Social Psychology Research Articles

Liberal-conservative asymmetries in anti-democratic tendencies are partly explained by psychological differences in a nationally representative U.S. sample

Based on theory and research in political psychology, we hypothesized that liberal-conservative differences in right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and political system justification would contribute to asymmetries in anti-democratic tendencies. These hypotheses were tested in a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults (N = 1557). Results revealed that conservatives were less supportive of political equality and legal rights and guarantees and more willing to defect from democratic “rules of the game” and vote for anti-democratic candidates, even after adjusting for political extremism. Mediational analyses suggested that conservatives’ anti-democratic tendencies were partially attributable to higher levels of right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation. Conservatives also scored higher in political system justification, which was associated with support for free speech and mitigated anti-democratic tendencies. Democrats and Republicans who approved January 6, 2021, insurrectionists were more conservative and higher in right-wing authoritarianism than those who did not. Implications for social psychology and society are discussed.

Advancing advocacy communication theory: a theory grounded in undocumented college students’ motivations and strategies for challenging oppression

ABSTRACT Undocumented college students experience a myriad of stressors (e.g. fear of deportation, limited access to educational resources; Enriquez, Morales Hernandez & Ro. 2018. Deconstructing immigrant illegality: A mixed-methods investigation of stress and health among undocumented college students. Race and Social Problems, 10(3), 193–208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-018-9242-4) because of systemic oppression, and they often engage in various advocacy efforts to challenge those oppressive systems. Although different persuasion (e.g. Reasoned Action Approach, Anger Activism Model; Fishbein & Ajzen. 2010. Predicting and changing behavior: The reasoned action approach. Psychology Press; Turner. 2007. Using emotion in risk communication: The anger activism model. Public Relations Review, 33(2), 114–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2006.11.013) and social movements theories (e.g. Mass Society Theory; Theory of Relative Deprivation; Bernstein & Crosby. 1980. An empirical examination of relative deprivation theory. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 16(5), 442–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1031(80)90050-5) can describe why minoritized group members advocate on behalf of their ingroup, these theories primarily focus on traditional advocacy efforts. rather than representing advocacy as multidimensional. Consequently, this paper introduces Advocacy Communication Theory (ACT), which argues that advocacy communication is a complex and multidimentional process consisting of advocacy strategies at the individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and policy levels. ACT also identifies predictors of advocacy communication by drawing from communication and psychological factors, and it discusses the potential health implications associated with engaging in advocacy communication.

Measuring and reducing implicit prejudice against Black women and people with intersectional identities

AbstractThis paper addresses a critical gap in measuring and reducing implicit prejudice: biases against Black women and people with intersectional identities. Though social psychologists have published many methods to measure and interventions to reduce implicit prejudice against Black people, these methods often target biases against Black people or Black men rather than Black women. Thus, these methods may leave Black women out because the mental representations of Black women and Black men differ and the mental representation of Black people is more similar to the mental representation of Black men than Black women. This paper advocates for an intersectional approach to measuring and reducing implicit prejudice that accounts for the unique prejudices faced by Black women. Specifically, this paper argues that researchers should tailor their methods to account for how the mental representations of Black women and Black men differ including differences in stereotypic content and ambivalence. The paper concludes by acknowledging the difficulties related to developing long‐lasting interventions, the need to move beyond reducing implicit prejudice, and the value of studying the men and women of additional racial and ethnic groups and other intersections like sexual orientation and socioeconomic status.

Distinguishing sympathisers, philanthropists, rusted on activists and radicals: Using person‐centred analyses in collective action research

AbstractMany of our theories and models within social psychology implicitly refer to ‘types’ or subgroups of people who engage in collective action (activists, protestors), or do not (sympathisers, bystanders). Other frameworks differentiate between actors based on their adoption of tactics (benevolents, activists, radicals). How, empirically, do we distinguish sympathisers from activists? Activists from radicals? This paper describes recent research that adopts person‐centred statistical approaches (e.g., latent profile analysis, latent transition analysis, latent growth mixture models) to address three contemporary puzzles of collective action research. We present research showing that the methods are useful in identifying and explaining sub‐groups of people who seek to bring about change in qualitatively different ways. The methods are also useful for understanding volatility in collective action as well as identifying and understanding variation in how people sustain, increase, or diminish their commitment over time. There is nothing so practical as a good method and person‐centred statistical approaches are an important complement to variable‐centred approaches in social psychological research on collective action.

