Quasi-representative Sample Research Articles

Validation of the moral foundations questionnaire-2 in the Turkish context: exploring its relationship with moral behavior

Despite the considerable attention it has received, Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) remains open to criticisms regarding failure to conceptualize the moral domain. MFT was revised in response to these criticisms, along with its measurement tool, the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ-2). However, the validity of this revised theoretical structure and its explanatory power relative to existing alternatives, such as Morality as Cooperation Theory (MAC), has not yet been independently tested. Here we first validated MFT’s revised six-factor structure using the MFQ-2 in a large quasi-representative sample (N = 1099) from a predominantly Muslim country (i.e., Türkiye) and then explored the relationship of these six factors with incentivized measures of moral behavior as well as different psychological variables. Our tests revealed excellent fit values for the six-factor structure proposed by the MFQ-2, which explained more of the variance in criterion variables compared to the MAC Questionnaire (MAC-Q). However, MAC-Q performed better in predicting actual moral behavior (e.g., generosity and cooperation) compared with MFQ-2. Taken together, these findings indicate that, at least for the time being, MFQ-2 and the structure of the moral foundations proposed by MFT can be used to conceptualize the moral domain, but its relatively weak relationship to actual moral behavior limits its insights.

Effect size guidelines for cross-lagged effects.

Cross-lagged models are by far the most commonly used method to test the prospective effect of one construct on another, yet there are no guidelines for interpreting the size of cross-lagged effects. This research aims to establish empirical benchmarks for cross-lagged effects, focusing on the cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM). We drew a quasirepresentative sample of studies published in four subfields of psychology (i.e., developmental, social-personality, clinical, and industrial-organizational). The dataset included 1,028 effect sizes for the CLPM and 302 effect sizes for the RI-CLPM, based on data from 174 samples. For the CLPM, the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of the distribution corresponded to cross-lagged effect sizes of .03, .07, and .12, respectively. For the RI-CLPM, the corresponding values were .02, .05, and .11. Effect sizes did not differ significantly between the CLPM and RI-CLPM. Moreover, effect sizes did not differ significantly across subfields and were not moderated by design characteristics. However, effect sizes were moderated by the concurrent correlation between the constructs and the stability of the predictor. Based on the findings, we propose to use .03 (small effect), .07 (medium effect), and .12 (large effect) as benchmark values when interpreting the size of cross-lagged effects, for both the CLPM and RI-CLPM. In addition to aiding in the interpretation of results, the present findings will help researchers plan studies by providing information needed to conduct power analyses and estimate minimally required sample sizes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Methodology of Natsal-COVID Wave 2: A large, quasi-representative, longitudinal survey measuring the impact of COVID-19 on sexual and reproductive health in Britain

Background The National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles COVID study (Natsal-COVID) was designed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on Britain’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Natsal-COVID Wave 1 survey and qualitative follow-up interviews were conducted in 2020. The Wave 2 survey was designed to capture one-year prevalence estimates for key SRH outcomes and measure changes over the first year of the pandemic. We describe the Wave 2 survey methodology and assess the sample representativeness. Methods Natsal-COVID Wave 2 was conducted March-April 2021; approximately one year after the start of Britain’s first national lockdown. Data were collected using an online web-panel survey administered by Ipsos. The sample comprised a longitudinal sample of Wave 1 participants who had agreed to re-contact plus a sample of participants residing in Britain, aged 18-59, including a boost sample comprising people aged 18-29. Questions covered reproductive health, relationships, sexual behaviour and SRH service use. Quotas and weighting were used to achieve a quasi-representative sample of the British population. Comparisons were made with recent national probability surveys, Natsal-3 (2010-12) and Natsal-COVID Wave 1 to understand bias. Results A total of 6,658 individuals completed the survey. In terms of gender, age, ethnicity, and rurality, the weighted Natsal-COVID Wave 2 sample was like the general population. Participants were less likely to be married or to report being in good health than the general population. The longitudinal sample (n=2,098) were broadly like participants who only took part in Wave 1 but were older. Among the sexually active, longitudinal participants were less likely to report multiple sexual partners or a new sexual partner in the past year compared to those who only took part in Wave 1. Conclusions Natsal-COVID collected longitudinal, quasi-representative population data to enable evaluation of the population-level impact of COVID-19 on SRH and to inform policy.

