Negative Emotions In Relation Research Articles

НЕГАТИВНЫЕ ЭМОЦИИ И ПОДДЕРЖКА КЛИМАТИЧЕСКОЙ ПОЛИТИКИ В РОССИИ

Current research suggests that the relationship between negative emotions and pro-environmental behaviour is not consistent across contexts, and that different negative emotions can both increase and decrease motivation to act. This paper is a post hoc analysis of the role of negative emotions in supporting climate change policy in the context of Russia, also examining the role of sociodemographic factors. Based on a randomized controlled experimental design with a total sample size of N = 246, we assess the expression of six negative emotions in relation to perceptions of climate change, and their role in increasing support for a set of key climate policies. The results show that the overall expression of negative emotions is positively associated with support for the full set of climate policies, but the effect varies significantly across policies. In terms of sociodemographic factors, taking into account the factor structure of the climate policy support, support for policies that relate to taxes is more strongly determined by education; support for policies that relate to energy infrastructure and business, as well as forest and water protection, is determined by gender; the latter is also negatively associated with respondents' income level. In practical terms, the results indicate the need to develop a balanced communication strategy to attract the attention of Russian society to climate change, to familiarize population with the short- and long-term effects of the introduction of various policies to counteract climate change, and to create an information flow that promotes an emotional attitude to the problem, which is as effective as possible for supporting policies developed by the state and the scientific community.

Cognitive emotion regulation difficulties increase affective reactivity to daily-life stress in autistic adolescents and young adults.

Previous research has shown that autistic individuals report high levels of perceived stress and have an increased likelihood of developing mental health difficulties. Increase in individuals' negative emotions in relation to perceived stress (i.e. affective reactivity to stress) is a known risk factor for mental health difficulties. In this study, we investigated perceived daily stress and affective reactivity to stress in autistic (n = 39, age = 18.4) and non-autistic (n = 55, age = 18.1) adolescents and young adults. We used the ecological momentary assessment, a technique that allows to assess individuals repeatedly in their daily life using their smartphone. Moreover, participants filled a questionnaire to evaluate the strategies they use to regulate emotions when faced with difficulties. Finally, a clinical interview and a parent-report questionnaire were used to assess mental health symptoms. Autistic youth reported higher levels of perceived daily stress compared with non-autistic peers. Moreover, they showed increased affective reactivity to stress related to their daily activities. Autistic participants reported more emotion regulation difficulties (e.g. more repetitive thinking of difficulties) compared with non-autistic participants. Difficulties in emotion regulation increased negative emotions in relation to stress and might contribute to the severity of mental health symptoms. We conclude that adolescents and young adults with autism report high perceived stress in their daily lives. To minimize the negative impact of stress and the development of mental health symptoms, people supporting autistic young people could focus on stress management skills and the strategies that the youth use to manage emotions.

Motivational and emotional states in self-directed language learning: a longitudinal study

The current longitudinal case study investigated emotional and motivational states in a self-directed and mobile-assisted language learning environment. The participant of the study was a highly motivated language learner who used the Busuu application for a period of one year to learn German. Tracing the participant’s emotional and motivational journey using solicited diaries and chat-based interviews, the study revealed that the process of self-directed language learning is associated with the experience of a variety of positive and negative emotions. Joy, hope, and interest were the prevailing positive emotions that were linked to learning vocabulary; and frustration, anger, and feeling annoyed were the negative emotions in relation to learning grammar and pronunciation. In general, the study found a strong connection between positive emotions and persistence in self-directed language learning. The findings also pointed to some possible causes of high dropouts in application based language learning, as lack of enough resources for learning some language skills (such as grammar) initiated and implicated extensive processes of negative emotions. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge in mobile-assisted language learning, and calls for further research regarding the role of emotions in technology-based and self-directed learning environments.

