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Lamarche VM, Kung FYH, Finkel EJ, Jayawickreme E, Rattan A, Wheatley T. How to give great research talks to any audience. Nat Hum Behav 2024:10.1038/s41562-024-01839-2. [PMID: 38438652 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01839-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Franki Y H Kung
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Management & Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Evanston, IL, USA
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Eranda Jayawickreme
- Department of Psychology & Program for Leadership and Character, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Aneeta Rattan
- Department of Organisational Behaviour, London Business School, London, UK
| | - Thalia Wheatley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
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2
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Ruggeri K, Stock F, Haslam SA, Capraro V, Boggio P, Ellemers N, Cichocka A, Douglas KM, Rand DG, van der Linden S, Cikara M, Finkel EJ, Druckman JN, Wohl MJA, Petty RE, Tucker JA, Shariff A, Gelfand M, Packer D, Jetten J, Van Lange PAM, Pennycook G, Peters E, Baicker K, Crum A, Weeden KA, Napper L, Tabri N, Zaki J, Skitka L, Kitayama S, Mobbs D, Sunstein CR, Ashcroft-Jones S, Todsen AL, Hajian A, Verra S, Buehler V, Friedemann M, Hecht M, Mobarak RS, Karakasheva R, Tünte MR, Yeung SK, Rosenbaum RS, Lep Ž, Yamada Y, Hudson SKTJ, Macchia L, Soboleva I, Dimant E, Geiger SJ, Jarke H, Wingen T, Berkessel JB, Mareva S, McGill L, Papa F, Većkalov B, Afif Z, Buabang EK, Landman M, Tavera F, Andrews JL, Bursalıoğlu A, Zupan Z, Wagner L, Navajas J, Vranka M, Kasdan D, Chen P, Hudson KR, Novak LM, Teas P, Rachev NR, Galizzi MM, Milkman KL, Petrović M, Van Bavel JJ, Willer R. A synthesis of evidence for policy from behavioural science during COVID-19. Nature 2024; 625:134-147. [PMID: 38093007 PMCID: PMC10764287 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06840-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Scientific evidence regularly guides policy decisions1, with behavioural science increasingly part of this process2. In April 2020, an influential paper3 proposed 19 policy recommendations ('claims') detailing how evidence from behavioural science could contribute to efforts to reduce impacts and end the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we assess 747 pandemic-related research articles that empirically investigated those claims. We report the scale of evidence and whether evidence supports them to indicate applicability for policymaking. Two independent teams, involving 72 reviewers, found evidence for 18 of 19 claims, with both teams finding evidence supporting 16 (89%) of those 18 claims. The strongest evidence supported claims that anticipated culture, polarization and misinformation would be associated with policy effectiveness. Claims suggesting trusted leaders and positive social norms increased adherence to behavioural interventions also had strong empirical support, as did appealing to social consensus or bipartisan agreement. Targeted language in messaging yielded mixed effects and there were no effects for highlighting individual benefits or protecting others. No available evidence existed to assess any distinct differences in effects between using the terms 'physical distancing' and 'social distancing'. Analysis of 463 papers containing data showed generally large samples; 418 involved human participants with a mean of 16,848 (median of 1,699). That statistical power underscored improved suitability of behavioural science research for informing policy decisions. Furthermore, by implementing a standardized approach to evidence selection and synthesis, we amplify broader implications for advancing scientific evidence in policy formulation and prioritization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Ruggeri
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York City, NY, USA.
- Policy Research Group, Centre for Business Research, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- 274th ASOS, US Air Force/New York Air National Guard, Syracuse, NY, United States.
| | - Friederike Stock
- Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Paulo Boggio
- Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Social and Affective Neuroscience, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - David G Rand
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Michael J A Wohl
- Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard E Petty
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Joshua A Tucker
- Department of Politics & Center for Social Media and Politics, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Azim Shariff
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | - Jolanda Jetten
- University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul A M Van Lange
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Global Faculty, Social and Economic Behavior, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Ellen Peters
- Center for Science Communication Research, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
- Psychology Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | | | - Alia Crum
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Nassim Tabri
- Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Linda Skitka
- University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Dean Mobbs
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Sarah Ashcroft-Jones
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York City, NY, USA
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Anna Louise Todsen
- Department of Social Policy and Evaluation, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Marlene Hecht
- Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rayyan S Mobarak
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | | | - Markus R Tünte
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Siu Kit Yeung
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - R Shayna Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Žan Lep
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Centre for Applied Epistemology, Educational Research Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Yuki Yamada
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Eugen Dimant
- Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- CESifo, Munich, Germany
| | - Sandra J Geiger
- Environmental Psychology, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hannes Jarke
- Policy Research Group, Centre for Business Research, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tobias Wingen
- University of Bonn, University Hospital Bonn, Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jana B Berkessel
- Mannheim Centre for European Social Research, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Silvana Mareva
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Lucy McGill
- University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Francesca Papa
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Eike K Buabang
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marna Landman
- Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Felice Tavera
- Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jack L Andrews
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- University College, Oxford, UK
| | - Aslı Bursalıoğlu
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Zorana Zupan
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Lisa Wagner
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Joaquín Navajas
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Negocios, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - David Kasdan
- Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Patricia Chen
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Paul Teas
- University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nikolay R Rachev
- Department of General, Experimental, Developmental, and Health Psychology, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Matteo M Galizzi
- Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics, London, UK
| | | | - Marija Petrović
- Department of Psychology & Laboratory for Research of Individual Differences, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jay J Van Bavel
- Department of Psychology & Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robb Willer
- Department of Sociology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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3
