods of this study. They also extended the Peltzman model by hypothesizing moderating roles of age, gender, and perceived COVID-19 threat. Results of the longitudinal survey study (<em>N</em> = 989, T1: 26 March – 31 March 2020 and T2: 27 April – 4 May 2020) confirm that people indeed complied less with safety recommendations over time associated with strengthened COVID-19-related regulations. Perceived COVID-19 threat to those in a person's surroundings (e.g. family, neighbors) had a positive impact on compliance, but age and gender had no effect. This extends the literature on the Peltzman effect by adding perceived COVID-19 threat as a new relevant construct, enabling the development of more effective safety preventions in the future.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72748,"journal":{"name":"Current research in ecological and social psychology","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100091"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9888029/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9586836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100107
Jordana W. Composto , Sara M. Constantino , Elke U. Weber
Increasingly, people are looking for meaning through their jobs, for employers that have a positive impact on the world, and for workplaces that promote mission-driven behavior. One such mission that is a growing priority is addressing climate change, especially for younger cohorts entering the workforce. Addressing the climate crisis will necessitate substantial changes at all levels of society, including organizational change. This paper examines individual, social, and contextual variables that are associated with pro-environmental behavior (PEB). In a large survey of employees from high and low greenhouse gas emitting sectors (N = 3,041), we examine the predictors of work PEB and the relationship between work PEB and job satisfaction. We find that the strongest predictors of work PEB index are similar behavior in another domain (measured as home PEB index), perceived organizational support for the environment, personal attitudes about environmental responsibility, reported identity overlap with coworkers, and level of education. Perceptions about the social and corporate support of an environmental mission predict work PEB even after accounting for the influence of individual factors, including environmental attitudes, suggesting that they are associated with increased work PEB for employees with both high and low concern about climate change. We also find that higher work PEB is associated with greater job satisfaction. This suggests that there may be a virtuous cycle between companies' mission-driven actions and policies and employee perceptions, behavior, and personal and corporate well-being, with potential implications for employee engagement and retention.
{"title":"Predictors and consequences of pro-environmental behavior at work","authors":"Jordana W. Composto , Sara M. Constantino , Elke U. Weber","doi":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Increasingly, people are looking for meaning through their jobs, for employers that have a positive impact on the world, and for workplaces that promote mission-driven behavior. One such mission that is a growing priority is addressing climate change, especially for younger cohorts entering the workforce. Addressing the climate crisis will necessitate substantial changes at all levels of society, including organizational change. This paper examines individual, social, and contextual variables that are associated with pro-environmental behavior (PEB). In a large survey of employees from high and low greenhouse gas emitting sectors (<em>N</em> = 3,041), we examine the predictors of work PEB and the relationship between work PEB and job satisfaction. We find that the strongest predictors of work PEB index are similar behavior in another domain (measured as home PEB index), perceived organizational support for the environment, personal attitudes about environmental responsibility, reported identity overlap with coworkers, and level of education. Perceptions about the social and corporate support of an environmental mission predict work PEB even after accounting for the influence of individual factors, including environmental attitudes, suggesting that they are associated with increased work PEB for employees with both high and low concern about climate change. We also find that higher work PEB is associated with greater job satisfaction. This suggests that there may be a virtuous cycle between companies' mission-driven actions and policies and employee perceptions, behavior, and personal and corporate well-being, with potential implications for employee engagement and retention.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72748,"journal":{"name":"Current research in ecological and social psychology","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100107"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46044070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100149
Christin Camia, Ayesha Omran Alhallami
Depression is a highly prevalent mental disorder that prevents individuals to live a rewarding life. Cross-sectional research observed especially high prevalence rates of depression in female and younger individuals of the Middle East even though these results lack systematic validation. Aiming to systematize previous research on depression, this meta-analysis gathered depression mean scores and prevalence of severity categories in 18,717 adult citizens (Mage = 26.43 years, SD = 9.98, range 19.30 – 54.17) assessed by Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II) in the GCC countries in the last twenty years. Results showed similar and stable prevalence and severity of depression across and within the GCC population throughout the last twenty years. Controlling for associated factors such as age, gender distribution, and student populations, we furthermore found that young and female individuals appeared to be at greater risk for depression. Results might be explained by cultural changes the GCC states went through since the discovery of oil but also by a sampling bias present in the research of mental health in the Arab region. Therefore, results are discussed regarding the socio-cultural change of the GCC states and recommendations for future research are given.
