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Sun P, Yao X, Yuan M, Kou Y. Development of beliefs in a just world among Chinese early adolescents and the predictive role of family factors: A three-wave longitudinal study. J Pers 2023. [PMID: 38111291 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study explored how belief in a just world (BJW) develops among Chinese adolescents and the predictive role of family factors. BACKGROUND The development of BJW in adolescence is an important but understudied topic, especially in non-Western contexts. METHOD Using a three-wave longitudinal design, 1525 participants (48% girls; Mage = 12.47) were recruited to report their BJW, childhood SES, only-child or not, and parental psychological control in Wave 1 (Wave 2: N = 1262; Wave 3: N = 1124). RESULTS The mean slope for personal BJW is positive and significant, but not significant for general BJW. Childhood SES predicted initial level of personal and general BJW and the rate of growth of personal BJW. Only-child predicted initial level and the growth rate of personal BJW. Parental psychological control negatively predicted personal and general BJW at three time points. CONCLUSION Personal BJW increased during the observation period, whereas general BJW was stable. Individuals with lower levels of childhood SES had lower initial personal and general BJW but a higher growth rate in personal BJW than those with higher SES. Individuals having siblings had lower levels of initial personal BJW but a higher growth rate in personal BJW than those from only-child family. Parental psychological control may exert consistent and contemporaneous negative effect on BJW across time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Sun
- Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaonan Yao
- School of Education and Psychology, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mingliang Yuan
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Yu Kou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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2
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Ecotière C, Billiard S, André JB, Collet P, Ferrière R, Méléard S. Human-environment feedback and the consistency of proenvironmental behavior. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011429. [PMID: 37721943 PMCID: PMC10538744 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Addressing global environmental crises such as anthropogenic climate change requires the consistent adoption of proenvironmental behavior by a large part of a population. Here, we develop a mathematical model of a simple behavior-environment feedback loop to ask how the individual assessment of the environmental state combines with social interactions to influence the consistent adoption of proenvironmental behavior, and how this feeds back to the perceived environmental state. In this stochastic individual-based model, individuals can switch between two behaviors, 'active' (or actively proenvironmental) and 'baseline', differing in their perceived cost (higher for the active behavior) and environmental impact (lower for the active behavior). We show that the deterministic dynamics and the stochastic fluctuations of the system can be approximated by ordinary differential equations and a Ornstein-Uhlenbeck type process. By definition, the proenvironmental behavior is adopted consistently when, at population stationary state, its frequency is high and random fluctuations in frequency are small. We find that the combination of social and environmental feedbacks can promote the spread of costly proenvironmental behavior when neither, operating in isolation, would. To be adopted consistently, strong social pressure for proenvironmental action is necessary but not sufficient-social interactions must occur on a faster timescale compared to individual assessment, and the difference in environmental impact must be small. This simple model suggests a scenario to achieve large reductions in environmental impact, which involves incrementally more active and potentially more costly behavior being consistently adopted under increasing social pressure for proenvironmentalism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Ecotière
- Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, IP Paris, Palaiseau, France
| | | | - Jean-Baptiste André
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d’études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, PSL Research University, CNRS, Paris France
| | - Pierre Collet
- CPHT, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, IP Paris, Palaiseau, France
| | - Régis Ferrière
- Institut de Biologie (IBENS), ENS-PSL, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- iGLOBES International Research Laboratory, CNRS, ENS-PSL, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Sylvie Méléard
- Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, IP Paris, Palaiseau, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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3
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Maner JK, Hasty CR. Life History Strategies, Prestige, and Dominance: An Evolutionary Developmental View of Social Hierarchy. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2023; 49:627-641. [PMID: 35227124 DOI: 10.1177/01461672221078667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Although evidence documents the use of prestige and dominance for navigating group hierarchies, little is known about factors that explain people's orientation toward prestige versus dominance. The current research applied a life history perspective to assess the role life history strategies play in prestige and dominance. Four studies document associations between adopting a slow life history strategy and having an orientation toward prestige. We also saw some (less consistent) evidence that people's orientation toward prestige is rooted in exposure to predictable childhood environments, a known antecedent of slow life history strategies. Although we observed some evidence that exposure to unpredictable childhood environments was associated with dominance, there was little direct evidence that this relationship was explained by a fast life history strategy. Findings suggest that an orientation toward prestige is likely to be observed in people with a slow life history, who adopt a long-term time horizon for planning and decision-making.
