Social Psychology Research Articles

APA, Cambridge University Press expand partnership to include PsycLearn courseware

The American Psychological Association has partnered with Cambridge University Press to market and sell PsycLearn, APA's all‐digital instructional resource for the undergraduate psychology curriculum, an APA news release announced Jan. 30. PsycLearn employs evidence‐based‐learning science principles to make challenging concepts more engaging and approachable, helping students deepen their understanding of course material and build learning skills. APA will continue to work closely with psychology professors and professionals with extensive teaching experience to develop PsycLearn content. Available PsycLearn courses include Research Methods, Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, Introduction to Social Psychology and A Combined Approach to Research Methods & Statistics. To learn more about PsycLearn, visit https://www.cambridge.org/highereducation/apa‐psyclearn.

Biracial Faces Offer Visual Cues of Successful Intergroup Contact: Genetic Admixture and Coalition Detection.

This research explores how biracial facial cues affect racial perception and social judgment. We tested a coalition-signaling hypothesis of biracial cues in two studies conducted in the United States (n = 227) and China (n = 116). From the perspective of intergroup and interpersonal relations theories in social psychology, biracial features would likely be perceived as cues of threat or resource competition. In contrast, we propose an evolutionary hypothesis that biracial facial cues reveal the ancestral history of intergroup alliances between members of two races or ethnic groups. When racial cues are mixed, we predict that biracial individuals may be viewed more positively than other-race or even own-race members who often compete for limited ingroup resources. The participants observed facial images that ranged from 100% Asian to 100% Caucasian, including morphed biracial composites of 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 70% Caucasian or Asian. The participants evaluated each image regarding perceived Caucasianness (Asianness), attractiveness, trustworthiness, health, intelligence, and career prospects. The US and Chinese samples yielded a similar pattern of own-race bias in racial perception and biracial favoritism in social judgment. The social judgment ratings were not correlated with the racial perception scores and were independent of the sex of the participants or biracial images, indicating a coalitional motive, instead of a mating motive, underlying social perception of biracial individuals. Overall, the results suggest that biracial facial features signal a successful genetic admixture and coalition in parental generations and thus increase the trustworthiness and cooperative potential of a biracial person.

The Transformative Impact of AI and Machine Learning on Human Psychology

Abstract: This journal paper examines the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in shaping human psychology. It investigates how cognitive processes, emotional states, and social interactions are impacted by AI and ML technology. The use of AI and ML in psychology is covered in this study, covering social behaviour analysis, emotion identification, mental health assessment, and personalised therapies. It also explores the moral issues and prospective effects of AI and ML in comprehending and influencing human psychology. This paper emphasises the enormous influence of AI and ML on the comprehension and research of human psychology through a thorough analysis of pertinent literature and empirical evidence. This paper seeks to offer a thorough explanation of the profound effects that AI and ML have had on psychology. We will offer insight into the possible advantages, difficulties, and ethical issues that occur when integrating AI and ML into the study of human psychology by looking at recent developments and implementations of these technologies in psychological research. We will also look at how other areas of psychology, such as cognitive psychology, clinical psychology, social psychology, and neurology, have been impacted by AI and ML.

Retraction of Tian et al. (2018).