{"title":"A Meta-Analytical Comparison of Depression Prevalence in GCC Countries","authors":"Christin Camia, Ayesha Omran Alhallami","doi":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Depression is a highly prevalent mental disorder that prevents individuals to live a rewarding life. Cross-sectional research observed especially high prevalence rates of depression in female and younger individuals of the Middle East even though these results lack systematic validation. Aiming to systematize previous research on depression, this meta-analysis gathered depression mean scores and prevalence of severity categories in 18,717 adult citizens (<em>M<sub>age</sub></em> = 26.43 years, <em>SD</em> = 9.98, range 19.30 – 54.17) assessed by Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II) in the GCC countries in the last twenty years. Results showed similar and stable prevalence and severity of depression across and within the GCC population throughout the last twenty years. Controlling for associated factors such as age, gender distribution, and student populations, we furthermore found that young and female individuals appeared to be at greater risk for depression. Results might be explained by cultural changes the GCC states went through since the discovery of oil but also by a sampling bias present in the research of mental health in the Arab region. Therefore, results are discussed regarding the socio-cultural change of the GCC states and recommendations for future research are given.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72748,"journal":{"name":"Current research in ecological and social psychology","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100149"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44833771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100148
Martin Mabunda Baluku , Florence Nansubuga , Khamisi Musanje , Simon Nantamu , Kathleen Otto
Refugees experience numerous psychological and social problems associated with experiences in their home countries, during asylum-seeking, and conditions in their new environment. Therefore, refugees are likely to experience a decline in psychological and social capital, negatively affecting their well-being. Mindfulness is a known trait-like attribute that is associated with superior well-being outcomes. The present correlational study investigated the mediating role of psychological and social capital in the association between mindfulness and well-being outcomes (life satisfaction and happiness) among refugees in resource-constrained settlements in Uganda. As part of the RESS-R (Refugee Entrepreneurship and Skilling for Self-Reliance) project, 576 refugees from rural settlements and urban locations took part in the study. The results of the structural equation model revealed that mindfulness was positively associated with psychological and social capital. However, only psychological capital had a mediating effect in the relationship between mindfulness and the well-being variables. Our findings provide insights into the relationships between positive psychological attributes and well-being outcomes among refugees living in resource-constrained settings.
{"title":"The role of mindfulness, psychological capital, and social capital in the well-being of refugees in Uganda","authors":"Martin Mabunda Baluku , Florence Nansubuga , Khamisi Musanje , Simon Nantamu , Kathleen Otto","doi":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100148","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100148","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Refugees experience numerous psychological and social problems associated with experiences in their home countries, during asylum-seeking, and conditions in their new environment. Therefore, refugees are likely to experience a decline in psychological and social capital, negatively affecting their well-being. Mindfulness is a known trait-like attribute that is associated with superior well-being outcomes. The present correlational study investigated the mediating role of psychological and social capital in the association between mindfulness and well-being outcomes (life satisfaction and happiness) among refugees in resource-constrained settlements in Uganda. As part of the RESS-R (Refugee Entrepreneurship and Skilling for Self-Reliance) project, 576 refugees from rural settlements and urban locations took part in the study. The results of the structural equation model revealed that mindfulness was positively associated with psychological and social capital. However, only psychological capital had a mediating effect in the relationship between mindfulness and the well-being variables. Our findings provide insights into the relationships between positive psychological attributes and well-being outcomes among refugees living in resource-constrained settings.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72748,"journal":{"name":"Current research in ecological and social psychology","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100148"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43363159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100118
Shabnam Pouraghajan , Johannes Ullrich , Naser Morina
Refugees undergo traumatic events during the premigration and transit phases and also experience severe difficulties after resettlement in a new country, and they are therefore at high risk of developing mental health problems. The present studies examined if intergroup contact with members of the receiving society moderates these negative impacts on refugees’ mental health. Two studies with refugees in Switzerland (N = 262) revealed both buffering and exacerbating effects of intergroup contact. Having more Swiss friends was associated with a less negative relationship between postmigration living difficulties and mental health. Surprisingly, having more Swiss friends was also associated with a more negative relationship between traumatization and mental health. These results suggest that intergroup contact may help refugees adjust to the living conditions in the receiving society, but may pose a risk regarding trauma-related disorders.