A Social Psychology and Contemplative Science Perspective on Character and Virtue

A Social Psychology and Contemplative Science Perspective on Character and Virtue

Social Media, Psychological Distance, and Environmental Collective Action in Peru

This research aims to analyze the chain-mediated effect of the different types of psychological distances (social, temporal, spatial, and probability) and the variables of the Social Identity Model of Collective Action (SIMCA) on the relationship between the use of social media and violent environmental collective action. The study sample consisted of 650 university students ( M = 20.8, SD = 2.74) aged 18–35 years from Lima. Analyses were conducted by means of structural equation modeling (SEM) using the AMOS SPSS software, where a statistical model was performed for each type of psychological distance. The findings revealed two statistically significant paths that go from social media to violent environmental collective action, mediated, first, by each of the psychological distances and, second, by social identity and negative emotions (anger and fear). In addition, it was observed that only probability distance on its own acted as a mediator in the relationship between social media and violent environmental collective action. It was also observed that a path from social media to violent environmental collective action was mediated, first, by three types of distances (probability, spatial, and temporal) and, second, by participative efficacy.

Looking our limitations in the eye: A call for more thorough and honest reporting of study limitations

AbstractThe replication crisis and subsequent credibility revolution in psychology have highlighted many suboptimal research practices such as p‐hacking, overgeneralizing, and a lack of transparency. These practices may have been employed reflexively but upon reflection, they are hard to defend. We suggest that current practices for reporting and discussing study limitations are another example of an area where there is much room for improvement. In this article, we call for more rigorous reporting of study limitations in social and personality psychology articles, and we offer advice for how to do this. We recommend that authors consider what the best argument is against their conclusions (which we call the “steel‐person principle”). We consider limitations as threats to construct, internal, external, and statistical conclusion validity (Shadish et al., 2002), and offer some examples for better practice reporting of common study limitations. Our advice has its own limitations — both our representation of current practices and our recommendations are largely based on our own metaresearch and opinions. Nevertheless, we hope that we can prompt researchers to write more deeply and clearly about the limitations of their research, and to hold each other to higher standards when reviewing each other's work.

Productive pluralism: The coming of age of ecological psychology.

The ecological approach to psychology has been a main antecedent of embodied and situated approaches to cognition. The concept of affordances in particular has gained currency throughout psychological science. Yet, contemporary ecological psychology has seemed inaccessible to outsiders and protective of its legacy. Indeed, some prominent ecological psychologists have presented their approach as a "package deal"-a principled and unified perspective on perception and action. Looking at the history of the field, however, we argue that ecological psychology has developed in rich and pluriform ways. Aiming to open the field to critical engagement and productive exchange, we identify three major strands of thought within ecological psychology, each of which emerged in the 20 years after Gibson's death: physical, biological, and social ecological psychology. Each of these strands develop ecological ideas in quite different directions, making different use of some of its central concepts, adopting different explanatory principles, and embodying different philosophical worldviews. Proponents of the ecological approach have been arguing for pluralism within cognitive science to make room for ecological psychology. Given the diversity of the strands, we extend this plea to within ecological psychology itself; the field is better off aiming for a productive pluralism in which the different strands are in dialogue with each other. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

“Granting” Justice, Debating Delinquency: The Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Offenses Control Act and the UNC Training Center on Delinquency and Youth Crime, 1961–1967

AbstractThis article argues that 1961 to 1967 was a critical period when federal, state, and academic institutions looked with hope toward emerging methods in behavioral and social psychology to train juvenile justice officials and to treat delinquent children. Reflecting liberal optimism regarding the possibility of reforming individual behavior without structural change, the Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Offenses Control Act of 1961 provided project funding to cities, nonprofits, and universities. Using the University of North Carolina’s Training Center on Delinquency and Youth Crime as a case study, this article examines how federal funding was used for “experiments” with group therapy, youth incarceration, and cocreation of juvenile justice. Though largely inconclusive, these experiments demonstrated the existence of alternatives to the hyperinstitutionalization of juvenile offenders that accelerated after the Supreme Court’s 1967 decision of In re Gault.

