Studies 1a Research Articles

The effect of configural processing on mentalization.

Eight studies (N = 2,561) reveal that how we perceptually process a person's face affects our capacity to understand their mind. Studies 1A and B indicate this relationship functions via two separate pathways: (a) indirectly by increasing our sensitivity to the cues of a mind in a face and (b) directly by changing the way we relate to the mind behind the face. Six additional studies adopt perspective taking paradigms to provide further support for a direct effect of configural processing on mentalization. Studies 2 and 3 find that processing faces configurally increases perspective taking on spatial tasks compared to processing faces featurally. Study 4 demonstrates configural face processing gives rise to inferences about the target's mental states such as beliefs and desires. Study 5 finds manipulation of a target's face that heightens configural processing increases perspective taking. Using a positive control, Study 6 demonstrates real-world consequences. Taken together, these findings document that the multiple and complex consequences of configural processing are critical to the social function of mentalization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Relational attributions for one's own resilience predict compassion for others.

Existing work on attribution theory distinguishes between external and internal attributions (i.e., "I overcame adversity due to luck" vs. "my own effort"). We introduce the construct of relational resilience attributions (i.e., "due to help from other people") as a critical, but overlooked form of external attribution that predicts compassion toward others. We first document the presence of internal, relational (social external), and situational (nonsocial external) resilience attributions among people who have overcome unemployment, showing the predominance of internal attributions (Study 1). Next, we show that relational attributions uniquely predict compassion toward people struggling to overcome a range of challenges, including losing a loved one (Study 2), quitting smoking (Study 3a), workplace bullying (Study 3b), divorce (Study 4a), and pandemic survival (Study 4b). To examine causality and the malleability of relational attributions, we experimentally induce relational attributions among ex-smokers (Study 5), advanced degree holders (Study 6), and those who completed a fatiguing task (Study 7). We further find that gratitude is one critical link between one's own relational attributions and compassion toward others. Despite the prevailing tendency for people to make internal attributions for their resilience, forming relational attributions is positively associated with greater compassion for others struggling to endure adversity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Support for Social Movements

The factors that contribute to support for social movements and penalizing extreme protest actions are not well understood; this study aims to identify those factors. We tested three hypotheses in this study. Hypothesis 1 expects that support for the goal of the movement will go down when presented with more extreme protest actions. Hypothesis 2 predicts that the size of the extremity penalty will depend on the framing of the movement (group versus goal of the movement). Hypothesis 3 predicts that the effect of framing on the size of extremity penalty will depend on the described morality of the movement. One pilot study and two experimental studies were conducted, with a 2x2 manipulation and ratings of ten protest actions. Data were collected via an online survey (consisting of 336 undergraduate students) and were analyzed using multilevel models. Results showed that as protest actions became more extreme, support for the movement decreased. Study 1A found larger extremity penalties when the framing of the movement was focused on the group compared to the goal of the movement. Additionally, morality moderated the interaction of framing and extremity. Study 1B found larger extremity penalties when the group was perceived as highly moral. This study identified that extremity levels, framings of the movement and perceived morality act as factors influencing extremity penalties. Identifying these factors encourages a better understanding of how social movements can become more effective. For the full text, please visit https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/pv63g1800.

Thank You for Changing: Gratitude Promotes Autonomous Motivation and Successful Partner Regulation.

Romantic partners often attempt to improve their relationship by changing each other's traits and behaviors, but such partner regulation is often unsuccessful. We examined whether gratitude expressed by agents (i.e., partners requesting change) facilitates greater regulation success from targets (i.e., partners making change) by encouraging targets' autonomous motivation. Across studies, including observational (Study 1, N = 111 couples), preregistered longitudinal (Study 2, N = 150 couples), and experimental (Study 3a, N = 431; Study 3b, N = 725) designs, agents' gratitude for targets' efforts was linked to greater targets'-and less consistently agents'-reported regulation success. These effects were consistently mediated by greater target autonomous motivation, and generally persisted when accounting for how agents communicated their change request and other positive responses to targets' efforts (e.g., positivity and support). Gratitude for targets' efforts appears to be an important tool for promoting change success.

Essentialist beliefs about the self predict psychological well-being

ABSTRACT The current studies tested whether self-essentialist beliefs (SEBs; that is, believing one’s identity is defined by enduring, inherent properties) enhance self-perceptions and psychological well-being. In Studies 1A (n = 208) and 1B (n = 305), we found that SEBs predicted self-perceptions and well-being, even with related variables controlled. Study 2 (n = 129) replicated and extended these findings in a short longitudinal design. In Studies 3A (n = 488), 3B (n = 404), 4 (n = 232), and 5 (n = 390), we manipulated SEBs and tested for effects on self-perceptions and well-being. Our manipulations successfully influenced SEBs, but generally did not directly affect self-perceptions and well-being. However, we consistently found indirect effects of the manipulations (via manipulation-check measures) in the predicted directions.