{"title":"Mental health of asylum seekers and refugees: The role of trauma and postmigration living difficulties and the moderating effect of intergroup contact","authors":"Shabnam Pouraghajan , Johannes Ullrich , Naser Morina","doi":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Refugees undergo traumatic events during the premigration and transit phases and also experience severe difficulties after resettlement in a new country, and they are therefore at high risk of developing mental health problems. The present studies examined if intergroup contact with members of the receiving society moderates these negative impacts on refugees’ mental health. Two studies with refugees in Switzerland (<em>N</em> = 262) revealed both buffering and exacerbating effects of intergroup contact. Having more Swiss friends was associated with a less negative relationship between postmigration living difficulties and mental health. Surprisingly, having more Swiss friends was also associated with a more negative relationship between traumatization and mental health. These results suggest that intergroup contact may help refugees adjust to the living conditions in the receiving society, but may pose a risk regarding trauma-related disorders.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72748,"journal":{"name":"Current research in ecological and social psychology","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100118"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47742235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100170
Meral Gezici Yalçın , N. Ekrem Düzen , Furkan Bardak , Ayse K. Uskul , Murat Öztürk
The sense of feeling at home by people ‘on the move’ was inquired through an adaptation of the homemaking approach. Two groups of people who make their living by working in agricultural sites (internally mobile seasonal agricultural workers and internationally displaced migrant workers) were reached out to examine associations between feeling at home, social interactions, perceived degradation, and subjective well-being. Results showed that both worker groups (seasonal and displaced workers) felt at home despite precarious working and living conditions. Expectedly, feeling at home was predicted significantly by social interactions with others; however, the type of interactions also determined the direction of the effects. While within-group interaction (binding ties) predicted feeling at home positively, across-groups interaction (bridging ties) predicted it negatively for both groups. Additionally, perceived degradation and subjective well-being moderated the effect of feeling at home partially: the effect emerged for a cross-groups but not for within-group interactions. In conclusion, the notion of binding and bridging ties could help to attain an increased explanatory power rather than contact theory alone in understanding the patterns of feeling at home.
{"title":"Feeling at home: An explorative field study of seasonal agricultural workers with different (dis) location backgrounds","authors":"Meral Gezici Yalçın , N. Ekrem Düzen , Furkan Bardak , Ayse K. Uskul , Murat Öztürk","doi":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100170","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The sense of feeling at home by people ‘on the move’ was inquired through an adaptation of the homemaking approach. Two groups of people who make their living by working in agricultural sites (internally mobile seasonal agricultural workers and internationally displaced migrant workers) were reached out to examine associations between feeling at home, social interactions, perceived degradation, and subjective well-being. Results showed that both worker groups (seasonal and displaced workers) felt at home despite precarious working and living conditions. Expectedly, feeling at home was predicted significantly by social interactions with others; however, the type of interactions also determined the direction of the effects. While within-group interaction (binding ties) predicted feeling at home positively, across-groups interaction (bridging ties) predicted it negatively for both groups. Additionally, perceived degradation and subjective well-being moderated the effect of feeling at home partially: the effect emerged for a cross-groups but not for within-group interactions. In conclusion, the notion of binding and bridging ties could help to attain an increased explanatory power rather than contact theory alone in understanding the patterns of feeling at home.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72748,"journal":{"name":"Current research in ecological and social psychology","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100170"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666622723000837/pdfft?md5=6e32ae142ed3a940618f2833bd777e48&pid=1-s2.0-S2666622723000837-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138466149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100111
Sandra L. Murray , Ji Xia , Veronica Lamarche , Mark D. Seery , James McNulty , Dale W. Griffin , Deborah E. Ward , Han Young Jung , Lindsey Hicks , David Dubois
