Abstract Non-disclosure of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has been linked to medical (e.g. infection/treatment recuperation rate) and social (e.g. social support) related problems, and there is paucity of literature addressing the role of behavioral intervention in improving self-disclosure. This study examined the efficacy of Psychological Inoculation (PI) in enhancing self-disclosure. A rand

Abstract Perceived variability is a relatively unexplored prejudice reduction approach. We developed a new intervention and tested it in two pre-registered experiments—in field and online laboratory settings. Across both experiments, we found that the intervention did not reduce prejudice. As expected, higher perceived variability correlated with lower prejudice. However, the correlations were weak

(2022). Barriers to Converting Applied Social Psychology to Bettering the Human Condition. Basic and Applied Social Psychology: Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 1-11.

Abstract In this paper, I revisit my earlier proposal for Results Blind Publishing (RBP) and have added some new perspectives and qualifications regarding it. RBP is a suggestion that research journals decide on publication of submitted manuscripts based on reviewing only their Introduction section (which suggests the substantive importance of the research question addressed by the study) and Methods

Abstract Stigmatization of one or more discredited attributes has a profoundly negative social impact on stigmatized individuals. Researchers have applied narratives as a persuasion device to reduce stigma. However, the overall effect of narratives on stigma is yet known. This research synthesized and quantified the effect of narratives in reducing stigma and identifies moderating factors. Forty-six

Abstract Class attendance is an important predictor of academic success, but students encounter behavioral barriers preventing them from attending. In this experimental study, we investigated a commitment intervention to improve online attendance among university students (n = 973) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the experimental condition, we asked students to commit to attending all classes and

Abstract With consumers cautious of COVID-19, managers are forced to adapt to changes in consumer behavior, government regulations, and disrupted supply chains. Using Protection Motivation Theory, two studies investigate consumers’ attitudes toward, and perceptions of, the disease to better understand consumer behaviors during a pandemic. Study 1, assessing young adults and their parents, shows students’

Abstract Inspired by the well-documented relationship between authoritarianism and prejudices, we tested whether a massive influx of immigrants can constitute social threats - direct (crimes, riots, violence) and normative (different norms, customs, values) - that increase ingroup authoritarian attitudes. Across two experimental studies (n1=251 and n2=230), we were able to show that both direct and

Abstract Variable-oriented, sample-based individual differences research strategies and statistical modeling approaches to causal-theoretical inference depend on their logic, coherence, justification, and presumed heuristic value on the tacit assumption that individuals are qualitatively the same, homogeneous with respect to the psychological structures and processes underlying their overt functioning

Abstract One goal of incarceration is offender rehabilitation. We examined whether characteristics of an offender affect beliefs about rehabilitation capacity. In three studies using large samples, we investigated inferences about criminal offenders who were described as juveniles or adults (15 or 30 years old). Participants read about or were shown a picture of a White or Black actor. They judged

Abstract There is an urgent need to persuade the public to follow behavioral guidelines in order to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Using cognitive dissonance as a guide, the current study’s aim was to increase compliance with coronavirus safety measures, such as social distancing, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated. In Phase 1, participants experienced dissonance by advocating consistent adherence to

Abstract This study examined how visual perspective affected the moral licensing effect. It was hypothesized that participants would act less morally when a moral behavior was recalled or imagined with a first-person perspective, whereas the effect would reverse in the third-person perspective condition. Participants recalled (Study 1) or imagined (Study 2 and 3) either a moral or an immoral/a neutral

Abstract Research suggests there is a link between stigma-related stress and the mental health of the stigmatized, with coping being recognized as an important mediator/moderator of this relationship. Standardized questionnaires have been commonly used to measure coping in this body of research. This article identifies some of these studies and discusses several of these instruments, with a focus on

Abstract For security reasons, employees of a Dutch local government department needed to wear an identifying lanyard with their employee badge, but compliance with this policy was low. Two nudges to increase compliance were evaluated in a pre-registered natural field experiment using a pre-post design, and a qualitative survey. Bayesian inference provides insufficient support for the effectiveness

Abstract An extensive literature on ostracism shows clear costs for targets; less clear is whether sources of ostracism also face costs. Further, most ostracism experiments fail to speak to ostracism in “real life.” Two studies informed by self-determination theory (SDT) tested whether ostracizers suffer in comparable ways to targets of ostracism in real-life experiences. Results of a diary study found

