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Unpacking the effects of materialism on interpersonal relationships: A cognitive approach

Materialism, or beliefs and values that link wealth and consumption to success and happiness, negatively affects interpersonal relationships. Prior work has typically explained these effects through the allocation of personal resources (such as time or money) within relationships, thus using a behavioural route. However, this research proposes an alternative cognitive pathway to understand the adverse effects of materialism on interpersonal relationships. Three studies (N = 1389) employing correlational and experimental methodologies showed that materialism leads to heightened expectations and standards for a significant other, which are associated with poorer interpersonal outcomes. Specifically, materialism heightens the ideal standards that one has for a close other around achievement (e.g., ambition) and positive image (e.g., attractiveness), which are linked to higher conflict and lower relational satisfaction. Therefore, this work contributes to deepening our understanding of how consumer-oriented values shape social perceptions and negatively affect interpersonal dynamics. Practical applications include informing relationship counselling practices, developing educational interventions, and guiding marketers and media content producers towards messages that do not increase individuals' ideals and standards for themselves and others. Further research should explore other factors that might alter this mediation (e.g., mindfulness) and examine the short- and long-term effects through longitudinal and interventional-based research.

Nostalgia in the Gaza Strip: Psychological costs and benefits of nostalgia among Palestinian youth

Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for one's past, confers important psychological benefits: positive affect, social connectedness, meaning in life, self-continuity, self-esteem, optimism, and inspiration. Is nostalgia equally beneficial in populations that have experienced a difficult upbringing? We explored boundaries of nostalgia's psychological benefits in an experiment among Gaza Strip youth (N = 416). We hypothesized additionally that resilience would catalyse the impact of nostalgia, with high-resilience participants benefiting more than low-resilience ones. Nostalgia only augmented social connectedness. As hypothesized, however, resilience emerged as a moderator. Whereas nostalgia increased positive affect and social connectedness among high-resilience individuals, it reduced positive affect, meaning in life, self-esteem, and inspiration among low-resilience ones. Social environmental hardship plausibly limits the reach of nostalgia's benefits.

Narratives of moral superiority in the context of war in Ukraine: Justifying pro‐Russian support through social creativity and moral disengagement

The war in Ukraine has deepened ideological divides, particularly in neighbouring countries such as Romania and Moldova. This study examines how pro-Russian supporters in these nations construct narratives to sustain moral superiority while justifying the invasion of Ukraine. Drawing on Social Identity Theory (SIT) and theoretical models of social creativity and moral disengagement, we analyse how a positive collective identity is maintained despite support for morally contentious actions. Through thematic analysis of social media content expressing pro-Russian viewpoints, we identified strategies including reframing aggressive actions as morally justifiable, making favourable group comparisons, and emphasizing ingroup virtues while dehumanizing the outgroup. These approaches facilitate rationalization, mitigate cognitive dissonance, and preserve perceptions of moral superiority. Conspiracy theories about global powers manipulating the conflict further reinforce distrust in mainstream narratives and absolve Russia of responsibility. Our findings highlight how social identity mechanisms function to protect group identity, potentially intensifying ideological divisions and bolstering support for morally problematic positions. This research also provides insights into ways of combating misinformation and developing effective counter-narratives in modern geopolitical conflicts.

“When you live in a colony… every act counts”: Exploring engagement in and perceptions of diverse anti‐colonial resistance strategies in Puerto Rico

While social psychology has contributed much to our understanding of collective action, other forms of resistance are understudied. However, in contexts of long-standing oppression—such as ongoing colonialism—and past repression of liberation struggles, other resistance strategies are important considering the constraints on overt, collective action in such contexts. This paper reports findings from an interview study in Puerto Rico (N = 22) exploring anti-colonial resistance. We analysed participants' own resistance, future preferred strategies, and descriptive norms of other ingroup members' resistance. Through thematic analysis, we identified six distinct forms of anti-colonial resistance. Notably, none of the participants reported participating in collective action. Instead, participants engaged in different forms of symbolic everyday resistance to preserve a positive, distinct cultural identity, and raise critical consciousness of the group's oppression. Additionally, more tangible resistance strategies included staying on the land and building independent economies. Overall, this study illustrates the importance of considering a more comprehensive set of resistance strategies in contexts of long-standing colonial oppression to recognize oppressed groups' agency and provide a better understanding of how people undermine destructive power.

The sustainable challenge: Where does social psychology stand in achieving the sustainable development goals?

The United Nations Agenda 2030, inclusive of its 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), serves as the global blueprint for sustainability for both present and future generations. Scientific research is entrusted with the responsibility of contributing by informing the current situation and future challenges in achieving the SDGs. This paper investigates the role of social psychology in contributing to the SDGs and the environmental, economic and social pillars of the UN Agenda. We analysed 4808 papers using Natural Language Processing to identify (i) the relevance of social psychology within the SDG-related literature and (ii) the current and potential contribution of social psychology to the SDGs. Results highlight that social psychology contributes to the SDGs by addressing typical social issues, primarily those related to health and gender, while noting its under-representation in some environmental and economic areas, despite social psychology well-established research on these topics. This paper introduces a novel approach for assessing the SDGs, fostering a critical reflection on the SDG framework and social psychology to guide less explored research paths. This approach could potentially enhance the evaluation and advancement of the 2030 Agenda, facilitating a deeper dialogue between the scientific community and policymakers, driving social change.

The effects of social exclusion on distributive fairness judgements and cooperative behaviour

In this article, we investigate how being socially excluded (vs. included) affects people's distributive fairness judgements and their willingness to cooperate with others in subsequent interactions. For this purpose, we conducted three experiments in which we assessed individual differences in having experienced being socially excluded (Experiment 1, N = 164), and manipulated social exclusion (Experiment 2, N = 120; Experiment 3, N = 492). We studied how this impacted fairness judgements of three different outcome distributions (disadvantageous inequality, advantageous inequality, and equality) both within-participants (Experiments 1 and 2) and between-participants (Experiment 3). To assess behavioural consequences, we then also assessed participants' cooperation in a social dilemma game. Across the three experiments, we consistently found that social exclusion impacted fairness judgements. Compared to inclusion, excluded participants judged disadvantageous inequality as more unfair and advantageous inequality as less unfair. Moreover, compared to socially included participants, socially excluded participants were more willing to cooperate after experiencing advantageous rather than disadvantageous inequality, and feelings of acceptance served as a mediator in these associations.