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4
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De Wit-De Visser B, Rijckmans M, Vermunt JK, van Dam A. Pathways to antisocial behavior: a framework to improve diagnostics and tailor therapeutic interventions. Front Psychol 2023; 14:993090. [PMID: 36844347 PMCID: PMC9947159 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.993090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), and antisocial behavior (ASB) in general, is associated with significant impact on individuals themselves, their environment, and society. Although various interventions show promising results, no evidence-based treatments are available for individuals with ASPD. Therefore, making informed choices about which treatment can be applied to an individual patient is complicated. Furthermore, contradictory findings on therapy effectiveness and underlying factors of ASB, such as cognitive impairments and personality traits, fuel the debate whether the conceptualization of ASPD in the DSM-5 is accurate and whether this population can be seen as homogeneous. A conceptual framework, based on the reciprocal altruism theory, is presented in which we propose different pathways to ASB. These pathways suggest underlying dynamics of ASB and provide an explanation for previous contradictory research outcomes. This framework is intended to serve as a clinically relevant model that provides directions for improving diagnostics and matching treatments to underlying dynamics in the antisocial population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda De Wit-De Visser
- GGZ WNB, Research and Innovation, Halsteren, Netherlands,Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tranzo Scientific Center for Care and Welfare, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands,*Correspondence: Brenda De Wit-De Visser,
| | - Madeleine Rijckmans
- Fivoor, Fivoor Science and Treatment Innovation, Poortugaal, Netherlands,Clinical and Forensic Psychology, Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | - Jeroen K. Vermunt
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | - Arno van Dam
- GGZ WNB, Research and Innovation, Halsteren, Netherlands,Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tranzo Scientific Center for Care and Welfare, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
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5
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Ren M, Zou S, Ding S, Ding D. Childhood Environmental Unpredictability and Prosocial Behavior in Adults: The Effect of Life-History Strategy and Dark Personalities. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2022; 15:1757-1769. [PMID: 35860204 PMCID: PMC9289578 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s373444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Childhood environments have an impact on an individuals’ behavior and cognition. We explored the relationship and possible mechanisms between childhood environmental unpredictability (CEU) and prosocial behavior (PSB) in adults. Participants and Methods We recruited Chinese college students (N = 1035) and adopted a questionnaire survey and structural equation modeling. Results The results showed that CEU negatively predicted PSB in adults. Life-history strategy and dark personality chains mediated this relationship. Higher CEU facilitated faster development of life-history strategies in individuals, and dark personalities, via fast life-history strategies, further influenced PSB in adults. The mediating pathways of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and sadism were significant, while psychopathy was not. Women were more prosocial than men, and there was no sex difference in the influence mechanism of CEU on PSB. Conclusion This study has practical significance as it emphasizes the importance of shaping a stable childhood environment and that individuals’ prosociality can be improved by intervening in the mediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menghao Ren
- Department of Psychology, School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengqi Zou
- Department of Psychology, School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuyu Ding
- Department of Education, Shandong Women's University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Daoqun Ding
- Department of Psychology, School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
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6
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Is fast life history strategy associated with poorer self-regulation and higher vulnerability to behavioral addictions? A cross-sectional study on smartphone addiction and gaming disorder. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03385-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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7
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McCauley TG, McCullough ME. Retrospective Self-Reported Childhood Experiences in Enriched Environments Uniquely Predict Prosocial Behavior and Personality Traits in Adulthood. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 20:14747049221110603. [PMID: 35791506 PMCID: PMC10303491 DOI: 10.1177/14747049221110603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
What features of people's childhood environments go on to shape their prosocial behavior during adulthood? Past studies linking childhood environment to adult prosocial behavior have focused primarily on adverse features, thereby neglecting the possible influence of exposure to enriched environments (e.g., access to material resources, experiences with rich cooperative relationships, and interactions with morally exemplary role models). Here, we expand the investigation of childhood environmental quality to include consideration of enriching childhood experiences and their relation to adult prosociality. In two cross-sectional studies, we found promising evidence that enriched childhood environments are associated with adult moral behavior. In study 1 (N = 1,084 MTurk workers), we adapted an existing measure of enriched childhood environmental quality for retrospective recall of childhood experiences and found that subjects' recollections of their enriched childhood experiences are distinct from their recollections of adverse childhood experiences. In Study 2 (N = 2,208 MTurk workers), we found that a formative composite of subjects' recollections of enriched childhood experiences is positively associated with a variety of morally relevant traits in adulthood, including agreeableness, honesty-humility, altruism, endorsement of the principle of care, empathic responding to the plights of needy others, and charitable donations in an experimental setting, and that these associations held after controlling for childhood environmental adversity, childhood socioeconomic status, sex, and age. We also found evidence suggesting that some, but not all, of the relationship between enrichment and adult prosociality can be explained by a shared genetic correlation. We include a new seven-item measure as an appendix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G. McCauley
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of
Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Michael E. McCullough
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of
Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
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8