Reports the retraction of "Enacting rituals to improve self-control" by Allen Ding Tian, Juliana Schroeder, Gerald Häubl, Jane L. Risen, Michael I. Norton and Francesca Gino (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2018[Jun], Vol 114[6], 851-876). This retraction follows from a 2023 review of the data reported in the article, which was conducted and reported to the journal by the authors. The authors, who agreed to the retraction, requested a correction after identifying discrepancies between the data analyzed for Study 1 and the data downloaded from Qualtrics. Fifteen participants' condition codes (i.e., control versus experimental) differed between the data reported originally and what participants in the Qualtrics dataset reported doing (e.g., control participants who reported engaging in a ritual). The remaining 69 participants did not present these discrepancies. The authors' reanalysis based on what participants reported doing invalidated the previous conclusion that enacting a ritual improved self-control as measured by food diaries. Specifically, the effect of what participants did on reported calorie consumption was not statistically significant (ritual participants M = 1,563.31, SD = 313.15; control participants M = 1,521.74, SD = 367.79, t[83] = 0.56, p = .576). The authors did not identify any discrepancies in the datafiles for Studies 2-16. The Study 1 participants were recruited at the University of Chicago gym under the supervision of Drs. Juliana Schroeder and Jane Risen. The statistical analyses reported in the article were conducted by Dr. Juliana Schroeder. A dataset containing the data with the original condition codes and the newly analyzed participants' reports in the Qualtrics data appears at https://osf.io/3fk2c. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2018-22169-001.) Rituals are predefined sequences of actions characterized by rigidity and repetition. We propose that enacting ritualized actions can enhance subjective feelings of self-discipline, such that rituals can be harnessed to improve behavioral self-control. We test this hypothesis in 6 experiments. A field experiment showed that engaging in a pre-eating ritual over a 5-day period helped participants reduce calorie intake (Experiment 1). Pairing a ritual with healthy eating behavior increased the likelihood of choosing healthy food in a subsequent decision (Experiment 2), and enacting a ritual before a food choice (i.e., without being integrated into the consumption process) promoted the choice of healthy food over unhealthy food (Experiments 3a and 3b). The positive effect of rituals on self-control held even when a set of ritualized gestures were not explicitly labeled as a ritual, and in other domains of behavioral self-control (i.e., prosocial decision-making; Experiments 4 and 5). Furthermore, Experiments 3a, 3b, 4, and 5 provided evidence for the psychological process underlying the effectiveness of rituals: heightened feelings of self-discipline. Finally, Experiment 5 showed that the absence of a self-control conflict eliminated the effect of rituals on behavior, demonstrating that rituals affect behavioral self-control specifically because they alter responses to self-control conflicts. We conclude by briefly describing the results of a number of additional experiments examining rituals in other self-control domains. Our body of evidence suggests that rituals can have beneficial consequences for self-control. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Telehealth Access and Substitution in the VHA

BackgroundIn response to COVID-19, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) expanded telehealth availability, allowing veterans to receive care at home. We explore the extent of substitution of telehealth for in-person care among medical centers (facilities), providers, and patients. We explore the extent to which patient preferences drive telehealth utilization, and compare access to care (as measured by waiting times) for telehealth and in-person visits.MethodsWe use VHA electronic health records to identify scheduled outpatient mental health (MH) appointments from January 2019 through February 2023 focusing on care delivered by social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists. For each quarter, we compute the proportion of completed appointments that were delivered via phone or video by each facility, provider, and patient and show the changes in these proportions before, during, and after the onset of COVID-19. To explore patient preferences, we match providers of patients with high rates of telehealth utilization and examine the extent to which those providers deliver in-person care. To examine access to care, we compute waiting times for in-person, video, and phone new patient appointments. We investigate differences between urban and rural patients, and patients of different ages.Key ResultsTelehealth for MH grew dramatically in the VHA after the onset of COVID-19. While some facilities provided more telehealth than others, all facilities (as of early 2023) provided some telehealth MH services. Approximately 86% of individual providers provided telehealth, with 27% scheduling MH appointments almost exclusively as telehealth appointments and 59% providing a mix. Patients exhibited more polarization, with 36% scheduling only in-person visits for almost all their MH visits and 56% of them scheduling exclusively telehealth, and only 8% of them utilizing a mix of modalities. Of those who exclusively received telehealth care, a majority of them utilized video (80%) over phone (20%). Take-up of MH among younger patients was higher relative to older patients. Urban patients used telehealth more than rural patients. Patient preferences rather than provider preferences drove utilization of patients who almost exclusively utilized telehealth. Between April 2021 and February 2023, the average difference in waiting time for in-person and video appointments was less than 1 day, with comparable appointment volumes, suggesting that the supply of and demand for in-person and video were not different enough to merit waiting longer. Telehealth was chosen over in-person more among urban and younger patients, as older and rural patients exhibited higher willingness to wait for in-person over video appointments. By contrast, appointment volumes and waiting times for phone appointments were lower across all groups, suggesting that phone may not be as substitutable for in-person visits in MH.ConclusionsWe find that the VHA has made telehealth widely available, providing access to many veterans. While telehealth utilization has increased, face-to-face care persists for MH services, suggesting that one modality may not serve all purposes and preferences for care. Patient preferences drive the modality decision among those who exclusively use MH care via telehealth. For those who persist in mostly utilizing in-person care, there may be various factors influencing those preferences such as issues with limited internet connectivity, language barriers, and digital literacy, especially for older and rural patients who utilize in-person care more than those who are younger and more urban. Further investigation is required to investigate the optimal mix of modalities which may allow for potential increases in patient satisfaction, quality of care, and clinic efficiency.