Dehumanization of Uncivil Behaviors: Insights into Lack of Humanness and Racial Belonging

Humans are social creatures who need to respect certain norms and practice social responsibility for the well-being of everyone, but many people transgress these norms. Behaving uncivilly may lead to the transgressor being seen as someone unable to live in society and not as human as others. However, not all transgressors are perceived and evaluated equally. The purpose of this research was to verify the relationship between incivility and lack of humanness, and identify how racial belonging influences the perception of uncivil transgressors. In three studies (N = 450), we wanted to confirm the association between (in)civility with blatant and covert dehumanization and explore how the racial belonging of uncivil agents may affect the way they are perceived. Results show that the agents who behave uncivilly are dehumanized blatantly and covertly (Study 1). Additionally, White uncivil agents are perceived and evaluated more harshly than Black uncivil agents by people of their same racial group (Study 2a). Additionally, Black uncivil agents were dehumanized less than White uncivil agents by people of their same racial group (Study 2b). Our findings confirm the relationship between incivility and lack of humanness and show a racial bias is present in the application of social norms.

Consumer responses to CEO activism: an impression management approach

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how and why consumers respond to chief executive officer (CEO) activism on social media. The authors developed a conceptual model that proposes impression management as a mechanism for consumer response to CEO activism.Design/methodology/approachIn Study 1a, the authors examined 83,259 tweets from 90 CEOs and compared consumer responses between controversial and noncontroversial tweets. In Study 1b, the authors replicated the analysis, using a machine-learning topic modeling approach. In Studies 2 and 3, the authors used experimental designs to test the theoretical mechanism.FindingsOn average, consumers tend to respond more to CEO posts dealing with noncontroversial issues. Consumers’ relative reluctance to like and share controversial posts is motivated by fear of rejection. However, CEO fame reverses this effect. Consumers are more likely to engage in controversial activist threads by popular CEOs. This effect holds for consumers high (vs low) in public self-consciousness. CEO fame serves as a “shield” behind which consumers protect their online image.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focused on Twitter (aka “X”) in the USA. Future research may replicate the study in other social media platforms and countries. The authors introduce “shielding” – liking and sharing content authored by a recognizable source – as a tactic for impression management on social media.Practical implicationsFamous CEOs should speak up about controversial issues on social media because their voice helps consumers engage more in such conversations.Originality/valueThis paper offers a theoretical framework to understand consumer reactions to CEO activism.

Why do people always want more? Perceived economic inequality leads people to be greedy by enhancing relative deprivation.

Greedy phenomena have dramatically increased in societies. However, despite the universality of greedy behaviour, empirical research on the causes of greed is scarce. In this context, we propose that perceived economic inequality may be an important factor influencing greed. Study 1 provided primary evidence of a positive relationship between perceived economic inequality and greed, based on data from a large-scale social survey (CFPS 2018, N = 14,317). Employing well-established questionnaires, Study 2A (N = 200) and Study 2B (N = 399) revealed that perceived economic inequality positively predicts greed, with relative deprivation playing a mediating role. Study 3A (N = 200) and Study 3B (N = 200) manipulated perceived economic inequality to provide causal evidence of its effects on greed and to replicate the mediating effect of relative deprivation. Finally, Study 4 (N = 372), using a blockage manipulation design, showed that the effect of perceived economic inequality on greed significantly decreases when relative deprivation is suppressed. In summary, the results of these six studies consistently suggest that perceived economic inequality positively affects greed and that this effect is mediated by relative deprivation.

Pluralistic ignorance and occupational choice: The impact of communicating norms on graduate students' career aspirations