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Noël T, Dardenne B. Relationships between Green Space Attendance, Perceived Crowdedness, Perceived Beauty and Prosocial Behavior in Time of Health Crisis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116778. [PMID: 35682359 PMCID: PMC9180060 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
An emergent body of evidence shows the impact of exposure to nature on prosocial attitudes and interpersonal relationships. This study examines relationships between green space (GS) attendance, perceived beauty of the space, perceived crowdedness of the space, and prosocial behavior. A cross-sectional study with snowball sampling was conducted in April 2020. All participants (N = 1206) responded to an online survey that included a French version of the social value orientation slider measure (used as a proxy for prosocial behavior), questions about the lockdown, and their GS attendance. After retaining only participants who had visited a GS at least once since the beginning of their lockdown (N = 610), multiple linear regressions showed that social orientation scores demonstrated associations with the interaction between GS attendance and perceived crowdedness of the GS, suggesting that attending low crowded GS is linked to increasing prosociality. These results provide insight into the roles that GS can have during a health crisis and suggest some practical implications.
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9
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Lie-Panis J, André JB. Cooperation as a signal of time preferences. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212266. [PMID: 35473379 PMCID: PMC9043704 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many evolutionary models explain why we cooperate with non-kin, but few explain why cooperative behaviour and trust vary. Here, we introduce a model of cooperation as a signal of time preferences, which addresses this variability. At equilibrium in our model (i) future-oriented individuals are more motivated to cooperate, (ii) future-oriented populations have access to a wider range of cooperative opportunities, and (iii) spontaneous and inconspicuous cooperation reveal stronger preference for the future, and therefore inspire more trust. Our theory sheds light on the variability of cooperative behaviour and trust. Since affluence tends to align with time preferences, results (i) and (ii) explain why cooperation is often associated with affluence, in surveys and field studies. Time preferences also explain why we trust others based on proxies for impulsivity, and, following result (iii), why uncalculating, subtle and one-shot cooperators are deemed particularly trustworthy. Time preferences provide a powerful and parsimonious explanatory lens, through which we can better understand the variability of trust and cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Lie-Panis
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université PSL, EHESS, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France.,LTCI, Télécom Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France.,Université de Paris, EURIP Graduate School for Interdisciplinary Research, 75004 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste André
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université PSL, EHESS, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
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10
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Manrique HM, Zeidler H, Roberts G, Barclay P, Walker M, Samu F, Fariña A, Bshary R, Raihani N. The psychological foundations of reputation-based cooperation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200287. [PMID: 34601920 PMCID: PMC8487732 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans care about having a positive reputation, which may prompt them to help in scenarios where the return benefits are not obvious. Various game-theoretical models support the hypothesis that concern for reputation may stabilize cooperation beyond kin, pairs or small groups. However, such models are not explicit about the underlying psychological mechanisms that support reputation-based cooperation. These models therefore cannot account for the apparent rarity of reputation-based cooperation in other species. Here, we identify the cognitive mechanisms that may support reputation-based cooperation in the absence of language. We argue that a large working memory enhances the ability to delay gratification, to understand others' mental states (which allows for perspective-taking and attribution of intentions) and to create and follow norms, which are key building blocks for increasingly complex reputation-based cooperation. We review the existing evidence for the appearance of these processes during human ontogeny as well as their presence in non-human apes and other vertebrates. Based on this review, we predict that most non-human species are cognitively constrained to show only simple forms of reputation-based cooperation. This article is part of the theme issue 'The language of cooperation: reputation and honest signalling'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor M. Manrique
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Universidad de Zaragoza, Campus Universitario de Teruel, Ciudad Escolar, s/n. 44003 Teruel, Spain
| | - Henriette Zeidler
- Department of Psychology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Pat Barclay
- Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - Michael Walker
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Flóra Samu
- The Institute for Analytical Sociology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Andrea Fariña
- Social, Economic, and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Nichola Raihani
- Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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11
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No effect of 'watching eyes': An attempted replication and extension investigating individual differences. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255531. [PMID: 34613975 PMCID: PMC8494318 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Some evidence suggests that people behave more cooperatively and generously when observed or in the presence of images of eyes (termed the 'watching eyes' effect). Eye images are thought to trigger feelings of observation, which in turn motivate people to behave more cooperatively to earn a good reputation. However, several recent studies have failed to find evidence of the eyes effect. One possibility is that inconsistent evidence in support of the eyes effect is a product of individual differences in sensitivity or susceptibility to the cue. In fact, some evidence suggests that people who are generally more prosocial are less susceptible to situation-specific reputation-based cues of observation. In this paper, we sought to (1) replicate the eyes effect, (2) replicate the past finding that people who are dispositionally less prosocial are more responsive to observation than people who are more dispositionally more prosocial, and (3) determine if this effect extends to the watching eyes effect. Results from a pre-registered study showed that people did not give more money in a dictator game when decisions were made public or in the presence of eye images, even though participants felt more observed when decisions were public. That is, we failed to replicate the eyes effect and observation effect. An initial, but underpowered, interaction model suggests that egoists give less than prosocials in private, but not public, conditions. This suggests a direction for future research investigating if and how individual differences in prosociality influence observation effects.
