Social Psychological Model Research Articles

What Drives Facebook Fans to “Like” Hotel Pages: A Comparison of Three Competing Models

Social media marketing is gaining importance in the hotel industry. The current study developed and tested three competing antecedent models of social media marketing derived from technology, communication, and social psychology theories. The three models were evaluated using structural equation modeling and compared for overall model fit, path significance, explanatory power, and parsimony. The results revealed that the social psychology model, based on social identity theory and social influence model, provided the best explanation of Facebook fans’ intentions to “like” (join) hotel pages. Three different social influence factors, namely, compliance, internalization, and identification, had different effects on fans’ attitudes toward hotel Facebook pages and behavioral intentions to like hotel Facebook pages. These findings have theoretical implications by demonstrating that classic theories of social psychology are applicable in the social media environment. The findings also have practical implications by providing guidance for effective social media marketing in the hotel industry.

The meaning maintenance model and the victims of the ‘Troubles’: a needs-based theoretical review of the social psychological literature on Northern Ireland

Despite the widespread acknowledgement that the needs of those affected by the conflict in Northern Ireland are complex and enduring, there is relatively little empirical scrutiny of these issues in the psychological literature. This is not to say that individuals' needs have been overlooked entirely in this context; rather, we argue that the underlying theoretical focus is somewhat variable. To this end, we have used illustrative examples from the social psychological literature, as well as policy documents, to examine the applicability of needs-based theoretical models in social psychology in this context, focusing particularly on ‘affirmative’ and ‘certainty’ needs. This review reveals some of the complexities that emerged with the application of needs-based theoretical models to the non-normative contexts of peace transition in Northern Ireland. This paper suggests some potential challenges to the static notion of victims’ needs in this context and suggests a potential avenue for future research.

: <br>(A Critical Analysis of the Social Psychological Approach to Resolving International Conflict)

תקצר בעברית: השימוש במודלים פסיכולוגיים חברתיים של סכסוכים ומשא ומתן רווח בקרב אנשי אקדמיה ובקרב אלו העוסקים בפרקטיקה של יישוב סכסוכים בזירה הבינלאומית במיוחד במצבי עימותים אתנו-לאומיים. מודלים אלה הלקוחים מהמציאות של קונפליקט בינאישי, בתוך משפחה ובין שכנים ומדגישים הבנה הדדית באמצעות תיאורית המגע, דיאלוג, תקשורת בין תרבותית, מחילה והתפייסות כאמצעים להגיע לשלום.למרות השימוש הרווח בתחום במודלים פסיכולוגיים חברתיים, ניתוח שיטתי של הניסיונות ליישמם במישור של סכסוכים בינלאומיים הינו דבר נדיר. רוב הספרות נוטה להתעלם מהכישלון להתייחס לסביבה הפוליטית בהם מתרחשים סכסוכים בינלאומיים. הסביבה והתנאים בהם אלו מתרחשים שונים באופן מהותי מאלו של סכסוכים בינאישיים. יתרה מכך, ניסיונות ליישם כלים פסיכולוגיים חברתיים בצורת פעילות מאזנת עוצמה, הדגשת נרטיבים, וזהויות וכיוב', לעיתים קרובות מביאה לתוצאה של החמרה בסכסוך ולא להתמתנותו. המאמר מציג ביקורת סיסטמתית לנוכח מגבלותיהם של המודלים הללו ואף מתייחס להערכת המתודולוגיות הקיימות ביישומם. המחבר קורא לביסוס סדר יום צנוע יותר ביישומה של הגישה הפסיכולוגית חברתית במישור של הסכסוכים הבינלאומיים. על סדר יום צנוע זה להיות מלווה במתודולוגיות של הערכה קפדנית מבלי להתעלם ממקומם המרכזי של מרכיבים כגון ביטחון, הרתעה וממדים מרכזיים אחרים של ניהול סכסוך ברמה הפוליטית.English Abstract: In the extensive growth of academic publications and related activity in the realm of peace studies and efforts to resolve international and inter-group conflicts, social psychological approaches, in general, and models derived from contact theory, in particular, have occupied a central place. Assuming a common foundation based on shared human values and needs, adherents to these models emphasize mutual understanding through contact theory, dialogue, cross-cultural communications and interaction, as well as forgiveness and reconciliation, as the paths to peace.However, as will be shown in this article, theoreticians and practitioners from this school often disregard core political dimensions that differentiate such situations from interpersonal and other conflict and negotiation frameworks. Social psychological models and theories tend to reject or ignore competing meta-explanations of inter-group conflict based on the Hobbesian state of nature and “war of all against all”, while the evidence demonstrates the central relevance of such frameworks for many political conflict situations. As indicated by the ongoing clashes around the world, the sources of violent identity conflict – including inter-ethnic and inter-religious disputes – remain very potent. Harold Saunders, a former senior diplomat in the US State Department and a strong advocate and practitioner of the social-psychological approach to peace, observed that until relationships are changed, deep-rooted human conflicts are not likely to be resolved. (Saunders, 1999, p.31) However, numerous efforts to devise and implement the means to change highly conflictual political relationships have not succeeded. And in some cases, these efforts have resulted in counterproductive outcomes by adding to the intensity of the conflict, reifying negative stereotypes and distorted narratives that contribute to violent behavior and war. Images of implacable hostility are strengthened when participants in dialogues reject the legitimacy of the other side, or repeat stereotypes and conflict-promoting narratives. (Hamburger, 1994; Hanssen, 2001).Given the emphasis on social-psychological models in efforts to resolve political conflict, in general, and international conflict, in particular, the absence of systematic critiques of this approach is noteworthy. While some scholars and researchers emphasize different fundamental assumptions and models, such as game theorists (Schelling 1960, Axelrod 1984) and adherents to the liberal democratic school of peacebuilding (Mac Ginty, 2010), the peace literature has largely avoided critical analysis of social-psychological models and applications. This article is designed as a preliminary attempt towards a systematic critique.The following analysis focuses on the evolution of these models and theories, examining the theoretical assumptions, as well as the efforts to apply them in specific conflict situations and environments. Evaluation methodologies, to the limited extent that these are found, will also be considered.

