Sexual consent communication can be ambiguous when people rely on nonverbal, implicit cues. This ambiguity can lead to the reliance of contextual information to assess whether a sexual encounter was consensual, both in the moment and retrospectively. The current study examined how level of alcohol consumption, relationship type, and evaluator gender influenced the extent to which various sexual encounters

Studies have shown that anomie, that is, the perception that a society's leadership and social fabric are breaking down, is a central predictor of individuals' support for authoritarianism. However, causal evidence for this relationship is missing. Moreover, previous studies are ambiguous regarding the mediating mechanism and lack empirical tests for the same. Against this background, we derive a set

Why do people not perceive their close others accurately, although they have ample information about them? We propose that one reason for such errors may be bias based on personal values. Personal values may serve as schemas defining what people see as positive, and thus affect perceptions of others' behavior, values, and traits. We propose that, in close relationships, people see others as sharing

Although much is known about why people engage in collective action participation (e.g., politicized identity, group-based anger), little is known about the psychological consequences of such participation. For example, can participation in collective action facilitate attitude moralization (e.g., moralize their attitudes on the topic)? Based on the idea that collective action contexts often involve

Research on men and masculinities is increasingly concerned with contemporary transformations in the way men understand and “do” gender. In particular, burgeoning paradigms like the hybrid masculinities framework have called attention to diverse patterns of practice among men that are seemingly at odds with traditional iterations of hegemonic masculinity. We conceptualize one component of this practice

Based on the assumption that language influences thinking, the present study investigated the effect of gender-fair language in German, a grammatically gendered language among primary school children. Specifically, in a single-study experiment, we compared 218 German third and fourth graders on the effects of the generic masculine (e.g., der Polizist; English: the policeman) and gender-fair language

The climate and ecological crisis poses an unprecedented challenge, with scientists playing a critical role in how society understands and responds. This study examined how 27 environmentally concerned scientists from 11 countries construct the future in the context of climate change, applying a critical discursive psychology analysis. The degree to which the future is constructed as predetermined

The under‐reporting of family violence is a global problem. Multiple barriers to help‐seeking have been identified, including some associated with social identities like race, age and gender. This discursive psychology study examines identity and help‐seeking in social interaction. We analysed 200 calls classified by police call‐takers as family harm using conversation analysis and membership categorization

Exploring how psychological constructs and their outcomes vary across geographic regions is a rapidly expanding area of research, yet fundamental questions remain. Can constructs designed to describe individual variation in attitudes be interpreted in the same way when aggregated to regional levels? To what extent are they related or distinct? We tested the relationship between individual and regional

We propose that, although deeply personal, meaning is facilitated by interpersonal processes. Namely, we theorize that experiencing a sense of shared reality with a close partner (i.e., perceiving an overlap in inner states about the world in general) reduces uncertainty about one's environment, which in turn promotes meaning in work and life. In the current research, we test this hypothesis across

Crime is an issue with severe consequences for individuals, economies, and society at large. Developing effective crime prevention strategies requires a clear understanding of who is likely to engage in crime and why. A promising approach in this regard likely is integrating established criminological theories with established models of basic personality structure. Correspondingly, the present investigation

What makes cultural products such as edutainment (i.e., online talks) successful versus not? Asked differently, which characteristics make certain addresses more (vs. less) appealing? Across 12 field and lab studies, we explore when, why, and for whom the information load carried in TED talks causes them to gain (vs. lose) popularity. First and foremost, we uncover a negative effect whereby increases

Nostalgia is a sentimental longing for the past that is experienced across people from various cultures and across the lifespan. Though nostalgia has typically been conceptualized as a mixed emotion, prior research has primarily focused on positive effects. We hypothesized that nostalgia can additionally have certain negative effects. In particular, nostalgia shares certain features with envy, a negative

ObjectiveText analysis is a form of psychological assessment that involves converting qualitative information (text) into quantitative data. We tested whether automated text analysis using Generative Pre‐trained Transformers (GPTs) can match the “gold standard” of manual text analysis, even when assessing a highly nuanced construct like spirituality.MethodIn Study 1, N = 2199 US undergraduates wrote

Collective action can be a crucial tool for enabling individuals to combat crime in their communities. In this research, we investigated individuals' intentions to mobilize against organized crime, a particularly impactful form of crime characterized by its exercises of power over territories and communities. We focused on individuals' views and perceptions of state authorities, examining how these

Hope is a future‐oriented emotion that attunes people to the possibility of positive change, and thus could potentially catalyse societal engagement with climate change. A recent meta‐analysis suggests that the relationship between hope and climate action is most robust when the target of hope is climate engagement (i.e. action hope) rather than climate change more broadly. Yet, this previous meta‐analysis

Virtual meetings, facilitated through videoconferencing or virtual reality, have become a common form of workplace communication. Despite the advantages these meetings offer, enabling collaboration among workers in dispersed locations, the phenomenon of virtual meeting fatigue, commonly referred to as Zoom fatigue, has emerged as a significant concern. This study explores whether facial appearance