Engaging faith-based communities in pro-environmental behavior using soft regulations: The case of single-use plastics

The consumption of single-use plastics, such as disposable tableware (DTW), conveys a high benefit-cost ratio for consumers while having large environmental externalities. To encourage consumers to reduce their use of DTWs, governments could use small and non-coercive changes in people’s decision-making environments (nudges). This study focuses on the Israeli ultra-Orthodox communities a secluded population group that grows much faster- and consumes much more DTW than the rest of the Israeli population. Employing a quasi-representative sample (N = 450) of this population, this study conducted a discrete-choice experiment that presents the respondent with alternative options to reduce DTW. Two kinds of Nudges–framing and social norms–were utilized. The effectiveness of these Nudges in promoting PEB among faith-based communities has received little attention in previous studies. As another contribution to the literature, this paper also integrates latent constructs such as the respondents’ environmental attitudes and level of conservativeness. 46% of the respondents chose to opt-out whereas 29%, 14%, and 11% chose ‘1-day’, ‘2-days’, and ‘3-days’ per week avoiding DTW, respectively. Social norms, framings, and environmental attitudes had a significant mediating effect, with framing being associated with the highest effect on intentions to reduce DTW, i.e., a willingness to give up 0.31 USD per family member per month, compared to 0.07 USD for an increase in the description of the social norm. The results suggest that Nudges can enhance policies aimed at encouraging pro-environmental behavior among faith-based communities.

Algorithmic discrimination causes less moral outrage than human discrimination.

Companies and governments are using algorithms to improve decision-making for hiring, medical treatments, and parole. The use of algorithms holds promise for overcoming human biases in decision-making, but they frequently make decisions that discriminate. Media coverage suggests that people are morally outraged by algorithmic discrimination, but here we examine whether people are less outraged by algorithmic discrimination than by human discrimination. Eight studies test this algorithmic outrage deficit hypothesis in the context of gender discrimination in hiring practices across diverse participant groups (online samples, a quasi-representative sample, and a sample of tech workers). We find that people are less morally outraged by algorithmic (vs. human) discrimination and are less likely to hold the organization responsible. The algorithmic outrage deficit is driven by the reduced attribution of prejudicial motivation to algorithms. Just as algorithms dampen outrage, they also dampen praise-companies enjoy less of a reputational boost when their algorithms (vs. employees) reduce gender inequality. Our studies also reveal a downstream consequence of algorithmic outrage deficit-people are less likely to find the company legally liable when the discrimination was caused by an algorithm (vs. a human). We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these results, including the potential weakening of collective action to address systemic discrimination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Developments and Changes in Primary Public Health Outcome Indicators Associated with the Legalization of Non-Medical Cannabis Use and Supply in Canada (2018): A Comprehensive Overview.

Canada legalized non-medical cannabis use and supply for adults in 2018. We examined developments and changes associated with the legalization policy reform on key indicators for public health, namely cannabis (including frequent/problematic) use prevalence, cannabis-related hospitalizations, cannabis-impaired driving, and cannabis sourcing. We identified peer-reviewed and "grey" study data that featured population-level or other quasi-representative samples and comparable outcome data for pre- and post-legalization periods, including possible trends of changes over time. Cannabis use has increased in select population groups, with use modes shifting away from smoking. Evidence on cannabis-related hospitalizations (e.g., for mental health) is mixed. The prevalence of cannabis-impaired driving appears to be generallysteady but THC exposure among crash-involved drivers may have increased. Increasing proportions of users obtain cannabis products from legal sources but some-especially regular-users continue to use illicit sources. Overall, data suggest a mixed and inconclusive picture on cannabis legalization's impacts on essential public health indicators, including select extensions in trends from pre-legalization.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket: Testing an integrative model of household food waste