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Mamakos M, Finkel EJ. The social media discourse of engaged partisans is toxic even when politics are irrelevant. PNAS Nexus 2023; 2:pgad325. [PMID: 37869481 PMCID: PMC10588776 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Prevailing theories of partisan incivility on social media suggest that it derives from disagreement about political issues or from status competition between groups. This study-which analyzes the commenting behavior of Reddit users across diverse cultural contexts (subreddits)-tests the alternative hypothesis that such incivility derives in large part from a selection effect: Toxic people are especially likely to opt into discourse in partisan contexts. First, we examined commenting behavior across over 9,000 unique cultural contexts (subreddits) and confirmed that discourse is indeed more toxic in partisan (e.g. r/progressive, r/conservatives) than in nonpartisan contexts (e.g. r/movies, r/programming). Next, we analyzed hundreds of millions of comments from over 6.3 million users and found robust evidence that: (i) the discourse of people whose behavior is especially toxic in partisan contexts is also especially toxic in nonpartisan contexts (i.e. people are not politics-only toxicity specialists); and (ii) when considering only nonpartisan contexts, the discourse of people who also comment in partisan contexts is more toxic than the discourse of people who do not. These effects were not driven by socialization processes whereby people overgeneralized toxic behavioral norms they had learned in partisan contexts. In contrast to speculation about the need for partisans to engage beyond their echo chambers, toxicity in nonpartisan contexts was higher among people who also comment in both left-wing and right-wing contexts (bilaterally engaged users) than among people who also comment in only left-wing or right-wing contexts (unilaterally engaged users). The discussion considers implications for democratic functioning and theories of polarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michalis Mamakos
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Management and Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2211 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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4
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Slotter EB, Markey PM, Audigier A, Dashineau SC, Finkel EJ, Luchies LB. Love's a dance you learn as you go: Evidence for interpersonal complementarity during romantic conflict and its association with relationship outcomes. Euro J Social Psych 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
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5
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McGorray EL, Emery LF, Garr-Schultz A, Finkel EJ. "Mostly White, heterosexual couples": Examining demographic diversity and reporting practices in relationship science research samples. J Pers Soc Psychol 2023:2023-44681-001. [PMID: 36757951 DOI: 10.1037/pspi0000417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Social and personality psychologists aim to "understand individuals in their social contexts for the benefit of all people" (Society for Personality and Social Psychology, n.d.). Though this mission is admirable, value statements do little, on their own, to create an inclusive, high-quality science that benefits humanity broadly. In this research, we evaluate relationship science, a major subfield of social-personality psychology, illustrating both the unique diversity-relevant challenges faced by particular subfields and the barriers to inclusive and diverse research that are shared across research areas. Specifically, we examine the sample diversity and reporting practices of 1,762 studies published in eight mainstream psychology and relationships journals at two time points-(a) 1996-2000 and (b) 2016-2020-and center our analysis around five focal sample characteristics: gender, sexual orientation, regional context, socioeconomic status (SES), and race. We find that reporting practices and representation have not improved for some core demographic characteristics (e.g., socioeconomic status) and that even in domains for which reporting practices have improved (e.g., sexual orientation), reporting remains limited. Further, we find that reporting practices in relationship science frequently center Whiteness (e.g., "participants were mostly White"), obscure or overlook potential sexual orientation diversity (e.g., implying that individuals in man-woman dyads are "heterosexual"), and treat the United States as the contextual default (e.g., participants came from a "large Southeastern university"). In light of these findings, we offer recommendations that we hope will cultivate a more representative and inclusive discipline. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Abstract
There are two unresolved puzzles in the literature examining how people evaluate mates (i.e., prospective or current romantic/sexual partners). First, compatibility is theoretically crucial, but attempts to explain why certain perceivers are compatible with certain targets have revealed small effects. Second, features of partners (e.g., personality, consensually rated attributes) affect perceivers' evaluations strongly in initial-attraction contexts but weakly in established relationships. Mate Evaluation Theory (MET) addresses these puzzles, beginning with the Social Relations Model postulate that all evaluative constructs (e.g., attraction, relationship satisfaction) consist of target, perceiver, and relationship variance. MET then explains how people draw evaluations from mates' attributes using four information sources: (a) shared evolved mechanisms and cultural scripts (common lens, which produces target variance); (b) individual differences that affect how a perceiver views all targets (perceiver lens, which produces perceiver variance); (c) individual differences that affect how a perceiver views some targets, depending on the targets' features (feature lens, which produces some relationship variance); and (d) narratives about and idiosyncratic reactions to one particular target (target-specific lens, which produces most relationship variance). These two distinct sources of relationship variance (i.e., feature vs. target-specific) address Puzzle #1: Previous attempts to explain compatibility used feature lens information, but relationship variance likely derives primarily from the (understudied) target-specific lens. MET also addresses Puzzle #2 by suggesting that repeated interaction causes the target-specific lens to expand, which reduces perceivers' use of the common lens. We conclude with new predictions and implications at the intersection of the human-mating and person-perception literatures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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7
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Eastwick PW, Joel S, Carswell KL, Molden DC, Finkel EJ, Blozis SA. Predicting romantic interest during early relationship development: A preregistered investigation using machine learning. Eur J Pers 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/08902070221085877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There are massive literatures on initial attraction and established relationships. But few studies capture early relationship development: the interstitial period in which people experience rising and falling romantic interest for partners who could—but often do not—become sexual or dating partners. In this study, 208 single participants reported on 1,065 potential romantic partners across 7,179 data points over 7 months. In stage 1, we used random forests (a type of machine learning) to estimate how well different classes of variables (e.g., individual differences vs. target-specific constructs) predicted participants’ romantic interest in these potential partners. We also tested (and found only modest support for) the perceiver × target moderation account of compatibility: the meta-theoretical perspective that some types of perceivers experience greater romantic interest for some types of targets. In stage 2, we used multilevel modeling to depict predictors retained by the random-forests models; robust (positive) main effects emerged for many variables, including sociosexuality, sex drive, perceptions of the partner’s positive attributes (e.g., attractive and exciting), attachment features (e.g., proximity seeking), and perceived interest. Finally, we found no support for ideal partner preference-matching effects on romantic interest. The discussion highlights the need for new models to explain the origin of romantic compatibility.
