Social Psychology Research Articles

Differences in attitudes and beliefs about psychedelic-assisted therapy among social workers, psychiatrists, and psychologists in the United States

AbstractBackground and aimsBecause psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is likely to be provided by interdisciplinary professional teams comprised of social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, understanding the acceptability of this treatment approach among these professional disciplines is essential as the treatment advances through approval processes at the Food and Drug Administration.MethodsThe study includes data from three separate survey studies investigating the attitudes and beliefs about PAT among national samples of social workers (n = 309), psychiatrists (n = 181), and psychologists (n = 366). The combined sample (n = 856) was predominantly female (64.3%), with a mean age of 49 (SD = 16.13), and 17 (SD = 13.56) years of professional experience.ResultsThere were no significant differences between groups in confidence that PAT would be effective. However, there were significant between-group differences in psychiatrists' understanding of PAT compared to social workers. Next, psychologists' mean ratings of the acceptability of PAT were significantly greater than social workers' ratings. Mean ratings about believing that PAT was a reasonable treatment approach were higher among psychologists compared to social workers and psychiatrists. Additionally, mean ratings regarding the disadvantages of PAT were significantly greater among social workers compared to psychologists and psychiatrists. Lastly, social workers' ratings that PAT could permanently improve clients' lives were significantly lower than psychiatrists and psychologists.ConclusionsFindings help elucidate overall impressions of PAT among disciplines likely involved in providing this treatment should it be approved and suggest the need for education and training across professions. However, given the inconsistencies across disciplines, more research is needed to inform successful interdisciplinary training programs and better understand potential barriers to dissemination of this new treatment.

Paradoxical Manifestations of Institutional Social Trust in Russian Regions: Corruption and Shadow Employment as Types of Social Trust

Introduction. The paradoxicality of which lies in the fact that with a lack of official institutional trust of the population in the authorities, it flows into informal, criminal and semi-criminal social spheres, into corrupt social ties and groups, and into the informal economy, shadow employment. The purpose of the article is to conduct a sociological theoretical and methodological analysis of the paradoxical forms of institutional social trust in Russian society in the form of corrupt and shadow economic ties. Materials and Methods. Empirical data on the shadow labor market in the Russian Federation were obtained in the course of mass and expert surveys conducted in 2021 in 10 regions of the Russian Federation and 2 megacities. In the course of preparing this publication, general scientific, logical methods were used, structural-functional, sociocultural, anthroposociocultural, projective approaches in modern sociology, the method of sociological imagination, the methodology of analysis and the formation of “we-groups”. Results. In the course of the authors’ research, it was found that such negative social phenomena as domestic and business corruption, shadow (informal) employment are a paradoxical form of expression of institutional trust in society. The paradox of the sociological correlation of corruption and shadow employment with institutional trust only at first glance seems illogical and contrary to sound scientific understanding. As a result of the analysis, the authors have revealed that with a lack of basic institutional trust of the Russian population in state and municipal authorities, social trust flows into informal, semi-criminal and criminal spheres. It has been proved that corruption and informal employment as forms of social practice become forms of expression of specific political trust based on strong social ties (blood related, kindred, friendly) in Russian regions. The authors’ team determined that corruption and informal employment are becoming a type of informal social self-organization of society, which close the gap between the political communications of the elite and the expectations of civil society. Discussion and Conclusion. Corruption and the informal economy are becoming a paradoxical form of manifestation of situational, horizontal, institutional trust based on strong (blood related, kindred, friendly) ties, on the social ties of “we-groups”, on the atomism of the Russian regional society. This research can be practically used by sociologists, lawyers, criminologists, social psychologists, law enforcement officers of the Russian Federation.

Rhetorical Techniques to Increase Audience Confidence in the Speaker (Based on the Speeches of the Pleadings in Jury Trial)

The research has examined trust as a communicative category describing the relationship between the speaker and the audience, and explored techniques to enhance audience confidence in the speaker used by court speakers when speaking to jurors. The authors proceed from the idea that the presence/absence of trust (both unidirectional and mutual) between the speaker and the audience is one of the factors in the effectiveness of the speech impact exerted on the audience. The discussion of the role of trust in communication relies on classical rhetoric and on the ideas of modern humanities: law, political science, social psychology, sociology, psychology of interpersonal communication, economics, media linguistics. As a result of the analysis of classical and modern speeches in the jury court, a system of six rhetorical techniques was proposed to strengthen the audience's confidence in the speaker: 1) demonstration of self-confidence and position, verbalization of lack of doubt, presence of a clear position, determination and firmness of action; 2) demonstration of competence, high level of knowledge and professionalism; 3) demonstration of respect for the jury, emphasis on the significance of their role in the trial, including through praise and compliments; 4) demonstration of interest for the outcome of the case, for the fate of the participants in the court session, including demonstration of sympathy and compassion for the plaintiff; 5) verbalization of a sense of responsibility for the development of society, reflection on how the deed will affect the future of society; 6) appeal to ethical and/or religious values, ideas and imperatives.

