Current research in ecological and social psychology最新文献

As a multicultural context, Lebanon has been subjected to complex cultural influences across history and has no clear cultural delineations. Lebanese currently choose to maintain or abandon a combination of four local cultural identities (sectarian, religious, national, and supranational). They may also choose to adopt postcolonial French culture and/or remotely acculturate to American culture. In this unique Middle Eastern context, we specifically examined Americanization in relation to well-being. Using a cross-sectional design, we analyzed data from 741 participants aged 18–40. We identified several cultural clusters from measures of identity and behavioral orientations towards one's self-ascribed sectarian, Arab, religious, national, postcolonial French, and American cultural indicators. Cluster analysis indicated the existence of three clusters within the sample: a national multicultural Americanized cluster (23%), a religious multicultural Americanized cluster (40%), and a religious multicultural traditional cluster (37%). The clusters’ composition and characteristics potentially reflect historical and current events related to the political and social fabric of the country and the region (e.g., the Arab Nationalist Movement, the recent national uprising). In addition, we compared psychological well-being across clusters; the analyses demonstrated significant differences. Universally, our results highlight the importance of maintaining a positive attitude towards one's local culture(s) to protect one's well-being and indicate that Americanization extends beyond adolescence and the emerging adulthood periods into adulthood. At the societal level, the emergence of a cluster prioritizing national identity encourages efforts to promote a superordinate national identity and could be indicative of a significant shift within the Lebanese social and political fabric.

Adolescents’ relationship to social media (SM) use shifted significantly during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, less is known about how adolescents’ social media use behaviors and mood were associated during this time. This study examined objective (passively sensed) SM use—including ‘screen time’ (duration of use) and checking (frequency of opening apps), retrospective daily reports of positive and negative affect during SM use, and general negative mood among adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Participants included 19 adolescents (Mean age = 15.8; 37 % female). Bayesian multilevel models examined whether within person-changes in SM ‘screen time’ and checking were associated with 1) retrospectively reported positive and negative affect while using SM and daily duration of SM use, 2) daily reports of overall negative mood. These relationships were examined both within the same day and prospectively (one day's SM behaviors predicting next-day mood and vise versa). On the same day, stronger positive or negative mood during SM use were associated with more SM ‘screen time’ (duration) and checking. Prospectively (next-day models), checking SM more frequently than usual was uniquely associated with within-person increases in adolescents’ positive mood when using SM the next day (p < .05), but not negative mood when using SM the next day. However, neither ‘screen time’ nor checking were associated with general negative mood on the same day or next day. These findings support the notion that SM is rewarding by highlighting that higher-than-usual SM checking is associated with within-person increases in positive mood during use. These findings also add to growing evidence that social media may not be directly tied to adolescents’ general mood state.

People tend to underestimate others’ environmental values, including when judging the values of minority-status groups. Using a large national sample (N = 5110), we test whether these misperceptions extend to concern about climate change in Australia, and differ depending on immigrant status, ethnicity, and where one is located (i.e., in or outside capital cities). We also examine the consequences of misperceptions for self-efficacy and pro-environmental behaviour. We find personal climate concern is high, but perceptions of others’ concern is lower. Immigrants and Australian-born participants have similarly high concern, but both groups underestimate how concerned immigrants are. Southern-Central-Asian identifiers are the most concerned; Australian identifiers relatively less so. All ethnic categories appeared to underestimate the concern of their own ethnicity. City-dwellers had slightly higher concern than those in regional or rural areas, but city-dwellers' concern was underestimated by people regardless of their location. Those who underestimated others’ concern had lower pro-environmental behavioural engagement compared to those who overestimated concern, and this was mediated by lower self-efficacy. We suggest that strategies to promote climate engagement and efficacy go beyond attempting to correct misperceptions, and encompass approaches that promote environmentally-relevant social interaction across different groups.