The opposite roles of injustice and cruelty in the internalization of a devaluation: The humiliation paradox revisited

Cruelty and its link to injustice in contexts of humiliation have not received to date due attention from experimental psychosocial research. Aiming at filling this gap, this paper presents three studies with increasing degrees of experimental control (N total = 1098) that show a dual opponent-process response to being targeted by potentially humiliating actions: while targets appraising more injustice internalize less the devaluation underlying the humiliation experience (thus partially dissolving the so-called “paradox of humiliation”, Fernández et al., 2015, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41, 976), targets appraising more cruelty internalize more a devalued self-view and feel more humiliated. The fine balance between these two closely connected but distinct appraisals is key to understand the internal/subjective experience of targets: seeing themselves mainly as victims of injustice or cruelty will prevent or favour, respectively, their internalization of the devaluation and their feeling humiliated. This opposite pattern also impacts victims' reaction: Both appraisals relate to aggressive responses via anger but while appraising cruelty also paradoxically leads to powerless inertia, appraising injustice (including importantly the injustice of cruelty itself) leads to less powerlessness and more assertive agency. The theoretical and applied implications of approaching the victims of humiliation as victims of both an injustice and a cruelty are discussed.

Can we return good for evil? A meta‐analysis of social exclusion and prosocial behaviour

Numerous studies have discussed the connection between social exclusion and prosocial behaviour, yet the conclusions have been inconsistent. We conducted a three-level meta-analysis on 83 effect sizes derived from 53 studies (N = 21,405). Overall, a significant yet weak negative correlation was found between social exclusion and prosocial behaviour (r = −.10, 95% CI [−0.17, −0.04]). Moderator analysis revealed that individuals in collectivistic cultures may exhibit higher levels of prosocial behaviour following exclusion compared to those in individualistic cultures. The female proportion positively influenced the overall effect size. The type of prosocial behaviour was marginally significant, in that ‘other’ prosocial behaviour yielded the largest effect sizes. However, effects did not differ across age groups, between the inclusion condition and the neutral condition, or between experimental research and correlational research. Our results underscore the crucial roles of culture and gender in the relationship between social exclusion and prosocial behaviour.

The effect of apparent Police power at demonstrations against right‐wing populism on Protestors' resistance using a virtual reality experiment

Based on the Elaborated Social Identity Model of Crowd Behaviour, we tested in two experiments whether a forceful display of police power increases perceptions of illegitimacy of the police and the formation of resistance among protestors. In the high power condition, the police were dressed in riot gear (with helmets, armed with shields and batons). In the low power condition, the police were dressed in regular uniforms. In both studies, people participated in a demonstration against right-wing populism using a virtual reality setting and were either stopped by the police in riot gear or by the police in regular uniforms. The results of Study 1 (N = 155) show that the police in riot gear were evaluated as more illegitimate compared to the police in normal clothing. The results of Study 2 (N = 97) replicated this finding and illustrated that police in riot gear (compared to regular uniforms) increased protestors' intentions to engage in direct resistance against the police. This effect was mediated by perceptions of illegitimacy and anger directed at the police. Furthermore, weakly identified protestors were particularly affected by the display of power and were more likely to engage in anti-police resistance and collective action. Implications are discussed.

Registered report: Cognitive ability, but not cognitive reflection, predicts expressing greater political animosity and favouritism

Liberals and conservatives both express political animosity and favouritism. However, less is known about whether the same or different factors contribute to this phenomenon among liberals and conservatives. We test three different relationships that could emerge among cognitive ability, cognitive reflection and political group-based attitudes. Analysing two nationally representative surveys of US Americans (N = 9035) containing a measure of cognitive ability, we find evidence that compared to people lower in cognitive ability, people higher in cognitive ability express more animosity towards ideologically discordant groups and more favouritism towards ideologically concordant groups. This pattern was particularly pronounced among liberals. In a registered report study, we then test whether the same is true of cognitive reflection in another large dataset (N = 3498). In contrast to cognitive ability, we find no relationship between cognitive reflection, political animosity and favouritism. Together, these studies provide a comprehensive test of how cognitive ability and cognitive reflection are related to political animosity and favouritism for liberals and conservatives in the United States.

The role of perspective‐taking in attenuating self‐group distancing in women managers

Contrary to expectations about solidarity and sisterhood between women, women managers sometimes distance themselves from junior women in the workplace when facing identity threat, that is, the feeling that one's social identity—such as race or gender—is devalued or undermined. For example, women managers might distance themselves from lower status junior women by seeing themselves as more masculine and career committed than their junior women colleagues. To advance our understanding of how to combat self-group distancing, the present research proposed and tested whether taking the perspective of junior women would attenuate these ingroup-distancing tendencies in women managers. Findings from a field study and an experimental study indicated that women managers reported greater self-distancing from junior women (on masculine trait perceptions) compared to women employees. As predicted, this effect was attenuated for women managers with high levels of perspective-taking (Study 1) and for women who were experimentally led to take the perspective of junior women (Study 2). For ratings of career commitment and support for affirmative actions, we did not replicate the self-ingroup distancing effect reported in the literature. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Avoidance coping explains the link between narcissism and counternormative tendencies

Previous research linked counternormative tendencies (e.g., conspiracy beliefs, cyberbullying, and catfishing) to narcissism—a personality trait characterized by difficulties in experiencing psychological threats. We argue that avoidance coping with stress favours attitudes and behaviours that allow for deflecting from stressful events and releasing one's stress at the expense of others. Thus, we hypothesized that avoidance coping might explain why narcissism favours counternormative tendencies. We conducted four studies (total N = 2643) in the United States and Poland to examine avoidance coping as a mediator of the relationship between narcissism and counternormative tendencies: conspiracy beliefs (Studies 1–4), willingness to conspire (Studies 2–4), cyberbullying (Studies 3–4) and catfishing (Study 4). All studies found a consistent positive indirect relationship between various forms of narcissism and counternormative tendencies via avoidance coping. These findings suggest that counternormative tendencies might reflect using maladaptive coping strategies.

Perceived economic inequality inhibits pro‐environmental engagement

We currently inhabit an era marked by increasing economic inequality. This paper delves into the repercussions of perceived economic inequality on individual-level pro-environmental engagement and puts forth an explanatory mechanism. Across three empirical studies encompassing an archival investigation employing a nationally representative data set (Study 1), an online survey (Study 2) and an in-lab experiment (Study 3), we consistently unearth the inhibiting effect of perceived economic inequality on individuals' pro-environmental involvement, whether assessed through pro-environmental intentions or behaviours. Furthermore, our findings reveal that individuals' identification with their country elucidates these results. Specifically, perceived economic inequality diminishes individuals' national identification, encompassing their concern for the country's well-being and their sense of shared destiny with fellow citizens, thereby curbing their pro-environmental engagement. Additionally, we conduct a single-paper meta-analysis (Study 4), revealing small to moderate effect sizes for our key findings. Theoretical and practical implications stemming from these novel findings are discussed.