How Corporate Social (Ir)Responsibility Influences Employees’ Private Prosocial Behavior: An Experimental Study

The micro-level corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature has broadly demonstrated the effects of CSR on employees’ behavior but has mostly been limited to employees’ behavior within the work domain. This business-centered focus overlooks the potential of organizations to change employees’ private social and environmental behavior and thus to address grand societal challenges. Based on the social psychology literature on moral consistency and moral balancing, we conduct three experiments to investigate whether employees’ private prosocial behavior is consistent with their organization’s corporate social (ir)responsibility or whether employees aim to balance their private prosocial behavior, e.g., by compensating for their organization’s CSR activities with a reduced willingness to contribute outside the work domain. Our results provide support for a consistency effect such that employers’ environmental CSR activities increase employees’ donations and willingness to volunteer outside work. Environmental corporate social irresponsibility activities, on the contrary, reduce employees’ private donations and willingness to volunteer. We further find that the positive effects of environmental CSR are partly explained by the strengthening of employees’ environmental self-identity. Our findings highlight that organizational activities have consequences for employees’ moral behavior outside the work domain and thus have important implications for research and practice.

The phenomenon of objectification: terminology, types, theoretical approaches to analysis

The article is devoted to a theoretical analysis of the phenomenon of attitude towards the Other as an object. The purpose of the article is to compare the terminology used in the scientific literature; identifying the advantages and limitations of the term objectification; identification and grouping of disparate criteria for the classification of objectification, approaches to its understanding. The authors compare narrow and broad approaches to understanding objectification in modern science; a rationale is given for the universality of a broad approach to understanding the phenomenon of objectification as a process of objectification of the Other, which is accompanied by one or more signs: an instrumental attitude towards the other, attitude as property, denial of his autonomy, reduction of subjectivity, lack of consideration of the boundaries of the other. The article identifies criteria for classifying the phenomenon of objectification: by sphere of occurrence; on a philosophical approach to understanding the phenomenon of objectification; according to the criterion of intentionality; according to the criterion of reductionism; by object of comparison. Based on the results of an analysis of modern domestic and foreign research, possible approaches to understanding the phenomenon of objectification are grouped: objectification as a consequence of biological determinism; cultural phenomenon; manifestation of power; response to uncertainty about one’s own competence; response to threat; manifestation of fear of death; a way of abstracting from the unimportant; a consequence of the organization of work activity; coping strategy to help cope with empathic distress; a consequence of the unsatisfactory nature of interpersonal relationships; a consequence of unsatisfaction of basic human needs; a consequence of personal characteristics (egocentrism, ego immaturity). Scientific novelty: lies in the comparison of existing terminology that describes the phenomenon of relating to the Other as an object; in justifying the advantages and limitations of the term objectification; highlighting the criteria for classifying the phenomenon, as well as grouping disparate approaches to understanding the origins of objectification. Scope of application of the results: the theoretical review carried out in the work can be used when teaching courses on the social psychology of interpersonal relationships. The article is part of the dissertation research of one of the authors of the article.

SUBJECTIVE POSITION OF STUDENT YOUTH: CONCEPT AND CONNECTION WITH ECONOMIC SOCIALIZATION

The article presents a comprehensive understanding of the subjective position of student youth, its role in professional education, and its significance for economic socialization, which opens up new perspectives for further development of theoretical and practical approaches in the fields of education and social psychology. Theoretical aspects of the scientific discourse aimed at identifying and systematizing conceptual approaches to studying the socio-psychological factors influencing the formation of the subjective position are analyzed. Particular attention is given to the role of professional education, which, according to the research, should be oriented towards creating conditions that foster the development of such crucial traits of the subjective position as activity, purposefulness, responsibility, initiative, independence, creativity, and the aspiration to realize one's potential, which are determining factors for economic socialization. It is established that the subjective position of a future specialist is a system of personally significant attitudes a student holds toward themselves as a professional, toward their chosen profession, and toward their future professional activity. This system determines the actively developmental character of professional and personal formation within the educational space, which, in turn, significantly influences the process of students' economic socialization. A key aspect of the study is the determination of the relationship between the subjective position and the economic socialization of student youth. The subjective position is considered an integrative expression of all personality substructures, encompassing motivational-value, personal-activity, and reflexive-evaluative components. The article highlights that the subjective position promotes awareness of personal responsibility for economic life, the development of financial literacy, personal financial management skills, and adaptation to the economic conditions of modern society. In the process of economic socialization, students who adopt an active subjective position are better integrated into the economic environment, facilitating their successful professional development and social mobility. The article offers a comprehensive understanding of the subjective position of student youth and its critical impact on the process of economic socialization, which is significant for advancing theoretical and practical approaches in professional education.

SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF PREJUDICES: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY

ThescientificstudyofmindandbehavioriscalledPsychology.Itcovershumanandnon-human behavior, both conscious (aware) and unconscious (unaware) phenomena, as well asmental processes like thoughts, feelings, and motives. Social psychology (branch ofpsychology) is the scientific study of how others actual, imagined, or assumed presenceinfluences individuals thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In context of social psychology-Prejudice is an assumption or opinion made about someone based solely on theirbelongingness to a specific group. Three psychological aspects of Prejudices– cognitive,affectiveoremotional, and behavioural.(SageKnowledge,2010)

Subjective Executive Functioning in Relation to Physical Distancing Compliance

Objectives: In this study, we assessed whether college students' social norm compliance (i. e., COVID-19 physical distancing compliance) predicted executive functioning (EF) after controlling for socioeconomic and mental health factors. Methods: Undergraduate students (N=302; age ≥ 18 years) from the University of California, Riverside participated in the study by completing an online survey assessing subjective EF, mental health (loneliness, depressive symptoms, anxiety), and physical distancing compliance. Results: A linear mixed-effects regression model yielded statistically significant main effects of subjective EF (p = .004) and perceived loneliness (p = .013) on physical distancing compliance; participants with poorer EF and who felt lonelier also reported less compliance with physical distancing. Conclusions: EF contributes to willingness to comply with new social behaviors. Core cognitive processes share neurocognitive mechanisms with social norm compliance; therefore, this study highlights the necessity of interdisciplinary research that bridges cognitive, social, and clinical psychology.

Beyond activity patterns: The complex process of activity management among individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain after an orthopaedic trauma.

Individuals must change the way they perform activities in response to chronic pain. In the literature, three activity patterns are commonly described: avoidance, pacing, and persistence. Many studies have explored these activity patterns. However, little research has delved into the factors that lead people to adopt a particular activity behaviour. This study aimed to explore the relationship that people with chronic musculoskeletal pain have with activity and highlight the factors underlying their practices. The qualitative study was conducted by researchers in the social sciences, physiotherapy, psychology, and rehabilitation medicine. Observations of vocational workshops and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 persons undergoing rehabilitation for chronic musculoskeletal pain after an accident. Patients' declarations and actions show that any one patient will alternate between activity patterns: the same person may adopt a strategy of avoidance, pacing or persistence depending on the context, the importance of the activity, personal objectives, and representations of self, pain, and activity. The decision to engage in a particular behaviour is based on a process of self-negotiation weighted by the circumstances, the nature of the activity, the importance attached to it, and the individual's perceived ability. Our study emphasized the complexity of physical, social, and contextual factors that intervene in the relationship toward activity. Rather than favouring pacing, the therapist's role in rehabilitation might be to reinforce the reflexive process and the patient's adaptability in approaching the activity, to foster the capacity to find flexible solutions. Patients choose an activity pattern (avoidance, pacing, persistence) according to the challenges they face in their daily lives. Context, representations of self and activity, as well as goals sought influence these choices. Some patients report having learned to adapt their activity management strategies. Therefore, therapeutic approaches in the rehabilitation context could focus on these adaptive capacities to offer patients optimal pain and activity management and develop their ability to use different strategies according to the circumstance.

Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination at the intersection of race and gender: An intersectional theory primer

AbstractThe incorporation of intersectionality within social psychology is becoming an increasingly common practice. From the hypotheses we generate to the methods we employ, as well as the analyses we run and the theories we use, researchers are moving away from studying social identities in isolation. By studying the interactional and emergent properties of multiple identities that go beyond the sum of identities, as well as understanding the complex nature of power and privilege, social psychologists can better understand processes such as stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Yet it can be difficult for researchers to know exactly where to begin. This review serves as a primer for conducting intersectionally‐informed research within social psychology, using the intersection of race and gender within the United States as a case study. We first describe the history of intersectional research in psychology, noting its barriers to implementation. Next, we review three classes of intersectionally‐informed models — intersectional perception, experience, and treatment — and offer suggestions for future research as well as ways researchers can incorporate the model within their work.