Natural disasters and extreme weather events have increased in recent years and are likely to increase further in the face of climate change. Many survivors of such events suffer from mental health complaints. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on treatment efficacy of psychological interventions for mental disorders in survivors of natural disasters. Systematic database searches resulted in the inclusion of ten randomised controlled trials with 613 participants (37.8 % women). Nine of these trials focused on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), whereas one trial included individuals with alcohol dependence. Studies were conducted in China, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Thailand. Four trials included children and adolescents who received group treatments, whereas six trials included adults who received individual treatments. Most interventions consisted of cognitive-behavioural therapy (k = 7). Results suggest a significant short-term efficacy of interventions for PTSD compared to passive control conditions (g = 1.44; 95 % CI 0.53–2.35, k = 7). The long-term efficacy after an average of 8 weeks post-treatment remained significant (g = 0.59; 95 % CI 0.25–0.93, k = 4). The trials furthermore yielded significant treatment effects regarding comorbid depression compared to control conditions for both short-term and long-term assessments. Heterogeneity in effect sizes between individual studies was small to moderate. Our findings suggest that psychological interventions, especially cognitive-behavioural therapy, can effectively treat PTSD and comorbid mental health problems in survivors of natural disasters. Nonetheless, conclusions are limited by the small number of trials and the strong focus on PTSD.

Elder abuse is a growing worldwide problem. The dehumanization of older adults likely contributes to elder abuse as it relates to a lower standard of care afforded to them as well as perpetuates negative attitudes and institutional policies affecting them. Here, we examined mind attributions of older adults receiving care given that mind denial relates to the perpetuation of harm against human agents. We show that living situation is a potent contextual cue affecting mind attributions toward older adults. Older adults receiving more external support and care in their overall living situations were attributed less mind, an effect due to their being attributed limited attributed agentic relative to experiential mental capacities (Experiment 1). Limited attributed agentic versus experiential capacities also emerged for older adults in care facilities to receive cognitive, but not physical, rehabilitation after acute medical emergencies (Experiments 2 and 3). This cognitive rehabilitation effect generalized to younger adults, although older adults were attributed less mind overall (Experiment 3). Showing consequences of limited inferred mental agency, attributed agentic capacities positively related to beliefs that rehabilitation would be successful (Experiment 3). All effects emerged when controlling for variability in aging-related prejudice, suggesting a broad emergence that could substantially affect older adults’ lives. These findings suggest that older adults in need of care are attributed limited agentic capacities that are necessary for people to believe in the efficacy of their care.

To encourage energy conservation, some interventions refer to abstract, large-scale, and complex phenomena (e.g., climate change), while others rely on concrete actions (e.g., changing light bulbs) and consequences (e.g., saving money). Some also combine both. Mostly conducted in non-applied settings, existing studies that compare the impact of abstract vs. concrete pro-environmental interventions have yielded mixed results. Moreover, they have not documented the potential advantage, in the long term, of adding abstract information to an existing concrete intervention. With this goal in mind, we joined an intervention in which households of two neighbourhoods (N = 177) participated in an energy conservation programme encouraging and facilitating concrete energy-conserving behaviours. We randomly assigned about half of the households to a concrete-only condition (the basic intervention) and half to a condition in which we also provided abstract environmental information. Results showed that an abstract message added to a concrete intervention successfully increased the amount of attention households reported paying to energy consumption six months after the intervention, compared to the concrete-only intervention. An abstract message also had an indirect impact on energy saving behaviours six months later, through increased biospheric (environmental) values. Taken together, these results suggest that low-level construal goals, such as everyday energy saving behaviours, should be accompanied by high-level construal goals, such as limiting climate change, to increase individuals’ willingness to act for the environment.

Big Five personality traits have been consistently shown to be important predictors of political differences. Other work found that political differences are related to geographical differences in personality. The present study extended existing work by examining the numbers and features of distinct personality profiles within different political regions of the United States using latent profile analysis (LPA). Across two large datasets (total N > 6,000), we found that while all regions shared similar numbers (3–5 profiles per region) and some overlapping patterns of personality profiles (e.g., well-adapted individuals), different political regions also showed unique personality profile patterns (e.g., “Worrisome Liberals”, “Rigid & Antisocial”). Overall, these results provide initial evidence suggesting that different personality profiles may exist among different political regions of the US, and offer insights on the interplay between personality, political ideology, and geographical differences.