Abstract The successful impact of healthy eating campaigns often depends on the extent to which messages are effective in changing attitudes and behaviors over time. The present work proposes that healthy eating campaigns can be designed taking into consideration elaboration and validation processes so that the degree of attitude change is maximally influenced and is consequential. The first set of

Abstract Higher perceived dominance leads to greater perceived risk-taking willingness. This, both for people differing in facial dominance (Study 1) and people whose dominance was digitally manipulated (Study 2). Yet, the effect of facial dominance varied to some degree across domains. Gender differences also emerged and these fitted stereotypes. Women were judged as less likely to take financial

Abstract In past research on criminal stereotypes, individuals of different races have been stereotyped as being more likely to commit certain types of crimes. In this article, we draw on the “bad is Black” heuristic and identify a fundamental underlying dimension explaining such divergence: offenses deemed immoral were associated with Black individuals, while those deemed wrong but not necessarily

Abstract Behavioral change techniques may show positive changes to sustainable consumption, but as with many other domains, how they interact with other typical regulatory measures is unknown. To address the empirical lacuna, the present study uses a discrete-choice set-up to simulate a lunchtime canteen in order to investigate the effects of choice preserving and choice incentivizing interventions

Abstract This study investigated the impact of jailhouse informant (JI) testimony on mock-jurors’ perceptions of an alcohol-facilitated rape trial. Male and female participants (N = 186) read a rape trial summary of an adult female after attending a concert. The trial varied whether the victim was intoxicated or sober and whether a JI testified that the defendant confessed to the rape. The results

Abstract We framed crime victims as lucky, through downward counterfactual comparisons, and tested this “luck framing” influence on observers’ judgments of the victims. Victims framed as lucky and aware (Experiment 1) or unaware (Experiment 3) of their luck were rated as in need of less social support than victims who were not framed as lucky. This luck framing effect generalized to victim compensation:

Abstract The COVID-19 Behavioral Health Mindset inventory (CVBHM) was designed to protect consumers and workers by assessing biosafety risk through acceptance of responsibility for the protection of oneself and others, social distancing, and adhering to prevention measures. The 30-item inventory was evaluated in two surveys of 1,455 (Time 1) and 431 respondents (Time 2). The CVBHM has strong internal

Abstract Emotion recognition ability (ERA) predicts more successful interpersonal interactions. However, it remains unknown whether ERA training can affect behaviors and improve social outcomes in such interactions. Here, 83 dyads of same-gender students completed either a self-administered 45 min ERA training based on audio-visual clips of 14 different emotions, or a control training about cloud types

Abstract Many scholars have emphasized the role of passion and effort in successfully achieving goals, but others have argued that many factors can affect goal achievement. This qualitative study explored Chinese students’ perspectives on how one achieves long-term goals. We conducted individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 13 Chinese university students to capture their past experiences

Abstract We framed crime victims as lucky, through downward counterfactual comparisons, and tested this “luck framing” influence on observers’ judgments of the victims. Victims framed as lucky and aware (Experiment 1) or unaware (Experiment 3) of their luck were rated as in need of less social support than victims who were not framed as lucky. This luck framing effect generalized to victim compensation:

Abstract Invariance of surveys across different groups means that the respondents interpret the items in the same way, as reflected in similar factor loadings, for example. Invariance can be assessed using various statistical procedures, such as Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis. However, these analyses require access to raw data. Here, we introduce a meta-analytic method that requires only

Abstract Invariance of surveys across different groups means that the respondents interpret the items in the same way, as reflected in similar factor loadings, for example. Invariance can be assessed using various statistical procedures, such as Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis. However, these analyses require access to raw data. Here, we introduce a meta-analytic method that requires only

People have a remarkable capacity to process and recognize faces. Yet, they fail to recognize the faces of individuals from other racial groups - the Other-Race Effect (ORE). We investigated the ro...

Gilbert’s hypothesis regarding the possible effect of the feet-in-the-door procedure on obedience to an authority figure in Milgram’s paradigm was tested in the course of two studies. Neither the f...