Уязвимость к межличностному отвержению из-за внешности в бодипозитивных и проанорексичных онлайн-сообществах

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective. </strong>We aimed to analyze vulnerabilities to interpersonal rejection based on appearance in female participants of body positive and pro-anorexic online communities.<br><strong>Background.</strong> The recent years has seen a rapid development of online communities focused on physical attractiveness. In the current paper two large segments of Russian-speaking online communities (body positive and pro-anorexic ones) are used to analyze the relationships between appearance-based rejection sensitivity, global self-esteem, personality traits, and body dissatisfaction.<br><strong>Study design.</strong> The participants were surveyed in June–August 2020, online, in Google Forms. Invitations were posted in body positive and pro-anorexic online communities. Data analysis included Student’s t test, and correlation, regression and mediation analysis.<br><strong>Participants.</strong> 562 adolescent girls and young women aged 15–30 (mean age – 21,06 ± 4,15; median – 21). <strong>Measures.</strong> The following measures were used: Appearance-based Rejection Sensitivity Scale (augmented by Social Comparisons based on Appearance survey), Body Image Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Ten Item Personality Measure.<br><strong>Results. </strong>Female participants of pro-anorexic online-communities displayed increased body dissatisfaction, appearance-based rejection sensitivity and neuroticism. They were more prone to explicitly compare their appearance with others and experienced more negative emotions in relation to this. Body positive communities’ participants reported more conscientiousness and emotional stability, and they made more implicit comparisons aimed at getting information about their appearance from social/interpersonal context. Global self-esteem and social comparisons partially mediated the relationship between appearance-based rejection sensitivity and body dissatisfaction.<br><strong>Summary.</strong> Interpersonal sensitivity and self-esteem emerge as common risk factors of body dissatisfaction, whereas social comparisons (in terms of appearance) differentiate the participants of body positive and pro-anorexic communities.</p>

Stakeholder discourse coalitions and polarisation in the hen harrier conservation debate in news media

Abstract Conservation conflicts are complex and can be deep‐rooted, with stakeholders holding entrenched policy positions. The actors involved producing verbal interconnected interactions that form policy debates. Thus, conservation debates can be viewed as network phenomena with stakeholders forming coalitions in support of, or opposition to, certain policies and practices. We used Discourse Network Analysis of print media to investigate the structure and dynamics of the stakeholder debate around the management of hen harriers Circus cyaneus, a bird of prey at the centre of a long‐standing conservation conflict in the United Kingdom. We aimed to determine whether the structure of discourse coalitions changed among the diverse aspects of the debate and whether the polarisation of the debate has changed through time. Our search and selection criteria led to the analysis of 737 statements within 131 newspaper articles published from August 1993 to December 2019. We show that, while the discourse network of the overall debate is quite unstructured, actors formed divergent coalitions when defining the conservation problem and its solutions. In contrast, discourses converged around reactions with positive or negative emotions in relation to events and issues of hen harrier conservation. Polarisation among actors has increased over time and peaked in the second half of the 2010s, concurrent with the release of the species recovery plan. Our study highlights the value of analysing discourse networks in conservation policy debates. Discourse networks reveal which aspects of any conservation problem cause stakeholders to converge or diverge and can identify periods of intensified debate that, ultimately, contribute to informing conflict mitigation and resolution processes. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

The effect of different housing systems on the welfare and the parasitological conditions of laying hens

In Serbia, by 2020, conventional cages will no longer be permitted and hens will be housed in furnished cages. The study was conducted during the winter season on four rearing systems of Lohman Brown hens. For welfare assessment were used indicators from the Welfare quality assessment protocol for poultry. All fecal samples for parasites were qualitatively and quantitatively examined. The results showed that each housing system had positive and negative aspects but overall, hens in cage systems had the highest prevalence of poor plumage condition (47 % and 39%). Hens in conventional cages had more skin lesions (27%) than birds in other systems. Keel bone deformation was the most present in the aviary system (56%) while comb pecking wound in a conventional cage (33%) and free-range system (50%). Hens in the non cage had the highest prevalence of foot pad disorders (32% and 40%). In furnished cages, problems occurred in hens are the lowest. Parasitological examination diagnosed four groups of endoparasites: Coccidia, Trichostrongylidae and Heterakis spp, and Capillaria spp, with a total prevalence of 64% (64/100) only in free-range system. Laying hens in cage systems have a higher expression of negative emotions in relation to the aviary and free-range system. Evidence of negative hens’ emotional condition in cage systems and negative physical condition across all housing systems, suggests that the welfare of modern hens in Serbia is impaired.