Measuring associations among British national identification, group norms and social distancing behaviour during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Testing a Social Identity Model of Behavioural Associations (SIMBA)

Social identification and group norms have been identified as key social psychological determinants of engagement in protective public health behaviours, such as social distancing, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing upon both social identity and balanced identity theories, the research tests the utility of a Social Identity Model of Behavioural Associations (SIMBA)—which proposes reciprocal, interactive associations among self-group, group-behaviour and self-behaviour concepts—for the measurement of British national identification, group norms and social distancing behaviour at two different points during the pandemic. An online study asked participants (Time 1 N = 151, Time 2 N = 136) to complete implicit and explicit (i.e. self-report) measures both during and post-lockdown. Results demonstrated associations to be relatively stable across time and found strong correlational confirmation that the strength of any one association in the SIMBA could be predicted by the interactive strength of the remaining two—both implicitly and explicitly. However, the strength of any one association, as measured post-lockdown, was not predicted by the interaction between the change scores of the remaining two—suggesting that the constructs may not be long-range predictors of one another. Findings are discussed in terms of the value of the SIMBA for the measurement and modification of novel, emergent group-based associations.

From colonial time to decolonial temporalities

In this paper, we critique the colonial conception of time and present alternative decolonial temporalities. We propose that the colonial conception of time, which is linear and scarcity centred, is limiting when it comes to the possibility of contextually theorizing trauma and healing. We offer two main arguments. The first argument explores the discourse around the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa. Focusing specifically on Winnie Madikizela and F. W De Klerk, we show that in their engagement with the TRC, the linear, scarcity-centred and gendered nature of colonial time was animated. The second argument extends the first argument by considering how temporality is ‘captured’ by colonialism to foreground and universalize Western subjectivities and sensibilities. We use what Derek Hook calls a psycho-societal-diagnostic framework in conjunction with Fanon to show how subjectivities are structured in post-apartheid South Africa. We then consider how this time–subjectivity relationship is enacted at a geopolitical level. The paper ends by considering decolonial temporalities as a way to ‘re-cognize’ at a collective level. While the paper engages with a series of concepts and ideas, namely capitalism, politics of justice, gender and race, these are threaded by the concept of time.

Crisis geographies from above and below: Constructing globality during the COVID‐19 pandemic

In this paper, we posit that the ‘global’ status of the pandemic is not an essentialized feature of the crisis, but a product of social construction by political leaders. More specifically, we examine how political leaders of a superpower and a peripheral nation produce the pandemic's globality through crisis geographies from above and below. Utilizing a mixed methods framework, we analyse public speeches by Donald Trump of the United States and Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines through a critical approach to text analytics. Quantitatively, we found that besides mentioning their own homelands, Western countries featured more prominently in Trump's speeches while Asian neighbours were more salient in Duterte's speeches during the pandemic. However, the United States and China were consistently the most central in the crisis geographies of the pandemic of both speakers. Qualitatively, we further characterized the discourses surrounding these global pronouncements as: (a) collective reflexive positioning on the world stage, (b) charting zones of hope and (c) scapegoating zones of blame. Taken together, implications of this work are discussed in terms of understanding pandemic leadership in national and international contexts, recognizing its negotiated embeddedness in global structural hierarchies and enhancing critical approaches to geopolitical psychology.

So different yet so alike? Political collective narcissism predicts blatant dehumanization of political outgroups among conservatives and liberals

Previous research found that political polarization goes hand in hand with being strongly identified with a political ingroup. In this research, we assumed this should be the case only among those who identify with their political ingroup in a narcissistic way (stemming from frustrated needs and predicting outgroup hostility). This hypothesis was tested in one experimental (Study 4, n = 525) and three cross-sectional (Study 1, n = 320; Study 2, n = 316; Study 3, n = 500) studies conducted among American and Polish participants. In all studies, we found a consistent positive link between political narcissism, but not political identification, and the blatant dehumanization of political outgroups. This relationship held over and above metadehumanization, measured in Studies 2 and 3. In Studies 3 and 4, we additionally found that political narcissism may also predict aggressive inclinations towards political outgroups, measured with the voodoo doll task. These findings suggest that differentiation between political narcissism and political identification may help to better understand the psychological underpinnings of political polarization.

A social identity approach to crisis leadership

This paper discusses the importance of a social identity approach to crisis leadership in the context of global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic and emphasizes the interconnected relationships between leaders and followers. I highlight the role of leaders in fostering unity and shaping citizens' responses especially during crises. I discuss the nature of crises and the significant role of political leaders in guiding societal responses and suggest that crisis leadership extends beyond individual competencies and behaviours and involves a shift from individual to collective responses. With this, I introduce the social identity approach to leadership that views leadership as a social influence process and emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of ‘we-ness’ among followers. Following from that, crisis leadership involves leaders constructing defining features of collective identity and efficacy to address crises appropriately. However, the value of this approach depends on the careful definition of shared identity boundaries, consideration of diverse experiences within society, the evolving nature of crisis leadership over time and potential consequences of crisis leadership. The sustainability of identity leadership, the dynamics of intergroup and subgroup processes, and the complexities of various crises are identified as areas requiring further research.

Having, making and feeling home as a European immigrant in the United Kingdom post‐Brexit referendum: An interpretative phenomenological study

Migrants' subjective sense of home deserves further research attention. In the particular context of the United Kingdom's (UK's) decision to leave the European Union (‘Brexit’), we interviewed 10 European citizens living in the UK about their sense of home, using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). In our analysis, we identified themes of (1) having more than one home, (2) making and finding a new home, (3) being permanently different from the non-migrant population and (4) a concern about feeling safe and welcome. Migration and sense of home involved building and rebuilding personal and social identity. Making a new home was effortful, and neither the old home nor the difference from the native population ever disappeared psychologically. This adds an experiential aspect to the idea of ‘integration’ in acculturation. Different notions of home were linked to different experiences of the impact of the Brexit referendum. We discuss the connections between acculturation, sense of home and lived experience and propose lived identity as a fruitful subject matter for social psychology.