Are Beliefs Voluntary in Moral Decision?

For each individual, the standards of morality are completely different. People will make decisions based on their life experiences, social environment, family education, and other factors to develop their moral standards. The essay argues that beliefs are voluntary to guide an individual’s decisions and actions. Based on the moral experiment, people struggle with the importance of their family or personal will. Some people might make their decision based on others' thoughts and feel regret after many years. However, their belief and moral system guide them to determine the results, and they have complete responsibility for their action. In this essay, I will first discuss voluntary belief from the perspective of doxastic voluntarism and folk psychology. The second perspective will adopt psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud. Finally, this essay will demonstrate the necessity of voluntary belief using a moral accountability argument grounded in social psychology.

Book Description: Emerging Issues in Terrorism Studies

Ahmet Demirden, Emerging Issues in Terrorism Studies, Anka- ra, Nobel, 2023, ISBN: 978-625-393-194-0
 This book can be described as an exploratory attempt to systematically examine some of the current issues in terrorism studies. The authors strived to demonstrate that such complex research areas as terrorism studies calls for an interdisciplinary approach, for instance, including the perspectives of political science, social psychology, and international relationships. The topics in this book were selected in line with the research interests of the contributing authors.

Russian population’s political activities in the first third of the XX century on the example of the Peasant Union creation movement

The article studies peasantry’s political activities development in Russia in the first third of the XX century. The reasons and the essence of the Peasant Union in the revolutionary events of 1905–1907 and 1917, the Civil War and in the period of the new economic policy have been revealed. The periods of peasantry’s political activities, conditioned by the state policy transformation in village, have been distinguished. Starting from 1905, the authorities tried to involve peasantry in the political agenda. However, politicization could not be controlled in the conditions of the revolution. Peasantry’s political activities were used by the opposition forces, the SRs and Bolsheviks, who proposed a program understandable to the peasant social psychology. The Third Monarchy suspended the Peasant Union activities. In February 1917, the Union work continued under the control of the SRs. In August 1917, Peasant Congress adopted the SR program documents. Calls to create a union during the Civil War took place against the background of peasants’ disillusionment with the “war communism” policy. In 1921, the idea of creating the Peasant Union was revived. Contradictory nature of Bolshevik policy, the concept of “interlocking” between city and countryside, growing “emergency” and crises of the new economic policy against the background of granting peasants relative economic freedom led to peasant demands growth for protecting their economic rights and creating organizations that resembled trade unions in city. These demands were not institutionalized. The movement reached all strata of village. The surge of demands of the United State Political Department dates from 1927–1928. It is conditioned by the transition to collectivization. It has been concluded that, despite the lack of the Peasant Union concept, diversity of demands, different understanding of association in rural society, movement for its creation testified to increased socio-political activity of the population. When the state policy outlined the rollback of the new economic policy principles, the number of votes in favor of the Union increased. The growth of socio-political tension in villages was evident. The Party began to pursue a policy of social division in villages to prevent radicalization of sentiments.

Ethnography vs. zombie methodologies

AbstractBeginning in 2011, public scandals and high‐visibility critiques of research methods in psychology fed a broader “replication crisis”: foundational experiments could not be replicated, and statistical methods in social psychology demonstrated vulnerability to fraud and manipulation. Even well‐intended researchers following accepted psychological protocols—zombie methodologies—could unintentionally produce false positives. In response, social psychologists have called for greater sensitivity to cultural diversity, a deeper consideration of social context, and more methodological reflection. The contrast with anthropology is dramatic, highlighting some of the strengths of our field: methodological versatility, appreciation of human variability, theoretical creativity, and a solid foundation for synthetic, interdisciplinary collaboration grounded in our tradition of holism. The human sciences are an important audience for anthropologists, as the example of cognitive science shows.