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12
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Zeng X, Wei B. The relationship between the psychological capital of male individuals with drug abuse and relapse tendency: A moderated mediation model. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 42:10334-10343. [PMID: 34602800 PMCID: PMC8476715 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02325-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to explore the mechanism of psychological capital's influence on relapse tendency of drug addicts under the COVID-19, and construct a moderated mediation model. 977 individuals with drug addiction who come from a mandatory drug rehabilitation center in China completed the Chinese versions of Psychological capital Questionnaire, the Relapse Tendency Questionnaire,the Coping Style Questionnarie and the Life History Strategy Scale.The results showed that(1) there was a significant negative correlation between psychological capital and relapse tendency;(2)positive coping style mediated the relationship between psychological capital and relapse tendency;(3) life history strategy is an important moderator between psychological capital and positive coping style.These findings help us to better understand the impact of psychological capital and positive coping style on relapse tendency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Zeng
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China.,Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Bin Wei
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China.,Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
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13
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Abstract
Humans are social animals, but not everyone will be mindful of others to the same extent. Individual differences have been found, but would social mindfulness also be shaped by one's location in the world? Expecting cross-national differences to exist, we examined if and how social mindfulness differs across countries. At little to no material cost, social mindfulness typically entails small acts of attention or kindness. Even though fairly common, such low-cost cooperation has received little empirical attention. Measuring social mindfulness across 31 samples from industrialized countries and regions (n = 8,354), we found considerable variation. Among selected country-level variables, greater social mindfulness was most strongly associated with countries' better general performance on environmental protection. Together, our findings contribute to the literature on prosociality by targeting the kind of everyday cooperation that is more focused on communicating benevolence than on providing material benefits.
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14
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Lettinga N, Mell H, Algan Y, Jacquet PO, Chevallier C. Childhood environmental adversity is not linked to lower levels of cooperative behaviour in economic games. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2021; 3:e29. [PMID: 37588553 PMCID: PMC10427279 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2021.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cooperation is a universal phenomenon, it is present in all human cultures from hunter-gatherers to industrialised societies, and it constitutes a fundamental aspect of social relationships. There is, however, variability in the amount of resources people invest in cooperative activities. Recent findings indicate that this variability may be partly explained as a contextually appropriate response to environmental conditions. Specifically, adverse environments seem to be associated with less cooperation and recent findings suggest that this effect is partly mediated by differences in individuals' life-history strategy. In this paper, we set out to replicate and extend these findings by measuring actual cooperative behaviour in three economic games - a Dictator game, a Trust game and a Public Goods game - on a nationally representative sample of 612 people. Although we found that the cooperation and life-history strategy latent variables were adequately captured by the models, the hypothesised relationship between childhood environmental adversity and adult cooperation and the mediation effect by life-history strategy were not found.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Lettinga
- LNC², Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université PSL, INSERM, 75005Paris, France
| | - H. Mell
- LNC², Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université PSL, INSERM, 75005Paris, France
| | - Y. Algan
- Sciences Po, OFCE, 27 Rue Saint-Guillaume, 75007Paris, France
| | - P. O. Jacquet
- LNC², Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université PSL, INSERM, 75005Paris, France
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université PSL, EHESS, CNRS, 75005Paris, France
| | - C. Chevallier
- LNC², Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université PSL, INSERM, 75005Paris, France
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15
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Wu J, Guo Z, Gao X, Kou Y. The relations between early-life stress and risk, time, and prosocial preferences in adulthood: A meta-analytic review. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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16
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Zheng S, Masuda T, Matsunaga M, Noguchi Y, Ohtsubo Y, Yamasue H, Ishii K. Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) and Childhood Adversity Influence Trust. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 121:104840. [PMID: 32866773 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Early-life environments have been associated with various social behaviors, including trust, in late adolescence and adulthood. Given that the oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism (OXTR rs53576) moderates the impact of childhood experience on social behaviors, in the present study, we examined the main effect of childhood adversity through a self-report measure and its interactions with OXTR rs53576 on general trust among 203 Japanese and 200 European Canadian undergraduate students. After controlling for the effect of culture, the results indicated that childhood adversity had a negative association with general trust, and that OXTR rs53576 moderated the impact of childhood adversity on general trust. Specifically, the negative association between childhood adversity and general trust is only significant among homozygote A-allele carriers. These findings demonstrated that OXTR rs53576 moderated the relations between childhood experiences and social functioning in early adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaofeng Zheng
- Department of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences, Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, Japan
| | | | - Masahiro Matsunaga
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, Aichi Medical University, Japan
| | - Yasuki Noguchi
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University, Japan
| | - Yohsuke Ohtsubo
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University, Japan
| | - Hidenori Yamasue
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Keiko Ishii
- Department of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences, Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, Japan.