Study of institutional and professional loyalty features in future engineers

Introduction. Increasing professional loyalty attracts to the organization not only specialists that are qualified, but also committed employees that are involved, interested, motivated for long-term relations with the organization, those of high moral convictions that contribute to the adequate moral decisions in complicated professional backgrounds. The purpose of the study is to study the institutional loyalty, involvement in professional activities, as well as ideas about the organization of engineering students working in the profession and studying in the master’s program. Materials and methods. The study involved 196 students of the University of Architecture and Civil Engineering in St. Petersburg (98 females and 98 males) studying under the “Construction” Master’s program and working in the construction industry. The average age of the research subjects was 23 years, the average work experience in the current organization was 1 year 3 months. Methods: Utrecht Engagement Scale by A. Bakker, W. Shaufeli; WACMQ method (Workplace affective commitment multidimensional questionnaire) by Morin A. J. S. to measure the level of affective commitment to the workplace; test of unfinished sentences “For me, the organization is…”. Methods of mathematical statistics: Pearson correlation analysis, cluster analysis (Ward’s method), Student’s t-test for independent samples. Results. The results of the study allow to identify new facts of institutional loyalty of young specialists working in the construction industry and not having extensive professional experience. It has been determined that the degree of “involvement” in professional activities among the respondents, like energy, commitment, absorption in activities is not fully expressed. The respondents tend to have a pragmatic attitude towards their organizations. First of all, they see the organization as a platform for career growth and professional experience. At the same time, the employees demonstrate an ambivalent emotional attitude towards the organization: both positive and negative. Young people will be committed to their organization if it provides them with the opportunity to fully pursue what they love and promote their careers (r= 0.25, р ≤ 0.01). The older the employee, the more diligently he or she solves the problems of the organization, the more client-oriented and loyal to the profession he or she becomes (r= 0.15, р ≤ 0.01). The employee’s negative emotions in relation to his or her work reduce his or her professional loyalty and commitment to the organization in which he or she works (r= – 0.14, р ≤ 0.05). Conclusion. The employees’ institutional loyalty is the organization’s competitive advantage. However, the institutional loyalty of an employee may fail to be formed if it is not fed as early as at the stage of training at an educational institution when forming professional commitment.

Anxiety, Worry, and Grief in a Time of Environmental and Climate Crisis: A Narrative Review

Climate change worry, eco-anxiety, and ecological grief are concepts that have emerged in the media, public discourse, and research in recent years. However, there is not much literature examining and summarizing the ways in which these emotions are expressed, to what processes they are related, and how they are distributed. This narrative review aims to ( a) summarize research about the relationships between, on the one hand, negative emotions in relation to climate change and other environmental problems and, on the other hand, mental well-being among people in different parts of the world and ( b) examine studies that have explored the potentially constructive role of worry—for example, in the form of providing motivation to act. It is clear from this review that negative emotions regarding environmental problems are normal, and often constructive, responses.Yet, given the nature, range, and extent of these emotions, it is important to identify diverse place-based and culturally relevant strategies to help people cope.

What Prompts Doctors to Recommend COVID-19 Vaccines: Is It a Question of Positive Emotion?

Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools and have greatly contributed to eliminating or controlling several serious vaccine-treatable diseases over the past century. To curb the spread of COVID-19, efficacious vaccination is emerging as essential in mitigating the disease and preventing deaths. Health care workers (HCW) are one of the first groups to receive vaccinations, so it is important to consider their attitudes to COVID-19 vaccination to better address barriers to widespread vaccination acceptance. This study aimed to evaluate variables that are linked with the recommendation of vaccines and intention to take-up vaccination against COVID-19 among the HCWs, in the context of the current pandemic. The study was conducted during the first week of the vaccination campaign dedicated to Italian HCWs, beginning in December 2020, and it involved all doctors in a public hospital in Sicily. The following questionnaires were administered: (1) The perceived vaccine trust questionnaire, measuring the degree of trust in vaccines by healthcare professionals both in general and for the protection of healthcare professionals themselves and patients; (2) the positive and negative affect scale-state (PANAS), for assessing positive and negative emotions in relation to their work as “frontline care providers”; (3) The locus of control of behaviour (LCB) to measure the extent to which subjects perceive responsibility for their personal behaviour (internal vs. external); (4) recommendation vaccines item, referring to the intention to recommend vaccination. The findings suggest that socio-demographic control variables (age, gender, and seniority) showed little or no predictive power in vaccine recommendation, while vaccine confidence, positive emotions, and internal locus of control were excellent predictors of vaccine recommendations by doctors. Younger doctors, both in age and experience, are more confident in vaccines and recommend them more frequently. It is essential to improve institutional communication addressed to doctors to enhance their role as vaccination facilitators.