Scholarly investigations into household food waste have advanced our knowledge of its determinants by focusing on food management behaviors (FMB) and by using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Drawing on literature from environmental psychology, we created and tested a comprehensive framework that not only encompasses TPB and FMB, but also individual goals and values, which, we argue, can advance understanding of why people waste food. Using a two-wave survey design with a quasi-representative sample of the UK population (N = 1,336 participants), we tested our framework with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Broadly, results indicated support for our framework in that individual values were associated with short-term cognitions and participants’ goals, particularly the goal to behave responsibly, which were in turn associated with FMB and intentions; these, finally, were associated with self-reported food waste. Overall, our results indicate that food waste is the result of different cognitive and behavioral processes.

Methodology of Natsal-COVID Wave 2: A large, quasi-representative, longitudinal survey measuring the impact of COVID-19 on sexual and reproductive health in Britain.

The National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles COVID study (Natsal-COVID) was designed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on Britain's sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Natsal-COVID Wave 1 survey and qualitative follow-up interviews were conducted in 2020. The Wave 2 survey was designed to capture one-year prevalence estimates for key SRH outcomes and measure changes over the first year of the pandemic. We describe the Wave 2 survey methodology and assess the sample representativeness. Natsal-COVID Wave 2 was conducted March-April 2021; approximately one year after the start of Britain's first national lockdown. Data were collected using an online web-panel survey administered by Ipsos. The sample comprised a longitudinal sample of Wave 1 participants who had agreed to re-contact plus a sample of participants residing in Britain, aged 18-59, including a boost sample comprising people aged 18-29. Questions covered reproductive health, relationships, sexual behaviour and SRH service use. Quotas and weighting were used to achieve a quasi-representative sample of the British population. Comparisons were made with recent national probability surveys, Natsal-3 (2010-12) and Natsal-COVID Wave 1 to understand bias. A total of 6,658 individuals completed the survey. In terms of gender, age, ethnicity, and rurality, the weighted Natsal-COVID Wave 2 sample was like the general population. Participants were less likely to be married or to report being in good health than the general population. The longitudinal sample (n=2,098) were broadly like participants who only took part in Wave 1 but were older. Among the sexually active, longitudinal participants were less likely to report multiple sexual partners or a new sexual partner in the past year compared to those who only took part in Wave 1. Natsal-COVID collected longitudinal, quasi-representative population data to enable evaluation of the population-level impact of COVID-19 on SRH and to inform policy.

Methodology of Natsal-COVID Wave 1: a large, quasi-representative survey with qualitative follow-up measuring the impact of COVID-19 on sexual and reproductive health in Britain.

Background: Britain's National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) have been undertaken decennially since 1990 and provide a key data source underpinning sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policy. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of sexual lifestyles, triggering an urgent need for population-level data on sexual behaviour, relationships, and service use at a time when gold-standard in-person, household-based surveys with probability sampling were not feasible. We designed the Natsal-COVID study to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the nation's SRH and assessed the sample representativeness. Methods: Natsal-COVID Wave 1 data collection was conducted four months (29/7-10/8/2020) after the announcement of Britain's first national lockdown (23/03/2020). This was an online web-panel survey administered by survey research company, Ipsos MORI. Eligible participants were resident in Britain, aged 18-59 years, and the sample included a boost of those aged 18-29. Questions covered participants' sexual behaviour, relationships, and SRH service use. Quotas and weighting were used to achieve a quasi-representative sample of the British general population. Participants meeting criteria of interest and agreeing to recontact were selected for qualitative follow-up interviews. Comparisons were made with contemporaneous national probability surveys and Natsal-3 (2010-12) to understand bias. Results: 6,654 participants completed the survey and 45 completed follow-up interviews. The weighted Natsal-COVID sample was similar to the general population in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, rurality, and, among sexually-active participants, numbers of sexual partners in the past year. However, the sample was more educated, contained more sexually-inexperienced people, and included more people in poorer health. Conclusions: Natsal-COVID Wave 1 rapidly collected quasi-representative population data to enable evaluation of the early population-level impact of COVID-19 and lockdown measures on SRH in Britain. Although sampling was less representative than the decennial Natsals, Natsal-COVID will complement national surveillance data and Natsal-4 (planned for 2022).