Interaksi Manusia dan Lingkungan dalam Kajian Filosofis

The study of human and environmental interactions focuses on the symbiotic relationship between humans and the environment. This discussion cannot be separated from socio-cultural aspects that involve cross-disciplinary discussions, such as psychology, anthropology, sociology, social psychology, geography, ethology, and so on seek to find answers to questions about how the environment has been shaped, perceived, used and enjoyed. This study aims to explore the nature of human interaction and the environment. A qualitative method with an explanatory descriptive approach was used to find the philosophical background of human and environmental interactions. Based on the exploration, it was found that human characteristics as individuals or groups play a role in shaping their environment, there are unique mechanisms for connecting humans and the environment, and there is an influence of the environment on humans or vice versa.

Digital Well-Being as a New Kind of Adaptation to the New Millennium Needs: A State-of-the-Art Analysis

Abstract Since technology has been entering into human beings’ everyday life, individuals established a deep relationship with digital technology, thus an embodied link between people and digital instruments has been born. This is particularly evidenced by recent literature about screen time (duration of time spent by the individual in using electronic/digital media like television, smartphone, tablet or computer), it significantly influences different human beings’ dimensions: physical, psychological and neurological functions. Impact of digital technology on human beings can be considered as a result of syntonic functioning in order to improve different people’s life areas (e.g., work, social or intimate relationship, learning), while the dystonic relationship is evidenced as a result of human addiction to digital technology. The present study aims to provide a cognitive and social psychology perspective on how screen time is changing our existences, defining digital technology as a gift which people should be aware of in terms of positive but even negative consequences in everyday life.

An inter-ethnic interpretation of tourism conflicts and collaboration

Inter-ethnic conflicts are commonplace worldwide, but current tourism conflict theories seldom examine disputes within a host community of diverse ethnicities. Using concepts from inter-group threat theory (ITT), contact hypothesis in social psychology and power theories, a conceptual schema for comprehending the dynamics of inter-ethnic conflicts and collaboration in tourism destinations is proposed. An ethnographic case study then follows the discussion in Malaysia's Taman Negara National Park, where I make use of the conceptual schema to analyze how the three local ethnic groups (Malays, Malaysian Chinese, and Orangasli Batek) were negotiating various types of threats, as well as the ‘conditions’ leading to inter-group conflicts. Further supported by Barth's ethnic boundary theory, the evolution of ethnic boundaries and collaborative mechanisms in a three-group situation is also evaluated. The conceptual schema and findings from Malaysia have important implications for researchers and management advice for practitioners dealing with multi-ethnic host communities in destinations worldwide.

Bridging the gap between work‐ and nonwork‐related knowledge contributions on enterprise social media: The role of the employee–employer relationship

AbstractKnowledge is an invaluable resource and a key to organisational success. To leverage this resource adequately, organisations must encourage their employees to share what they know with their peers. Enterprise social media (ESM) has emerged as an ideal venue for achieving this goal, and numerous studies have examined the drivers of work‐related knowledge contributions on these platforms. The present study contributes to this body of research by examining a prevalent yet underexplored form of knowledge sharing that often occurs on ESM: nonwork‐related knowledge contributions. We argue that contrary to a commonly held belief, this presumably hedonic employee behaviour can benefit organisations through its spillover effect on the work domain. In other words, we argue that nonwork‐related knowledge contributions on ESM can foster work‐related ones. Building on social exchange theory and on the associative–propositional evaluation model in social psychology, we also show that the employee–employer (EE) relationship—conceptualised in terms of perceived organisational support and perceived employee psychological safety—moderates the relationship between the two forms of knowledge contributions. The analysis of field data collected from 269 employees of a French e‐commerce company confirmed that nonwork‐related knowledge contributions are positively associated with work‐related ones and that this positive association is moderated by the EE relationship. We discuss the theoretical contributions of our results and explain key managerial implications for organisations hoping to reap the benefits of ESM in a sustainable way.

The mediating effect of institutional trust in the relationship between precarity and conspiracy beliefs: A conceptual replication of Adam-Troian etal. (2023).