The Effects of Stressful Life Events and Negative Emotions in Relation to the Quality of Sleep: A Comparison between Chinese and Japanese Undergraduate Students and Chinese International Students

AbstractThis study investigated the effects of stressful life events (SLE) on the quality of sleep among university students. The subjects were 410 Chinese undergraduate students (CU), 201 Japanese undergraduate students (JU), and 111 Chinese international students living in Japan (CI). Four questionnaires were administered: (a) the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; (b) the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale‐21; (c) the Negative Life Events checklist; and (d) the Adolescent Self‐Rating Life Events Checklist. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated that the experience of SLE directly affects and decreases the quality of sleep, and also increases negative emotions thereby indirectly influencing sleep quality. The multiple‐group SEM suggested that negative emotions elicited from SLE, influencing the quality of sleep, were higher for CU and CI than for JU. Thus, it could be suggested that measures to improve the quality of sleep need to be managed differently for Japanese and Chinese students.

Stress, psychological disease, psychological well-being and personality in Italian firefighters compared to other working categories

This study analyzed the differences between firefighters and other working categories (urban policemen, employees in the service industry) in psychological well-being, anxiety, depression, personality and stress. Much research has evidenced that people who have to deal with emergencies are more subjected to psychological diseases. Our results showed that firefighters have lower levels of anxiety, depression, emotional instability and negative emotions in relation to urban policemen and employees. In addition, there are no significant differences in psychological well-being. Further research is necessary to define the specific psychological attitudes or traits which allow firefighters to deal with psychological disease and stress.

Self-Positivity or Self-Negativity as a Function of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex.

Self and emotions are key motivational factors of a person strivings for health and well-being. Understanding neural mechanisms supporting the relationship between these factors bear far-reaching implications for mental health disorders. Recent work indicates a substantial overlap between self-relevant and emotion information processing and has proposed the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) as one shared neural signature. However, the precise cognitive and neural mechanisms represented by the MPFC in investigations of self- and emotion-related processing are largely unknown. Here we examined whether the neural underpinnings of self-related processing in the MPFC link to positive or negative emotions. We collected fMRI data to test the distinct and shared neural circuits of self- and emotion-related processing while participants performed personal (self, friend, or stranger) and emotion (happy, sad, or neutral) associative matching tasks. By exploiting tight control over the factors that determine the effects of self-relevance and emotions (positive: Happy vs. neutral; negative: Sad vs. neutral), our univariate analysis revealed that the ventral part of the MPFC (vmPFC), which has established involvement in self-prioritisation effects, was not recruited in the negative emotion prioritisation effect. In contrast, there were no differences in brain activity between the effects of positive emotion- and self-prioritisation. These results were replicated by both region of interest (ROI)-based analysis in the vmPFC and the seed- to voxel functional connectivity analysis between the MPFC and the rest of the brain. The results suggest that the prioritisation effects for self and positive emotions are tightly linked together, and the MPFC plays a large role in discriminating between positive and negative emotions in relation to self-relevance.

Difficulties regulating positive and negative emotions in relation to coping motives for alcohol use and alcohol problems among hazardous drinkers

Objective: Hazardous drinking is a prevalent form of alcohol misuse. Past research has examined emotion regulation difficulties as a risk factor for hazardous drinking; however, the majority of prior studies have focused on regulation of negative emotions. Recent work has implicated difficulties regulating positive emotions in relation to alcohol misuse, yet, it is largely unknown if difficulties regulating positive emotions are significantly related to alcohol misuse outcomes after accounting for difficulties regulating negative emotions. Method: A racially diverse sample of hazardous drinkers were recruited from a university setting (75% female, Mage = 22.1, SDage = 4.0) to participate in a treatment study. Data from baseline was used in the current study. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate relations between difficulties regulating positive and negative emotions and alcohol problems both directly and indirectly via coping motives. Results: After controlling for sex, age, and levels of negative and positive affect, positive but not negative emotion regulation difficulties were significantly associated with alcohol problems. Difficulties regulating emotions (both positive and negative), were significantly related to coping motives; each valence of difficulty was also indirectly related to alcohol problems via drinking to cope. Conclusions: Difficulties regulating emotions – both positive and negative – carry a heightened risk of engaging in coping-oriented alcohol use during drinking episodes and this maladaptive means of self-regulation may explain a common pathway to experiencing alcohol-related problems. Notably, difficulties regulating positive emotions appear to offer incremental, explanatory value over and above difficulties regulating negative emotions. Such findings offer important clinical and theoretical implications.