AbstractOccupational choices at the early stage of one's career path are influenced by the real and imagined input of mentors. This research focuses on PhD advisors and the graduate students that they mentor. Each participant in that dyadic mentoring relationship holds assumptions about the beliefs of the other regarding the students' career preferences. We propose that, in the absence of discussions surrounding career goals in such relationships, pluralistic ignorance surrounding career norms may develop. PhD students may assume that their advisors prefer that students seek academic research positions; while advisors may assume students prefer academic research positions and may not bring up alternative careers. Three studies adopt a mixed‐method approach to investigate divergent experiences surrounding career discussions. Study 1A (N = 301 faculty members in STEM fields) features qualitative and quantitative data and found that PhD advisors have experience working with students whose career preferences did not align with their expectations, and report changing their mentorship approaches while maintaining rigorous training. Study 1B (N = 195 PhD students in STEM fields) features qualitative data and found that students, although generally comfortable discussing different career options with their advisors, report several concerns that deterred them from discussing nonacademic research positions. Study 2, an experiment designed to compare perceived with actual norms (N = 200 PhD students in STEM fields) revealed that such discomfort could be alleviated by making explicit advisors' support for diverse career options and actual career preferences. The present research provides insights about pluralistic ignorance with implications for having more holistic career discussions in dyadic mentor relationships.

Party games and prejudice: are these Cards Against Humanity?

Abstract Two experiments assess the validity of common criticisms against the popular party game Cards Against Humanity (CAH), namely that it promotes prejudice while absolving players of any moral responsibility. Study 1a (based on Prejudiced Norm Theory) finds no evidence that sexist humor in CAH encourages men to express prejudice against women. However, Study 1b (based on Social Identity Theory) provides evidence that sexist humor in CAH cues women to anticipate such discrimination. CAH’s reputation does not appear to contribute to these results. Exploratory analyses further reveal that, consistent with criticisms, people do allocate moral responsibility for offense differently in CAH than in traditional verbal exchanges of humor; however, this moral allocation is generally unrelated to prejudiced outcomes. Implications and future directions for refining these theories and understanding the intergroup functions of humor in party games are discussed in light of the studies’ mixed support of CAH’s criticisms.

Biases in Improvement Decisions: People Focus on the Relative Reduction in Bad Outcomes

People often decide whether to invest scarce resources—such as time, money, or energy—to improve their chances of a positive outcome. For example, a doctor might decide whether to utilize scarce medicine to improve a patient’s chances of recovery, or a student might decide whether to study a few additional hours to increase their chances of passing an exam. We conducted 11 studies (N = 5,342 adults) and found evidence that people behave as if they focus on the relative reduction in bad outcomes caused by such improvements. As a consequence, the same improvements (e.g., 10-percentage-point improvements) are valued very differently depending on whether one’s initial chances of success are high or low. This focus on the relative reduction of bad outcomes drives risk preferences that violate normative standards (Studies 1a–1g and 2a), is amplified when decisions become more consequential (Study 2b), and leads even experienced professionals to make suboptimal decisions (Study 3).

Counterfactual thoughts in complex causal domain: content, benefits, and implications for their function

The reliability of previous findings on two crucial aspects of counterfactual thinking, namely the content of counterfactual modifications and their impact on future performance, has been questioned for the frequent use of tasks characterised by simple causal domains, that restrict participants’ possibility to consider a broad range of modifications. To overcome this limitation, we utilised a new experimental task featuring a complex causal domain to investigate such key aspects. The results indicated that participants tend to generate counterfactuals about elements outside their control, especially when presented with a challenging version of the task (Study 1a) and, to a lesser extent, when they receive negative feedback on their performance (Study 1b). Moreover, despite occasional implementations of actions mentioned in controllable counterfactuals, being engaged in counterfactual thinking did not lead to subsequent performance improvements (Study 2). The implications of these findings for the debate on the function of counterfactual thinking are discussed.

Presence: consumers’ different reactions to service and manufacturing firms with low CSR in social conduct

PurposeThis study aims to explain why low social conduct in corporate social responsibility (SC-CSR), especially employee exploitation, has a stronger negative impact on consumer reactions for service firms than for manufacturing firms.Design/methodology/approachFive experiments compared consumer reactions to service and manufacturing firms with low SC-CSR. Study 1 used a choice-based conjoint design to examine the relative importance of various shared attributes when consumers chose services versus goods. Study 2 revealed that low SC-CSR led to more pronounced negative consumers reactions toward service firms. Studies 3A and 3B explained this difference through a serial mediation analysis. Study 4 ruled out an alternative explanation regarding the differentiated effects.FindingsThe results reveal that consumer reactions to employee exploitation in service firms are more negative compared to manufacturing firms. This is because consumers’ sense of presence (i.e. feeling of being there) is stronger in a service setting, leading to more intense empathetic emotions toward service employees.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the CSR literature by challenging the conventional notion that sweatshops are more problematic for manufacturing firms. By contrast, the results indicate a stronger negative effect on service firms. It contributes to the services marketing literature by conceptualizing a novel cognitive mechanism. Traditionally, consumers’ negative reactions are driven by anger. However, the authors show that empathetic feelings toward mistreated employees play a predominant role. While it is imperative for all firms to ensure fair treatment of their employees, the findings underscore the heightened significance of this aspect for service firms, given their susceptibility to more pronounced negative effects.