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8
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Vohs KD, Schmeichel BJ, Lohmann S, Gronau QF, Finley AJ, Ainsworth SE, Alquist JL, Baker MD, Brizi A, Bunyi A, Butschek GJ, Campbell C, Capaldi J, Cau C, Chambers H, Chatzisarantis NLD, Christensen WJ, Clay SL, Curtis J, De Cristofaro V, Del Rosario K, Diel K, Doğruol Y, Doi M, Donaldson TL, Eder AB, Ersoff M, Eyink JR, Falkenstein A, Fennis BM, Findley MB, Finkel EJ, Forgea V, Friese M, Fuglestad P, Garcia-Willingham NE, Geraedts LF, Gervais WM, Giacomantonio M, Gibson B, Gieseler K, Gineikiene J, Gloger EM, Gobes CM, Grande M, Hagger MS, Hartsell B, Hermann AD, Hidding JJ, Hirt ER, Hodge J, Hofmann W, Howell JL, Hutton RD, Inzlicht M, James L, Johnson E, Johnson HL, Joyce SM, Joye Y, Kaben JH, Kammrath LK, Kelly CN, Kissell BL, Koole SL, Krishna A, Lam C, Lee KT, Lee N, Leighton DC, Loschelder DD, Maranges HM, Masicampo EJ, Mazara K, McCarthy S, McGregor I, Mead NL, Mendes WB, Meslot C, Michalak NM, Milyavskaya M, Miyake A, Moeini-Jazani M, Muraven M, Nakahara E, Patel K, Petrocelli JV, Pollak KM, Price MM, Ramsey HJ, Rath M, Robertson JA, Rockwell R, Russ IF, Salvati M, Saunders B, Scherer A, Schütz A, Schmitt KN, Segerstrom SC, Serenka B, Sharpinskyi K, Shaw M, Sherman J, Song Y, Sosa N, Spillane K, Stapels J, Stinnett AJ, Strawser HR, Sweeny K, Theodore D, Tonnu K, van Oldenbeuving Y, vanDellen MR, Vergara RC, Walker JS, Waugh CE, Weise F, Werner KM, Wheeler C, White RA, Wichman AL, Wiggins BJ, Wills JA, Wilson JH, Wagenmakers EJ, Albarracín D. A Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego-Depletion Effect. Psychol Sci 2021; 32:1566-1581. [PMID: 34520296 DOI: 10.1177/0956797621989733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We conducted a preregistered multilaboratory project (k = 36; N = 3,531) to assess the size and robustness of ego-depletion effects using a novel replication method, termed the paradigmatic replication approach. Each laboratory implemented one of two procedures that was intended to manipulate self-control and tested performance on a subsequent measure of self-control. Confirmatory tests found a nonsignificant result (d = 0.06). Confirmatory Bayesian meta-analyses using an informed-prior hypothesis (δ = 0.30, SD = 0.15) found that the data were 4 times more likely under the null than the alternative hypothesis. Hence, preregistered analyses did not find evidence for a depletion effect. Exploratory analyses on the full sample (i.e., ignoring exclusion criteria) found a statistically significant effect (d = 0.08); Bayesian analyses showed that the data were about equally likely under the null and informed-prior hypotheses. Exploratory moderator tests suggested that the depletion effect was larger for participants who reported more fatigue but was not moderated by trait self-control, willpower beliefs, or action orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen D Vohs
- Department of Marketing, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
| | | | - Sophie Lohmann
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Quentin F Gronau
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam
| | - Anna J Finley
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | | | | | | | - Ambra Brizi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome
| | | | | | | | | | - Chuting Cau
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
| | - Heather Chambers
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University
| | | | | | - Samuel L Clay
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University-Idaho
| | - Jessica Curtis
- Department of Psychology & Counseling, Arkansas State University
| | | | | | | | | | - Megan Doi
- Department of Marketing, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
| | | | | | - Mia Ersoff
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University
| | - Julie R Eyink
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University
| | | | - Bob M Fennis
- Department of Marketing, University of Groningen
| | | | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Will M Gervais
- Centre for Culture and Evolution, Psychology, Brunel University London
| | | | - Bryan Gibson
- Psychology Department, Central Michigan University
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Martin S Hagger
- Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced.,Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä
| | | | | | | | - Edward R Hirt
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University
| | - Josh Hodge
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne
| | | | | | | | | | - Lily James
- London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London
| | - Emily Johnson
- Department of Psychology & Counseling, Arkansas State University
| | | | | | - Yannick Joye
- Department of Management, ISM University of Management and Economics
| | | | | | | | | | - Sander L Koole
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
| | | | - Christine Lam
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside
| | | | - Nick Lee
- School of Psychology, Curtin University
| | - Dana C Leighton
- College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, Texas A&M University, Texarkana
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ian McGregor
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo
| | | | - Wendy B Mendes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | | | | | | | - Akira Miyake
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | | | | | - Erin Nakahara
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | | | | | | | - Mindi M Price
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University
| | | | | | - Jacob A Robertson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | | | | | - Marco Salvati
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome
| | | | - Anne Scherer
- Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University
| | | | - Kristin N Schmitt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | | | | | | | | | - Janelle Sherman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University
| | - Yu Song
- Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University
| | | | | | | | | | - Hannah R Strawser
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University
| | - Kate Sweeny
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside
| | | | - Karine Tonnu
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Feline Weise
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
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9
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Abstract
Lower SES (socioeconomic status) couples tend to face particular challenges in their relationships. Relative to higher SES couples, they are less likely to marry and more likely to divorce-but they do not value their romantic relationships any less. Drawing on risk regulation theory and theories of social class as culture, we suggest that lower SES individuals adapt to their more chronically precarious environments by prioritizing self-protection more than higher SES individuals do, but that the need to self-protect may undermine relationship satisfaction. We investigate these ideas across 3 studies, using cross-sectional, longitudinal, and daily-diary methods. Lower SES individuals were more self-protective, both in their thoughts about their relationship (Studies 2-3), and in the judgments they made about their partner's commitment level over 2 years (Study 1) and 2 weeks (Study 3). Self-protection, in turn, was associated with lower relationship satisfaction (Studies 2-3). However, lower SES individuals were only self-protective when feeling vulnerable in their relationships (Study 3). Taken together, these studies identify psychological mechanisms to explain why the structural challenges that lower SES individuals experience can make it more difficult to achieve satisfying relationships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia F Emery
- Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
| | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
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10
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Hopwood CJ, Good EW, Levendosky AA, Zimmermann J, Dumat D, Finkel EJ, Eastwick PE, Bleidorn W. Realness is a core feature of authenticity. Journal of Research in Personality 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2021.104086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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11
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Finkel EJ, Bail CA, Cikara M, Ditto PH, Iyengar S, Klar S, Mason L, McGrath MC, Nyhan B, Rand DG, Skitka LJ, Tucker JA, Van Bavel JJ, Wang CS, Druckman JN. Political sectarianism in America. Science 2020; 370:533-536. [PMID: 33122374 DOI: 10.1126/science.abe1715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - David G Rand
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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12
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Sparks J, Daly C, Wilkey BM, Molden DC, Finkel EJ, Eastwick PW. Negligible evidence that people desire partners who uniquely fit their ideals. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2020.103968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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13
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Abstract
This research introduces the construct of couple identity clarity-the extent to which an individual, as one of two partners in a romantic relationship, believes that the two of them know who they are as a couple. Cross-sectional (Studies 1-2), experimental (Study 3), and longitudinal (Study 4) studies supported the hypothesis that couple identity clarity is associated with higher commitment. Moreover, higher couple identity clarity, although related to actual agreement between partners on their identity as a couple, predicted commitment above and beyond agreement (Study 2)-as well as predicted reduced likelihood of relationship dissolution over a 9-month period (Study 4). Exploratory analyses revealed that successful conflict resolution may enhance couple identity clarity, in turn predicting commitment (Study 4). These studies highlight the importance of people's understanding of who they are as a couple and how this understanding shapes relationship persistence.
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Bavel JJV, Baicker K, Boggio PS, Capraro V, Cichocka A, Cikara M, Crockett MJ, Crum AJ, Douglas KM, Druckman JN, Drury J, Dube O, Ellemers N, Finkel EJ, Fowler JH, Gelfand M, Han S, Haslam SA, Jetten J, Kitayama S, Mobbs D, Napper LE, Packer DJ, Pennycook G, Peters E, Petty RE, Rand DG, Reicher SD, Schnall S, Shariff A, Skitka LJ, Smith SS, Sunstein CR, Tabri N, Tucker JA, Linden SVD, Lange PV, Weeden KA, Wohl MJA, Zaki J, Zion SR, Willer R. Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response. Nat Hum Behav 2020. [PMID: 32355299 DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/y38m9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic represents a massive global health crisis. Because the crisis requires large-scale behaviour change and places significant psychological burdens on individuals, insights from the social and behavioural sciences can be used to help align human behaviour with the recommendations of epidemiologists and public health experts. Here we discuss evidence from a selection of research topics relevant to pandemics, including work on navigating threats, social and cultural influences on behaviour, science communication, moral decision-making, leadership, and stress and coping. In each section, we note the nature and quality of prior research, including uncertainty and unsettled issues. We identify several insights for effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight important gaps researchers should move quickly to fill in the coming weeks and months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay J Van Bavel
- Department of Psychology & Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Katherine Baicker
- University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Paulo S Boggio
- Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Center for Health and Biological Sciences, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Valerio Capraro
- Department of Economics, Middlesex University London, London, UK
| | - Aleksandra Cichocka
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Kent, UK
- Department of Psychology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
| | - Mina Cikara
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Alia J Crum
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - James N Druckman
- Department of Political Science, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - John Drury
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Sussex, Sussex, UK
| | - Oeindrila Dube
- University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Naomi Ellemers
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology and the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - James H Fowler
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health and Department of Political Science, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Michele Gelfand
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Jolanda Jetten
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Shinobu Kitayama
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Dean Mobbs
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Lucy E Napper
- Department of Psychology and Health, Medicine & Society Program, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | | | - Gordon Pennycook
- Hill/Levene Schools of Business, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Ellen Peters
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Richard E Petty
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - David G Rand
- Sloan School and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephen D Reicher
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Simone Schnall
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Azim Shariff
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Linda J Skitka
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sandra Susan Smith
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Cass R Sunstein
- Harvard Law School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Nassim Tabri
- Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joshua A Tucker
- Department of Politics, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Paul van Lange
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kim A Weeden
- Department of Sociology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Michael J A Wohl
- Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jamil Zaki
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sean R Zion
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Robb Willer
- Department of Sociology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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15