Conspiracy theorists’ unpopular opinions likely make them more apprehensive about interactions with others, frustrating their need to belong. Therefore, they may be susceptible to believing misinformation because evidence that others share their beliefs provides “social proof” that they can expect interactions with others to be positive and rewarding. The present research examined whether alternatively fulfilling the need for social connection through romantic relationships could protect conspiracy theorists against COVID-19 misinformation. In a 3-week daily diary study (N = 555), experimental participants implicitly learned to associate their romantic partners with positive experiences (by repeatedly pairing their partner with highly positive and approachable stimuli, McNulty et al., 2017). We then assessed how much participants trusted individuals they might normally distrust, as a manipulation check, and how much participants tuned their daily personal beliefs and behavior to match the U.S. public's daily susceptibility to COVID-19 misinformation. Participants high on conspiratorial thinking trusted fellow community members more in the experimental than control condition. Participants high on conspiratorial thinking in the experimental condition were also less likely to treat the U.S. public's greater daily susceptibility to COVID-19 misinformation as proof that they could discount the virus. The present findings suggest that rewarding romantic connections might be leveraged to limit conspiracy theorists’ susceptibility to believing public skepticism about COVID-19.
阴谋论者不受欢迎的观点可能会让他们对与他人的互动更加担忧,从而挫败他们对归属感的需求。因此,他们可能容易相信错误信息,因为其他人分享他们信仰的证据提供了“社会证明”,他们可以期望与他人的互动是积极和有益的。目前的研究考察了通过浪漫关系来满足社会联系的需求是否可以保护阴谋论者免受COVID-19错误信息的影响。在一项为期3周的每日日记研究中(N = 555),实验参与者隐性地学会了将他们的浪漫伴侣与积极的经历联系起来(通过反复将他们的伴侣与高度积极和可接近的刺激配对,McNulty et al., 2017)。然后,我们评估了参与者对他们通常可能不信任的个人的信任程度,作为操纵检查,以及参与者对他们的日常个人信仰和行为进行了多少调整,以匹配美国公众对COVID-19错误信息的日常敏感性。阴谋思维高的参与者在实验中比在控制条件下更信任社区成员。在实验条件下,阴谋论思维高的参与者也不太可能将美国公众每天对COVID-19错误信息的更大敏感性视为他们可以轻视病毒的证据。目前的研究结果表明,奖励浪漫关系可能会被用来限制阴谋论者相信公众对COVID-19的怀疑的敏感性。
{"title":"A moth to a flame? Fulfilling connectedness needs through romantic relationships protects conspiracy theorists against COVID-19 misinformation","authors":"Sandra L. Murray , Ji Xia , Veronica Lamarche , Mark D. Seery , James McNulty , Dale W. Griffin , Deborah E. Ward , Han Young Jung , Lindsey Hicks , David Dubois","doi":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100111","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100111","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Conspiracy theorists’ unpopular opinions likely make them more apprehensive about interactions with others, frustrating their need to belong. Therefore, they may be susceptible to believing misinformation because evidence that others share their beliefs provides “social proof” that they can expect interactions with others to be positive and rewarding. The present research examined whether <em>alternatively</em> fulfilling the need for social connection through romantic relationships could protect conspiracy theorists against COVID-19 misinformation. In a 3-week daily diary study (<em>N</em> = 555), experimental participants implicitly learned to associate their romantic partners with positive experiences (by repeatedly pairing their partner with highly positive and approachable stimuli, McNulty et al., 2017). We then assessed how much participants trusted individuals they might normally distrust, as a manipulation check, and how much participants tuned their daily personal beliefs and behavior to match the U.S. public's daily susceptibility to COVID-19 misinformation. Participants <em>high</em> on conspiratorial thinking trusted fellow community members <em>more</em> in the experimental than control condition. Participants <em>high</em> on conspiratorial thinking in the experimental condition were also <em>less</em> likely to treat the U.S. public's greater daily susceptibility to COVID-19 misinformation as proof that they could discount the virus. The present findings suggest that rewarding romantic connections might be leveraged to limit conspiracy theorists’ susceptibility to believing public skepticism about COVID-19.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72748,"journal":{"name":"Current research in ecological and social psychology","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46073347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100154
Thea Gregersen , Rouven Doran , Sina Storelv
A national sample from Norway (N = 2001) was asked to report how much they worry about climate change (closed-ended question), and then to write down their reasons for (not) being worried (open-ended question). Answers to the open-ended question were content analyzed and compared across responses to the closed-ended question. The results showed that the most common reason for being at least somewhat worried was concern about the consequences of climate change. Respondents reporting high worry were in particular more likely to bring up consequences for humans than those reporting medium worry. Respondents who reported low worry referred to a broader range of reasons in their answers, such as believing in natural rather than human causes of climate change, expressing a sense of optimism towards potential solutions, or being discontent with political measures or public discourse on climate change. These findings add novel insights into understanding the subjective meaning associated with the degree to which people report being worried about climate change.