TIKTOK'S IMPACT ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: A CONCEPTUAL REVIEWS

This conceptual paper investigates the impact of TikTok on customer purchase behaviours. It looks at the way consumers' views and decisions are influenced by influencers and short films. A conceptual model that outlines the way TikTok content, mainly those created by influencers, influences consumer decision-making is created from research that has already been published. TikTok's unique influence on consumer preferences can be attributed to its unique features, which include interactive aspects and short movies. The conceptual model provides an in-depth discussion of TikTok's influence on customer behaviour by blending ideas from digital communication research, marketing theory, and social psychology. The research highlights the dynamic and appealing power of TikTok and explores the theoretical underpinnings of social influence, user engagement, and the changing role of influencers in the TikTok community. This conceptual study lays the groundwork for upcoming research, assisting researchers as they examine the multilayered connection between TikTok and modern consumer behaviour. This conceptual paper primarily seeks to shed light on the various ways that TikTok influences consumers' decision-making processes.

The evolution of family and its impact on the increase of marriage age: Analysis of needs for psychosocial services

The 21st-century family is undergoing significant changes that have evolved over the years. This evolution has both positive and negative implications, particularly concerning its structure, developmental stages, role changes, growth, and psychosocial needs. This study aims to analyze the impact of family evolution on the increase in marriage age in Albania, focusing on the structure and model of family life over the past decades. It also examines the need for psychosocial services in the context of social transition. To understand changes in family and marriage dynamics in Albania, the study used a wide array of methods, including interviews with individuals over 45 years old. The findings reveal a rapid transformation in family structure and an increase in the average age of marriage, accompanied by new social and economic challenges for young people. Considering these changes, the study underscores the necessity for psychosocial services, highlighting the crucial interaction between family evolution and society's responses to emerging needs. The results show a growing demand for these services, underscoring the importance of recognizing the roles of social workers and psychologists in providing treatment and support to families and couples within this evolving social context.

Disentangling the Relationship Between Social Media Use, Psychological Well-Being, and Academic Performance Among Chinese University Students

Background: With the increased use of social media, it is also said to influences students' psychological health and academic achievement. It is also responsible for raising psychological issues, such as increased possibility of stress, anxiety, and depression. This study targeted the Chinese university students to investigate the impact of social media usage and psychological well-being on the academic performance of students. It also incorporated the catalytic role of smartphone addiction and phubbing which is the skipping of all the surrounding interactions to stay active on social media platforms. Method: Based on the study's focus, a quantitative research designwas implemented. In this regard, primary data was gathered for the evaluation of designed associations. The data was collected from 216 respondents and was incorporated into the regression analysis. Results: The results highlighted that positive and constructive use of social media and healthy psychological well-being are beneficial for enhancing the student's academic performance indicators but when the negative factors like phubbing prevail, this healthy relationship gets negatively disturbed. Implications: The present study hold immense theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, this research enriches the literature regarding social media usage within the context of psychological health of university students. Practically, this study provides beneficial insights regarding the way social media is influencing academic performance along with psychological health of students.