Leaving the Cold Behind: The Role of Emotions and Cognitive Biases in Business Adaptation to Climate Change

This article develops the argument that the interplay between emotions and cognitive biases influences corporate decision-making on climate change adaptation. Our theoretical analysis examines how emotions can change the effect of cognitive biases on adaptation decisions by influencing how firms select, access, and process complex and uncertain climatic information. We draw on research on climate adaptation, social psychology, and managerial cognition and focus on three forms of bias: availability heuristic, framing, and anchoring. We explain how each bias shapes the decision-making process on adaptation and theorize how emotions of different valence and arousal affect this process. We shed light on the underlying mechanisms that explain how emotions influence the effect of cognitive biases as a source of inaction on adaptation in firms. Our analysis provides a new perspective on how firms approach the strategic decision to adapt to climate change by considering both cognitive and emotional aspects.

Oncology mental health providers' adaptation of an evidence-based intervention: A mixed-methods study.

Adaptations are intentional modifications maximizing the fit of an evidence-based intervention (EBI) in new context. Little is known about EBI adaptation within psychosocial oncology. Guided by the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Enhanced (FRAME), this mixed-methods study describes oncology mental health providers' planned adaptations to a psychosocial oncology EBI and examines the relationship between planned adaptations and longitudinal EBI usage. Providers (N=128) were social workers (47%) and psychologists (40%) practicing in community settings (44%) or academic medical centers (41%). They attended a 3-day training on a multicomponent psychosocial oncology EBI, the Biobehavioral Intervention (BBI). During training, providers prepared an "adaptation plan" describing necessary adaptations to BBI and rationales for change. Qualitative data from adaptation plans were analyzed using directed content analysis. Linear mixed models examined the relationship between adaptation characteristics (number, similarity to the manualized BBI) and EBI usage across 12months post-training. Three sets of qualitative themes reflecting FRAME elements emerged: (1) content modifications (e.g., shortening/condensing, selecting elements, adding/removing elements); (2) contextual changes (e.g., alternative group formats); and (3) reasons for adaptations (e.g., organization/setting, provider, and recipient factors). Neither number of adaptations nor adaptation similarity were associated with BBI usage across 12months post-training. To our knowledge, this study is the first to characterize oncology mental health providers' planned adaptations to a psychosocial oncology EBI. Planned adaptations did not increase usage, but importantly they did not decrease usage. The adaptation process enabled providers to make thoughtful adaptation choices, with implementation successful irrespective of setting constraints.

Beyond Serb-Croat Apologies

Abstract One of the key themes in the three decades after the wars of Yugoslav dissolution has been reconciliation between Croatia and Serbia, two former Yugoslav republics that participated in the bloody fighting between 1991–1995 after Croatia declared independence. The recent inflation of the use of the term reconciliation requires a narrow and precise definition, which enables researchers and practitioners to adapt it to real-world cases and the available empirical evidence. In this article, the authors rely on the main features of the so-called “need-based model of socio-emotional reconciliation”, which was derived from social psychology to examine inter-group processes after violent conflict. They propose several amendments to this model to make it feasible for the analysis of inter-state relations, regarding reconciliation as a process, not a stable result of reconciliatory performances. They adopt this model to bilateral relations between Croatia and Serbia, with a focus on apologies related to the siege of Vukovar (1991) and the aftermath of Operation Storm (1995), and then discuss the model’s suitability for international relations theory.

Secondary Traumatic Stress in Interpreters in Psychotherapy – A New Research Area?

Research in the field of translation studies and its association to other scientific fields is increasing day by day. In this regard, it is inevitable that community interpreting, which has emerged and rapidly developed to meet the need for translation in community services in different fields, will benefit from psychological approaches and theories. It is seen that with the increase in migration mobility, the community translator, who works with trauma victims in particular, plays an important role in institutions such as hospitals and social services. It is seen that the studies in Turkey the focus is on the competencies, duties and responsibilities of the health translator. However, interpreters who provide interpretation services to people with trauma experiences may be emotionally affected by the events they hear. Findings related to secondary traumatic stress disorder were found in occupational groups such as social workers and psychologists.
 In this study, the assumption is that community translators can also experience secondary trauma-related stress seen in different occupational groups working in the field of community service. Academic studies on the question of whether people who undertake the task of interpreting for Syrian refugees who benefit from psychosocial support services, especially in the context of migration, will be exposed to the risk of possible occupational secondary traumatization will be traced and the findings will be discussed holistically. When we look at the literature on community interpreting in Turkey, it has been determined that there is no scientific study in the context of secondary traumatic stress, but research on the mental health of interpreters has gained momentum as a result of the increase in migration mobility in European countries. This study aims to contribute to the development of the relevant literature and to raise awareness for interdisciplinary studies.

