"So, we started to say hi to each other on campus." a qualitative study about well-being among PhD candidates in Norway

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Loneliness, social isolation, and lack of social belonging are factors that may negatively impact the mental health and well-being of PhD candidates. This study aims to advance understanding of the function of social activities in their role as interventions that foster social belonging and well-being among PhD candidates.

METHODS

After collecting observational data from the well-being interventions, 10 PhD candidates were interviewed to explore how they perceived their participation in social activities on campus and how it affected their sense of social belonging.

RESULTS

Our results show that participating in social activities was beneficial for PhD candidates on both a personal and professional level, potentially leading to an increased sense of community and well-being, along with increased social interaction, networking, and collaboration. PhD candidates' well-being was found to be linked to social capital in the forms of social belonging and social support.

CONCLUSION

Organizing social activities tailored to PhD candidates' needs may help increase their sense of well-being by generating social capital, which could benefit PhD candida nationally and worldwide.

Perceived social support, emotional self-disclosure, and posttraumatic growth in children following a typhoon: a three-wave cross-lagged study

Objective: We aimed to elucidate the temporal relationship between perceived social support, emotional self-disclosure and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in children.Method: The super typhoon Lekima occurred on August 10, 2019, in China. Three waves of self-report questionnaires were administered to children at 3 months (T1, N = 1596), 15 months (T2, N = 1072), and 27 months (T3, N = 483) following the typhoon. The main analysis was based on data from 351 children who completed all three waves of assessment. We constructed cross-lagged panel models to examine temporal associations between perceived social support, emotional self-disclosure, and posttraumatic growth.Results: Controlling for trauma exposure, age, gender, monthly income of family and parental marital status, results revealed that perceived social support at T1 and T2 was longitudinally related to emotional self-disclosure and PTG at T2 and T3. Emotional self-disclosure at T1 and T2 positively connected with perceived social support and PTG at T2 and T3. However, PTG did not relate to subsequent perceived social support. Mediation analyses revealed that perceived social support at T1 was positively connected with PTG at T3 through emotional self-disclosure at T2, and that emotional self-disclosure at T1 was positively connected with PTG at T3 through perceived social support at T2.Conclusions: These results demonstrated that perceived social support and emotional self-disclosure were mutually reinforcing, and both could facilitate PTG among children. Post-disaster psychological interventions could work to enrich social support resources and encourage children's emotional self-disclosure.

Twins and virtual twins: Comparative analysis of problem behaviors

A study of factors affecting children's problem behaviors using two unique sibships, monozygotic twins adopted together from China (MZ-CTT twins) and virtual twins (same-age unrelated siblings reared together; VTs), is presented. MZ-CTT twins share genes and environments, whereas VTs share environments only, allowing assessment of how these factors influence behavioral difficulties. Participants (MZ-CTT: n = 43 pairs; VT: n = 41 pairs) were in ongoing studies of behavioral development at the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton. Mean ages were 7.00 years (SD = 2.59) for MZ-CTT pairs and 6.24 years (SD = 2.26) for VT pairs; MZ-CTT pairs were significantly (albeit only slightly) older. Parents completed demographic surveys and the Child Behavior Checklist for each child. The greater resemblance of age- and sex-corrected t scores of MZ-CTT pairs across Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total problem behavior scales (ris = .72, .71, and .77, respectively) compared with VT pair scores (ris = .25, .40, and .63, respectively) demonstrates genetic influence on these measures. VT pairs with a biological child and an adoptee showed greater resemblance than those with two adoptees. This probably reflects the correlation of biological children's genotype with the adoptees' environment. Regression analyses revealed that for MZ-CTT pairs less variance in problem behaviors was explained by parental variables, such as maternal education, relative to VT pairs. This result may speak to the greater heterogeneity of the backgrounds of VT participants. In summary, this study of two unique kinships shows that both genetic and environmental factors influence child behavioral problems. Future studies using novel and informative kinships are warranted.

Mediating roles of psychological entitlement and presence of meaning in the associations between parental measures (rejection and overprotection) and adolescent internet addiction

BACKGROUND

Although internet addiction has been related to negative parenting, few studies have investigated relationships involving parental rejection and parental overprotection and adolescent internet addiction. The present study examined the role of psychological entitlement and the presence of meaning in mediating relationships between parental rejection and overprotection and adolescent internet addiction.

METHODS

Self-reported data were drawn from a cross-sectional study involving a large-scale sample of 4091 secondary vocational schools students (45.9 % girls; Mage = 16.77 years, SD = 0.75) in China.

RESULTS

Both parental rejection and overprotection were positively related to internet addiction among vocational school students. Moreover, psychological entitlement and presence of meaning mediated the relationship between parental rejection and internet addiction, while psychological entitlement mediated the link between parental overprotection and internet addiction.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that parental rejection and overprotection may put adolescents at greater risk of social networking and internet game addictions by elevating their level of psychological entitlement and reducing the level of presence of meaning. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

Refining the self-congruency hypothesis of state authenticity: A self-threat model

The self-congruency hypothesis predicts that experienced authenticity (i.e., state authenticity) depends on behaving in alignment with one's self. While this idea is linked to extensive research on the effects of self-confirming and self-threatening information, empirical findings on the self-congruency hypothesis have been mixed. To address this inconsistency in the literature, we argue that the self-congruency hypothesis holds only when a number of preconditions are simultaneously met. We introduce a new theoretical model of state authenticity that outlines these hypothesized preconditions and integrates them into a comprehensive theoretical framework. Specifically, we argue that self-congruency only affects state authenticity when (a) the (in)congruent behavior refers to the individual's subjective true self-concept, (b) the relevant attributes are cognitively activated, and (c) the (in)congruent behavior is perceived as a diagnostic indicator of the attributes in question. Furthermore, we argue that biased processing critically affects the likelihood of these three preconditions being met. To amplify authenticity and protect against inauthenticity, biased processing increases the likelihood of these preconditions being met in the case of self-congruent behavior while decreasing it in the case of self-incongruent behavior. Consequently, biased processing significantly distorts self-congruency effects. As the three preconditions and the influence of biased processing have not been systematically considered in previous research on state authenticity, previous studies have sometimes failed to support the self-congruency hypothesis.

Cortisol and psychological responses to natural disasters

Natural disasters are an increasing global health issue. Psychological outcomes from traumatic experiences appear linked to the glucocorticoid hormone cortisol. Here we analyze relations among salivary cortisol, traumatic events, and mental health from a 37-year study of a rural community in Dominica. The community has experienced multiple natural disasters. Our investigations of physiological responses to these traumatic experiences and downstream mental health outcomes are exploratory in nature because this research area is in early stages of methodological and theoretical development, and we are applying current biomedical and psychiatric concepts in a non-western culture. Our analyses suggest that temporal profiles of cortisol response are linked to mental health conditions associated with natural disasters including grief, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders.