Filling the void: boredom’s associations with hoarding symptom severity

In hoarding disorder, features including attentional difficulties and emotion dysregulation can contribute to the core symptoms of clutter, difficulties discarding, and excessive acquisition. Boredom is a negative feeling state that shares a high level of overlap with associated features of hoarding, including inattention, depressive symptoms, and impulsivity, and has been implicated in compulsive buying behaviors. Boredom may be a particularly relevant factor in compulsive hoarding; however, this relationship remains significantly under-researched. The present studies aimed to thoroughly investigate associations between boredom and hoarding severity using diverse methodologies. Study 1 (N = 253) replicated, in an online community sample, previously reported positive associations between hoarding severity and recent state boredom while statistically controlling for potentially confounding variables (e.g., depression, indecisiveness), and extended these findings to include boredom proneness. In Study 2, individuals with elevated hoarding symptoms (n = 56) and a history of hoarding problems (n = 43) reported higher levels of recent state and trait boredom than controls (n = 61). Additionally, boredom was associated with performance on simulated acquiring and discarding tasks. Finally, Studies 3a (N = 144) and 3b (N = 146) attempted the first experimental tests of induced boredom on acquiring and discarding behaviors. Although results were mixed and preclude causal conclusions, exploratory analyses revealed that individuals reporting higher in-the-moment boredom took more (p = .008) and discarded fewer (p = .021) items on the simulated tasks. Overall, results suggest that boredom may have crucial implications in hoarding symptom severity.

Give them a fishing rod, if it is not urgent: The impact of help type on support for helpers' leadership.

Taking a follower's perspective on leadership and contributing to the new research stream on behaviors conducive to its emergence, we examined how distinct types of instrumental (task focused) helping-autonomy- versus dependency-helping-affected recipients' support for their helpers' leadership. Based on the literature on employees' needs for autonomy and mastery, combined with the empowering nature of autonomy-helping, we reasoned that autonomy- (vs. dependency-) helping typically signals greater benevolence toward recipients, enhancing their support for their helpers' leadership. Our findings were generalized across various samples (of U.S. and Israeli employees), manipulations, and research settings: simulations (Studies 1 and 2b), workplace role-play scenario (Study 2a), and recollections of helping events in the workplace (Study 3). We found that autonomy- (vs. dependency-) helping increased recipients' support for their helpers' leadership by heightening perceptions of helpers' benevolence-based (rather than ability-based) trustworthiness (Studies 1 and 3). We also showed time pressure to be a boundary condition under which the advantage of autonomy-helping disappeared (Studies 2a and 2b)-with dependency-helping then inducing comparable levels of perceived benevolence and thus similar support for the helper's potential leadership. Overall, we shed light on the development of informal leadership by uncovering how recipients interpret and respond to the two help types. Practically, this analysis opens the door to new ways for aspiring managers to enhance support for their leadership from potential followers, available even to those unlikely to be appointed to formal leadership positions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of a multidimensional scale to measure organizational creative capabilities

AbstractAlthough the literature's case and longitudinal studies provide ample evidence of organizational routines that foster creative behaviors, it still lacks an integrative model of organizational creative capabilities (OCCs) and the quantitative evidence to validate such a model. This research is aimed at conceptualizing and developing a reliable and valid scale for OCCs. First, we define the OCC construct's domain by conducting an extensive literature review. We then generate a list of items for the five dimensions of OCCs through a qualitative study involving a group of 24 practitioners (Study 1a) and by surveying nine senior researchers (Study 1b). We refine the OCC scale using a sample of 269 responses collected in France and Canada (Study 2), and we conduct a first‐order confirmatory factor analysis (Study 3). Finally, we perform a second‐order confirmatory analysis (Study 4a) on samples of 220 responses collected mainly in the United States and Europe, generalize our results to a sample of 205 responses, and strengthen the predictive validity (Study 4b). Our results provide significant evidence that OCCs can be conceptualized around five dimensions: internal socialization routines, idea management routines, external openness routines, creative equipment routines, and internal agility routines. Furthermore, the research confirms the scale's good psychometric qualities, thus ensuring that researchers can be confident in the reliability of any future academic research design using the scale. We also validate the OCC scale's predictive validity by verifying that a five‐dimensional reflective scale with 16 indicators has a significant positive effect on the creative outcome. This OCC scale can be used by practitioners to better understand the organizational routines they have to develop in order to strengthen their organization's creativity. It also provides a way for longitudinal studies to observe how OCCs evolve over time.