Identity enactment as a social accomplishment: Shared identity and the provision of mutual support amongst pilgrims undertaking the Hajj

Experimental and survey research shows that a common group membership can result in increased levels of social support. Here we complement such research with qualitative data concerning the forms and function of such support. Specifically, we explore the mutual support reported by pilgrims undertaking the Hajj. This requires participants enact a series of identity-related beliefs and values (including specific rituals) in conditions that are practically and psychologically challenging. Using data obtained through semi-structured interviews (N = 33), we investigate how participants' shared identity facilitated their behavioural enactment of these identity-defining beliefs and values. We focus on how their shared understanding of their beliefs and values as Hajj pilgrims allowed various forms of support (psychological, material, informational, and behavioural) which helped participants translate their identity-related ideals into behaviour. Our analysis implies that a shared identity provides a frame of reference with which group members can recognize each other's identity-related concerns and what they need in order to enact their identity. In turn, it implies that in situations where there are practical and psychological constraints on behaviour, action in terms of one's social identity can be conceptualized as a joint accomplishment in which the mutual support of group members is key.

Not our kind of crowd! How partisan bias distorts perceptions of political bots on Twitter (now X)

Social bots, employed to manipulate public opinion, pose a novel threat to digital societies. Existing bot research has emphasized technological aspects while neglecting psychological factors shaping human–bot interactions. This research addresses this gap within the context of the US-American electorate. Two datasets provide evidence that partisanship distorts (a) online users' representation of bots, (b) their ability to identify them, and (c) their intentions to interact with them. Study 1 explores global bot perceptions on through survey data from N = 452 Twitter (now X) users. Results suggest that users tend to attribute bot-related dangers to political adversaries, rather than recognizing bots as a shared threat to political discourse. Study 2 (N = 619) evaluates the consequences of such misrepresentations for the quality of online interactions. In an online experiment, participants were asked to differentiate between human and bot profiles. Results indicate that partisan leanings explained systematic judgement errors. The same data suggest that participants aim to avoid interacting with bots. However, biased judgements may undermine this motivation in praxis. In sum, the presented findings underscore the importance of interdisciplinary strategies that consider technological and human factors to address the threats posed by bots in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Prosocial behaviour enhances evaluation of physical beauty

Ten studies (N = 4192) demonstrated that individuals depicted as prosocial were judged to be more physically beautiful. This evaluation of prosocial individuals as more beautiful is influenced by a motivation to be associated with prosocial others. This phenomenon was observed in real-world settings (Study 1) and applied to both men and women, both as targets and observers (Studies 2a–2b). The effect persisted in scenarios where participants imagined the target without any visual aid (Study 2c) and extended beyond metaphorical interpretations of beauty (Study 3). The effect weakened when prosocial behaviour was an isolated incident, not indicative of the target's prosocial personality (Study 4). The influence of prosociality on beauty evaluations surpassed that of other positive traits such as intelligence or humour (Study 5) and remained significant despite physical imperfections in the target's appearance (Study 6). The effect diminished in situations where forming a relationship was not feasible, thus supporting the motivated cognition rationale (Studies 7–8). These findings highlight the substantial role of prosocial behaviour in influencing evaluations of physical beauty, a crucial element in social interactions and relationship formation, often outweighing other attributes typically linked to physical appearance evaluation.

Selective cultural adoption: The roles of warmth, competence, morality and perceived indispensability in majority‐group acculturation

Psychological research has begun considering the dynamics involved in majority-group acculturation, which is the extent to which cultural majority groups adopt the culture of immigrants and minority groups. However, previous research has predominantly concentrated on reactions to ‘immigrants’ or ‘minority groups’ as a homogenous entity, overlooking the nuanced perceptions and varied valuations attributed to different groups. Recognizing the heterogeneity among immigrant and minority groups, the present work investigated the influence of several perceived characteristics of immigrant and minority groups on majority-group members' adoption of their cultures. Specifically, in three pre-registered studies—one correlational (N participants = 201, N trials = 2814) and two within-subjects experimental (N participants = 144 and 146, N trials = 720 and 730) designs with close to politically representative samples from the U.K. and U.S.  —majority-group members were more willing to adopt immigrant and minority-group cultures that they perceived as warm, competent and moral because these perceptions made immigrants and minority groups seem indispensable to the identity and economy of the mainstream society. Our studies highlight the importance of considering the differentiated acculturation that majority-group members have to various groups within the same national context. We discuss the societal and cultural repercussions of this selective uptake of other cultures.

On the spurious effect of intergroup friendship on outgroup attitudes in schools: The role of social influence and the positive impact of exposure to outgroup peers

Promoting intergroup friendships in schools is regarded as a powerful strategy for improving outgroup attitudes. However, stochastic actor-oriented modelling (SAOM) studies have often revealed no association between intergroup friendship and outgroup attitudes. I investigated whether SAOM studies reported no effect of intergroup friendship on outgroup attitudes, what was responsible for this surprising finding and whether exposure to outgroup peers was positively related to outgroup attitudes. The meta-analysis of SAOM studies confirms no association between intergroup friendship and outgroup attitudes. Examining longitudinal social network data of 2700 German students, I found that a positive link between intergroup friendship and outgroup attitudes appeared only when I did not control for social influence. This indicates that intergroup friendship did not automatically improve outgroup attitudes. Instead, the development of outgroup attitudes among students depended on social influence and, thus, the quality of outgroup attitudes among their outgroup friends. Exposure to outgroup peers was, however, positively associated with outgroup attitudes. These findings reframe intergroup contact theory by suggesting that intergroup friendship is not essential for improving outgroup attitudes. Rather, social influence and exposure to outgroup peers could be key factors shaping outgroup attitudes.

From acceptance to change: The role of acceptance in the effectiveness of the Informative Process Model for conflict resolution

The Informative Process Model (IPM) proposes an intervention to facilitate change in conflict-supporting narratives in protracted conflicts. These narratives develop to help societies cope with conflict; but over time, they turn into barriers for its resolution. The IPM suggests raising awareness of the psychological processes responsible for the development of these narratives and their possibility for change, which may unfreeze conflict attitudes. Previous studies in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict found that the IPM (versus control) increased participants' support for negotiations. In three preregistered studies (combined N = 2,509), we illuminate the importance of feeling that one's conflict-related attitudes are accepted–that is, acknowledged without judgement–in explaining the effectiveness of the modeland expand the IPM's validity and generalizability: By showing the effectiveness of the IPM compared to an intervention similarly based on exposure to conflict-related information (Study 1); by showing its effectiveness in unfreezing attitudes when communicating different thematic conflict-supporting narratives–victimhood and security (Study 2); and by showing its effectiveness when using messages referring to ongoing, not only resolved conflicts, and text-based, not only visually stimulating, message styles (Study 3). These results contribute to theory and practice on psychological interventions addressing the barrier of conflict-supporting narratives.