'Nothing to lose or a world to win': Reconsidering efficacy, legitimacy, political trust and repression in confrontational collective action

Confrontational collective actions are neither uncontrolled outbursts of initially pacifist resistance nor mere reactions to helplessness and lack of viable political options. Instead, they serve strategically determined purposes within the group, making them perceived as both effective and legitimate. Regardless of whether it is more or less confrontational, examining the role of efficacy and legitimacy of actions that are committed to achieving group goals is crucial for understanding the appeal of collective action strategies. We examined the role of political trust and protest repression in predicting the legitimacy of protest violence and the perceived efficacy of confrontational and non-confrontational collective actions and, in turn, their role in confrontational collective action. Across three correlational studies conducted in Germany, Turkey and the United Kingdom (N = 3833), the legitimacy of protest violence and the efficacy of confrontational tactics were core determinants of confrontational collective actions. While low political trust did not directly predict confrontational action, it predicted heightened protest repression and the legitimacy of protest violence. Our findings challenge the nothing-to-lose hypothesis by demonstrating that confrontational actions are not driven by the low efficacy of non-confrontational strategies or low political trust, and people may perceive both confrontational and non-confrontational actions as similarly effective.

The role of perceived self-transcendence values in forming functional relationships with professionals

Existing research into values and relationship formation highlights the role of individuals' own values or value similarity between the parties. We consider the formation of functional relationships with professionals, which cannot be fully explained by documented value-based mechanisms. Instead, we examine the role of professionals' values as perceived by others. We study two occupations that require forming relationships yet are characterized by opposing value profiles: therapists and managers, who are prototypically high in self-transcendence and self-enhancement values, respectively. We show that: (a) client-therapist and employee-manager relationships are stronger the more the professional is perceived as prioritizing self-transcendence (Study 1, N = 191, USA); (b) perceived self-transcendence of managers contributes to relationship quality beyond employee personal values and employee-manager value similarity (Study 2, N = 177, IL); and (c) perceptions of warmth mediate the link between perceived self-transcendence and relationship formation (Study 3, N = 297, USA). Our discussion further highlights the importance of perceived values.

The Impact of Loneliness on Late-Life Depression and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

This study investigates the association of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic and the course of depressive, anxiety and sleep symptoms after psychological treatment in older adults.

METHODS

During the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, we assessed additional, original data of 132 participants aged ≥60 years who had completed psychological treatment for late-life depression (LLD) in the context of a multicenter, randomized controlled trial (CBT-late). We measured loneliness using the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Depression, anxiety and sleep symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).

RESULTS

Participants with higher loneliness scores (n = 44) experienced a significant worsening of depressive and anxiety symptoms during the pandemic (estimated marginal mean difference (emmd) of change in GDS between post-treatment and COVID-19 visit: GDSemmd= -4.61, [95% CI: -6.97 to -2.26], GAIemmd= -2.21, [95% CI: -3.76 to -0.65]), while those with low to moderate loneliness (n = 72) maintained stable mild symptoms (GDSemmd= -1.39, [95% CI: -3.00 to 0.22], GAIemmd= -0.49, [95% CI: -1.69 to 0.72]). All patients reported increased sleep disturbances during the pandemic regardless of loneliness, while remaining in the range for sub-threshold insomnia.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest an association of significant loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic and a clinically relevant worsening of depressive and anxiety symptoms in older adults. Loneliness assessments and interventions may be incorporated into treatments for LLD, particularly during pandemics or other crises.

A golden age of behavioural social psychology? Towards a social psychology of power and intergroup relations in the digital age

This paper explores the idea of a 'golden age' in social psychological research. I begin with 'behavioural social psychology'-research that leverages the behavioural traces that are a product of the digital age. I argue that the ability to analyse digital visual data, natural language data, and smartphone and ambient sensor data, has made substantial contributions to the state of social psychological knowledge. However, social psychology needs to do more than just leverage digital data for psychological benefit. Digital technologies construct and reflect a world that is marked by profound structural inequality and unfairness. Yet social psychology never really considers technology as being 'world-making' in its own right. More specifically, social psychology very rarely goes beyond considering what technology might do-to explore the question of who wins and who loses when technologies reshape our worlds. I point to a mosaic of work applying social identity approaches to new technologies as the starting point for a social psychology that engages with power and resistance in the digital age. Social psychology will not enter a truly golden age until we engage not only with the data, but also with the power structures of digital technology.

From parents to peers! Social support and peer attachment as mediators of parental attachment and depression: A Chinese perspective

BACKGROUND

Secure attachment has been associated with a lower incidence of depressive symptoms in adolescents. Adolescence is an important period for attachment development as it shapes future attachment patterns. This study adopts a social support perspective to explore the transition from parental attachment to peer attachment, and its impact on reducing depression.

METHODS

A sample of 7792 students from China, aged 11 to 19 years (mean = 15.19, SD = 2.564), completed three questionnaires: the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, the Social Support Scale, and the Self-Depression Scale. SEM was used to analyze the mediating and moderating role of social support and peer attachment in the relationship between parental attachment and depression with gender as covariates.

RESULTS

Peer attachment partially mediated the relationship between parental attachment and depression among Chinese adolescents (β = -0.17, p < 0.001). Social support moderated the association between parental attachment and depression, indicating that higher levels of social support mitigate the negative influence of insecure parental attachment on adolescent depression (β = -0.02, p < 0.05). Furthermore, social support mediated the relationship between peer attachment and parental attachment, suggesting that secure peer attachment and good social support jointly buffer against depressive symptoms in adolescents (β = -0.077, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight important implications for developing targeted interventions to reduce adolescent depression. By recognizing the power of social support, we hope to provide valuable insights into practical strategies for addressing and alleviating adolescent depression.

Believing that social change is possible: Collective efficacy to promote engagement and mobilization of non-Roma as allies

We analyzed the effect of collective efficacy on mobilizing allies for Roma rights and the role of legitimizing ideologies and perceived discrimination as moderators. In an online experiment, pooling two samples of non-Roma Hungarians (n = 397) and Spaniards (n = 339), participants were randomly assigned to a high (vs. low) efficacy condition and reported their perceived collective efficacy, collective action intentions, and participation for supporting Roma. Pooled analyses showed that participants were more willing to take action in the high (vs. low) efficacy condition, although meritocracy beliefs moderated the effects. In a second study in Slovakia (n = 454), with a control condition, we found indirect effects of the manipulation of collective efficacy, supporting the idea that decreasing perceived collective efficacy predicts lower collective action intentions and participation. In a third study in Hungary (n = 382), we disentangled collective efficacy from social norms and found indirect effects via perceived collective efficacy. Participants in the low efficacy condition (vs. high efficacy or control) perceived less collective efficacy as allies, which in turn was associated with lower collective action. We discuss the conceptualization of collective efficacy in experimental studies and its implications for the mobilization of equality.