Exploring Social Media Use Among Young Adults for Health Information Acquisition

The purpose of this study is to investigate the usage of social media platforms to obtain health-related information among young adults in Pakistan. Considering the increasing reliance on digital sources for health-related inquiries, especially among the youth, this study aims to examine the prevalence and impact of social media in this context within the context of Pakistani culture. People get to connect more and learn about their issues and health. A survey is conducted to study aims to identify factors that young adults' engagement with social media health information and their beliefs of the credibility and trustworthiness of such sources. By shedding light on these dynamics, the findings of this study can help develop targeted interventions and educational initiatives aimed at promoting healthy reading and responsible online behaviour among Pakistani youth. A survey is scheduled in four universities based in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The departments of social sciences, IT, Public Health, Psychology and Media Sciences. 300 Students are reached out to get the objectives done. The knowledge gained from this study is well-positioned to guide focused interventions and educational initiatives meant to cultivate in Pakistani youth a culture of responsible online engagement and informed decision-making. This research has identified the underlying motives and behaviours that are connected with online health-seeking practices, and it has determined the influences on engagement with health content on social media and appraised opinions about the validity and dependability of such sources. The study has resulted in some significant findings that could be used for us to design programs and interventions that would guide young Pakistanis on how they can embrace technology responsibly while keeping themselves secure while online.

Design and validation of a scale for the assessment of educational competencies in traditional musical games

This work studies the traditional musical game as a didactic resource in the development of educational competencies in primary school students. The purpose of the study is to validate a scale for the evaluation of essential educational factors in the work of intrinsic competencies in traditional musical games. With a mixed design, the study involves a qualitative approach to the review and discussion of the contributions of social psychology theories: contact theory, cultural values theory, and attitude theory as well as a quantitative approach using an exploratory factor analysis, a parallel analysis and a confirmatory factor analysis of the use of traditional musical games in a sample of 276 primary school students. From an initial questionnaire of 30 items, a final questionnaire of 18 items was obtained, grouped into 4 subscales (Right to Play/Fun and Preferences/Choice of Game Partners/Emotion and Inclusion) derived from the theories of social psychology. The results demonstrate the need for effective tools to measure the educational value of traditional games. This scale could serve as a tool to contribute to the educational research on traditional musical games. Finally, the educational implications that the adoption of traditional games in the classroom can have in terms of integration, equal inclusion, and the social, physical, emotional, and cognitive development of primary school students are discussed.

Defending against environmental threats: Unveiling household adaptation strategies and population heterogeneity

Humanity faces a variety of risks from pollution and environmental degradation. Societal advancement has equipped the public with numerous self-protection measures to mitigate these threats. However, the ways in which individuals deploy and balance self-defence mechanisms within this complex risk landscape and the resulting consequences remain largely unexplored. Drawing on a detailed survey of households’ self-defence practices, this study rigorously analyses the heterogeneity and driving factors behind household-level self-defence strategies. Through exploratory latent class modelling, we identified four distinct defence patterns: inaction, water-sensitive, air-sensitive, and multifaceted. These patterns reveal varied defence capabilities among the population. By integrating frameworks from economics and social psychology, significant disparities were found in the driving factors behind these patterns. Practices aimed at combating air pollution are primarily driven by the actual severity of pollution and perceived coping capabilities, whereas measures to enhance water quality are influenced more by perceived threats. This disparity arises from variations in information availability and health awareness. The study also highlights a misalignment between the distribution of defence capabilities and the levels of pollution. Given that income restricts self-defence options, this mismatch indicates that economically disadvantaged groups are disproportionately affected by severe health inequalities.

The Influence of Youth Perceptions in Prambatan Village on Interest in Business in the Agricultural Sector Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Methods

Youth tend not to be interested in the agricultural sector. This study aimed to determine the perceptions that influence the interest of rural youth in the agricultural sector. This research was conducted using a quantitative approach and was conducted in Prambatan Village, Balen Sub-district, Bojonegoro Regency. The determination of informants was carried out using random sampling method and 70 youth in Prambatan Village were obtained as informants. Data analysis was conducted using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method. The result was that there were three perceptions that significantly influence the interest of youth in Prambatan Village to do business in the agricultural sector, namely social perceptions (X2), psychology (X3), and convenience (X4). Meanwhile, economic perceptions (X1) and benefits (X5) had T statistics less than 1.96 and P values greater than 0.05. So for X1 and X5, Ho was accepted and H1 was rejected so that it was stated that it had no effect.