Deriving Normative Data on 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring for South Asian Children (ASHA): A Clinical Research Protocol.

Background:The global prevalence of hypertension in children and adolescents has increased over the past 2 decades and is the strongest predictor of adult hypertension. South Asians have an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome associated risk factors including abdominal obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. All these factors contribute to their increased cardiovascular disease burden. Accurate and early identification of hypertension in South Asian children is a necessary aspect of cardiovascular disease prevention. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is considered the gold-standard for pediatric blood pressure (BP) measurement. However, its utilization is limited due to the lack of validated normative reference data in diverse, multiethnic pediatric populations.Objective:The primary objective is to establish normative height-sex and age-sex-specific reference values for 24-h ABPM measurements among South Asian children and adolescents (aged 5-17 years) in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. Secondary objectives are to evaluate differences in ABPM measurements by body mass index classification, to compare our normative data against pre-existing data from German and Hong Kong cohorts, and to evaluate relationships between habitual movement behaviors, diet quality, and ABPM measurements.Design:Cross-sectional study, quasi-representative sample.Setting:Participants will be recruited from schools, community centers, and places of worship in Southern Ontario (Greater Toronto and Hamilton area, including the Peel Region) and Greater Vancouver, British Columbia.Participants:We aim to recruit 2113 nonoverweight children (aged 5-17 years) for the primary objective. We aim to recruit an additional 633 overweight or obese children to address the secondary objectives.Measurements:Ambulatory BP monitoring measurements will be obtained using Spacelabs 90217 ABPM devices, which are validated for pediatric use. The ActiGraph GT3X-BT accelerometer, which has also been validated for pediatric use, will be used to obtain movement behavior data.Methods:Following recruitment, eligible children will be fitted with 24-h ABPM and physical activity monitors. Body anthropometrics and questionnaire data regarding medical and family history, medications, diet, physical activity, and substance use will be collected. Ambulatory BP monitoring data will be used to develop height-sex- and age-sex-specific normative reference values for South Asian children. Secondary objectives include evaluating differences in ABPM measures between normal weight, overweight and obese children; and comparing our South Asian ABPM data to existing German and Hong Kong data. We will also use compositional data analysis to evaluate associations between a child’s habitual movement behaviors and ABPM measures.Limitations:Bloodwork will not be performed to facilitate recruitment. A non-South Asian comparator cohort will not be included due to feasibility concerns. Using a convenience sampling approach introduces the potential for selection bias.Conclusions:Ambulatory BP monitoring is a valuable tool for the identification and follow-up of pediatric hypertension and overcomes many of the limitations of office-based BP measurement. The development of normative ABPM data specific to South Asian children will increase the accuracy of BP measurement and hypertension identification in this at-risk population, providing an additional strategy for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Measuring the impact of COVID-19 on sexual and reproductive health in the UK: web-panel surveys with qualitative follow-up