Cultural influences on emotion regulation and affective outcomes among trauma survivors: An ecological momentary assessment study

Little is known about how culture influences the daily use and effectiveness of emotion regulation among trauma survivors. This study used an ecological momentary assessment to examine six emotion regulation strategies and their affective outcomes among European Australian and Chinese Australian trauma survivors. European Australian (n = 46) and Chinese Australian (n = 49) trauma survivors completed baseline measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology and daily measures of emotion regulation and affect (4 times per day for 7 days; 2239 observations). First, Chinese trauma survivors reported more frequent use of all emotion regulation strategies. Second, for the Chinese Australian group only, interpersonal emotion regulation, problem-solving, distraction and reappraisal were associated with daily affect. Finally, regardless of cultural group, PTSD symptomatology predicted greater daily use of suppression and distraction. This study highlights that while the influences of PTSD on daily emotion regulation and associated affect may be generally similar across these cultural groups, there were some nuances suggesting a need for further research in this area. If the findings are robust, intervention approaches need to consider clients' cultural backgrounds given the potential influence of culture on daily emotion regulation use and effectiveness.

The longitudinal (in)stability and cognitive underpinnings of children's cheating behavior

There has been a long-standing debate about whether cheating is a stable behavior across various situations. However, there is a notable gap in our understanding about whether children's cheating behavior could exhibit stability over time. Moreover, research on the cognitive correlates of children's cheating is limited, yet exploring these cognitive factors is essential for understanding how children make (dis)honest decisions. This study aimed to test the longitudinal stability in children's cheating tendency and frequency and to explore the cognitive underpinnings of cheating behavior (theory of mind, inhibitory control, and free will belief). The study involved 100 children aged 3 to 6 years who were initially tested at Time 1, and 89 of these participants were retested at Time 2 approximately 1 year later. Cheating behavior was measured using a die-rolling game over Zoom, and three different cognitive abilities were measured. The results indicated that children's cheating tendency was stable over a year-long interval, whereas cheating frequency did not show longitudinal stability. Moreover, the study found that free will belief was related to cheating behavior, whereas theory of mind and inhibitory control were not. Specifically, children's belief in the free will to inhibit their desires, rather than their actual ability to inhibit the desires, was associated with a reduced frequency and likelihood of cheating. The findings can provide insight into the developmental origin of children's decisions to refrain from cheating.

Power asymmetry destabilizes reciprocal cooperation in social dilemmas

Direct reciprocity has been long identified as a mechanism to support the evolution of cooperation in social dilemmas. While most research on reciprocal cooperation has focused on symmetrical interactions, real world interactions often involve differences in power. Verbal theories have either claimed that power differences enhance or destabilize cooperation, indicating the need for a comprehensive theoretical model of how power asymmetries affect direct reciprocity. Here, we investigate the relationship between power and cooperation in two frequently studied social dilemmas, the prisoner's dilemma (PD) and the snowdrift game (SD). Combining evolutionary game theory and agent-based models, we demonstrate that power asymmetries are detrimental to the evolution of cooperation. Strategies that are contingent on power within an interaction provide a selective advantage in the iterated SD, but not in the iterated PD. In both games, the rate of cooperation declines as power asymmetry increases, indicating that a more egalitarian distribution of the benefits of cooperation is the prerequisite for direct reciprocity to evolve and be maintained.

Authenticity, Well-Being, and Minority Stress in LGB Individuals: A Scoping Review

In general (i.e. in heteronormative and cisgendered samples), authenticity appears protective against threats to well-being. Authenticity may also, in part, protect well-being against the minority stressors experienced by sexually minoritized (LGB; lesbian, gay, and bisexual) individuals. In this scoping review, we examined the relation between authenticity and well-being in LGB samples experiencing minority stress. We hypothesized that (i) LGB minority stress relates to decreased authenticity (i.e. inauthenticity), (ii) authenticity relates to increased well-being, and (iii) authenticity influences the relation between LGB minority stress and well-being. We identified 17 studies (N = 4,653) from systematic searches across Medline, ProQuest, PsycINFO, and Scopus using terms related to sexual identity, minority stress, authenticity, and well-being. In almost all studies, proximal (but not distal) stress was associated with inauthenticity, and inauthenticity with decreased well-being. In all but one study, the association between proximal stress and well-being was associated with inauthenticity. Although these results are consistent with our hypotheses, the included studies were limited in scope and heterogenous in their methods, instruments, and samples, restricting conclusions regarding mediation or moderation. The results require replication, well-powered direct comparisons between LGB and non-LGB samples, and consideration of the varied ways authenticity can be conceptualized and measured.

Supporting human factors and ergonomics professionals in anticipating future work changes in response to the anthropocene

Ergonomics is evolving towards including a broader consideration of ecological and political factors in the design of work environments by adopting an interconnected systems paradigm, highlighting the importance of considering the ecological and political impacts of business. The emergence of 'green ergonomics' encourages sustainable human systems integrated in their natural environment, while respecting ethical values such as respect for human rights and diversity. On the one hand, this is leading to new areas of ergonomic research and intervention, such as energy management and corporate CSR, and on the other, to the need to develop specific skills to anticipate the future in innovative ways. For Human Factors and Ergonomics professionals (HF&E professionals), this means adopting prospective approaches that incorporate tools and methods to promote foresight, as well as creativity to imagine potential future work activities.

Are we gatekeeping trauma? A conceptual model to expand criterion A for invisible, identity-based, and systemic traumas

Since the inception of the criterion A framework into the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis in DSM-III, what qualifies as traumatic has been a fieldwide debate. Historically, social movements coinciding with advances in research have spurred improvements in the definition of criterion A, often by expanding the breadth of experiences that are considered trauma exposure. Contemporary issues of ongoing racial discrimination, ethno-violence, public health pandemics, warfare, oppression, and climate change warrant a re-examination of the criterion A definition. This critical review builds on prior critiques of criterion A and addresses (1) the limitations to the current criterion A definition in DSM-5 in capturing the experience of minoritized individuals; (2) three categories of trauma that are under-recognized in the current criterion A definition; and (3) the implications of expanding criterion A on clinical and research practice. We critically review three trauma categories that disproportionately affect minoritized individuals-invisible traumas, identity-based traumas, and systemic traumas. Evidence to date suggests that several traumatic experiences in these categories rise to the level of being traumatic, are associated with PTSD symptoms, and are prevalent among minoritized individuals. We discuss the implications of these traumas being omitted from criterion A and call for future work to critically examine the definition of criterion A in the PTSD diagnostic framework. Overall, this critical review captures traumas which remain undertreated, underdiagnosed, and under-represented by our current psychiatric nosology.

Are perfectionistic strivings beneficial or detrimental to well-being and achievement? Tests of procrastination and emotion regulation as moderators

OBJECTIVE

Researchers have called for an approach that examines the conditions under which perfectionistic strivings (PS) may be beneficial or detrimental to psychological functioning. We adopted a self-regulation perspective and tested whether individual differences in self-regulation (procrastination, emotion regulation) moderate PS's relationships with achievement and well-being in an academic/work-related achievement context.

METHOD

A sample of 183 preservice teachers participated in a study that combined "traditional" longitudinal assessment (six performance situations over a 9-month period) with repeated ambulatory assessment (measuring well-being, procrastination, and emotion regulation during a total of 910 preparation phases that preceded performance situations).