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Eastwick PW, Finkel EJ, Simpson JA. The Relationship Trajectories Framework: Elaboration and Expansion. Psychological Inquiry 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/1047840x.2019.1585740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul W. Eastwick
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Eli J. Finkel
- Department of Psychology and Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Jeffry A. Simpson
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W. Eastwick
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Eli J. Finkel
- Department of Psychology and Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Jeffry A. Simpson
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Finkel EJ. Complementing the Sculpting Metaphor: Reflections on How Relationship Partners Elicit the Best or the Worst in Each Other. Review of General Psychology 2019. [DOI: 10.1037/gpr0000163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A major idea in relationship science is that partners in a close relationship can “sculpt” each other in a manner that helps them align more closely with their ideal, or true, self. This sculpting metaphor is compelling, elegant, and generative, but it also possesses previously unrecognized liabilities, especially in its conceptualization of the ideal self as a sculpture yearning for release from a block of stone that is imprisoning it. Given the powerful role that metaphors play in structuring thought, overreliance on the sculpting metaphor has blinded us to certain questions even as it has sensitized us to others. To develop a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which relationship partners bring out the best or the worst in each other, we must complement the sculpting metaphor with metaphors that direct our attention to questions that it obscures, such as (a) where the ideal self comes from and (b) whether, how much, and how the ideal self changes over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli J. Finkel
- Department of Psychology and the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
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Abstract
Romantic passion typically declines over time, but a downward trajectory is not inevitable. Across 3 studies (1 of which encompassed 2 substudies), we investigated whether creativity helps bolster romantic passion in established relationships. Studies 1A and 1B revealed that people with highly creative personalities report not only greater overall passion but also an attenuation in the tendency for passion to decline as relationship duration increases. Studies 2 and 3 explored positive illusions about the partner's physical attractiveness as a possible mediator of the effect of creativity on passion. Cross-lagged panel analyses in Study 2 indicated that being creative is linked to a tendency to view the partner as especially attractive, even relative to the partner's own self-assessment. Path analyses in Study 3 provided longitudinal evidence consistent with the hypothesis that positive illusions about the partner's attractiveness (participant's assessments, controlling for objective coding of the partner's attractiveness) mediate the link between creativity and changes in passion over time. Study 3 also provided longitudinal evidence of the buffering effect of creativity on passion trajectories over time, an effect that emerged not only for self-reported passion but also for objectively coded passion during a laboratory-based physical intimacy task 9 months later. A meta-analytic summary across studies revealed a significant overall main effect of creativity on passion, as well as a significant moderation effect of creativity on risks of passion decline (e.g., relationship length). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Carswell KL, Finkel EJ. Can you get the magic back? The moderating effect of passion decay beliefs on relationship commitment. J Pers Soc Psychol 2018; 115:1002-1033. [DOI: 10.1037/pspi0000147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Abstract
Theories of goal pursuit typically conceptualize goal pursuers as isolated actors; in contrast, empirical research from diverse areas of psychology has demonstrated that goal setting, pursuit, and achievement are deeply embedded within social relationships. Because much of this emerging literature is developing within subfields with minimal cross talk, the potential for integration and advances to basic theory has not been realized. The present article leverages transactive-goal-dynamics theory in an effort to bring these literatures together. In doing so, it distills a common set of primary research questions toward the goal of promoting a cumulative, integrative, interdisciplinary field of research on the ways in which goal pursuit is socially embedded.
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Abstract
Many psychological hypotheses require testing whether the similarity between two variables predicts important outcomes. For example, the ideal standards model posits that the match between (A) a participant’s ideal partner preferences, and (B) the traits of a current/potential partner, predicts (C) evaluative outcomes (e.g., the decision to date someone, relationship satisfaction, breakup); tests of the predictive validity of ideal-matching require A × B → C analytic strategies. However, recent articles have incorrectly suggested that documenting a positive samplewide correlation between a participant’s ideals and a current partner’s traits (an A-B correlation) implies that participants pursued, selected, or desired partners with traits that matched their ideals. There are at least six alternative explanations for the emergence of a samplewide A-B correlation; A-B correlations do not provide evidence that ideals guide the selection/evaluation of specific partners. We review appropriately rigorous A × B → C tests that can aid scholars in identifying the circumstances in which ideal-matching exhibits predictive validity.
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Emery LF, Gardner WL, Carswell KL, Finkel EJ. You Can't See the Real Me: Attachment Avoidance, Self-Verification, and Self-Concept Clarity. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 2018; 44:1133-1146. [PMID: 29552948 DOI: 10.1177/0146167218760799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Attachment shapes people's experiences in their close relationships and their self-views. Although attachment avoidance and anxiety both undermine relationships, past research has primarily emphasized detrimental effects of anxiety on the self-concept. However, as partners can help people maintain stable self-views, avoidant individuals' negative views of others might place them at risk for self-concept confusion. We hypothesized that avoidance would predict lower self-concept clarity and that less self-verification from partners would mediate this association. Attachment avoidance was associated with lower self-concept clarity (Studies 1-5), an effect that was mediated by low self-verification (Studies 2-3). The association between avoidance and self-verification was mediated by less self-disclosure and less trust in partner feedback (Study 4). Longitudinally, avoidance predicted changes in self-verification, which in turn predicted changes in self-concept clarity (Study 5). Thus, avoidant individuals' reluctance to trust or become too close to others may result in hidden costs to the self-concept.