BackgroundThe UK's National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) have been done every 10 years since 1990, and provide a key data source to underpin sexual and reproductive health policy. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many lifestyle aspects, triggering an urgent need for population-level data on sexual behaviour, relationships, and service use at a time when gold-standard, in-person, household-based surveys with probability sampling were not feasible. We designed the Natsal-COVID study to understand the effect of COVID-19 on the nation's sexual and reproductive health. MethodsData were collected over 4 months (survey wave one; July 29 to Aug 10, 2020) and 1 year (wave two; March 27 to April 26, 2021) after the announcement of the UK's first lockdown (March 23, 2020). Data were collected online via web-panel surveys administered by Ipsos MORI. Eligible participants were UK residents aged 18–59 years, and the samples included a boost of those aged 18–29 years. Questions covered participants' sexual behaviour, relationships, and sexual and reproductive health service use. Quotas and weighting were used to achieve a quasi-representative sample of the UK general population. Participants meeting criteria of interest and agreeing to be recontacted were selected for qualitative follow-up interviews over the months of October and November, 2020. Comparisons were made with contemporaneous national probability surveys (2019 Annual Population Survey and 2018 Health Survey for England) and Natsal-3 (2010–12) to understand bias in sociodemographic characteristics, general health, and sexual behaviours. We obtained ethical approval from the ethics committees of the University of Glasgow College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences College (reference 20019174) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Research (reference 22565). Findings6654 participants completed wave one of the study, of which 45 (0·7%) completed qualitative interviews. A further 6658 participants completed wave two, of which 2098 (31·5%) were wave one participants. Compared with probability surveys, the weighted Natsal-COVID participants were more educated, less sexually experienced, and in poorer health. In wave one, we found that 20·8% of respondents (95% CI 19·3–22·3%) reported using sexual and reproductive health services in the first 4 months of lockdown, whereas 9·7% (8·6–10·8%) reported difficulty accessing services. Wave two allowed for the generation of 1-year estimates, including of chlamydia testing (5·4% [4·7–6·2%]), HIV testing (7·2% [6·4–8·1%]), and cervical cancer screening (10·3% [9·2–11·6%]). Qualitative interviews suggested that participants often required repeated attempts to access sexual and reproductive health services. InterpretationNatsal-COVID rapidly collected quasi-representative population data to evaluate the population-level effect of COVID-19 and lockdown measures on sexual and reproductive health in the UK and to inform sexual and reproductive health policy. Although less representative than the decennial Natsals, Natsal-COVID will complement national surveillance data and Natsal-4 (planned for 2022). FundingNatsal is a collaboration between University College London (UK), the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (UK), the University of Glasgow (UK), Örebro University Hospital (Sweden), and NatCen Social Research (UK). The Natsal Resource, which is supported by the Wellcome Trust (via grant number 212931/Z/18/Z), with contributions from the UK's Economic and Social Research Council and National Institute for Health Research, supports the Natsal-COVID study through funding from the University College London COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund and the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit (Core funding, grant numbers MC_UU_00022/3 and SPHSU18). The sponsors of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report.

Working from home: mismatch between access and need in relation to work-home interference and fatigue.

Objectives:Working from home (WfH) is a promising practice that may enable employees to successfully and sustainably combine work and private life. Yet, not every employer facilitates WfH and not every employee has similar needs concerning the practice. The current study aims to examine the association of a WfH mismatch with work–home interference (WHI) and fatigue.Methods:Data on WfH, WHI, and fatigue of a quasi-representative sample of 2374 Dutch employees in 2012/13 and a follow-up measurement one year later were used. Cross-sectional and longitudinal regression analyses were conducted to investigate the cross-sectional and temporal associations between WfH mismatch on the one hand and (changes in) time-based and strain-based WHI and fatigue on the other hand.Results:In the cross-sectional analyses, WfH mismatch was significantly associated with higher time-based WHI (B=0.13), strain-based WHI (B=0.17) and more fatigue (B=0.32). WfH mismatch was not associated with changes in these outcomes after one year of follow-up.Conclusions:A tailored WfH organizational policy, in which employees’ need for working from home is taken into account, may be a fruitful approach to utilize WfH as a way for employees to successfully and sustainably combine work and private life to its full potential.

How Do Observable Characteristics of Post-Mining Forests Affect Their Attractiveness for Recreation?