The limits to pride: A test of the pro-anorexia hypothesis

ABSTRACTMany social psychological models propose that positive self-conceptions promote self-esteem. An extreme version of this hypothesis is advanced in “pro-anorexia” communities: identifying with anorexia, in conjunction with disordered eating, can lead to higher self-esteem. The current study empirically tested this hypothesis. Results challenge the pro-anorexia hypothesis. Although those with higher levels of pro-anorexia identification trended towards higher self-esteem with increased disordered eating, this did not overcome the strong negative main effect of pro-anorexia identification. These data suggest a more effective strategy for promoting self-esteem is to encourage rejection of disordered eating and an anorexic identity.

„SPALVOTŲJŲ REVOLIUCIJŲ“ FENOMENAS REVOLIUCIJOS TEORIJOS POŽIŪRIU. TULPIŲ REVOLIUCIJA KIRGIZIJOJE

Revolutionary studies have a long history starting from Thucydides, Plato and Aris­totle, going through historians of Middle Ages and finishing by four generations of modern revolutionary research for the moment. History school (I generation) develo­ped elaborate descriptions of the stages of some of the major social revolutions up to their day (often surprisingly accurate for later events as well) without a clear theory of “why” revolutions occurred or what accounted for their outcomes. The general the­ories of the 1960s (II generation) of T. R. Gurr, J. C. Davies, Ch. Johnson and others used social psychological and functionalist models to address the “why” question, but were subject to the criticism that their causal variables (relative deprivation, subsys­tems disequilibria, and the like) were vague, difficult to observe, or hard to measure. The third generation moved to the macrosociological level of comparing national cases in which the key variables included class relations, the state, the international economy etc. The search for causal patterns of social revolutions was pursued in The­da Skocpol’s path-breaking work “States and Social Revolution”, the 1979 capstone of third-generation structural theories. The reign of third-generation theories of revolution appears to be over. No equ­ally dominant fourth-generation theory has yet emerged, but the lineaments of such a theory are clear. Afourth generation of revolution theory is going to reverse all of Skocpol’s key stipulations. It treats stability as problematic, sees a wide range of factors and conditions as producing departures from stability, and recognizes that the processes and outcomes of revolutions are mediated by group identity, networks, co­alitions and cultural framework; leadership and competing ideologies; and the inter­play among rulers, elites, popular groups, and foreign powers in response to ongoing conflicts. Still the fourth generation of revolutionary studies like all others before it can not fully explain a newly appeared phenomenon in the field of revolutionary research – “colourful revolutions” (do not to speak about many other problems of revolutionary theory, starting from the conundrum of defining revolution term and finishing by the problem of creating of the general theory of revolution). Colourful revolution (but not all researchers apply a “revolution” term to this phenomenon) is not well elaborated for the moment. It is clearly related to existing studies of revolution and may be partially explained using their insights (especially defining the causes of the revolu­tions), but it is unique in its implementation technique. The core idea in this context is a postmodern idea of bio-power (conception of the rule over people body and mind), firstly proposed by Michel Foucault. Practice demonstrates that the governments in post-soviet societies are hardly prepared to notice, perceive and counter applying of such technologies used by opposition, but on the other hand the examples of Belarus and Russia shows that it is possible to minimize the possibility of colourful revolutionin one separate country. In this context “ tulip revolution” in Kyrgyzstan is an ex­ample of transformation from classical violent revolution (like “Great Revolutions”) to “colourful revolution” (the most demonstrative example is “orange revolution” in the Ukraine) with a great role of accidence in this event.