{"title":"Self-reported reasons for (not) being worried about climate change","authors":"Thea Gregersen , Rouven Doran , Sina Storelv","doi":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100154","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100154","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A national sample from Norway (<em>N</em> = 2001) was asked to report how much they worry about climate change (closed-ended question), and then to write down their reasons for (not) being worried (open-ended question). Answers to the open-ended question were content analyzed and compared across responses to the closed-ended question. The results showed that the most common reason for being at least somewhat worried was concern about the consequences of climate change. Respondents reporting high worry were in particular more likely to bring up consequences for humans than those reporting medium worry. Respondents who reported low worry referred to a broader range of reasons in their answers, such as believing in natural rather than human causes of climate change, expressing a sense of optimism towards potential solutions, or being discontent with political measures or public discourse on climate change. These findings add novel insights into understanding the subjective meaning associated with the degree to which people report being worried about climate change.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72748,"journal":{"name":"Current research in ecological and social psychology","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100154"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46967622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100102
Jonathan Leader Maynard , Aliza Luft
This essay contends that contemporary research should pay greater attention to three fundamentally human characteristics of dehumanization. First, we argue that scholars need to better consider and analyze the ideological context of dehumanization, specifically the multiple meanings that diverse cultural conceptions of the human and the dehumanized impart to dehumanizing concepts or attitudes. Second, we urge a greater emphasis on how social relationships influence dehumanization, recognizing that people are entangled in complex and intersecting social identities, relationships, and histories that affect how they respond to the dehumanizing intentions of others. Third, we argue that the institutional context of dehumanization must be investigated and theorized, as dehumanization’s effects are rarely the result of atomized individuals reacting to diffuse dehumanizing rhetoric but rather the result of collective action within more or less formal organizations. These tasks can be accomplished through increased interdisciplinarity, thereby enhancing the insights and applicability of dehumanization research to the numerous forms of conflict, brutality, and extremism that are so frequently associated with dehumanization.
{"title":"Humanizing dehumanization research","authors":"Jonathan Leader Maynard , Aliza Luft","doi":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100102","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100102","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This essay contends that contemporary research should pay greater attention to three fundamentally human characteristics of dehumanization. First, we argue that scholars need to better consider and analyze the ideological context of dehumanization, specifically the multiple meanings that diverse cultural conceptions of the human and the dehumanized impart to dehumanizing concepts or attitudes. Second, we urge a greater emphasis on how social relationships influence dehumanization, recognizing that people are entangled in complex and intersecting social identities, relationships, and histories that affect how they respond to the dehumanizing intentions of others. Third, we argue that the institutional context of dehumanization must be investigated and theorized, as dehumanization’s effects are rarely the result of atomized individuals reacting to diffuse dehumanizing rhetoric but rather the result of collective action within more or less formal organizations. These tasks can be accomplished through increased interdisciplinarity, thereby enhancing the insights and applicability of dehumanization research to the numerous forms of conflict, brutality, and extremism that are so frequently associated with dehumanization.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72748,"journal":{"name":"Current research in ecological and social psychology","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100102"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44315524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}