Shining our humanity: The benefits of awe on self-humanity.

Attributing humanness to oneself (i.e., self-humanity) can be malleable and can lead to various crucial outcomes. Researchers have not investigated whether and how awe as a self-related emotion affects people's perception of their own humanness. We proposed two competing hypotheses: awe impairs self-humanity via self-smallness, and awe promotes self-humanity via authentic-self pursuit. Across seven studies (N = 1539), we found that awe is positively related to (Studies 1 and 4) and predicts self-humanity (Studies 2a, 2b, 5, and 6). Moreover, this relationship was mediated by authentic-self pursuit (Studies 3-6) rather than self-smallness (Studies 5 and 6). The effect of awe on authentic-self pursuit and self-humanity held true among the general population (Studies 1-4 and 6) and for a disadvantaged group (i.e., blue-collar workers; Study 5). In addition, we demonstrated that the effect was not driven solely by positive emotions (Studies 1, 2b, and 6). These findings enrich the literature on awe and self-humanity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Mobility of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex (spinopelvic mobility) and sagittal spinal alignment - implications for surgeons performing hip arthroplasty.

The optimal positioning of the hip prosthesis components is influenced by the mobility and balance of the spine. The present study classifies patients with pathology of the spino-pelvic-hip complex, showing possible methods of preventing hip dislocations after arthroplasty. Hip-Spine Classification helps arthroplasty surgeons to implant components in more patient-specific position. The group of 100 patients treated with total hip arthroplasty. Antero-posterior (AP) X-rays of the pelvis in a standing position, lateral spine (standing and sitting) and AP of the pelvis (supine after the procedure) were analyzed. We analyzed a change in sacral tilt value when changing from standing to sitting (∆SS), Pelvic Incidence (PI), Lumbar Lordosis (LL) Mismatch, sagittal lumbar pelvic balance (standing position). Patients were classified according to the Hip-Spine Classification. Postoperatively, the inclination and anteversion of the implanted acetabular component were measured. In our study 1A was diagnosed in 61% of all cases, 1B in 18%, 2A in 16%, 2B in 5%. 50 out of 61 (82%) in group 1A were placed within the Levinnek "safe zone". In 1B, 2A, 2B, the position of the acetabular component was influenced by both the spinopelvic mobility and sagittal spinal balance. The mean inclination was 43.35° and the anteversion was 17.4°. Categorizing patients according to Hip-Spine Classification one can identify possible consequences the patients at risk. Pathology of the spino-pelvic-hipcomplex can lead to destabilization or dislocation of hip after surgery even though implanted according to Lewinnek's indications. Our findings suggest that Lewinnek safe zone should be abandoned in favor of the concept of functional safe zones.

Investigating hair cues as a mechanism underlying Black women's intersectional invisibility.

Children psychologically exclude Black women from their representations of women, but the mechanisms underlying this marginalization remain unclear. Across two studies (N = 129; 49 boys, 78 girls, two gender unreported; 79 White, 27 Black, six Latinx, five Asian, and 12 unreported), the present work tests hair texture as one possible perceptual mechanism by which this might occur. In both studies, children gender-categorized Black, White, and Asian men and women using MouseTracker. Children were slower and had more complex patterns in categorizing Black women when they had textured hair (Study 1A), but not when they had straight hair (Study 1B). Implications for the development of gender as a social category are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of intent to harm in workplace aggression

AbstractConceptualizations of workplace aggression converge in treating intent to harm others as a necessary feature of aggression. However, inspection of workplace aggression scales suggests that many items do not specify intent to harm. In a series of three studies, we examined the effect of inclusion of intent to harm on workplace aggression's psychometric properties. Study 1 found that existing workplace aggression scales do not consistently specify or imply intent to harm. Study 2 found that inclusion of intent to harm has substantial implications for aggression's occurrence rate. Prior research that does not assess intent to harm overestimates the frequency of aggression. Study 3A found that workplace aggression's correlations with external variables were also overestimated when failing to include intent to harm. We found that aggression measured without specifying intent is highly correlated with counterproductive work behavior (CWB), whereas aggression measured with intent specified is empirically distinguished from CWB. In Study 3A, a construct‐valid workplace aggression scale was created, called the Intentional Workplace Aggression Scale (IWAS). Study 3B showed that the IWAS displayed relationships with affective constructs, such as trait anger and emotional stability, as well as with situational variables, such as job satisfaction and organizational justice perceptions.