Book Review

This review critiques The Psychology of Multilingualism: Concepts, Theories and Application by Lajos Göncz whose research contributed extensively to the field of psychology of bilingualism and minority studies. In light of the quintessential body of research investigating bilingualism and multilingualism as intriguing complex phenomena, this book provides a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to the research of bi- and multilingualism. Göncz approaches bi-/multilingualism as a cognitively challenging experience from a psychological, individual, and societal perspective. Basic concepts, theories, and definitions related to the psychological regularities of multilingualism are discussed in the book. Göncz also explores bi-/multilingualism from the perspective of developmental and personality psychology, elucidating the effect of speaking multiple languages on emotions, behavior, and cognitive development. Additionally, issues pertaining to the social psychology of multilingualism, including biculturalism, multiculturalism, and cultural diversity, are scrutinized, offering insights into the importance of preserving minority languages and cultures. The book also touches upon the educational aspects of the psychology of multilingualism, revisiting models of bi-/multilingual education that might be implemented to stimulate language development in the dominant as well as in the minority language.

DISCUSSING HYBRID WARFARE VIA SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY: THE CASE OF DISINFORMATION AND PROPAGANDA EXPLOITING MINORITY GROUPS

This paper argues that minority issues are often exploited in hybrid warfare, serving as both subject and target of disinformation and propaganda. The ultimate aim is to polarise society, weaken cohesion and even trigger conflict in the countries of interest to the aggressor. The paper discusses studies on disinformation, propaganda and minorities and applies the lens of social psychology to identify key characteristics of minorities that can be targeted by third parties in hybrid warfare. Finally, it briefly examines how the Russian Federation is using these tools in its hybrid war against Ukraine and other democratic states. As part of a larger work in progress, the paper does not offer at this stage a complete and tested analytic model, but signals the need for an approach that goes beyond simple debates about disinformation and propaganda narratives towards the socio-psychological mechanisms that make them efficient.

A theoretical review of the Proteus effect: understanding the underlying processes.

Humans' inherent fascination for stories can be observed throughout most of our documented history. If, for a long time, narratives were told through paintings, songs, or literature, recent technological advances such as immersive virtual reality have made it possible for us to interact with storylines and characters in a completely new manner. With these new technologies came the need to study how people interact with them and how they affect their users. Notably, research in this area has revealed that users of virtual environments tend to display behaviors/attitudes that are congruent with the appearance of the avatars they embody; a phenomenon termed the Proteus effect. Since its introduction in the literature, many studies have demonstrated the Proteus effect in various contexts, attesting to the robustness of the effect. However, beyond the first articles on the subject, very few studies have sought to investigate the social, affective, and cognitive mechanisms underlying the effect. Furthermore, the current literature appears somewhat disjointed with different schools of thought, using different methodologies, contributing to this research topic. Therefore, this work aims to give an overview of the current state of the literature and its shortcomings. It also presents a critical analysis of multiple theoretical frameworks that may help explain the Proteus effect. Notably, this work challenges the use of self-perception theory to explain the Proteus effect and considers other approaches from social psychology. Finally, we present new perspectives for upcoming research that seeks to investigate the effect of avatars on user behavior. All in all, this work aims to bring more clarity to an increasingly popular research subject and, more generally, to contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between humans and virtual environments.

What moral identity and competing selves can add to moral foundations theory: Comment on Ramos, Johnson, VanEpps & Graham (2024)

AbstractIn a provocative and insightful analysis, Ramos et al. (Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2024) propose the introduction of Moral Foundations Theory (hereafter MFT)—as a useful framework to (1) explain moral consumer decision‐making more granularly and (2) set forth unique, testable future hypotheses in the field of marketing and consumer psychology. I discuss and build on their analysis to expand (1) but also narrow (2). I couch their conceptualization in the context of a multiple‐identity framework (Consumer Psychology Review, 2021, 4, 100) and move slightly away from their useful but perhaps more taxonomic approach. I try to buttress their work by situating MFT in the context of how the process of moral identity (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2002, 83, 1423) competes with other identities (cf. Journal of Marketing Research, 2020, 57, 375; Current Opinion in Psychology 2016, 10, 94) to help determine when and how the building blocks of moral foundations may become critical drivers of consumption in the areas of persuasion, emotions, and prosocial charitable consumer behavior.