Telematic Intervention based on the Play Specialist Approach in the Covid-19 Era: Benefits for Parents of Children with Clinical Conditions

Covid-19 pandemic has changed the routines of families all over the world. From March 2020 up to today, Italian families are still struggling for adaptation. Parents of children and adolescents with a clinical diagnosis are more at risk for parental burnout, depression, and anxiety, and they are now experiencing restrictions in many services families relied on. Home-based and hospital-based interventions based on the Play Specialist’s approach have been limited due to anti-covid norms. Internationally, Play Specialist intervention has been empirically demonstrated effective in diminishing children’s negative emotions in relation to medical procedures and in increasing adaptation and compliance towards medical settings. Plus, Play Specialist’s intervention indirect effect on parental wellbeing is still unexplored. In Italy, differently from UK and USA, the Play Specialist intervention is not certified in the health-care system yet. The present study tests the effects on parental psychosocial health of a telematic adaptation of the Play Specialist approach (TPS), conducted in the post-lockdown months in Italy. Two groups of parents (N=33, Mean age=43.36, SD=9.81, Female= 66% receiving the TPS intervention, and N=33 Mean age=41.84, SD=6.15, Female=78% controls) of children in clinical conditions are compared. Parental burnout, anxiety, stress, depression, social support, and parental perception of children’s emotional problems have been measured via self-report questionnaires. Analysis of covariance reveals that the TPS group is less stressed, perceives higher social support, lower parental burnout (i.e., emotional distancing, contrast with other/previous Self, fed-up feeling), lower emotional and behavioural child’s problems than the control group. These findings are addressed at encouraging both research and practice around the Play Specialist’s intervention beyond the hospital-context.

Telematic Intervention based on the Play Specialist Approach in the Covid-19 Era: Benefits for Parents of Children with Clinical Conditions

Covid-19 pandemic has changed the routines of families all over the world. From March 2020 up to today, Italian families are still struggling for adaptation. Parents of children and adolescents with a clinical diagnosis are more at risk for parental burnout, depression, and anxiety, and they are now experiencing restrictions in many services families relied on. Home-based and hospital-based interventions based on the Play Specialist’s approach have been limited due to anti-covid norms. Internationally, Play Specialist intervention has been empirically demonstrated effective in diminishing children’s negative emotions in relation to medical procedures and in increasing adaptation and compliance towards medical settings. Plus, Play Specialist’s intervention indirect effect on parental wellbeing is still unexplored. In Italy, differently from UK and USA, the Play Specialist intervention is not certified in the health-care system yet. The present study tests the effects on parental psychosocial health of a telematic adaptation of the Play Specialist approach (TPS), conducted in the post-lockdown months in Italy. Two groups of parents (N=33, Mean age=43.36, SD=9.81, Female= 66% receiving the TPS intervention, and N=33 Mean age=41.84, SD=6.15, Female=78% controls) of children in clinical conditions are compared. Parental burnout, anxiety, stress, depression, social support, and parental perception of children’s emotional problems have been measured via self-report questionnaires. Analysis of covariance reveals that the TPS group is less stressed, perceives higher social support, lower parental burnout (i.e., emotional distancing, contrast with other/previous Self, fed-up feeling), lower emotional and behavioural child’s problems than the control group. These findings are addressed at encouraging both research and practice around the Play Specialist’s intervention beyond the hospital-context.

Emotion socialization by parents and friends: Links with adolescent emotional adjustment

Emotion socialization influences adolescent emotional adjustment. Friendships provide a venue for emotion socialization, yet little research has compared emotion socialization processes with parents versus friends and how they correspond to adolescent outcomes. The present study examined parent and friend socialization of negative emotions in relation to adolescents' emotional coherence, emotion regulation, and internalizing symptoms. Thirty parent-adolescent-friend triads (13–18 years old; 60% female, 40% male) from the community participated. Study variables were measured with a multi-method approach, including observational data, heart rate variability, and self-report. Parents and friends evidenced disparate patterns of socialization responses and unique ties to adolescent outcomes, which has important clinical applications. Friends, as well as parents, are important and distinct socialization agents within the developmental context of adolescence.