RESULTS

Mean levels of achievement, well-being, and emotion regulation were found to be stable over time, whereas procrastination decreased on average across preparation phases. Results from latent variable interaction models indicated that individual differences in intraindividual change in procrastination over time moderated the relationship between PS and well-being (but not achievement) in the expected direction: The less individuals decreased in procrastination over time, the more negative the relationship between PS and well-being was. Contrary to expectations, we found no evidence of a moderating effect of emotion regulation.

CONCLUSION

The study contributes to a nuanced perspective on the adaptiveness of PS.

Stress arousal reappraisal and worked example effects on the neuroendocrine stress response during breaking bad news in medical education

Breaking bad news (BBN; i.e., the disclosure of a serious diagnosis) is a necessary but challenging task in the medical field, often raising stress levels among physicians. According to the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat, stress responses can manifest as adaptive challenge states or maladaptive threat states. Prior research has proposed that specific patterns in neuroendocrine responses may signal challenge and threat. In this study, we employed a 2 × 2 design to examine the effects of stress arousal reappraisal (SAR; i.e., reframing bodily arousal as a functional response) and worked example (WE; i.e., stepwise demonstration of BBN) interventions on salivary cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and alpha-amylase responses. A total of 229 third-year medical students participated in a BBN simulation. While significant activation (rise) and regulation (decline) of neuroendocrine markers were observed in response to the BBN encounter, neither the SAR nor the WE intervention affected their peak levels or the magnitude (area under the curve) of the response. Only the WE intervention decelerated the rise and decline in dehydroepiandrosterone levels around individual peaks, potentially indicating an attenuated stress response. These findings suggest that neither of the interventions induced the expected challenge pattern in neuroendocrine activity. However, due to the low temporal resolution of salivary measurements and the dynamic process of challenge and threat orientations, we propose that the neuroendocrine responses may have limitations in distinguishing between challenge and threat.

Negative urgency as a state-level process

OBJECTIVE

Test whether global self-reports of urgency moderated the within-person associations of affect and impulsive behaviors.

BACKGROUND

Negative urgency is a personality trait that is a risk factor for a range of psychopathology. Although it is assumed that global self-reports of urgency measure individual tendencies to act more impulsively in the face of negative emotions, evidence from ecological momentary assessment studies is mixed.

METHOD

In this Registered Report, we used ecological momentary assessment data from a large sample of young adults (n = 496, age 18-22, 5 surveys per day for 40 days).

RESULTS

All forms of momentary impulsivity were impaired in moments when people reported more intense negative emotions, but global self-reports of urgency did not explain individual differences in this association. Moreover, averaged affective states, rather than specific dimensions, affective circumplex, or appraisals, best predicted impulsive states.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that face-valid interpretations of global self-report of urgency are inaccurate, and it may be important to understand how some people come to understand themselves as high on urgency rather than assuming that people's self-reports of their motivations are accurate. Momentary experiences of emotions globally impact multiple weakly to moderately associated impulsive behaviors, and future research should seek to understand both when and for whom these associations are strongest.

Counterfactual thinking is associated with impoverished attentional control in women prone to self-critical rumination

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Excessive engagement in counterfactual thinking (CFT), where individuals imagine alternative outcomes to past events, is associated with rumination, a process characterized by repetitive negative self-referential thoughts. Attentional control difficulties are closely linked with rumination, and negative thoughts can negatively impact attentional control among rumination-prone individuals. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CFT and emotional and non-emotional attentional control among individuals with varying levels of self-critical rumination.

METHODS

A sample of 100 female participants, characterized by varying levels of self-critical rumination, completed a choice task resulting in goal failure, during which they reported their levels of CFT. Subsequently, participants performed an attentional control task involving eye-tracking measures to assess emotional attentional engagement, emotional attentional disengagement, and emotional and non-emotional attentional shifting.

RESULTS

Among women with high (but not low) self-critical rumination tendencies, increased levels of CFT were associated with slower attentional shifting from emotional stimuli of opposing valence, as well as between non-emotional stimuli.

LIMITATIONS

The correlational design of the study prevents causal interpretations of the findings. Additionally, the exclusive inclusion of female participants may limit the generalizability of the results.

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscores the association of CFT with subsequent attentional control among women prone to self-critical rumination, aligning with prior research suggesting a link between negative thoughts and attentional processes. Future research should explore these relationships in diverse populations and consider longitudinal designs to elucidate causal pathways.

Prolonged grief, social contact, community belongingness: A representative study of loneliness among bereaved UK adults

BACKGROUND

Loneliness is a common experience among bereaved individuals, yet the extent to which prolonged grief, personal social contact, and community belongingness independently explain loneliness is not fully understood.

METHODS

We analyzed cross-sectional data from a nationwide, representative sample of 2520 adults in the UK who had lost a loved one. Hierarchical regressions were conducted in three steps, adding demographic and loss-related variables first, followed by personal contact and community belongingness, and then prolonged grief severity with loneliness as the outcome variable.

RESULTS

Bivariate correlations showed loneliness was significantly negatively associated with personal contact and community belongingness and positively associated with Prolonged Grief Disorder severity. In the final model, younger age, female gender, and lower income significantly predicted higher loneliness. Notably, community belongingness emerged as the strongest protective factor (β = -0.262), significantly outweighing the effect of personal social contact (β = -0.054). Higher prolonged grief also uniquely contributed to loneliness, with a non-linear relationship indicating a tipping point at severe grief levels that markedly exacerbated social isolation. Altogether, the final model explained approximately 24 % of the variance in loneliness.

CONCLUSION

These findings underscore that individuals who exhibit intense prolonged grief and possess weaker connections to their broader community are especially vulnerable to loneliness. While more frequent personal contact can provide emotional intimacy, fostering a sense of community appears to confer broader, more sustainable social benefits. Interventions that integrate psychological support for severe grief and opportunities for community engagement may be particularly effective in reducing bereavement-related loneliness.

Events-Affect-Personality: A Daily Diary Investigation of the Mediating Effects of Affect on the Events-Personality Relationship

Our 10-day diary investigation anchored in dynamic personality theories, such as Whole Trait Theory examined (a) whether within-person variability in two broad personality traits Extraversion and Neuroticism is consistently predicted by daily events, (b) whether positive and negative affect, respectively partly mediate this relationship and (c) the lagged relationships between events, and next day variations in affect and personality. Results revealed that personality exhibited significant within-person variability, that positive and negative affect partly mediate the relationship between events and personality, affect accounting for up to 60% of the effects of events on personality. Additionally, we identified that event-affect congruency was accountable for larger effects compared to event-affect non-congruency.