Relations between groups are particularly sensitive in post-conflict societies where tensions persist, and reconciliation remains unlikely. The present research investigated whether believing or learning that an outgroup humanizes the ingroup (i.e., meta-humanization) enhances conciliatory attitudes and intergroup negotiations. In three studies conducted in the post-conflict context of Kosovo (N = 1,407), we investigated whether meta-humanization, in comparison to meta-dehumanization (i.e., the belief that outgroups dehumanize the ingroup) or a control condition wherein no information related to (de)humanization is provided, impacts various intergroup outcomes through the attribution of secondary emotions (i.e., the tendency to deny outgroups the capability to experience human emotions) and blatant dehumanization (i.e., the tendency to overtly or explicitly regard outgroup members as being less than fully human). Using correlational data, Study 1 revealed that blatant dehumanization, but not the attribution of secondary emotions, mediated the effect of meta-humanization on conciliatory attitudes, including support for the outgroup, openness to future contact, and feelings of peace with outgroup members. However, this pattern did not extend to intergroup negotiation, as none of the indirect effects through both the attribution of secondary emotions and blatant dehumanization were significant. Using experimental data, Study 2 demonstrated that participants in the meta-humanization condition exhibited lower levels of blatant dehumanization towards the outgroup, increased support for the outgroup, greater openness to intergroup contact, and reported feeling more at peace with outgroup members compared to those in both the meta-dehumanization and control conditions. However, participants in the meta-dehumanization and control conditions showed greater support for intergroup negotiation than those in the meta-humanization condition. Moreover, Study 2 indicated that blatant dehumanization, rather than the attribution of secondary emotions, mediated the effect of meta-humanization on all these outcomes—except for intergroup negotiations. Finally, Study 3 replicated the findings observed in Study 2 regarding the effect of meta-humanization (vs. meta-dehumanization and control) on conciliatory attitudes and intergroup negotiation while controlling for meta-prejudice. Furthermore, Study 3 revealed that both blatant dehumanization and the attribution of secondary emotions mediated the effects of meta-humanization on all these outcomes. In sum, this set of studies shows that meta-humanization promotes reconciliation, especially via reduced blatant dehumanization, but these beneficial effects do not extend to support for intergroup negotiation.

In the current research we investigated how people deal with decisions in which they have to reject others, something that is unavoidably part of many selection procedures. Integrating insights derived from research on social exclusion and dehumanization, we argued that when people need to reject others, they dehumanize them. To study the association between dehumanization and rejecting in a real-life setting, we conducted two field studies, in which we examined the selection process in student houses, where residents can accept some prospective members, but have to reject others. As predicted, our findings showed that when people need to reject targets, they subtly dehumanize them. Moreover, dehumanizing rejected targets was related to lower rejection aversion. This suggests that when people dehumanize those they have to reject, rejection is easier.

Research on the social identity theory of leadership and identity leadership has found that group identification and related needs influence how they view leadership and leaders within groups. Inspired by these theories, three studies (and two pilot studies) investigated whether group identification relates to whether a group member wants to lead a specific group. Furthermore, the present research investigated whether this relationship still occurred after accounting for individual-level constructs related to leader emergence, such as a person's motivation to lead, leader identity, or other relevant constructs. Study 1 found that a group member's decision to pursue or decline a leadership opportunity is related to both their group identification and individual-level constructs. Study 2 found that how important a group member thought it was to pursue a leadership opportunity differed based on their group identification. Study 3 conceptually replicated this result and found support for an indirect effect: group identification influences how important it is for a person to become a leader of that group, which then increases the likelihood that they pursue a leadership opportunity within that group. This indirect effect remained after including relevant individual-level constructs. Overall, group identification indirectly relates to whether a person wants to become a leader of a specific group.