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17
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Zwirner E, Raihani N. Neighbourhood wealth, not urbanicity, predicts prosociality towards strangers. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201359. [PMID: 33023420 PMCID: PMC7657855 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is perhaps the most significant and rapid cause of demographic change in human societies, with more than half the world's population now living in cities. Urban lifestyles have been associated with increased risk for mental disorders, greater stress responses, and lower trust. However, it is not known whether a general tendency towards prosocial behaviour varies across the urban-rural gradient, or whether other factors such as neighbourhood wealth might be more predictive of variation in prosocial behaviour. Here, we present findings from three real-world experiments conducted in 37 different neighbourhoods, in 12 cities and 12 towns and villages across the UK. We measured whether people: (i) posted a lost letter; (ii) returned a dropped item; and (iii) stopped to let someone cross the road in each neighbourhood. We expected to find that people were less willing to help a stranger in more urban locations, with increased diffusion of responsibility and perceived anonymity in cities being measured as variables that might drive this effect. Our data did not support this hypothesis. There was no effect of either urbanicity or population density on people's willingness to help a stranger. Instead, the neighbourhood level of deprivation explained most of the variance in helping behaviour with help being offered less frequently in more deprived neighbourhoods. These findings highlight the importance of socio-economic factors, rather than urbanicity per se, in shaping variation in prosocial behaviour in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Zwirner
- Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nichola Raihani
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK
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19
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Lettinga N, Jacquet PO, André JB, Baumand N, Chevallier C. Environmental adversity is associated with lower investment in collective actions. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236715. [PMID: 32730312 PMCID: PMC7392252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental adversity is associated with a wide range of biological outcomes and behaviors that seem to fulfill a need to favor immediate over long-term benefits. Adversity is also associated with decreased investment in cooperation, which is defined as a long-term strategy. Beyond establishing the correlation between adversity and cooperation, the channel through which this relationship arises remains unclear. We propose that this relationship is mediated by a present bias at the psychological level, which is embodied in the reproduction-maintenance trade-off at the biological level. We report two pre-registered studies applying structural equation models to test this relationship on large-scale datasets (the European Values Study and the World Values Survey). The present study replicates existing research linking adverse environments (both in childhood and in adulthood) with decreased investment in adult cooperation and finds that this association is indeed mediated by variations in individuals’ reproduction-maintenance trade-off.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Lettinga
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Computationnelles (LNC), Département d’Études Cognitives, INSERM, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
- * E-mail: (NL); (CC)
| | - P. O. Jacquet
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Computationnelles (LNC), Département d’Études Cognitives, INSERM, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
- Institut Jean-Nicod, Département d’Études Cognitives, INSERM, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - J-B. André
- Institut Jean-Nicod, Département d’Études Cognitives, INSERM, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - N. Baumand
- Institut Jean-Nicod, Département d’Études Cognitives, INSERM, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - C. Chevallier
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Computationnelles (LNC), Département d’Études Cognitives, INSERM, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
- * E-mail: (NL); (CC)
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20
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Encouraging Pro-Environmental Behaviors Through Children-Based Appeals: A Kin Selection Perspective. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12020748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Environmental problems are due to the fact of humans prioritizing their narrow personal interests over collective interests. How can pro-environmental behavior be promoted without requiring people to behave in ways that go against their selfish tendencies? Kin selection theory asserts that humans are predisposed to ensure the survival and replication of their genes which they share with their offspring. We hypothesized that appeals to the welfare of their children would foster pro-environmental decision-making through activating a parental care motivation. Four studies examined the impact of messages about the welfare of (potential) children on environmental intentions. Overall, the results show that children-based appeals indirectly fostered ecological intentions through an increased parental care motivation. Furthermore, meta-analyses triangulated these findings by showing that people with children show greater parental care and pro-environmental intentions. These results are discussed in light of the kin selection theory, and its implications for environmental policymaking are addressed.