Longing for touch and the vicarious perception of CT-optimal touch in clinical outpatients

Longing for touch (LFT) can be defined as a discrepancy between the amount of touch that is desired and received. Previous studies have shown that LFT is prevalent in non-clinical populations, and that it is associated with an altered perception of CT-optimal touch. However, little is known about the prevalence and potential perceptual consequences of LFT in clinical populations. It is important to investigate this given the complicated relation with social touch that is often observed in these populations. We therefore assessed LFT in 69 clinical outpatients and 136 control participants in this study. Two videos were used to evaluate the vicarious perception of CT-optimal (3 cm/s) and CT non-optimal touch (30 cm/s). LFT was found to be more prevalent and severe in clinical outpatients. While patients also reported a lower frequency of touch, their subjective touch wish did not differ significantly from control participants. The increased LFT of the patients therefore seems to be primarily driven by an absence of touch, rather than a stronger need for touch. In both groups, LFT was positively associated with the vicarious pleasantness perception of CT-optimal and CT non-optimal touch. This provides further support for the hypothesis that LFT enhances the hedonic value of social touch. Taken together, these results provide valuable new insights into the experience and perception of social touch in clinical populations.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Motives and Barriers for Sustained Collective Action Toward Social Change

Israel's year-long protest calling for Prime Minister Netanyahu's resignation created an opportunity to examine unique factors influencing sustained collective action (SCA; i.e., repeated participation in social movement action for the same cause). As little is known about how to explain such dedication, we compared a well-established set of predictors of one-time collective action (CA) with a new predictors set of SCA, focusing on collective instrumental and socio-emotional (CISE) motivations grounded in previous participation experience, to predict subsequent participation. In a unique longitudinal design, we tracked protestors over 6 weeks. Our findings showed that less emotional exhaustion, more subjective effort into participation, and a perceived closer timeframe for desired social change positively predicted SCA. This differentiates SCA from CA-moreover, as one-time CA predictors did not predict SCA, this suggests a need for a new model to explain SCA based on CISE motivations that reflect continuous goal pursuit.

Need Fulfillment During Intergroup Contact: Three Experience Sampling Studies

One challenge of modern intergroup contact research has been the question of when and why an interaction is perceived as positive and improves intergroup relations. We propose to consider the perceived fulfillment of the situationally most relevant need. We conducted three intensive longitudinal studies with recent migrants to capture their interactions with the majority out-group (Nmeasurements = 10,297; Nparticipants = 207). The situational need fulfillment mechanism is consistently a strong predictor of perceived interaction quality and positive out-group attitudes following intergroup interactions. The model is specific to out-group contact, robust to various need types, and works at least as well as Allport's contact conditions. As one of the first studies to test intergroup contact theory using intensive longitudinal data, we offer insight into the mechanisms of positive intergroup contact during real-life interactions and find situational motivations to be a key building block for understanding and addressing positive intergroup interactions.Public significance statement: In this article, we provide evidence that the fulfillment of situational needs during real-life intergroup contacts meaningfully predicts perceived interaction quality and positive outgroup attitudes. Methodologically, this offers a testament to the emerging practice of capturing real-life interactions using intensive longitudinal data. Theoretically, our results give weight to motivational fulfillment as a flexible and effective mechanism for understanding positive intergroup contact.

HEXACO Personality Factors and their Associations with Facebook use and Facebook Network Characteristics

Personality factors affect the properties of 'offline' social networks, but how they are associated with the structural properties of online networks is still unclear. We investigated how the six HEXACO personality factors (Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience) relate to Facebook use and three objectively measured Facebook network characteristics - network size, density, and number of clusters. Participants (n = 107, mean age = 20.6, 66% female) extracted their Facebook networks using the GetNet app, completed the 60-item HEXACO questionnaire and the Facebook Usage Questionnaire. Users high in Openness to Experience spent less time on Facebook. Extraversion was positively associated with network size (number of Facebook Friends). These findings suggest that some personality factors are associated with Facebook use and the size of Facebook networks, and that personality is an important influence on both online and offline sociality.

Outfits Serve as Symbols for Overlapping Feminine and STEM Identity Goals

Women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) juggle between their feminine and professional identity goals. The present research views these struggles from the perspective of identity goal pursuits. Women in STEM may use different, sometimes even symbolic, ways to strive for the two identity goals, for example, by wearing outfits that reflect femininity, their profession, or both. In two studies, we tested to what extent these two goals overlap (are seen as similar) and whether the higher overlap between feminine and STEM professional identity goals is related to the preference for outfits that may serve two goals at the same time or only one of them. In Study 1 (N = 232), we found that willingness to wear an outfit serving both identity goals was positively related to the participant's identity goal overlap. Study 2 (N = 226) showed that overlap was related to the evaluation of the chosen outfits. Participants evaluating the chosen outfits as more multifinal reported higher overlap between the two identity goals.

The Aggrieved Entitlement Scale: A New Measure for an Old Problem

Aggrieved entitlement (AE) refers to the defensiveness and hostility majority-group members feel toward the outgroup in response to a perceived threat of lost privileges. Over the last couple of years, AE has garnered a great deal of attention in the media as well as in the empirical literature because of its connection with extremism and violence against minority groups. Yet, to date, research quantifying and measuring the construct of AE is scant. In this paper, we aim to bridge this gap. Across two studies (N1 = 813; N2 = 1,100) we explore the factor structure of the Aggrieved Entitlement Scale (AES) and examine its concurrent and divergent validity with related demographic, attitudinal, and personality factors. We found that the AES was positively correlated with racist attitudes, fear-based xenophobia, authoritarianism, sexism, transphobia, and sexual entitlement. We further found that it was negatively correlated with feminist attitudes, honesty-humility, and compassionate love. In both samples, scores were higher among men (vs. women) and heterosexual (vs. sexual minority) individuals. Finally, in contrast to our expectations, racial and ethnic minority participants scored higher in AE than White participants. Results from this work offer initial support for the use of the AES and call for more research into the topic.

A Scoping Review of Published Literature on the Linguistic Representation of Indigenous Peoples

Published research involving Indigenous Peoples is largely deficit-based, which can perpetuate stereotypes against Indigenous Peoples. We conducted a scoping review to understand what is currently known about the linguistic representation of Indigenous Peoples. We included peer-reviewed articles from all disciplines published between 2000 and 2024 on language use and discourse in the context of framing, bias, and/or stereotyping of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, the United States, Australia, and Aotearoa New Zealand. Of 1672 articles, 80 were reviewed and analyzed by mode of language, field of study, and time. A subset of the articles (n = 60) underwent a reflexive thematic analysis, from which we identified seven themes. We found that linguistic representations of Indigenous Peoples were disproportionately negative and involved deficit- rather than strengths-based discourse. Greater attention to linguistic representations of Indigenous Peoples is needed within healthcare and education, and future research should include language in historical documents and academia.

Stereotypical Questions: How Stereotypes About Conversation Partners Are Reflected in Question Formulations

In conversations, activated stereotypes about conversation partners can influence communicative behaviors. We investigate whether and how stereotypes about categorized conversation partners shape topic choice and the types of questions asked. In three experiments, participants imagined having a conversation. Gender or age stereotypes of the conversation partner were manipulated by means of a picture. Results show a higher likelihood of addressing conversation and question topics consistent with stereotypic expectancies about conversation partners. Moreover, stereotypes were reflected in subtle variations in question formulations. When questions address stereotype-consistent topics, they are likelier formulated with high-frequency adverbs and positive valence, while questions addressing stereotype-inconsistent topics more likely contain low-frequency adverbs and negative valence. In addition, Experiment 4 suggests that recipients are sensitive to detect that questions reflect stereotypes about themselves, which can influence the evaluation of the conversation and partner. We discuss the consequences of biased question asking for interpersonal conversation and stereotype maintenance.