Policy as normative influence? On the relationship between parental leave policy and social norms in gender division of childcare across 48 countries

In the present work, we addressed the relationship between parental leave policies and social norms. Using a pre-registered, cross-national approach, we examined the relationship between parental leave policies and the perception of social norms for the gender division of childcare. In this study, 19,259 students (11,924 women) from 48 countries indicated the degree to which they believe childcare is (descriptive norm) and should be (prescriptive norm) equally divided among mothers and fathers. Policies were primarily operationalized as the existence of parental leave options in the respective country. The descriptive and prescriptive norms of equal division of childcare were stronger when parental leave was available in a country – also when controlling for potential confounding variables. Moreover, analyses of time since policy change suggested that policy change may initially affect prescriptive norms and then descriptive norms at a later point. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of the data, drawing causal inferences is difficult.

Power effects on interindividual and intergroup competition

Interindividual-intergroup discontinuity refers to the finding that groups are more competitive than individuals. Research on this phenomenon has typically compared interindividual and intergroup interactions in mixed-motive games where both players have equal power, neglecting power differentials that often characterize social interactions in everyday life. We had three key objectives. First, we tested whether the magnitude of the discontinuity effect varies depending on whether the players have equal or unequal power. Second, we compared the behaviour of high- and low-power players, correcting an imbalance in previous research, which has concentrated on high-power players. Third, we introduced a distinction between unequal-power stemming from differential control over the other player's outcomes versus differential control over one's own outcomes. Groups were more competitive than individuals and the magnitude of this discontinuity effect did not vary significantly between equal- and unequal-power settings. Further, regardless of whether the interaction was between individuals or groups, unequal (compared to equal) power conduced to competition. Finally, this greater competitiveness in unequal-power settings was due to the high-power players. Having high power (compared to equal or low power) increased competition in interindividual and intergroup interactions, irrespective of whether this power derived from greater control over others' or own outcomes.

A wolf in sheep's clothing? The interplay of perceived threat and social norms in hierarchy‐maintaining action tendencies towards disadvantaged groups

Almost inherently, helping occurs between people with disparate resources. Consequently, the helping dynamic can reinforce power hierarchies, particularly regarding dependency-oriented helping (that preserves the power hierarchy) rather than autonomy-oriented helping (that may level power hierarchies). We posit that perceived social norms regarding helping disadvantaged groups affect the tendencies to help versus discriminate. Specifically, individuals who feel threatened by disadvantaged groups may conform to social norms by offering dependency-oriented help, thus preserving hierarchy while ostensibly adhering to societal expectations. Data from three correlational studies and one longitudinal study conducted in Germany (Studies 1a, 2a and 2b) and Israel (Study 1b) (combined N = 960) show that dependency-oriented help towards refugees is higher when participants perceive strong norms to help but feel threatened at the same time. This interaction was not visible for autonomy-oriented help. The finding is extended to a different intergroup setting (Study 3; N = 365) in which Jewish Israelis indicate higher intention to offer dependency-oriented help to Arab Israelis when there is a high threat and strong norms perceptions (in contrast to weak norms). The results have theoretical and practical implications for understanding factors that influence hierarchy-maintaining action tendencies and thereby intergroup inequality.

Why do people object to economic inequality? The role of distributive justice and social harmony concerns as predictors of support for redistribution and collective action

People may perceive economic inequality through moral lens, focusing on the unfair distribution of resources, or as a threat to their personal and social environment. This research examines how justice- and threat-based concerns shape reactions to economic inequality. In Study 1 (N = 358), we identify elements of inequality perceived as unjust or threatening and explore how these are organized into meaningful clusters using network analysis. We identified four overarching concerns: distributive justice, social harmony, inequality of opportunities and economic threats. Distributive justice and social harmony concerns were the most prominent, associated with perceptions of injustice and threat, respectively. Study 2 (N = 260) showed that distributive justice (but not social harmony) concerns were positively associated with collective action and support for redistribution. In Study 3 (N = 1536), perceived economic inequality was positively related to both concerns, but only distributive justice concerns consistently mediated the relationship between perceived economic inequality and support for measures to reduce inequality. In Study 4 (N = 214) exposure to distributive justice concerns, compared to social harmony and control conditions, increased support for taxing the rich and assisting the poor. Results suggest that framing economic inequality as a justice issue effectively promotes social change.

Understanding and harnessing intergroup contact in educational contexts

Prejudice is a pervasive problem that affects each and every one of us. Understanding how to reduce prejudice and promote better outcomes for both individuals and societies at large is an ambitious but essential task. For decades, social psychologists have theorized about and evaluated approaches to achieve just that, and there is one that stands out from the rest: facilitating intergroup contact, that is, (positive) interactions between members of different groups. Questions remain, however, about how and where good quality (meaningful and cooperative) interactions can be promoted in the face of societal division, and whether such interactions can foster social equality. In this paper, we argue for the importance of educational contexts as sites where future generations encounter the opportunity to interact with, or at the very least learn about, people who are different from them. We first outline social psychological research on the nature and effects of having frequent and good quality contact with people who are different from us, demonstrating evidence from education settings globally. We then provide a series of recommendations for schools and teachers on how to reduce prejudice in the classroom in both the presence and absence of difference.

Past‐future asymmetry in identity‐relevant perception of racism and inequality

Research has documented the identity relevance of racism perception, such that White Americans tend to deny the prevalence of racism and inequality in the United States to a greater extent than do Americans from other ethnic-racial groups. Across two studies (N = 971), we draw on temporal comparison theory to investigate how the identity relevance of such perceptions varies across past and future temporal periods. Specifically, we compared (1) the relationship between ethnic-racial identification and perceptions (Studies 1 and 2), (2) racial-group differences in perceptions (Study 2), and (3) perceptions of systemic (versus interpersonal) racism (Studies 1 and 2) across past and future periods. Results generally supported the temporal asymmetry hypothesis: the identity relevance of perceptions of racism and inequality decreased as temporal distance increased from the distant past to the present but remained strong and stable from the present to the future. This pattern suggests a contradiction in the subjective experience of time, such that people experience the distant past (1960) as less relevant to present self than the equidistant (2080) and even more distant (2100) future.

Prejudice towards refugees predicts social fear of crime

Research suggests that social fear of crime and prejudice towards minority groups may be linked. We investigated (N total  = 7712) whether prejudice towards a social group that is stereotyped as more criminal (refugees) is more strongly associated with social fear of crime than prejudice towards a group that is less (homosexual individuals); and whether prejudice predicts social fear of crime or vice versa. We used a mixed-method approach to show that refugees are stereotyped as more criminal than homosexual individuals (pre-test). Subgroup characteristics of the criminally stereotyped group, such as country of origin (Study 1a) and flight motive (Study 1b) of refugees, qualified the prejudice–fear of crime link. Finally, whereas prejudice towards refugees predicted social fear of crime over time more strongly than vice versa, prejudice towards homosexual individuals did not (Study 2). Our results have important theoretical and practical implications suggesting prejudice reduction towards refugees as a criminally stereotyped group as a potential pathway to reduce social fear of crime.