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Li H, Song Y, Xie X. Altruistic or selfish? Responses when safety is threatened depend on childhood socioeconomic status. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Haihong Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences Peking University Beijing China
| | - Yi Song
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences Peking University Beijing China
- Tencent Technology (Beijing) Company Limited Beijing China
| | - Xiaofei Xie
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences Peking University Beijing China
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Disadvantaged early-life experience negatively predicts prosocial behavior: The roles of Honesty-Humility and dispositional trust among Chinese adolescents. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Häusser JA, Stahlecker C, Mojzisch A, Leder J, Van Lange PAM, Faber NS. Acute hunger does not always undermine prosociality. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4733. [PMID: 31628302 PMCID: PMC6800423 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12579-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been argued that, when they are acutely hungry, people act in self-protective ways by keeping resources to themselves rather than sharing them. In four studies, using experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational designs (total N = 795), we examine the effects of acute hunger on prosociality in a wide variety of non-interdependent tasks (e.g. dictator game) and interdependent tasks (e.g. public goods games). While our procedures successfully increase subjective hunger and decrease blood glucose, we do not find significant effects of hunger on prosociality. This is true for both decisions incentivized with money and with food. Meta-analysis across all tasks reveals a very small effect of hunger on prosociality in non-interdependent tasks (d = 0.108), and a non-significant effect in interdependent tasks (d = −0.076). In study five (N = 197), we show that, in stark contrast to our empirical findings, people hold strong lay theories that hunger undermines prosociality. Previous studies have suggested that being hungry causes people to make more selfish and less prosocial decisions. Here, the authors carried out a series of studies to test this claim and found that the effect of acute hunger was very weak at best.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan A Häusser
- Department of Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Otto-Behaghel-Str. 10D, 35394, Gießen, Germany.
| | - Christina Stahlecker
- Department of Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Otto-Behaghel-Str. 10D, 35394, Gießen, Germany.
| | - Andreas Mojzisch
- Department of Psychology, University of Hildesheim, Universitätsplatz 1, 31141, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Johannes Leder
- Department of Psychology, University of Bamberg, Markusplatz 3, 96047, Bamberg, Germany
| | - Paul A M Van Lange
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, VU Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (IBBA), Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nadira S Faber
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, New Radcliffe House, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK.,Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford, Suite 8, Littlegate House, St Ebbe's Street, Oxford, OX1 1PT, UK.,College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Building, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK
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Zhang J. Contemporary parasite stress curvilinearly correlates with outgroup trust: Cross-country evidence from 2005 to 2014. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2018.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Abstract
Since the Industrial Revolution, human societies have experienced high and sustained rates of economic growth. Recent explanations of this sudden and massive change in economic history have held that modern growth results from an acceleration of innovation. But it is unclear why the rate of innovation drastically accelerated in England in the eighteenth century. An important factor might be the alteration of individual preferences with regard to innovation resulting from the unprecedented living standards of the English during that period, for two reasons. First, recent developments in economic history challenge the standard Malthusian view according to which living standards were stagnant until the Industrial Revolution. Pre-industrial England enjoyed a level of affluence that was unprecedented in history. Second, behavioral sciences have demonstrated that the human brain is designed to respond adaptively to variations in resources in the local environment. In particular, Life History Theory, a branch of evolutionary biology, suggests that a more favorable environment (high resources, low mortality) should trigger the expression of future-oriented preferences. In this paper, I argue that some of these psychological traits - a lower level of time discounting, a higher level of optimism, decreased materialistic orientation, and a higher level of trust in others - are likely to increase the rate of innovation. I review the evidence regarding the impact of affluence on preferences in contemporary as well as past populations, and conclude that the impact of affluence on neurocognitive systems may partly explain the modern acceleration of technological innovations and the associated economic growth.
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