Abstract Leadership roles are complex, creating an environment where leaders are likely to make mistakes that result in negative outcomes. We shift the conversation in the literature from examining the effectiveness of mistake responses toward exploring why leaders use different mistake recovery methods. We employ an online experimental method to distinguish between task and relationship mistakes for

Abstract We present a model of ambivalent classism in which hostile (overtly negative and insulting) and benevolent (subjectively positive but condescending) attitudes about poor people co-exist and independently predict endorsement of restrictive and poverty-perpetuating welfare policies. Whereas existing classism scales predominantly measure antipathy toward poor people, we developed and validated

Abstract Drawing upon social exchange theory, this research investigates how and when supervisor narcissism influences subordinates’ performance. Study 1 uses a two-wave survey and reveals that supervisor narcissism is negatively related to subordinates’ in-role performance. Subordinates’ affective organizational commitment mediates the relationship between supervisor narcissism and subordinates’ in-role

Abstract Racial-ethnic gaps in perception of racism are persistent in the United States, perhaps because the acknowledgement of racism is threatening to European Americans. Supporting this argument, preliminary research indicates that self-affirmation boosts European Americans’ perception of racism and reduces the gap between European and Hispanic Americans’ perception of racism. Although promising

Abstract Interventions surrounding mindset have recently been applied as a tool for student success in higher education. The current study tested the efficacy of a growth mindset intervention at a university with a diverse student population. Using gateway math and introductory psychology courses, students were randomly assigned to receive a mindset message or one endorsing study skills. Dependent

Abstract Emotional imagery procedures can be used as beneficial means for study of a variety of issues (e.g., emotion, episodic memory, imagination, consciousness, attitudes, social domain, and so on) from an ecological perspective. Emotional imagery is also a worthy subject of research by itself. There are several procedures to encourage participants to generate, manipulate and maintain emotional

Abstract This paper is a reader-friendly introduction to Bayesian inference applied to psychological science. We begin by explaining the difference between frequentist and epistemic interpretations of probability that underpin respectively frequentist and Bayesian statistics. We use a concrete example—a student wondering whether s/he carries the virus statisticus malignum—to explain how both approaches

Abstract Human Library (HL) is a nonprofit community event aimed at increasing awareness and reduction of prejudice toward stigmatized groups in the society. HL implements an unusual methodology in the format of a pretend ‘library’ where HL attendants so-called ‘Readers’ engage in short, face-to-face, direct contact with so-called ‘Books’ who are real individuals from various stigmatized social groups

Abstract High-controlling (HC) language is explicit, clear, and efficient; however, it can be perceived as threatening, thus risking rejection. The benefits and drawbacks of using HC language presents a dilemma for message designers. Psychological reactance researchers have begun to examine strategies designed to utilize the virtues of HC language while mitigating the vices. We conducted three experiments

Abstract This study examined neurotypical university students’ (n = 116) perceptions of and behavior toward student confederates they believed to have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or not. Confederates were labeled by membership in an ASD student organization, behavior stereotypical of ASD, both, or neither. Perceptions of the confederate, verbal and non-verbal behavior toward the confederate, and

Abstract Applying social psychological theories of social exchange and gender socialization perspectives, we assess gender differences in the effects of receiving and giving social support on self-esteem and mastery (i.e., self-concept) for respondents in the United States. We also explore whether imbalances in support exchanges are beneficial or detrimental to self-concept for women (mean age = 72)

Abstract Can a brief personal narrative by an individual with facial disfigurement enhance perceptions of their skills and personality? Participants (n = 224) mainly from Europe and the USA completed the study online. Four experimental conditions presented either a video clip or the audio soundtrack, relating either a positive message or a message about overcoming adversity. In the control condition

Can a brief personal narrative by an individual with facial disfigurement enhance perceptions of their skills and personality? Participants (n = 224) mainly from Europe and the USA completed the study online. Four experimental conditions presented either a video clip or the audio soundtrack, relating either a positive message or a message about overcoming adversity. In the control condition, participants

Abstract We investigated the effects of group-level perspective taking when the target is an outgroup versus an ingroup. Men and women adopted the perspective of women suffering from wage inequality or remained objective. Men set lower injustice standards (i.e., required less evidence to conclude that gender inequality was unfair) and experienced higher empathic concern for women when they adopted

Abstract Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) do not measure teaching effectiveness, and their widespread use by university administrators in decisions about faculty hiring, promotions, and merit increases encourages poor teaching and causes grade inflation. Students need to get good grades, and faculty members need to get good SETs. Therefore, SETs empower students to shape faculty behavior. This

Abstract The way public figures react to criticism can influence perceptions of and trust in them. We tested whether politicians who openly accepted criticism were perceived as more moral and warmer (i.e., more communal) and were trusted more than politicians who rejected criticism. Using fictitious politicians, Experiments 1–3 showed the expected positive effect of accepting criticism on communion

Abstract We developed and validated a self-report scale assessing women’s daily experiences with hostile and benevolent sexism within domains of paternalism, gender differentiation, and heterosexuality. Women in two independent samples (Ns = 540 and 345) reported how frequently they experienced various hostile and benevolent forms of gender-based treatment derived from ambivalent sexism theory. Exploratory