Afforestation is a popular practice of the recovery of landscape affected by open-cast coal mining. We investigated what impact the observable characteristics of restored forests have on their attractiveness for recreation framed as a one hour walk in a respective type of forest. In this study, we elaborate on some of the observable characteristics which have been previously found in the literature to affect the perceived attractiveness of outdoor environments. Environmental preference data were collected online using a quasi-representative sample of affected and control populations of the Czech Republic (N = 869). The questionnaire employed visual representations of typical reclaimed forest sites on spoil heaps in the Sokolov mining district. A mediation analysis revealed that forests growing in post-mining areas are perceived more negatively than the typical commercial spruce forest due to their lower permeability, lower level of stewardship, and perceived low safety. However, there are differences in observed characteristics also between different types of restored forests, even when controlling the effect of forest age. The results show for forestry practice that while some of the observed characteristics change by themselves with the increasing age of the forest (permeability, perceived safety, and naturalness of successional forests), improvement in others requires targeted after-care (perceived stewardship). In any case, our results are promising in that they imply that the recreational value of restored forests in post-mining areas may further increase in the future.

Methodology of Natsal-COVID Wave 1: a large, quasi-representative survey with qualitative follow-up measuring the impact of COVID-19 on sexual and reproductive health in Britain.

Background: Britain's National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) have been undertaken decennially since 1990 and provide a key data source underpinning sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policy. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of sexual lifestyles, triggering an urgent need for population-level data on sexual behaviour, relationships, and service use at a time when gold-standard in-person, household-based surveys with probability sampling were not feasible. We designed the Natsal-COVID study to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the nation's SRH and assessed the sample representativeness. Methods: Natsal-COVID Wave 1 data collection was conducted four months (29/7-10/8/2020) after the announcement of Britain's first national lockdown (23/03/2020). This was an online web-panel survey administered by survey research company, Ipsos MORI. Eligible participants were resident in Britain, aged 18-59 years, and the sample included a boost of those aged 18-29. Questions covered participants' sexual behaviour, relationships, and SRH service use. Quotas and weighting were used to achieve a quasi-representative sample of the British general population. Participants meeting criteria of interest and agreeing to recontact were selected for qualitative follow-up interviews. Comparisons were made with contemporaneous national probability surveys and Natsal-3 (2010-12) to understand bias. Results: 6,654 participants completed the survey and 45 completed follow-up interviews. The weighted Natsal-COVID sample was similar to the general population in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, rurality, and, among sexually-active participants, numbers of sexual partners in the past year. However, the sample was more educated, contained more sexually-inexperienced people, and included more people in poorer health. Conclusions: Natsal-COVID Wave 1 rapidly collected quasi-representative population data to enable evaluation of the early population-level impact of COVID-19 and lockdown measures on SRH in Britain and inform policy. Although sampling was less representative than the decennial Natsals, Natsal-COVID will complement national surveillance data and Natsal-4 (planned for 2022).

Different pathways to student guidance in mainstream primary and secondary education: Results from a parent survey

ABSTRACTStudents of lower socioeconomic status and ethnic minority groups are underrepresented in extramural support services and overrepresented in special education. This raises questions about their participation in other student guidance trajectories and the support they receive from the school during the student guidance process. Therefore, a quasi-representative sample of 4,005 parents of children aged 2.5–18 years in mainstream education in Flanders completed a survey. Logistic regression analyses indicate differences in initiation and type of student guidance program used, and in involvement of different persons during the referral process, in the disadvantage of students of lower socioeconomic status and ethnic minority groups.