Pressured to be proud? Investigating the link between perceived norms and intergroup attitudes in members of disadvantaged minority groups

System Justification Theory (SJT) proposes that members of disadvantaged groups perceive norms to express ingroup positivity. Adherence to these norms is assumed to result in open expressions of ingroup preferences on self-report measures while being unrelated to ingroup preferences assessed with indirect measures. We tested these assumptions with members of three disadvantaged groups: participants who identified as Gay or Lesbian (n = 196), as Black or African American (n = 202), or who reported higher weight (n = 208). We tested hypotheses on perceived norms and group attitudes at the individual level as well as at the social group level. While results at the group level suggest that differences in group attitudes between different disadvantaged groups are indeed related to differences in social norm perceptions between these groups, no consistent interrelations between norm perceptions and group attitudes were found at the individual level. We discuss the implications of these results, questioning SJTs basic postulate of group attitudes as manifestations of system justification processes in members of disadvantaged groups. We further argue that future research in this domain requires improved conceptual clarity in current theorizing, along with improved methodological operationalizations.

Examining the connection between position‐based power and social status across 70 cultures

Even in the most egalitarian societies, hierarchies of power and status shape social life. However, power and received status are not synonymous—individuals in positions of power may or may not be accorded the respect corresponding to their role. Using a cooperatively collected dataset from 18,096 participants across 70 cultures, we investigate, through a survey-based correlational design, when perceived position-based power (operationalized as influence and control) of various powerholders is associated with their elevated social status (operationalized as perceived respect and instrumental social value). We document that the positive link between power and status characterizes most cultural regions, except for WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) and Post-Soviet regions. The strength of this association depends on individual and cultural factors. First, the perceived other-orientation of powerholders amplifies the positive link between perceived power and status. The perceived self-orientation of powerholders weakens this relationship. Second, among cultures characterized by low Self-Expression versus Harmony (e.g., South Korea, Taiwan), high Embeddedness (e.g., Senegal), and high Cultural Tightness (e.g., Malaysia), the association between power and status tends to be particularly strong. The results underline the importance of both individual perceptions and societal values in how position-based power relates to social status.

Having a choice of means gears incomplete runners into more effective goal engagement: The effects of deliberative mindsets on the pursuit of identity goals

When individuals committed to a certain long-term identity goal fall short of relevant activities, they experience the state of self-incompleteness. This motivational state leads them to prioritize the identity goal pursuit by engaging in self-symbolizing behaviours. The present research investigates whether inducing a deliberative mindset in incomplete individuals by offering a choice will lead to a stronger preference for more effective options. In four studies, committed runners (N = 625) chose between two available options. In Studies 1 and 2, runners who experienced self-incompleteness were more likely to choose a more effective massage roller than runners who experienced self-completeness. In Studies 3 and 4, incomplete runners preferred a more effective phone application than complete runners. In Study 4, this effect was independent of a social reality induction. Further analyses revealed that effectiveness was related to the perceived effort of an option. Even though from a rational point of view people should prefer options that require less effort, participants committed to the identity goal of being a runner preferred to deal with their self-incompleteness feelings by engaging in the more effective but effortful means.

Solidarity riots in the diffusion of collective action: Doing historical research to develop theory in social psychology

Both psychology and historical studies have addressed the question of the diffusion of collective action events, although using very different methodological approaches and with differing concepts. In the present paper, we present a novel approach, combining historiographical research methods with analytic concepts from social psychology, to explore the psychological processes underlying riot diffusion. Using archive data from the 1831 wave of ‘reform’ riots, thick description of two collective action events provides evidence that the purpose of participants' actions was to prevent troops from passing through their towns to put down riots elsewhere. Their actions to support rioters in another location involved risk to themselves, and so can't easily be explained in terms of personal or local self-interest. Instead, the evidence—in the form of context, utterances, and observations—is more consistent with the idea of common identity between people in the different locations motivating pre-emptive solidarity, inadvertently spreading the riots. The use of historical archive data and historiographical research methods, suggesting a previously undocumented form of solidarity between participants at riot events, contributes to new understandings of the diffusion of collective action and how to study it in both historical studies and social psychology.

Where and why do women lead? The importance of leadership for private profit versus purpose beyond profit

To examine how personal preferences and social norms can influence women's occupancy of organizational leadership roles, this research compared leadership roles that differ in their stakeholder focus on private profit (PP), producing gains for shareholders, or on purpose beyond profit (PBP), producing gains for the community and society. Consistent with the greater representation of women leaders in non-profit than for-profit sectors, the research showed that men preferred and were expected to prefer leader roles focussed on PP and women preferred and were expected to prefer leader roles focussed on PBP. These differing preferences and normative expectations reflected divergent life goals, whereby men favoured agentic goals and women favoured communal goals, with social norms reflecting this gender difference. This research thus showed how the communal and agentic life goals of women and men are linked to their personal role preferences and to normative expectations about leader role occupancy, thus fostering gender segregated leader roles.

Owners of a conspiratorial heart? Investigating the longitudinal relationship between loneliness and conspiracy beliefs

Feeling positively connected to other people is a basic human need. If this need is threatened by feeling lonely, people might become more susceptible to conspiracy theories to help make sense of their surroundings. Simultaneously, conspiracy beliefs could lead to loneliness because they can strain existing relationships. Using two pre-registered longitudinal studies, we investigated the reciprocal relationship between loneliness and conspiracy mentality (Study 1, N = 1604) and the more malleable specific conspiracy beliefs (Study 2, N = 1502) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models showed that people who are, on average, lonelier are also more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. However, the data provided no support for the notion that conspiracy beliefs and loneliness predicted each other over time. The research helps to understand the thus far mixed evidence on loneliness and conspiracy beliefs and adds important insights to the literature on conspiracy beliefs and need deprivation.

Adoption and social identity loss: Insights from adults adopted through Ireland's mother and baby homes

A central issue in adoption research is understanding why some individuals adapt to their adoption experience while others face considerable difficulties. The social identity approach (SIA) offers a valuable framework for examining this. Recent research has increasingly shown that identifying with social groups can protect and promote well-being. However, in the context of adoption, certain groups may also present challenges or become sources of strain. The present study seeks to understand how social identities shape individuals' adoption experiences. Semi-structured interviews (N = 16) with adults who were adopted through Mother and Baby Homes in Ireland were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis produced two interrelated themes: (1) ‘Adopted’ as a social identity, which explores how participants' ‘adopted’ status itself constitutes a significant social identity, leading to experiences of marginalization and exclusion and (2) Adoption as social identity loss, which describes how participants face contested membership and compromised belonging within important social groups. Both themes illustrate how the process of adoption can result in social identity loss. Discussion of this analysis considers the consequences of social identity change for adoption adjustment. These findings expand the theoretical application of the SIA, in the context of adoption.