Fertility intentions and outcomes: Implementing the Theory of Planned Behavior with graphical models.

This paper studies fertility intentions and their outcomes, analyzing the complete path leading to fertility behavior according to the social psychological model of Theory Planned Behavior (TPB). We move beyond existing research using graphical models to have a precise understanding, and a formal description, of the developmental fertility decision-making process. Our findings yield new results for the Italian case which are empirically robust and theoretically coherent, adding important insights to the effectiveness of the TPB for fertility research. In line with TPB, all intentions' primary antecedents are found to be determinants of the level of fertility intentions, but do not affect fertility outcomes, being pre-filtered by fertility intentions. Nevertheless, in contrast with TPB, background factors are not fully mediated by intentions' primary antecedents, influencing directly fertility intentions and even fertility behaviors.

The social-psychological determinants of climate change risk perceptions: Towards a comprehensive model

This study advances a detailed social-psychological model of climate change risk perceptions by combining and integrating cognitive, experiential, and socio-cultural factors. The conceptual model is tested empirically on a national sample (N = 808) of the UK population. Results indicate that the full climate change risk perception model (CCRPM) is able to explain nearly 70% of the variance in risk perception. Gender, political party, knowledge of the causes, impacts and responses to climate change, social norms, value orientations, affect and personal experience with extreme weather were all identified as significant predictors. Experiential and socio-cultural factors explained significantly more variance in risk perception than either cognitive or socio-demographic characteristics. Results also confirm that the factor analytic structure of climate change risk perceptions can be conceptualized along two key dimensions, namely: personal and societal risk judgments and that both dimensions have different psychological antecedents. Implications for theory and public risk communication are discussed.

Analysis of Risk and Protective Factors for Recidivism in Spanish Youth Offenders.

Although a large body of research has studied the factors associated to general recidivism, predictive validity of these factors has received less attention. Andrews and Bonta's General Personality and Social-Psychological Model attempts to provide an in-depth explanation of risk and protective factors in relation to youth recidivism. The Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory was administered to 210 adolescents aged between 14 and 18 with a criminal record to analyse risk and protective factors in relation to youth recidivism. Their possible differential contribution over a 2-year follow-up period was also examined. Risk factors showed good levels of recidivism prediction. The factors that emerged as the most discriminative were education/employment, leisure/recreation, and personality. Protective factors differentiated between recidivists and non-recidivists in all factors. Hence, results showed that not only individual but also social factors would be crucial in predicting recidivism.

Warm, cold, competent or incompetent? An empirical assessment of public perceptions of the higher and less educated

Growing educational differentials in different domains have made some scholars wonder whether these differences have the potential to grow into an educational conflict and associated education-based group consciousness. In this article that question is contrasted with a body of literature which considers educational credentials a form of symbolic capital, that is, institutionalized social status. Theoretical insights derived from the social psychological stereotype content model are used to disentangle this apparent paradox. In the empirical section survey data from Flanders (the Dutch speaking part of Belgium; N = 1967) are used to assess the perceptions held by the public at large about the higher and less educated. A within-subject design whereby respondents rated the less and higher educated in terms of traits related to warmth and competence shows that indications of legitimate status differences but also intergroup conflict can be found depending on the dimension on which higher and less educated people are compared. In addition, the study demonstrates that higher and less educated groups use a different stereotype dimension to differentiate educational groups. The conclusion elaborates on the implications of these findings.

Leaving an Abusive Dating Relationship: A Prospective Analysis of the Investment Model and Theory of Planned Behavior.