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23
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Finkel EJ, Hall AN. The I 3 Model: a metatheoretical framework for understanding aggression. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 19:125-130. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Joel S, Eastwick PW, Finkel EJ. Open Sharing of Data on Close Relationships and Other Sensitive Social Psychological Topics: Challenges, Tools, and Future Directions. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science 2018. [DOI: 10.1177/2515245917744281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This article reports on an adversarial (but friendly) collaboration examining the issues that lie at the intersection of confidentiality and open-data practices. We describe the process we followed to share our data for a speed-dating article we recently published in Psychological Science (Joel, Eastwick, & Finkel, 2017) and provide a summary of the issues we considered and addressed along the way. As we drafted the present article, the third author became unsure, in retrospect, about some of the procedures we had followed, especially if our approach were to be perceived as a model for open-data decisions in other, more typical cases involving nonindependent data. This article addresses these concerns, but also identifies areas of consensus. All three authors agree that there remains an unmet need for guidelines and other resources to help researchers address the challenges of sharing data that cover sensitive topics, particularly nonindependent data collected from pairs and groups (e.g., romantic couples, work teams, therapy groups). We conclude with a discussion of new tools that could be developed to help scholars who have collected such data to increase the transparency of their research while simultaneously protecting the confidentiality of the participants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eli J. Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
- Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
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25
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Emery LF, Gardner WL, Finkel EJ, Carswell KL. "You've Changed": Low Self-Concept Clarity Predicts Lack of Support for Partner Change. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 2017; 44:318-331. [PMID: 29134868 DOI: 10.1177/0146167217739263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
People often pursue self-change, and having a romantic partner who supports these changes increases relationship satisfaction. However, most existing research focuses only on the experience of the person who is changing. What predicts whether people support their partner's change? People with low self-concept clarity resist self-change, so we hypothesized that they would be unsupportive of their partner's changes. People with low self-concept clarity did not support their partner's change (Study 1a), because they thought they would have to change, too (Study 1b). Low self-concept clarity predicted failing to support a partner's change, but not vice versa (Studies 2 and 3), and only for larger changes (Study 3). Not supporting a partner's change predicted decreases in relationship quality for both members of the couple (Studies 2 and 3). This research underscores the role of partners in self-change, suggesting that failing to support a partner's change may stem from self-concept confusion.
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Abstract
Matchmaking companies and theoretical perspectives on close relationships suggest that initial attraction is, to some extent, a product of two people's self-reported traits and preferences. We used machine learning to test how well such measures predict people's overall tendencies to romantically desire other people (actor variance) and to be desired by other people (partner variance), as well as people's desire for specific partners above and beyond actor and partner variance (relationship variance). In two speed-dating studies, romantically unattached individuals completed more than 100 self-report measures about traits and preferences that past researchers have identified as being relevant to mate selection. Each participant met each opposite-sex participant attending a speed-dating event for a 4-min speed date. Random forests models predicted 4% to 18% of actor variance and 7% to 27% of partner variance; crucially, however, they were unable to predict relationship variance using any combination of traits and preferences reported before the dates. These results suggest that compatibility elements of human mating are challenging to predict before two people meet.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eli J Finkel
- 3 Department of Psychology, Northwestern University.,4 Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
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Overall NC, Hammond MD, McNulty JK, Finkel EJ. When power shapes interpersonal behavior: Low relationship power predicts men's aggressive responses to low situational power. J Pers Soc Psychol 2017; 111:195-217. [PMID: 27442766 DOI: 10.1037/pspi0000059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
When does power in intimate relationships shape important interpersonal behaviors, such as psychological aggression? Five studies tested whether possessing low relationship power was associated with aggressive responses, but (a) only within power-relevant relationship interactions when situational power was low, and (b) only by men because masculinity (but not femininity) involves the possession and demonstration of power. In Studies 1 and 2, men lower in relationship power exhibited greater aggressive communication during couples' observed conflict discussions, but only when they experienced low situational power because they were unable to influence their partner. In Study 3, men lower in relationship power reported greater daily aggressive responses toward their partner, but only on days when they experienced low situational power because they were either (a) unable to influence their partner or (b) dependent on their partner for support. In Study 4, men who possessed lower relationship power exhibited greater aggressive responses during couples' support-relevant discussions, but only when they had low situational power because they needed high levels of support. Study 5 provided evidence for the theoretical mechanism underlying men's aggressive responses to low relationship power. Men who possessed lower relationship power felt less manly on days they faced low situational power because their partner was unwilling to change to resolve relationship problems, which in turn predicted greater aggressive behavior toward their partner. These results demonstrate that fully understanding when and why power is associated with interpersonal behavior requires differentiating between relationship and situational power. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, and Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
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Finkel EJ, Eastwick PW, Reis HT. Replicability and other features of a high-quality science: Toward a balanced and empirical approach. J Pers Soc Psychol 2017; 113:244-253. [DOI: 10.1037/pspi0000075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Laurin K, Fitzsimons GM, Finkel EJ, Carswell KL, vanDellen MR, Hofmann W, Lambert NM, Eastwick PW, Fincham FD, Brown PC. Power and the pursuit of a partner's goals. J Pers Soc Psychol 2017; 110:840-68. [PMID: 27281354 DOI: 10.1037/pspi0000048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We investigated how power dynamics in close relationships influence the tendency to devote resources to the pursuit of goals valued by relationship partners, hypothesizing that low (vs. high) power in relationships would lead individuals to center their individual goal pursuit around the goals of their partners. We study 2 related phenomena: partner goal prioritization, whereby individuals pursue goals on behalf of their partners, and partner goal contagion, whereby individuals identify and adopt as their own the goals that their partner pursues. We tested our ideas in 5 studies that employed diverse research methods, including lab experiments and dyadic studies of romantic partners, and multiple types of dependent measures, including experience sampling reports, self-reported goal commitment, and behavioral goal pursuit in a variety of goal domains. Despite this methodological diversity, the studies provided clear and consistent evidence that individuals with low power in their relationships are especially likely to engage in both partner goal prioritization and partner goal contagion. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