The more positive intergroup contacts you have, the less LGBTQ+ conspiracies beliefs you will report: The role of knowledge, anxiety, and empathy

Conspiracy theories and beliefs against LGBTQ+ people are a recurrent theme in the political agenda, depicting them as evil actors in a larger plot, seeking to undermine societal norms, institutions, and traditional values. Lessening LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs is crucial to reaching more social equality, and intergroup contact might represent a useful strategy. Study 1 (N = 253) investigated the associations of the quantity of direct contact with LGBTQ+ people, the quality of such contacts, and their interactive role with LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs. Taking a step forward, Studies 2 (N = 512) and 3 (N = 529) investigated, correlationally and experimentally, respectively, the relationship between the quality of contact with LGBTQ+ individuals and LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs, exploring the mediating associations of intergroup knowledge, empathy, and anxiety. Results consistently suggested that a higher quantity of direct contacts with LGBTQ+ people is negatively associated with LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs. Furthermore, positive contact was associated with lower conspiracy beliefs against LGBTQ+ people, with these associations being either partially (Study 2) or fully (Study 3) mediated by intergroup empathy. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of fostering positive intergroup interactions and enhancing empathy as strategies to combat harmful conspiracy beliefs about marginalized groups.

Using social psychology to create inclusive education

Social psychological processes related to identities and stereotypes—such as threat, belonging uncertainty, identity incompatibility and bias—can be ignited by features and practices in educational contexts, often further disadvantaging members of minoritised or underrepresented groups. Such psychological processes are consequential and predict hard academic outcomes such as attainment and progression. Although this knowledge can be harrowing, it also gives us the power to intervene. We propose three ways in which social psychology can be used to help create more inclusive education systems: by using interventions wisely, working with teachers to collaboratively create inclusive classrooms, and by fighting bias. We offer concrete examples of how social psychology is helping to reduce educational inequalities in these ways, as well as some suggestions for the future.

“Who Islamises us?”: Does political ideology moderate the effects of exposure to different Great Replacement Conspiracy explanations on radical collective action against different targets?

Conspiracy theories against outgroups (e.g., the Great Replacement Conspiracy [GRC]) are believed to fuel radicalisation. Two experimental studies with British and American samples (N total = 1690) examined how different GRC narratives and political ideologies influence radical collective action against Muslims and ideologically opposed political elites. We predicted that the Muslim conspirator and left-wing conspirator (vs. control) narratives would increase radical action intentions against Muslims among right-wingers (Hypothesis 1). We also predicted that the left-wing conspirator narrative (vs. other conditions) would increase radical action intentions against left-wing elites among right-wingers (Hypothesis 2a), and the Muslim conspirator narrative (vs. control) would do the same (Hypothesis 2b). Furthermore, we predicted stronger radical intentions towards right-wing elites among left-wingers when exposed to the left-wing conspirator condition (Hypothesis 3). Despite limited support for these hypotheses, both studies showed that exposure to any GRC narrative increased radical intentions against Muslims, suggesting that the conspirator group does not play a strong role in anti-Muslim radicalisation. The lack of statistically significant effects on other targets may be due to conservative hypothesis testing. Theoretical and societal implications are discussed, providing critical conceptual and methodological avenues for future research on conspiracy theories and radicalisation.

Towards sustainability by reducing speciesism: The effect of a prejudice‐based intervention on people's attitudes and behaviours towards animals

The way we use animals for human consumption, medicines, and entertainment causes problems for the environment, our health, and animal welfare. This research investigated an intervention aimed at reducing harmful attitudes and behaviours towards animals. As the underlying mechanism of prejudice towards animals is similar to human outgroup prejudice, we designed an intervention based on synthesized insights from the prejudice literature. In two studies, participants (N Study1 = 603 and N Study2 = 600) either received an intervention or no intervention. Then, harmful attitudes and behaviours towards animals (Studies 1 and 2) and possible mediators (Study 2) were measured. The prejudice-based intervention led participants to more strongly intend to reduce their hurtful behaviours towards animals (Studies 1 and 2). Moreover, the intervention diminished participants' animal product consumption as measured after a week (Study 2). Whereas the intervention did not affect speciesist attitudes in Study 1, it did in the more strongly powered Study 2. Finally, the path model of Study 2 showed that perspective-taking and feelings associated with injustice played a role in reducing speciesism, whereas awareness of animal treatment did not. Together, our intervention provides an important step to sustainability by reducing speciesism.

Sowing seeds for the future: Future time perspective and climate adaptation among farmers

A future time perspective is critical to domains where outcomes of choices are delayed and potentially catastrophic: such as with agriculture where management decisions today are critical to the viability of multiple outcomes in the future. Farmers are on the front lines of climate change where shifts in rainfall and temperature threaten the viability of crop production. This reality is compounded for some farmers who lack the resources needed to adapt. Prior work has shown that farmers with strong injunctive norms towards conservation, and sufficient resources, are more likely to implement adaptation practices, but little research has explored the role of future time perspectives relative to these factors. We test whether future time perspective may lead US Midwestern farmers to develop injunctive norms towards conservation, and in turn, implement adaptation practices. We find support for this mechanism through both a correlational analysis (Study 1), and a manipulation of the salience of future impacts through a vignette experiment (Study 2). In addition, we see that some socioeconomic resources constrain adaptation. These results are relevant to regions where greater adaptation practices are needed to protect against climate impacts on operations that produce row crops like corn, soy and wheat.

What could be? Depends on who you ask: Using latent profile analysis and natural language processing to identify the different types and content of utopian visions

When people think of a utopian future, what do they imagine? We examined (a) whether people's self-generated utopias differ by how much they criticize, seek to change or escape from an undesirable present; and (b) whether these distinct types of utopian thinking predict system-critical attitudes and intentions to change the status quo. Participants (N = 509) wrote about a future where a social issue they supported was resolved (e.g. economic inequality and climate change). Latent profile analysis revealed a subgroup of change-oriented utopian thinkers with lower system satisfaction and higher action intentions than the other two subgroups. Unexpectedly, the remaining profiles imagined ominous (dystopian thinkers) or ‘neutral’ (ambivalent future thinkers) futures and expressed mixed social change support. Computerized linguistic analyses further revealed that dystopian thinkers used more hopelessness-related language than change-oriented utopian thinkers. Ambivalent future thinkers were as ‘hopeless’ as dystopian thinkers but, like change-oriented utopian thinkers, used more fairness-related language. Thus, change-oriented utopian thinkers distinctly imagined a fairer—and possible—future. These results illustrate heterogeneity in how people imagine the future of their societies on specific issues. Critically, the features of these visions predict system-critical attitudes and a willingness to agitate for change.