Mapping vulnerability factors of chronic emotional and social loneliness: A network analysis

BACKGROUND

Chronic loneliness adversely impacts both mental and physical health. As current interventions are only moderately effective, examining vulnerability factors reflected in interpersonal behavior and their relationships with specific chronic loneliness subtypes may provide insights. The present study explored the associations between loneliness vulnerability factors and two subtypes of chronic loneliness: chronic emotional loneliness (a longing for intimate connections) and chronic social loneliness (dissatisfaction with the quantity and quality of one's social network).

METHODS

The sample consisted of 294 university students who had recently started at a new university. Participants completed surveys across three time points, separated by three-month intervals, including questionnaires on emotional and social loneliness, adult attachment styles, interpersonal behavioral styles, and features of emotional disorders. To explore relationships, we used network analysis by estimating a Mixed Graphical Model (MGM), in which chronic emotional loneliness and chronic social loneliness were dichotomized as binary variables (absence versus presence), while vulnerability factors were treated as continuous variables.

RESULTS

The network analysis demonstrated that chronic loneliness subtypes were differentially linked to vulnerability factors. Chronic emotional loneliness was predominantly linked to features of emotional disorders, whereas chronic social loneliness demonstrated a negative conditional association with secure attachment style.

LIMITATIONS

The assessment of chronic loneliness was based on three time points, which does not capture potential fluctuations between assessments.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the importance of differentiating between chronic loneliness subtypes when examining vulnerability factors. By distinguishing these subtypes, tailored interventions for loneliness can be developed to enhance prevention.

Parasympathetic reactivity to recalled emotional experiences and adolescent prosociality

Prosociality, which refers to dispositions to allocate one's attention and energy to the needs of others, is indicative of social proficiency and adaptive functioning in adolescence. Greater abilities for self-regulation in adolescence are widely considered to foster prosociality (Hastings et al., 2023; Hodge et al., 2023), including physiological regulation, and particularly activity within the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS; Hastings et al., 2023). The current study examined the extent to which PNS reactivity to experiences of negative emotions were associated with adolescents' prosociality. In a sample of 220 adolescents (Mage = 13.67, SD = 1.08, 109 females), youths' respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity to thinking and talking about two negative emotions (i.e., disappointment, frustration), empathic responses to sad film clips, and self-reported prosocial engagement were assessed. Less RSA suppression while thinking about experiences of disappointment was positively associated with adolescents' prosocial engagement, whereas greater RSA suppression while experiences talking about disappointment was positively associated with both affective empathy and prosocial engagement. These findings align with models of vagal flexibility (Miller et al., 2015), suggesting that adolescents who adjust physiological regulation in accord with the demands of different emotional and social contexts may be better prepared for prosocial engagement.

Do Cyberbullying Victims Feel more Entitled to Bully Others Online? The Moderating Role of Gender

Previous studies have found that adolescent cyberbullying victimization is associated with cyberbullying perpetration and have explored the potential mediating mechanisms between the two. Although some valuable research has been accumulated, further exploration is needed on the underlying mechanisms of why cyber victims are transformed into cyberbullying perpetrators. Based on the General Aggression Model of Cyberbullying and the Social Role Theory, this study examined the mediating role of psychological entitlement and the moderating role of gender on the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 836 adolescents, utilizing the cyberbullying victimization scale, cyberbullying perpetration scale, and psychological entitlement questionnaire. The results found that (a) cyberbullying victimization, psychological entitlement, and cyberbullying perpetration were significantly and positively correlated with each other; (b) after controlling for gender and age, cyberbullying victimization significantly and positively predicted cyberbullying perpetration and psychological entitlement mediated the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration; (c) Gender moderates the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration. Specifically, compared with the girls, cyberbullying victimization had a greater effect on cyberbullying perpetration among boys. The results of this study suggest that cyberbullying victims consider that they have more entitlement to bully others online. These findings support the General Aggression Model of Cyberbullying and provide new insights for the prevention and intervention of cyberbullying perpetration.

"Accepting the Poem of Destiny": Identity Reconstruction in a Chinese Online Depression Community

As online health communities become important platforms for people with depression to express themselves, digital narratives provide a lens for understanding their identity work. Drawing on the communication theory of identity (CTI), this article explored the members' identity reconstruction by analyzing their narratives posted in a Chinese online depression community. The four levels of identities constructed by the members include "laggard" and "pioneer" at the personal layer, "idler" and "fighter" at the enacted level, "stress-maker" and "escaper" at the relational layer, and support providers and receivers at the communal layer. These identities at different levels usually interact in the narratives, showing that identity gaps exist among the members. The study shows that the members' autobiographical accounts of depression entail multiplicities and ambivalences, denying the dominant and stigmatizing representation of it by common sense and the media as a reductionist downward and one-way experience that is valueless and offers no possibility for personal growth. The findings regarding the communal level of identity show that narratives can help the narrators to create bonds of solidarity of an experience that is often marginalized.

Evidence for the Efficacy of Conflict-reducing Practices in Undergraduate Evolution Education in a Randomized Controlled Study

Conflict-reducing practices during evolution instruction have been recommended to increase students' perceived compatibility between evolution and religion, increase evolution acceptance, and decrease stereotypes about religious students in science. However, the efficacy of these practices has not been demonstrated in a randomized controlled design making it uncertain whether they are causing the effects reported in less controlled studies. Further, we do not know the extent to which the religious identities of instructors may impact their effectiveness. In this study, we randomly assigned 2623 undergraduate students in 19 biology courses across different states to receive an evolution video with 1) no conflict-reducing practices, 2) conflict-reducing practices implemented by a non-religious instructor, or 3) conflict-reducing practices implemented by a Christian instructor. We found that the evolution videos with conflict-reducing practices led to decreased conflict, increased compatibility, and increased acceptance of human evolution compared with the video without conflict-reducing practices. Further, the Christian and non-religious instructor conditions were equally effective at improving all student outcomes, except the non-religious instructor was more effective for increasing perceived compatibility between religion and evolution among atheist students. These results illustrate that conflict-reducing practices, implemented by either Christian or non-religious instructors, can be effective in a controlled study.

Using a novel "Perceived Self-Group Hierarchy" measure to predict White Americans' health via feelings of "falling behind"

Previous research finds that White Americans tend to perceive "most White people" to be high-status and see themselves as falling behind their racial group (Cooley et al., 2021). These feelings of low within-group status predict fewer positive emotions which, in turn, predict worse health. However, this previous work is limited by its use of two separate status measures (i.e., "self" and "group") which are used to infer within-group comparisons via difference scores. To address this limitation, we propose a Perceived Self-Group Hierarchy (PSGH) measure that directly assesses perceptions of within-group status, while also capturing perceptions of between-group status. Using samples of non-Hispanic White Americans with representative quota sampling (NTotal = 1600), we demonstrate that our new measure provides better criterion validity and incremental validity over prior measurement strategies when predicting health (Study 1). Moreover, when combined with latent profile analysis, our measure allows researchers to ask more nuanced questions regarding subjective status and health (Study 2).