The Polarizing Effects of Online Partisan Criticism: Evidence from Two Experiments

Affective and social political polarization—a dislike of political opponents and a desire to avoid their company—are increasingly salient and pervasive features of politics in many Western democracies, particularly the United States. One contributor to these related phenomena may be increasing exposure to online political disagreements in which ordinary citizens criticize, and sometimes explicitly demean, opponents. This article presents two experimental studies that assessed whether U.S. partisans’ attitudes became more prejudiced in favor of the in-party after exposure to online partisan criticism. In the first study, we draw on an online convenience sample to establish that partisan criticism that derogates political opponents increases affective polarization. In the second, we replicate these findings with a quasi-representative sample and extend the pattern of findings to social polarization. We conclude that online partisan criticism likely has contributed to rising affective and social polarization in recent years between Democrats and Republicans in the United States, and perhaps between partisan and ideological group members in other developed democracies as well. We close by discussing the troubling implications of these findings in light of continuing attempts by autocratic regimes and other actors to influence democratic elections via false identities on social media.

The Role of Anger in the Biased Assimilation of Political Information

Political psychologists have established that politically motivated reasoning is a common phenomenon; however, the field knows comparatively less about the psychological mechanisms that drive it. Drawing on advances in the understanding of the relevance of emotion to political reasoning and behavior, we argue that anger likely plays a major role in motivating individuals to engage in the biased assimilation of political information—an evaluative bias in favor of information that bolsters one’s views and against information that undercuts them. We test this proposition with two online studies, the second of which includes a quasirepresentative sample of Americans. The studies support our expectations. Individuals felt more negative emotions toward arguments that undermined their attitudes and positive emotions toward arguments that confirmed them; however, anger was nearly alone in fueling biased reactions to issue arguments.

Institutional apologies and socio-emotional climate in the South American context.

This study examined perceptions of institutional apologies related to past political violence and socio-emotional climate among victims and non-victims in Argentina (n=518), Chile (n=1,278), and Paraguay (n=1,172) based on quasi-representative samples. The perceptions of apology as sincere and efficient in improving intergroup relations were associated with a positive socio-emotional climate across the three nations. Victims evaluated apologies more positively and perceived a more positive socio-emotional climate compared to non-victims in Paraguay and Argentina, whereas the opposite was true in Chile where the government opposed the victims' leftist political orientation. The evaluations of apologies also mediated the effects of exposure to violence on the perception of socio-emotional climate, but these effects were moderated by the context. Together, these findings suggest that apologies reinforce positive sociopolitical climate, and that, personal experience of victimization is an important factor determining these effects.

Profile formation of academic self-concept in elementary school students in grades 1 to 4.

Academic self-concept (ASC) is comprised of individual perceptions of one’s own academic ability. In a cross-sectional quasi-representative sample of 3,779 German elementary school children in grades 1 to 4, we investigated (a) the structure of ASC, (b) ASC profile formation, an aspect of differentiation that is reflected in lower correlations between domain-specific ASCs with increasing grade level, (c) the impact of (internal) dimensional comparisons of one’s own ability in different school subjects for profile formation of ASC, and (d) the role played by differences in school grades between subjects for these dimensional comparisons. The nested Marsh/Shavelson model, with general ASC at the apex and math, writing, and reading ASC as specific factors nested under general ASC fitted the data at all grade levels. A first-order factor model with math, writing, reading, and general ASCs as correlated factors provided a good fit, too. ASC profile formation became apparent during the first two to three years of school. Dimensional comparisons across subjects contributed to ASC profile formation. School grades enhanced these comparisons, especially when achievement profiles were uneven. In part, findings depended on the assumed structural model of ASCs. Implications for further research are discussed with special regard to factors influencing and moderating dimensional comparisons.

Money Illusion and Household Finance

We elicit money illusion and match it with financial and sociodemographic data from official registers on a quasi-representative sample of the Danish population. We find that people who are more prone to money illusion hold more of their gross wealth in nominal assets, including bank deposits and bonds, and less in real assets, including real estate and stocks. This bias is robust to controls for education, income, cognitive ability and other relevant characteristics. We further find that money illusion is a costly bias: 10-year portfolio returns are about 10 percentage points lower for individuals with high money illusion.