Can I tolerate that kind of behaviour? Self‐esteem, expected benefits, risk perceptions and risk tolerance in romantic relationships

Previous research has relied on characteristics of relationship behaviours (e.g., choosing/avoiding intimacy) as evidence of prioritising potential rewards over the perceived risks (i.e., interpersonal risk tolerance). Across four studies (N total = 1422), we drew from psychological risk–reward models of decision-making to test whether perceived risks, benefits, and/or risk tolerance were associated with relationship goals and behaviours. Self-esteem was positively associated with expecting greater benefits and perceiving less risk in relationship behaviours but not with differences in risk tolerance (i.e., tolerance of risks perceived; Studies 1 & 2). Furthermore, greater expected benefits were associated with connection goals and engaging in those behaviours, whereas greater perceived risk was associated with self-protection goals and less engagement (Studies 3 & 4). Our findings suggest that people with high self-esteem are not necessarily tolerant of interpersonal risk but instead differ in their perceptions of interpersonal risks and benefits, and consequently engage in behaviours they expect to confer benefits and avoid ones they anticipate will be costly.

Diluting perceived immigration threat: When and how intersectional identities shape views of North African immigrants

In the European context, North African immigrants are often perceived as a threat to societal values and resources. Studies suggest that intersected identities (e.g., gay North African immigrant) may dilute the threat associated with one of those social categories (e.g., North African immigrant). However, the mechanisms underlying this dilution effect remain largely misunderstood. Three studies (N Total = 1118) examine when and how immigration threat perception can be lessened, considering immigrants' intersecting identities. Using a mediated-moderation model, we tested the hypothesis that, when perceived value incongruence between North African and gay identities (the moderator) is high, gay North African men will be perceived as ‘less North African’ than presumptively straight North African men (i.e., low group typicality: the mediator), which in turn would be associated with lower threat perception and less prejudice. Studies 1–2 revealed that participants evaluate North African immigrant men as less threatening when described as gay (vs. not). This threat dilution effect emerges especially when participants believe that North African immigrant and gay identities are highly incongruent. Studies 2–3 show that gay North African immigrants are perceived as less associated with typical attributes of the category ‘North African immigrant’, which may account for the diminished threat.

How prototypical are we compared to them? The role of the group relative prototypicality in explaining the path from intergroup contact to collective action

In two cross-sectional and two experimental studies across both advantaged and disadvantaged group members (N total  = 1980 from two national contexts, UK and Italy), we explored if perceptions of group relative prototypicality may explain the association of positive and negative contact with collective action. Specifically, across studies, we investigated subgroup relative prototypicality with respect to four different common identities (national, supranational, based on humanity, humanity values). In Studies 1–2, among advantaged group members, positive contact was positively associated with collective action intentions via greater relative prototypicality of disadvantaged groups; in Study 2, we also found that negative contact was negatively associated with collective action intentions via decreased relative prototypicality of disadvantaged groups. By contrast, among disadvantaged group members, relative prototypicality did not exert any mediation effects. Experimental Studies 3–4 using advantaged group member participants generally provided causal evidence that positive (imagined) contact increases relative prototypicality of the disadvantaged group (Study 3), and that relative prototypicality increases collective action (Study 4).

Entrusted power enhances psychological other‐orientation and altruistic behavioural tendencies

From the playground to the boardroom, social power profoundly shapes the way people think and behave. Social psychological research has offered a nuanced understanding of the diverse psychological and behavioural tendencies of powerholders. We add to this literature by proposing that powerholders also differ in how they construe the origin of their power. Specifically, we differentiate between perceiving one's power as being based on personal merit and achievement (i.e. achieved power construal) and perceiving one's power as being granted by others (i.e. entrusted power construal). We hypothesised that entrusted power construal, more than achieved power construal, would increase powerholders' psychological other-orientation—the tendency to take another's perspective and to feel what they feel—and their altruistic behavioural tendencies. Using a multi-method approach, we tested this prediction across three studies (N = 926). Our findings revealed that powerholders who adopted an entrusted power construal, compared to those who adopted an achieved power construal, exhibited greater psychological other-orientation and more altruistic behavioural tendencies. We discuss the practical implications of these findings, including how they inform the training of future powerholders to educate them about the reciprocal nature of power.

“It's that feeling that you can't get away”: Motherhood, gender inequality and the stress process during extreme events

The impacts of extreme events can intersect with pre-disaster systemic inequalities and deficiencies, exacerbating distress. This paper contributes to the existing literature by exploring the psychosocial processes through which stressors become traumatic during an extreme event. It does so by focusing on how mothers of children and/or adolescents in the United Kingdom experienced the COVID-19 pandemic. First, qualitative interviews (N = 15) showed that participants experienced a cluster of stressors stemming from their workplaces, partners, children's behaviours and homeschooling, which caused a sense of overload and captivity, reducing their quality of life. However, individual, interpersonal and collective forms of coping were reported. Second, quantitative survey data (N = 621) showed that the relationship between stressors and perceived stress was mediated by feelings of overload due to excessive identity-related tasks and caregiving responsibilities. Moreover, community identification was associated with reduced overload and perceived stress. Overall, during extreme events, people can experience distress due to being overloaded by and trapped in particular identities and identity-related tasks, unable to perform other aspects of their social selves. We argue that social psychological analyses can be useful in tracing the complex impacts of extreme events across a range of systems and levels of analysis.

Issue Information

Context as politicised psycho‐geographies: The psychological relationship between individual, politics, and country

This paper sheds light on how spaces become contested sites for identity construction and negotiation to take place. Applying the Social Representations Approach, a qualitative study of 10 focus group discussions (n = 39), was conducted in Singapore, Malaysia and the UK to explore how, and why racialised identity construction changed in each socio-political context. The study challenged two underlying assumptions in social psychology: (1) that the meaning of the racialised category holds constant across time and space, and (2) there exists a pan-racial identification among Asian identities, for example, which at times allows for racialised categories to be manipulated as variables. We argue that the distinction between the country that the racialised identity originates from, country of birth (or citizenship) for the individual and country that the individual manages the identity in, is important in understanding the changes in the psychology of racialised identities. By taking into consideration the interplay of temporality, space, social relations and social systems, this paper presents a contribution in the form of the concept “politicized psycho-geographies”.