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptomology among gay, bisexual, and other sexually minoritized cisgender men in the United States: A latent class analysis

In the United States, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) disparities among sexually minoritized men (SMM) are well-documented, but diverse PTSD symptom manifestations and related vulnerabilities in this group are understudied. From October 2020 to January 2021, we collected cross-sectional demographic, HIV status, sexual behavior, and mental health data from 6319 trauma-exposed SMM in the American Men's Internet Survey. We used latent class analysis, multinomial logistic regression, and the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars method to identify PTSD symptom classes, associations with class membership, and prevalence of serodifferent condomless anal sex with a male partner, respectively. Mean age was 33 years; most participants identified as gay (n = 4820, 76.3%) and non-Hispanic White (n = 3829, 60.6%). Classes included Intrusive-Avoidant (n = 1086, 17.2%; moderate/high intrusive thoughts, related discomfort, trauma-reminder avoidance), Dysphoric-Inattentive (n = 1230, 19.5%; moderate/high negative beliefs, anhedonia, concentration problems), Pervasive (n = 1471, 23.3%; high on all symptoms), and Resistant (n = 2532, 40.1%; low on all symptoms). Non-Hispanic Black (aOR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.35, 2.33) and multiracial identity (aOR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.03, 2.13) were associated with Intrusive-Avoidant class membership. Unknown (aOR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.52) and positive HIV status (aOR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.16, 2.09) were associated with Pervasive class membership. Housing instability, mental distress, and suicidal ideation were associated with membership in each symptomatic class. Serodifferent condomless anal sex was higher in the Pervasive (23.9%, p < 0.001) and Intrusive-Avoidant (21.8%, p = 0.008) classes relative to the Resistant class (16.5%). Improving the response to PTSD and related vulnerabilities among SMM merits combined trauma-focused, sexual risk-reduction approaches tailored to symptom profiles.

A single-session feedback training modifies interpretation bias in individuals with high social anxiety: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

The ability to interpret facial expressions accurately is important to adaptive social functioning. Social anxiety disorder is associated with a biased interpretation of facial emotions. This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of feedback training on modifying interpretation bias in individuals with high social anxiety.

METHODS

A total of 451 university students were screened, and 69 participants with high social anxiety were randomly assigned to either a training (n = 37) or a control (n = 32) group. Participants completed pre-questionnaires on social anxiety and depression symptoms, then performed a single session of experiment, followed by post-questionnaires on social anxiety symptoms. In the experiment, participants viewed an ambiguous facial expression and rated the intensity on a continuous scale. The training group received feedback that presented their ratings alongside the actual intensity, allowing them to accurately assess their emotional perception bias through trial-by-trial feedback. The control group received no feedback.

RESULTS

The training group showed a significant reduction in interpretation bias for happy and angry faces after the experiment, while the control group did not. However, although the training group's social anxiety symptoms decreased post-experiment, the difference was not statistically significant compared to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide preliminary evidence that the feedback training targeting dimensional ratings of emotions may be a promising option for correcting interpretation bias in individuals with high social anxiety. Future research could implement multiple sessions of training to potentially reduce both interpretation bias and social anxiety symptoms and verify the long-term effects.

Recent stressful life events and identity development in emerging adults: An examination of within-person effects

OBJECTIVE

To examine longitudinal associations among stressful life events and identity processess in emerging adults while accounting for within-person and between-person effects.

BACKGROUND

Theoretical perspectives suggest that stressful life events may impact one's identity (i.e., coherent sense of self), but few studies have considered how changes in stressful life events are associated with changes within an individual's identity development over time (within-person effects).

METHODS

 Recent stressful life events (i.e., academic problems, friendship problems, romantic problems, and time pressure) and the processes through which identity develops (e.g., exploring in breadth and depth) were examined longitudinally (T1-T3) in a sample of emerging adults (N = 1125, Mage = 17.96 years).

RESULTS

Random-intercept cross-lagged modeling demonstrated that at the between-person level, emerging adults with greater academic and friendship problems, as well as more time pressures (relative to their counterparts), tended to engage in greater ruminative exploration. Further, those with more academic problems tended to demonstrate weaker commitment-making and exploration in breadth and depth (relative to their counterparts). Within-person increases in romantic problems predicted lower commitment-making and higher ruminative exploration over time.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that romantic problems may predict within-person changes in identity processes, whereas academic problems, friendship problems, and time pressure may be more concurrently related to identity development.

Leveraging Empowering Leadership to Improve Employees' Improvisational Behavior: The Role of Promotion Focus and Willingness to Take Risks

Improvisational behavior is an individual's spontaneous and creative behavior in the face of emergencies, using existing material and emotional resources to respond quickly and effectively to uncertain situations. Despite increasing interest in this behavior, its antecedents remain unclear, with particular ambiguity regarding the relationship between empowering leadership and employee improvisational behavior. The present article addresses this ambiguity with the theory of reasoned action to examine whether the impact of empowering leadership on employees' improvisational behavior is determined by employees' attitudes toward such behavior. In this study, a multi-source design was adopted, and data (339 valid samples) were collected from five Internet companies in China's Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Hierarchical regression and bootstrapping methods were used to test the hypotheses. The results reveal that (1) employees' promotion focus moderates the relationship between empowering leadership and improvisational behavior and (2) employees' willingness to take risks mediates the moderating effect of promotion focus. Our findings demonstrate employees' attitudinal utility in explaining when improvisational behavior is most likely to occur under empowering leadership.

Is Humor a Meaning Making Process? Investigating the Effects of Absurd Humor and Mortality Salience on Meaning in Life, Moral Identity, Belongingness, and Belief in a Just World

Both mortality salience and absurd humor have been found to elicit fluid compensation - the automatic process of strengthening unrelated beliefs in response to a meaning threat. Previous research has suggested that perceiving absurd humor to be funny decreases people's tendency to fluid compensate, suggesting that humor is a meaning-making process. However, these results may have been confounded by mortality salience effects. Furthermore, few studies have investigated the effects of absurd humor and mortality salience on multiple beliefs. In the current study, we aimed to conceptually replicate previous research on the fluid compensatory effects of absurd humor and mortality salience under more stringent conditions and in response to a wider variety of beliefs. Participants (N = 590) recruited via MTurk were randomly assigned to a reading condition and thereafter completed a series of measures of meaning in life, moral identity, belongingness, and belief in a just world. Participants found humor in each reading condition and did not fluid compensate, suggesting that humor is a meaning-making process. Implications and directions for meaning making and humor research are discussed.

The evaluation-behavior link revisited: It depends on the question you have in mind

The existence of a close, if not direct, link between evaluation and action is widely assumed in the literature. Supporting this view, studies have shown that approach movements are executed faster in response to positive than negative stimuli, whereas avoidance responses are faster in response to negative than to positive stimuli (the often called "Approach/Avoidance-AA-compatibility effect"). However, this view has been challenged by proposals suggesting that this effect could be at least partially due to the use of affective information to answer the prevalent question individuals have in mind during the task. Consistent with these proposals, we report four preregistered studies showing that the AA compatibility effect can be moderated and even reversed by manipulating the question participants have in mind while doing an approach/avoidance task. In addition, results of a fifth experiment revealed that the AA compatibility effect emerged essentially among participants who reported simplifying the task by asking themselves whether they should approach (vs. not). These results suggest that the evaluation-action link is less direct than assumed and may be underlain by high-level cognitive processes.