Two pathways to suicidal intention in Ecuadorian adolescents: The role of parental and peer attachment, depression and impulsivity

The present study investigated the relationship between attachment patterns –trust, communication and alienation– related to mother, father and peers, depression and impulsivity in suicidal intention among adolescents, by a mediational and moderational analysis. We evaluated the data of 395 Ecuadorian adolescents (54.2% males, 45.8% females) aged 14–19 years (M = 15.86, SD = 1.00) recruited from several schools. They completed the following measures: the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Plutchik Impulsivity Scale. The mediational analyses indicated that, attachment –paternal trustworthiness and alienation from both mother and peers– predicted suicide intention by two pathways: a more direct one mediated by depression; another pathway in which the mediating role of impulsivity was added between attachment and depression. No moderation effects were found. The role of lack of paternal trustworthiness and alienation/negative feelings toward mother and peers are highlighted in the development of depression, which played a mediating role in suicide intention. The role of negative social interactions and negative emotions in relation to suicide intention is discussed, which has several implications for prevention programs for adolescents.

Patients' descriptions of the relation between physical symptoms and negative emotions: a qualitative analysis of primary care consultations.

Primary care guidelines for the management of persistent, often 'medically unexplained', physical symptoms encourage GPs to discuss with patients how these symptoms relate to negative emotions. However, many GPs experience difficulties in reaching a shared understanding with patients. To explore how patients with persistent symptoms describe their negative emotions in relation to their physical symptoms in primary care consultations, in order to help GPs recognise the patient's starting points in such discussions. A qualitative analysis of 47 audiorecorded extended primary care consultations with 15 patients with persistent physical symptoms. The types of relationships patients described between their physical symptoms and their negative emotions were categorised using content analysis. In a secondary analysis, the study explored whether patients made transitions between the types of relations they described through the course of the consultations. All patients talked spontaneously about their negative emotions. Three main categories of relations between these emotions and physical symptoms were identified: separated (negation of a link between the two); connected (symptom and emotion are distinct entities that are connected); and inseparable (symptom and emotion are combined within a single entity). Some patients showed a transition between categories of relations during the intervention. Patients describe different types of relations between physical symptoms and negative emotions in consultations. Physical symptoms can be attributed to emotions when patients introduce this link themselves, but this link tends to be denied when introduced by the GP. Awareness of the ways patients discuss these relations could help GPs to better understand the patient's view and, in this way, collaboratively move towards constructive explanations and symptom management strategies.

Not Just Disgust: Fear and Anger Also Relate to Intergroup Dehumanization

One of the most extreme expressions of prejudice is likening groups to non-human beings. Previous research relates disgust to dehumanization of social groups. However, prior studies have not examined other negative emotions in relation to dehumanization. We examined whether three emotions – anger, disgust, and fear – are associated with dehumanization of social groups. In Experiments 1 and 2 we tested these relationships measuring reactions to real groups. We found that all three emotions were uniquely related to animalistic and humanity-denial dehumanization, but only fear was related to mechanistic dehumanization. Using an orthogonal emotion grid measure in Experiment 3, we showed anger to play a primary role in dehumanization among a variety of target groups. Finally, in Experiment 4 we manipulated whether a novel group was abnormal or harmful, and found that both groups elicited more dehumanization than the control group; however, the harmful group elicited dehumanization mediated by anger and the abnormal group elicited dehumanization mediated by disgust. From this evidence, we argue that other emotions besides disgust play an important part in the dehumanization of outgroups.

Differences Between Religious and Secular Women Students in Judging Processes

Abstract This study examined the differences between religious and secular women in the process of judging a dramatic, complex event from a structural viewpoint, both multidimensional (large number of causes and effects, causes in different categories, large number of actors) and one-dimensional. The event was the evacuation of the Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip, which took place in Israel in 2005. The participants were 244 Jewish women students, self-defined as religious or secular, who reported negative emotions in relation to the evacuation. Despite differences between the religious and secular women in the content and intensity of the emotions aroused, differences were not found in the pattern of connections (i.e. the structure) between the variables in the model. That is to say, the difference in the respondents’ political or religious tendencies did not affect their judgment structures. We also found that a multidimensional perception of the event will tone down the severity of the judgment, regardless of the judge’s views regarding the content of the event.