A preliminary study on the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms and methylation of dopamine system-related genes with psychotic symptoms in patients with methamphetamine use disorder.

Methamphetamine use disorder (MAUD) can substantially jeopardize public security due to its high-risk social psychology and behaviour. Given that the dopamine reward system is intimately correlated with MAUD, we investigated the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as well as methylation status of dopamine receptor type 4 (DRD4), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genes, and paranoid and motor-impulsive symptoms in MAUD patients. A total of 189 MAUD patients participated in our study. Peripheral blood samples were used to detect 3 SNPs and 35 CpG units of methylation in the DRD4 gene promoter region and 5 SNPs and 39 CpG units in the COMT gene. MAUD patients with the DRD4 rs1800955 C allele have a lower percentage of paranoid symptoms than those with the rs1800955 TT allele. Individuals with paranoid symptoms exhibited a reduced methylation degree at a particular DRD4 CpG2.3 unit. The interaction of the DRD4 rs1800955 C allele and the reduced DRD4CpG2.3 methylation degree were associated with a lower occurrence of paranoid symptoms. Meanwhile, those with the COMT rs4818 CC allele had lower motor-impulsivity scores in MAUD patients but greater COMT methylation levels in the promoter region and methylation degree at the COMT CpG 51.52 unit. Therefore, based only on the COMT rs4818 CC polymorphism, there was a negative correlation between COMT methylation and motor-impulsive scores. Our preliminary results provide a clue that the combination of SNP genotype and methylation status of the DRD4 and COMT genes serve as biological indicators for the prevalence of relatively high-risk psychotic symptoms in MAUD patients.

Acceptance of educational robotics: Evolution and validation of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology via structural equation modeling

Fully understanding factors that are related to teachers’ behavioural intentions to use and acceptance of Educational Robotics (ER) in their classes, particularly among students with disabilities, is a big challenge. In particular, social psychology models may be used more consistently to inform scholars about the paths and the strength of interrelated factors influencing learning support teachers’ acceptance of ER. In this study, the Almere model, an evolution and adaptation of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as used in Conti and colleagues was validated. The model is directed to measure acceptance of ER in a sample of 319 learning support teachers via structural equation modeling. Results showed a model explaining a good percentage of variance. In the learning support teachers’ intentions to use ER with students with disabilities, positive and direct effects were exerted by teachers’ positive attitudes toward robotics, and by their perception of the enjoyment and usefulness of robotics. Furthermore, results showed that perception of enjoyment in using ER was strongly and positively associated with perceived sociability and this, in turn, was positively associated with levels of trust. Finally, perceived sociability was positively associated with social presence perceptions.

Locational citizenship, exclusion and inclusion. The case of street children in Ethiopia

AbstractPublic space is a possible site for grounding a social psychology of citizenship. Locational citizenship speaks to the right to have a place in public space. Certain groups are however often excluded. Drawing on individual interviews and focus group discussions with street children in Gambella Town, Ethiopia, this study explores how street children talk about their lives on the street. The results demonstrate the children's lack of inclusion in locational citizenship, and how public space becomes contested space when different groups use these places in ways that clash. The children also speak to processes of inclusion, both among groups of street children, and kindness from individual adults in their environment. These children's their stories of both exclusion and inclusion are crucial to the developing social psychology of citizenship. The study emphasizes exclusion and inclusion as processes, and the children's active handling of their street life. We also problematizes the division between private and public space when the former is often no longer an available space for these children.

Teacher teams: A safe place to work on creating and maintaining a positive school climate

Creating and sustaining a positive school climate is not done in isolation but requires continuous ongoing work by several people within the school, and one of the most important actors are the teachers. In order to fulfil this very important task, the teachers need to collaborate with colleagues at school in an organized manner. In this study, we aim to explore and analyse teachers’ perspectives on how their teacher team might be linked to their school climate work, and what team characteristics facilitate their work to create and maintain a positive and supportive climate within their school. To understand teachers’ comprehension of their team, we applied a social psychology framework, using social interdependence theory and the concept of psychological safety. Data were collected by means of 14 semi-structured focus group interviews with 73 teachers from two compulsory schools in southeast Sweden. The findings revealed that teachers perceived the team as the most significant support structure when it comes to school climate work. According to them, the team was associated with shared responsibility, support and help, as well as safety and an open climate. By elucidating teachers’ insider perspectives regarding their working conditions aligned to their work with school climate, we conclude that well-functioning teacher teams are experienced as a safe place to work on creating and maintaining a positive school climate.