The purpose of the current study was to build on the existing literature to better understand young women's leaving processes in abusive dating relationships using a prospective design. Two social psychological models-the investment model and theory of planned behavior-were tested. According to the investment model, relationship continuation is predicted by commitment, which is a function of investment, satisfaction, and low quality of alternatives. The theory of planned behavior asserts that a specific behavior is predicted by an individual's intention to use a behavior, which is a function of the individual's attitudes toward the behavior, the subjective norms toward the behavior, and the individual's perceived behavioral control over the behavior. College women (N = 169 young women in abusive relatinships) completed surveys at two time points, approximately 4 months apart, to assess initially for the presence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in a current relationship and investment model and theory of planned behavior variables; the purpose of the 4-month follow-up session was to determine if women had remained in or terminated their abusive relationship. Path analytic results demonstrated that both the theory of planned behavior and investment models were good fits to the data in prospectively predicting abused women's stay/leave decisions. However, the theory of planned behavior was a better fit to the data than the investment model. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.

The role that teachers play in overcoming the effects of stress and trauma on children’s social psychological development: evidence from Northern Uganda

Based on social psychological and neurobiological models of human development, this paper proposes that the role of the teacher is central in the rehabilitation of children who have suffered the effects of stress and trauma. The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences of educators regarding children’s learning. This study used a qualitative methodology to categorise the variation of experiences regarding children’s learning as described by 10 school teachers and six school leaders from two government and two non-government primary schools in Northern Uganda. Among the significant findings of the study were the categorical descriptions of children’s learning as ‘fragmented’ and ‘hijacked’ due to the debilitating effects of stress and trauma. Educators thought children had many ‘gaps’ in their learning as a result of war and associated disease and poverty. This paper demonstrates the salient role of educators in the neurological, psychological and sociological rehabilitation of students and provides strong evidence for education being a means of positive change.

Standard deviation? The role of perceived behavioural control in procedural violations

Procedural violations – behaviours that are not intended to cause harm but that deviate from established protocols or guidelines – are commonly understood from the perspective of social psychological models, including the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). The current study aims to examine the relationship between one aspect of the theory – perceived behavioural control (PBC) – and anaesthetists’ intentions to commit violations in the course of their work. 629 anaesthetists in the United Kingdom responded to a questionnaire including three hypothetical scenarios, each of which included a violation. Factor analysis of the questionnaire data found the presence of a two-factor structure (reflecting perceived controllability and perceived difficulty) accounting for the relationship between the control beliefs comprising PBC and intention to commit each violation. A regression analysis found that, in two of the scenarios, some control beliefs had a curvilinear relationship; behavioural intention was strongest when these beliefs are rated as “neutral” (not having a strong facilitative or inhibitive effect on behaviour). The study findings suggest that PBC has a complex relationship with behavioural intention that should be accounted for when applying the TPB to violations.

The role of values in collaborative consumption: insights from a product-service system for lending and borrowing in the UK

Collaborative consumption is an emerging socio-economic model based on sharing, renting, gifting, bartering, swapping, lending and borrowing. Made possible through community interaction and, increasingly, use of network technologies, these alternative and more sustainable ways of consuming have attracted growing attention for their potential to prevent new purchases, intensify the use of idle assets and promote reuse of possessions that are no longer wanted. Nonetheless, the uptake of Product-Service Systems (PSSs) that enable collaborative consumption is still very limited. This paper investigates how consumers' values can influence the acceptance, adoption and diffusion of collaborative consumption. It reviews two theoretical frameworks used to understand pro-environmental behaviour, social psychological models of behaviour and social practice theory. Coming from contrasting disciplinary perspectives, these approaches conceptualise values differently. The paper evaluates the possibility of resolving these differences through a mixed methods study. It examines values empirically through a case study of Ecomodo, a UK-based online marketplace where people can lend and borrow each other's objects, spaces and skills, and present the results of a quantitative study which identified and measured value priorities among Ecomodo users through Schwartz's Portrait Value Questionnaire. It concludes with a discussion of the role of values in relation to the introduction and scaling up of PSSs that enable collaborative consumption.

Social trust, risk perceptions and public acceptance of recycled water: Testing a social-psychological model

Faced with a severe drought, the residents of the regional city of Toowoomba, in South East Queensland, Australia were asked to consider a potable wastewater reuse scheme to supplement drinking water supplies. As public risk perceptions and trust have been shown to be key factors in acceptance of potable reuse projects, this research developed and tested a social-psychological model of trust, risk perceptions and acceptance. Participants (N = 380) were surveyed a few weeks before a referendum was held in which residents voted against the controversial scheme. Analysis using structural equation modelling showed that the more community members perceived that the water authority used fair procedures (e.g., consulting with the community and providing accurate information), the greater their sense of shared identity with the water authority. Shared social identity in turn influenced trust via increased source credibility, that is, perceptions that the water authority is competent and has the community's interest at heart. The findings also support past research showing that higher levels of trust in the water authority were associated with lower perceptions of risk, which in turn were associated with higher levels of acceptance, and vice versa. The findings have a practical application for improving public acceptance of potable recycled water schemes.