| | | | | | | | | | - Paul W Eastwick
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli J. Finkel
- Department of Psychology and the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
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Abstract
Relationship science is a theory-rich discipline, but there have been no attempts to articulate the broader themes or principles that cut across the theories themselves. We have sought to fill that void by reviewing the psychological literature on close relationships, particularly romantic relationships, to extract its core principles. This review reveals 14 principles, which collectively address four central questions: (a) What is a relationship? (b) How do relationships operate? (c) What tendencies do people bring to their relationships? (d) How does the context affect relationships? The 14 principles paint a cohesive and unified picture of romantic relationships that reflects a strong and maturing discipline. However, the principles afford few of the sorts of conflicting predictions that can be especially helpful in fostering novel theory development. We conclude that relationship science is likely to benefit from simultaneous pushes toward both greater integration across theories (to reduce redundancy) and greater emphasis on the circumstances under which existing (or not-yet-developed) principles conflict with one another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology and Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208;
| | - Jeffry A Simpson
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455;
| | - Paul W Eastwick
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California 95616;
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Vacharkulksemsuk T, Reit E, Khambatta P, Eastwick PW, Finkel EJ, Carney DR. Dominant, open nonverbal displays are attractive at zero-acquaintance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:4009-14. [PMID: 27035937 PMCID: PMC4839399 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1508932113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Across two field studies of romantic attraction, we demonstrate that postural expansiveness makes humans more romantically appealing. In a field study (n = 144 speed-dates), we coded nonverbal behaviors associated with liking, love, and dominance. Postural expansiveness-expanding the body in physical space-was most predictive of attraction, with each one-unit increase in coded behavior from the video recordings nearly doubling a person's odds of getting a "yes" response from one's speed-dating partner. In a subsequent field experiment (n = 3,000), we tested the causality of postural expansion (vs. contraction) on attraction using a popular Global Positioning System-based online-dating application. Mate-seekers rapidly flipped through photographs of potential sexual/date partners, selecting those they desired to meet for a date. Mate-seekers were significantly more likely to select partners displaying an expansive (vs. contractive) nonverbal posture. Mediation analyses demonstrate one plausible mechanism through which expansiveness is appealing: Expansiveness makes the dating candidate appear more dominant. In a dating world in which success sometimes is determined by a split-second decision rendered after a brief interaction or exposure to a static photograph, single persons have very little time to make a good impression. Our research suggests that a nonverbal dominance display increases a person's chances of being selected as a potential mate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily Reit
- Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Poruz Khambatta
- Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Paul W Eastwick
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208; Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208
| | - Dana R Carney
- Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;
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Fitzsimons GM, Sackett E, Finkel EJ. Transactive Goal Dynamics Theory: A relational goals perspective on work teams and leadership. Research in Organizational Behavior 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.riob.2016.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Abstract
Transactive goal dynamics (TGD) theory conceptualizes 2 or more interdependent people as 1 single self-regulating system. Six tenets describe the nature of goal interdependence, predict its emergence, predict when it will lead to positive goal outcomes during and after the relationship, and predict the consequences for the relationship. Both partners in a TGD system possess and pursue self-oriented, partner-oriented, and system-oriented goals, and all of these goals and pursuits are interdependent. TGD theory states that relationship partners' goals, pursuit, and outcomes affect each other in a dense network of goal interdependence, ultimately becoming so tightly linked that the 2 partners are most accurately conceptualized as components within a single self-regulating system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
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35
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
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36
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Finkel EJ, Eastwick PW, Reis HT. Best research practices in psychology: Illustrating epistemological and pragmatic considerations with the case of relationship science. J Pers Soc Psychol 2015; 108:275-97. [PMID: 25603376 DOI: 10.1037/pspi0000007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, a robust movement has emerged within psychology to increase the evidentiary value of our science. This movement, which has analogs throughout the empirical sciences, is broad and diverse, but its primary emphasis has been on the reduction of statistical false positives. The present article addresses epistemological and pragmatic issues that we, as a field, must consider as we seek to maximize the scientific value of this movement. Regarding epistemology, this article contrasts the false-positives-reduction (FPR) approach with an alternative, the error balance (EB) approach, which argues that any serious consideration of optimal scientific practice must contend simultaneously with both false-positive and false-negative errors. Regarding pragmatics, the movement has devoted a great deal of attention to issues that frequently arise in laboratory experiments and one-shot survey studies, but it has devoted less attention to issues that frequently arise in intensive and/or longitudinal studies. We illustrate these epistemological and pragmatic considerations with the case of relationship science, one of the many research domains that frequently employ intensive and/or longitudinal methods. Specifically, we examine 6 research prescriptions that can help to reduce false-positive rates: preregistration, prepublication sharing of materials, postpublication sharing of data, close replication, avoiding piecemeal publication, and increasing sample size. For each, we offer concrete guidance not only regarding how researchers can improve their research practices and balance the risk of false-positive and false-negative errors, but also how the movement can capitalize upon insights from research practices within relationship science to make the movement stronger and more inclusive.