Age dynamics of graphic reflection of social identity

Social identity recently has become one of the actual subjects of scientific research in social psychology, social cognitive psychology. Social identity reflects conscious and unconscious feelings of a person’s belonging to certain communities, is the context for decision-making in situations of choice. The novelty of the study lies in the analysis of little-conscious aspects of identity, namely the subjective significance of communities to which a person belongs by the fact of his birth or main activity, as well as subjective inclusion in such a community. The author has developed a procedure of graphic representation of social identity based on the techniques used in projective drawing methods. The test person is asked to draw himself and five communities (family, occupation group, locality and country of residence, all people of the world) with the help of circles. This experimental procedure was conducted in nine age groups, starting with 6-7 year olds and ending with working adults. A total of 282 people participated in the experiment. The data (21 indicators) were subjected to factor analysis by the method of principal components. The following results were obtained: for each age group the average sizes of images of self and proposed social communities were revealed, using Student’s t-criterion the conclusions about significant differences in the sizes of images of the country and territory of residence for age groups were obtained. Discussion of results and conclusions. Factor analysis by the principal component method revealed four factors of social identity, which were labeled as: multiple, hierarchical, egocentric, and diffuse social identity. The proposed types of social identity were described, their psychological interpretation was given, and criteria for identification by graphic representation were proposed. The results of the study can be used in pedagogical practice, practice of psychological and pedagogical counseling.

Attributions and competencies in professional work in social assistance: Social Work, Psychology and Occupational Therapy in focus

Introduction: social assistance services are spaces for the work of different professionals, who dialogue through their knowledge and practices, forming reference teams. However, in everyday services, professionals are not always clear about their specificities in team work. Objective: to analyze the attributions and competencies of professional categories participating in social assistance service teams, specifically Social Work, Psychology and Occupational Therapy. Methodology: The data was produced through documentary and field research, interviewing 15 workers who make up the reference teams of four social assistance facilities. Results: The discussion about attributions and competencies takes place differently between professions, with Social Work having a greater need to differentiate such attributions, understanding them as private acts. There is an attempt by the three professions and the interviewees to define specificities, which are related to central issues of their professional groups, without these necessarily being seen as exclusive attributions. Conclusion: Although professions and professionals seek to differentiate themselves in tesm work, the sharing of responsibilities and competencies predominates, which in the daily services contributes to the difficulties surrounding the delimitation of professional specificities.

Arts Informed Research: Research on the Relationships between Immigrant/Refugee Children and Children Born in the Host Country

The field of Social Cognitive Psychology has traditionally been the focal point for researching relationships between immigrants and those considered natives in the host countries within social science literature. However, the author considers this paradigm insufficient to comprehend the intricate dynamics. The emotional and unconscious undercurrents in these interactions remain unexplored. Drawing on a background in dance movement therapy, drama therapy, and psychodrama, the researcher introduced clinical arts therapy tools to address this gap. Focusing on girls and boys, drama emerged as the most fitting method. This article provides a glimpse into a novel model of drama groups developed as part of an extensive year-long research program. Initially chosen based on the study’s focus and participants’ age, the approach eventually aligned with the broader framework of Arts Informed Research (AIR).

Unlocking Societal Recognition and Acceptance: A Case Study of Python

This study employs Python, a high-level programming language, as a case study. By analyzing the inherent characteristics of Python within its social context, this study explores its advantages in meeting social needs, influencing social psychology, and garnering external support. The primary objective of this analysis is to disrupt the established monopoly held by older programming languages such as Java, Rust, and C++. As a result, Python has emerged as the most widely utilized and popular programming language globally. Using Python as a representative example, this study extends its focus to examine the conditions under which products across various societal domains not only gain recognition but also find widespread acceptance and application in the world. Through thorough scrutiny within the demanding landscape of society, the study contends that products meeting such conditions are well-positioned to contribute significantly to societal progress.

A phenomenological inquiry into prospective EFL teachers’ perceived sense of belonging in school placement

While the sense of belonging has seen a surge of interest in the field of social psychology, there has been a scarcity of research on the construct during school placement in initial teacher education (ITE) programs. The present study set out to explore the sense of belonging experiences of three prospective English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher during school placement along with the contributing factors involved in establishing a sense of belonging. The findings from exploratory focus group interviews with the participants and their graphic elicitation tasks revealed that interpersonal relationships and institutional factors possess essential roles in establishing a sense of belonging during school placement. Finally, pedagogical implications are discussed so as to enhance the effectiveness of school placement designs in ITE.