Farmer identity, ethical attitudes and environmental practices

There is increasing concern for environmental degradation caused by agricultural activity. Although large-scale agribusinesses are generally implicated, farmers themselves are often seen as culpable. We investigate whether farmer identity is an important factor affecting their attitudes toward the environment and farm management and conservation practices. Identity refers to a general outlook or perspective, whereas attitudes refer to beliefs or preferences about specific things. We investigate which identities matter most for affecting how farmers view the appropriateness of specific ethical situations relating to environmental management practices. We use a social–psychological model of ethical decision-making, and data from a survey of Missouri farmers, to examine the relationship between the identity of farmers and their attitudes toward ethical issues affecting the environment. We find that a conservation identity, in contrast to a productivist one, is most closely correlated with attitudes toward ethical environmental issues, although there is also an important interaction effect with one's view about the future.

The bicycle and the city: Desires and emotions versus attitudes, habits and norms

The paper explores the motivational basis of the use of the bicycle for daily travel necessities in a big city. Different from previous research on cycling, this study used a social psychological model (Perugini and Bagozzi's model of goal-directed behaviour) as a theoretical framework and focussed on prediction of desires. A total of 387 residents of Rome (Italy) were administered a structured questionnaire measuring attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control, positive and negative anticipated emotions, desire, and past behaviour concerning their use of the bike in the city. Results showed how positive emotions mediated the effects of attitudes, perceived social norms, and negative emotions on desire. This suggests that the affective factors could play a more direct role in orienting people's desire in relation to both the behaviour considered and the particular context: a large city where mobility is based on motorised systems and support facilities for bicycles are scarce.

Social-Psychological Model of the “Migration Circle”: Potential Emigrants, Migrants,Remigrants

А fundamentally new model of “migration circle” is considered in accordance with modern theo-ries of migration and adaptation. This model is represented in the following basic stages: starting- up (the potential emigrants), the main (directly emigrants), and final (re-emigrants). The benchmark analysis of values and dominant ethnic tendencies of migrants residing at different stages of migration (at the miscellaneous points of the “migration circle”) has revealed the existing of the significant differences in the value preferences’ structure, dominant ethnic tendencies, social and cultural distance. The received data allow forecasting accurate to 72% the emigrants’ success of adaptation to a new social and cultural environment. Accumulating during the investigation scientific theoretical material allows finding solution of many practical problems arising at the threshold of emigration (potential emigrants) either in situations of the return to Motherland (re-emigrants).

Media Complementarity and Health Information Seeking in Puerto Rico

This investigation incorporates the Orientation1-Stimulus-Orientation2-Response model on the antecedents and outcomes of individual-level complementarity of media use in health information seeking. A secondary analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey Puerto Rico data suggests that education and gender were positively associated with individual-level media complementarity of health information seeking, which, in turn, was positively associated with awareness of health concepts and organizations, and this awareness was positively associated with a specific health behavior: fruit and vegetable consumption. This study extends the research in media complementarity and health information use; it provides an integrative social psychological model empirically supported by the Health Information National Trends Survey Puerto Rico data.

Relationship obsessive compulsive disorder (ROCD): A conceptual framework

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling and prevalent disorder with a variety of clinical presentations and obsessional themes. Recently, research has begun to investigate relationship-related obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms including relationship-centered and partner-focused OC symptoms. In this paper, we present relationship obsessive–compulsive disorder (ROCD), delineate its main features, and describe its phenomenology. Drawing on recent cognitive-behavioral models of OCD, social psychology and attachment research, we present a model of the development and maintenance of ROCD. The role of personality factors, societal influences, parenting, and family environments in the etiology and preservation of ROCD symptoms is also evaluated. Finally, the conceptual and empirical links between ROCD symptoms and related constructs are explored and theoretically driven assessment and intervention procedures are suggested.

Why the psychology of collective action requires qualitative transformation as well as quantitative change

The argument of this paper is that social psychological models of collective action do not (and cannot) adequately explain social change and collective action through models based on shared variance between variables. Over and above the questions of why and how collective action and social change occur, such models do not adequately address the question of when they occur: at what point on a measure of perceived illegitimacy – or any other predictor – does a person decide that enough is enough, and at what point do shared grievances transform into mass protest? Instead, it is argued that the transition from inaction to action at the level of both the individual and the group is better conceptualised as a qualitative transformation. A key agenda for the social psychology of collective action should therefore be to conceptualise the link between quantitative variation in predictors of action and the actual emergence of action.