Barriers to Biculturalism: Historical Negation and Symbolic Exclusion Predict Longitudinal Increases in Bicultural Policy Opposition

The colonial ideologies of historical negation and symbolic exclusion (i.e., the "Dark Duo") promote inequality between settler colonizers and Indigenous peoples by denying the contemporary relevance of past injustices and excluding Indigenous culture from the nation's identity, respectively. Although their correlates are established, the temporal ordering of the relationship between the Dark Duo and bicultural policy opposition is unclear. We address this oversight by utilizing nine annual waves of panel data from a nationwide random sample of New Zealand adults (N = 31,104) to estimate two multigroup RI-CLPMs using the Dark Duo to predict symbolic and resource-based policy opposition (and vice versa). Results revealed that within-person increases in historical negation and symbolic exclusion predicted subsequent increases in symbolic and resource-based bicultural policy opposition for both majority and minority ethnic groups. These relationships were, however, bidirectional, demonstrating a self-perpetuating cycle, whereby the Dark Duo undermines biculturalism and antibiculturalism strengthens the Dark Duo.

Inferences of Masculinity and Femininity Across Intersections of Social Class and Gender: A Social Structural Perspective

This research employs a social structural perspective to analyze the content of intersectional social class and gender stereotypes. We investigated how the structural positioning of class and gender categories differentially foster inferences of masculinity and femininity. The social structures that organize class and gender differ: Class is marked by access to resources, and gender is marked by a division of labor for care work. Thus, we examined whether masculinity inferences more strongly varied by social class and whether femininity inferences more strongly varied by gender categories. In Study 1, a total 427 undergraduates provided open-ended descriptions of social class and gender groups. In Study 2, a total 758 undergraduates rated the same groups on preselected trait measures. In Study 3, a total 83 adult participants considered a vignette that manipulated a target's structural resources and gender. Across datasets, variation in social class primarily influenced inferences about masculinity while variation in gender primarily influenced inferences about femininity.

Peer influence on adolescents' physical activity: A dual-process perspective

Inadequate physical activity poses significant health threats to young people. Adolescents are at a developmental stage characterized by heightened impulsivity, which may limit the explanatory power of rational behavior theories in this population. This study developed an integrated model to explain adolescents' physical activity while examining the mechanism of peer influence from a dual-process perspective. The hypothetical model integrated the Theory of Planned Behavior with constructs from social, reactive, and habit theories and was tested using a two-wave prospective correlational survey design. Participants (n = 638) completed a baseline questionnaire assessing all psychological constructs. One week later, participants reported their time spent in physical activity over the past week in a follow-up questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate model fit and predictive utility. The model explained 14.6%, 7.1%, and 18.4% of the variances in averaged overall, weekday, and weekend physical activity levels, respectively. The latent variable of automaticity, representing impulsive processing, significantly explained adolescents' physical activity, while the reflective pathway through intention was not statistically significant. In addition, physical activity was statistically significantly explained by prototype favorability and prototype similarity via the impulsive pathway. Combining strategies to modify peer influence and impulsive processing is suggested for promoting adolescents' physical activity.

Examining Online Behaviors of Young Adults During the Covid-19 Pandemic Social Isolation Period with Regard to Life Satisfaction, Loneliness, and Hostility

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed individuals to intense restrictions and social isolation, as well as the possibility of deterioration of physical health. In the pandemic period, the Internet has become the principal avenue for social interaction, leisure related activities, and school-work pursuits for most people and consequently problematic Internet use (PIU) has increased dramatically in this period. Modeling of PIU among university students - considered one of the most negatively affected groups at this time - along with PIU subconstructs as well as indicators of psychological well-being - life satisfaction, loneliness, and hostility - will be valuable in directing future studies. This study examined the effects of the psychological well-being indicators of life satisfaction, loneliness, and hostility on PIU constructs; the preference for online social interaction, Internet use for mood regulation, and deficient self-regulation of Internet use during the Covid-19 pandemic social isolation period. Participants were 418 undergraduate students from a public university (130 male and 288 female). Results revealed that young adults with low life satisfaction have been more likely to problematically use the Internet to regulate their mood during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hostility and loneliness between which there is a moderately strong direct relationship, were similarly related to deficiently self-regulated Internet use. Moreover, individuals experiencing feelings of loneliness are more likely to use the Internet problematically for online social interaction purposes, while those experiencing feelings of hostility are more likely to use it problematically for mood regulation purposes. Given the significant relationships between indicators of psychological well-being and PIU, higher education institutions should take measures to prevent PIU behaviors in their students in case they face potential periods of social isolation.

Does Level of Social Support During Rejection Affect Pain Sensitivity and Distress?

This study investigated whether level of social support would decrease emotional distress and physical pain sensitivity following rejection. Healthy undergraduate students received varying levels of social support from a close companion during the Partial Future Life Alone rejection paradigm. Participants also completed baseline and post-stressor measures of physical pain sensitivity as well as post-stressor measures of emotional distress. Results indicated that all levels of social support benefited rejected participants by either buffering and/or improving fundamental needs, mood, and pain to levels comparable to non-rejected participants; however, passive support resulted in the fewest beneficial outcomes. The current study provides preliminary evidence that even minimal levels of support during rejection benefits or at least neutralizes associated pain and distress outcomes.

Processes of change in digital interventions for depression: A meta-analytic review of cognitive and behavioral mediators

The efficacy of digital interventions for depression has been established. In contrast, only limited knowledge on their change processes is currently available, and precise effect size estimates for mediators are pending. This study aimed to systematically review mediation studies and meta-analytically evaluate indirect effects of cognitive and behavioral mediators in digital interventions for adults with depression. The databases CENTRAL, Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO were systematically searched for eligible randomized controlled trials. Two independent reviewers extracted the data, assigned mediators to eight categories and evaluated the methodological quality of included studies. Two-stage structural equation modeling was applied to synthesize indirect effects for cognitive and behavioral mediators. Overall, 25 studies (8110 participants) were eligible, which investigated 31 cognitive, 29 behavioral and 24 other mediators. Meta-analyses yielded significant indirect effects for combined cognitive mediators (ab = -0.068; 95 %-CI: [-0.093, -0.047]; k = 14 studies) and combined behavioral mediators (ab = -0.037; 95 %-CI: [-0.048, -0.028]; k = 13), but not for the specific cognitive mediators interpretation bias and dysfunctional attitudes. The systematic review revealed that all studies fulfilled at least five out of nine methodological quality criteria for psychotherapy process research, but the risk of bias assessment raised some concerns, particularly in regard to potential deviations from intended interventions. Overall, the findings of this meta-analytic review contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of change in digital interventions for depression, and can inform the evidence-based advancement of future interventions.