Abstract This research examined the hypothesis that challenging experiences in acculturation may lead to heightened reactivity to socially hurtful events. Study 1 found that compared to a prime of acculturating to a similar foreign culture, priming acculturation to a distant culture (indicating more challenges) led to greater reported pain toward hurtful interpersonal events. Study 2 examined whether

Abstract Many older adults try to avoid age discrimination by hiding visible signs of aging. But using cosmetic procedures to conceal one’s age also incurs negative evaluations. This paradox prompted us to ask whether people can detect age concealment and, if so, whether they would either negatively evaluate concealers due to age-concealment stigmas or positively evaluate concealers because they look

Abstract The role of parents’ social support in relation to the socialization of coping strategies in emerging adults rarely has been studied. Parental depression has been related to both internalizing and externalizing problems in children. We examined the relationships of maternal and paternal depression on emerging adult internalizing and externalizing problems through perceived parents’ social

Abstract Three experiments examined how role aspirants’ (i.e., people exposed to role models) views of scientists’ exceptional talent affected motivation. Study 1 demonstrated that when exposed to a scientist whose success is associated with effort (i.e., Thomas Edison), rather than inborn talent (i.e., Albert Einstein), role aspirants’ motivation increased. Study 2 found that role aspirants benefitted

Abstract Self-affirmation is a promising brief intervention for reducing the academic achievement gap between majority and stigmatized groups (e.g., underrepresented minorities, women in STEM fields). Affirmations are thought to improve academic performance among stigmatized groups by expanding one’s sense of self, buffering social belonging, and reducing social identity threat. Despite encouraging

Abstract Why do some people help others in need, and some do not? One potential answer is sympathy, which reflects an other-focused desire to help others in need. Consequentially, we posit that sympathy toward a specific target joined with the attainability of successful helping forms a helping goal. In three experiments we found that helping behavior was highest when a helping goal was present, although

Abstract Self-compassion involves treating oneself kindly, acknowledging that all humans experience suffering, and maintaining a balanced awareness of negative thoughts and feelings. Three studies (N = 614) examined the potential role of self-compassion in response to interpersonal rejection. Study 1 recruited a large, diverse internet sample and explored relationships between general perceived acceptance

Abstract Although mortality salience (MS) typically motivates worldview defensiveness, priming an autonomy/self-determined orientation may attenuate that defensiveness. In Study 1 (n = 156) MS (vs. pain) had higher support for militaristic defense of American interests abroad, unless participants were also primed with autonomy-oriented (vs. controlled) concepts. In Study 2 (n = 205), a pilot survey

Abstract Virtually all scientific outlets, including the most prestigious journals, have implemented strict rules of α and (1–β) control, supposed to quantify the probability of a significant result assuming H0 and H1, respectively. However, estimation of α and β rests on the untenable assumption that a systematic effect ΔY in the dependent variable cannot be brought about by any other causal influence

Abstract Negative gossip can negatively influence the gossip target as well as the gossip receiver. Building on the “Big Two” of agency and communion and their facets of assertiveness and competence (agency) and warmth and morality (communion), we show in three studies that negative gossip based on these four types of content differentially affect targets’ and receivers’ reactions. Targets’ identity

Abstract In many conducted psychological studies, it has been demonstrated that attitudes towards minority groups can change under the influence of electoral campaigns, as well as terrorist attacks, or street riots. In the first study presented in this article, we have examined whether the level of prejudice towards Muslims increases during the period preceding national and religious holidays. It was

Abstract In this paper, we examine moral judgments about different entities including individuals, corporations, nonprofits, and governments following a transgression. Although there is some research examining inferences about groups, there is little work addressing attributions about institutional entities such as governments. Across six studies we found that moral character judgments are greater

Abstract In light of current egalitarian norms, it seems intuitive to assume that people endorsing ethnically prejudicial beliefs are largely unaware of their xenophobic content. However, a cognitive consistency perspective would suggest that individuals with low anti-prejudice standards might care less if their opinions are prejudiced. Corroborating this idea, Study 1 (N = 919) reveals that intra-individually

Abstract People tend to perceive themselves as better than average in various contexts. In this article I test if the better-than-average effect (BTAE) also holds for pro-environmental behavioral engagement. Experiment 1 supported that the majority of participants report to be more pro-environmental than others, using a large representative sample. Experiment 2 validated these findings in 3 additional