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Finkel EJ, Eastwick PW, Karney BR, Reis HT, Sprecher S. Online Dating: A Critical Analysis From the Perspective of Psychological Science. Psychol Sci Public Interest 2015; 13:3-66. [PMID: 26173279 DOI: 10.1177/1529100612436522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Abstract
Clear empirical demonstrations of the theoretical principles underlying assortative mating remain elusive. This article examines a moderator of assortative mating—how well couple members knew each other before dating—suggested by recent findings related to market-based (i.e., competition) theories. Specifically, competition is pervasive to the extent that people achieve consensus about who possesses desirable qualities (e.g., attractiveness) and who does not. Because consensus is stronger earlier in the acquaintance process, assortative mating based on attractiveness should be stronger among couples who formed a relationship after a short period rather than a long period of acquaintance. A study of 167 couples included measures of how long partners had known each other before dating and whether they had been friends before dating, as well as coders’ ratings of physical attractiveness. As predicted, couples revealed stronger evidence of assortative mating to the extent that they knew each other for a short time and were not friends before initiating a romantic relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy L. Hunt
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Paul W. Eastwick
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
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Abstract
Throughout American history, the fundamental purpose of marriage has shifted from (a) helping spouses meet their basic economic and political needs to (b) helping them meet their intimacy and passion needs to (c) helping them meet their autonomy and personal-growth needs. According to the suffocation model of marriage in America, these changes have had two major consequences for marital quality, one negative and one positive. The negative consequence is that, as Americans have increasingly looked to their marriage to help them meet idiosyncratic, self-expressive needs, the proportion of marriages that fall short of their expectations has grown, which has increased rates of marital dissatisfaction. The positive consequence is that those marriages that succeed in meeting these needs are particularly fulfilling, more so than the best marriages in earlier eras. In tandem, these two consequences have pushed marriage toward an all-or-nothing state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli J. Finkel
- Department of Psychology
- Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
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Abstract
This article elaborates on evolutionary perspectives relevant to the meta-analytic portion of our recent review (Eastwick, Luchies, Finkel, & Hunt, 2014). We suggested that if men and women evolved sex-differentiated ideals (i.e., mate preferences), then they should exhibit sex-differentiated desires (e.g., romantic attraction) and/or relational outcomes (e.g., relationship satisfaction) with respect to live opposite-sex targets. Our meta-analysis revealed no support for these sex-differentiated desires and relational outcomes in either established relationship or mate selection contexts. With respect to established relationships, Schmitt (2014) has objected to the idea that relationship quality (one of our primarily romantic evaluation dependent measures) has functional relevance. In doing so, he neglects myriad evolutionary perspectives on the adaptive importance of the pair-bond and the wealth of data suggesting that relationship quality predicts the dissolution of pair-bonds. With respect to mate selection, Schmitt (2014) has continued to suggest that sex-differentiated patterns should emerge in these contexts despite the fact that our meta-analysis included this literature and found no sex differences. Schmitt (2014) also generated several novel sex-differentiated predictions with respect to attractiveness and earning prospects, but neither the existing literature nor reanalyses of our meta-analytic data reveal any support for his "proper" function-related hypotheses. In short, there are diverse evolutionary perspectives relevant to mating, including our own synthesis; Schmitt's (2014) conceptual analysis is not the one-and-only evolutionary psychological view, and his alternative explanations for our meta-analytic data remain speculative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W Eastwick
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
| | | | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
| | - Lucy L Hunt
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
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Birnbaum GE, Finkel EJ. The magnetism that holds us together: sexuality and relationship maintenance across relationship development. Curr Opin Psychol 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Finkel EJ, Norton MI, Reis HT, Ariely D, Caprariello PA, Eastwick PW, Frost JH, Maniaci MR. When Does Familiarity Promote Versus Undermine Interpersonal Attraction? A Proposed Integrative Model From Erstwhile Adversaries. Perspect Psychol Sci 2015; 10:3-19. [DOI: 10.1177/1745691614561682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
This article began as an adversarial collaboration between two groups of researchers with competing views on a longstanding question: Does familiarity promote or undermine interpersonal attraction? As we explored our respective positions, it became clear that the limitations of our conceptualizations of the familiarity–attraction link, as well as the limitations of prior research, were masking a set of higher order principles capable of integrating these diverse conceptualizations. This realization led us to adopt a broader perspective, which focuses on three distinct relationship stages—awareness, surface contact, and mutuality—and suggests that the influence of familiarity on attraction depends on both the nature and the stage of the relationship between perceivers and targets. This article introduces the framework that emerged from our discussions and suggests directions for research to investigate its validity.
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Hofmann W, Finkel EJ, Fitzsimons GM. Close relationships and self-regulation: How relationship satisfaction facilitates momentary goal pursuit. J Pers Soc Psychol 2015; 109:434-52. [DOI: 10.1037/pspi0000020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Eastwick PW, Neff LA, Finkel EJ, Luchies LB, Hunt LL. Is a meta-analysis a foundation, or just another brick? Comment on Meltzer, McNulty, Jackson, and Karney (2014). J Pers Soc Psychol 2014; 106:429-34. [DOI: 10.1037/a0034767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Hui CM, Finkel EJ, Fitzsimons GM, Kumashiro M, Hofmann W. The Manhattan effect: When relationship commitment fails to promote support for partners’ interests. J Pers Soc Psychol 2014; 106:546-70. [DOI: 10.1037/a0035493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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