The paper reports the results of registered conceptual replications of the indirect effect of institutional trust in the relationship between precarity and the endorsement of conspiracy beliefs (CB). The original study of Adam-Troian etal. (2023; British Journal of Social Psychology, 62(S1), 136-159) indicated that subjective appraisals of economic hardship are associated with lower trust in governments and institutions, which in turn is associated with stronger endorsement of CB. Our Studies 1 to 3 report a series of replications using Slovak panel data. Study 4 reports a replication of the mediation model using data from the European Social Survey Round 10 collected in 17 countries. To provide a quantitative synthesis of these and previous results, we conducted mini meta-analysis (N = 50,340). Although the strength of the observed relationships differed across the studies to some degree, the original patterns of relations remained robust, supporting the original model. The study corroborates the view that to curb the spread of CB, it is necessary to address structural issues, such as growing financial insecurity, socioeconomic inequalities, and the deficit of institutional trust. Finally, we discuss the role of cultural and political settings in conditioning the mechanisms through which precarity enhances the endorsement of CB.

Identity fusion is associated with outgroup trust and social exploration: Evidence for the fusion-secure base hypothesis.

Identity fusion - a powerful form of group alignment - is a strong predictor of using violence to defend the ingroup. However, recent theorizing suggests, in the absence of outgroup threat, fusion may instead promote intergroup trust and cooperation. Across five studies we find evidence that fusion to a range of groups (e.g., country, football team) was consistently positively associated with a willingness to trust others generally, trust outgroup members, and social exploration. An internal meta-analysis indicated that fusion was more strongly associated with trust and social exploration, compared to several measures of group identification. These findings provide support for the fusion-secure base hypothesis (Personality and Social Psychology Review. 2023, 27(2), 107-127) and suggest that fusion has the potential to increase a willingness to interact with, and trust, outgroup members.

Exploring How House Staff Unions Impact the Program Director-Resident Educational Alliance.

In 1999, the National Labor Relations Board determined that residents function as employees, thereby allowing them to freely unionize. From 2020 to 2023, house staff (i.e., resident physicians and fellows) unions have significantly increased, and 8 physician training centers, representing nearly 4,000 house staff, have unionized since March 2021. While unions provide residents with an important tool in effecting change in their workplace, their introduction into the educational milieu has the potential to alter the program director (PD)-resident relationship. In this article, the authors use the educational alliance framework to detail 3 factors required to support a quality educational relationship between a resident and their PD. They also elaborate on how the introduction of unions may impact the PD-resident relationship and explore the potential unintended consequences of unionization as it pertains to this relationship. The authors then use 2 social psychology theories, naïve realism and motivated reasoning, to describe common framing dynamics that lead to conflict during collective bargaining processes. They conclude by offering strategies that PDs may use to mitigate tensions that arise in contract negotiations, even without a direct seat at the table. Ultimately, PDs should anticipate continued growth of resident unions and prepare themselves and their programs for the tensions that may arise from this action. The PD role as a neutral third party ought to be preserved, which is possible if all parties set reasonable expectations for the changes in the PD's role and responsibilities under a union. PDs should understand the 3 core aspects of the educational alliance and the importance of establishing credibility with their residents early on to build a strong foundation.

Affect-based dimensions of trust: a study of buyer-supplier relationships in Thai manufacturing

PurposeTrust is an important facilitator of successful B2B relationships. The purpose of this study is to investigate affect-based antecedents of both interpersonal and interorganizational trust, and their impact on the performance of buyer–supplier relationships. The authors ask two research questions: (1) What are affect-based dimensions of interpersonal and interorganizational trust? (2) How do interpersonal and interorganizational trust influence buyers’ operational performance?Design/methodology/approachThe authors use data from an original survey of 156 buyer–supplier relationships between multinational enterprise subsidiaries and local suppliers in the Thai manufacturing sector to develop a structural model in which the authors test the hypotheses.FindingsConsistent with social exchange theory and social psychology, the empirical analysis shows that affect-based dimensions at the individual level, namely, likeability, similarity and frequent social contact, and at the organizational level, namely, supplier firm willingness to customize and institutionalization of cooperation, are important for establishing trust. In addition, interpersonal trust enhances buyers’ operational performance indirectly via interorganizational trust.Practical implicationsBuying and selling firms may develop organizational trust by developing processes that enhance organizational trust. Individuals with purchasing or sales responsibilities may enhance trust in their personal relationship. However, such interpersonal trust needs to be translated to the organizational level to benefit organizational performance.Originality/valueThe findings contribute to the literature on affect-based antecedents and outcomes of trust. Specifically, the authors offer theory and empirical evidence regarding the contribution of salespersons toward affect-based dimensions of trust and its impact on buyer’s operational performance.