Infectious diseases pose significant challenges to public health, leading to illness and even death. Vaccinations are vital for protecting society, yet beliefs in conspiracy theories related to infectious diseases increase vaccine hesitancy. This paper delves into vaccination decisions in the context of COVID‐19, which continues to strain the health care system. While past research focuses on countering

ObjectiveBorderline personality disorder (BPD) frequently co‐occurs with addictive behaviors. One such behavior that is increasing, especially among college students, is pathological gaming. However, to the best of our knowledge, no prior research has been conducted on BPD in relation to internet gaming disorder (IGD), despite the two sharing correlates such as negative emotionality and impulsivity

IntroductionLonely people often crave social connection, but their social interactions fall short of fulfilling their needs. Although loneliness has been associated with negative views of the world, it is not clear whether these world beliefs contribute to the unfulfilling social interaction patterns that sustain loneliness. This research examined the role of world beliefs in explaining the effects

ObjectiveThis study explores the NodeIdentifyR algorithm (NIRA) as a novel network analysis method for examining Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) traits.MethodsUsing a sample of 2230 Brazilian adults (aged 18–73 years) who responded to ASPD‐related factors of the Personality Inventory for DSM‐5 (PID‐5), we applied NIRA to an ASPD network and compared its results with traditional network analysis

ObjectiveSelf‐compassion can help people when they make mistakes, but does it affect how people respond when falsely accused of making a mistake? In this research, we tested the hypothesis that self‐compassion is associated with lower levels of anger after a false accusation which, in turn, lowers the likelihood that people will attempt to challenge the accusation.MethodIn Studies 1A (N = 422) and

The connection between bullying others and depression is clear. Less clear are the communicative paths through which being a bully leads to depression. Cyberbullying consists of communicative episodes that transcend modes of communication, contexts, and relationships wherein a social network of communicators pursues a subordinate goal of harming other(s) mentally, emotionally, and/or physically to

ObjectivePrevious research has documented a negative between‐person association between gratitude and depressed mood. However, how gratitude relates to depressed mood at the within‐person level remains less understood. The current study aimed to revisit the association between gratitude and depressed mood using a daily diary approach and examine the potential moderating effects of trait gratitude,

IntroductionPsychology textbooks abound with demonstrations of classic biases, yet the question why some people are more or less susceptible to those biases remains little explored. Drawing on Schwartz Values Theory (1992), we aim to show how individual differences in personal values, which express trans‐situational, chronic motivations of a perceiver, impact cognitive biases.MethodIn six studies (N

The current research presents and tests a new model: The Vicious Cycle of Status Insecurity. We define status insecurity as doubting whether one is respected and admired by others. Status insecurity leads people to view status as a limited and zero-sum resource, where a boost in the status of one individual inherently decreases that of other individuals. As a result, the insecure become reluctant to

Much research has found self-awareness to be associated with positive qualities, but we explore cases in which self-awareness sends a negative signal to others. Specifically, we propose that when a target person appears to be high in social self-awareness-that is, the person seems to accurately know what others think of them-observers infer that the target's actions are more intentional because the

This study aimed to examine how social representations of modern slavery and immigration become entangled in newspaper media. 2672 UK newspaper articles were collated from 2013 to 2022 and analysed using Content Analysis (Descendant Hierarchical Classification) and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Two themes and corresponding extracts were identified from the content analysis output and analysed

One of the most robust findings in environmental psychology is that men report lower pro‐environmentalism than women. Whilst this difference is often attributed to personality or identity processes, there seems to be a lack of empirical research on potential ideological influences. We propose—and provide evidence through two correlational studies—that radical pro‐environmentalism is often akin to propositions

Academic AbstractHumans frequently engage in mental time travel, reflecting on the past and anticipating the future. Although these processes may seem similar, research documents systematic differences between retrospection and prospection. We propose a conceptual framework to organize and explain these differences based on three axiomatic temporal asymmetries: The past occurs before the future; the

The present study aims to bridge the gap regarding the potential influence of problem gaming on problem gambling (PG) by examining the potential indirect effect of risky loot box use in this relationship. We also aim to examine these relationships in an understudied cultural context, that is, Eastern European, thus enlarging the current geographical scope of the research on problematic gaming and gambling

As described by early sociological research (Goffman, 1963, Behavior in public places: Notes on the social organization of gatherings), a typical behavioural pattern in public encounters between strangers is so‐called Civil Inattention (CI). CI describes a ritual of politely communicating having noticed the other while assuring non‐communication intentions. A typical example of showing CI is initially

BackgroundFor individuals living alone, having a diverse personal network is considered crucial for mitigating the risk of social isolation and enhancing well‐being. Although a reciprocal dynamic between network diversity and well‐being is likely, longitudinal evidence supporting reciprocal effects is limited. This study investigates dynamic transactions between network diversity and well‐being (life

The field of problematic Internet use (PIU) has seen significant academic interest in recent years. In the absence of a universally accepted definition of PIU, a multitude of scales have been developed to evaluate it. Notably, the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS-2), formulated on the cognitive-behavioral model by Caplan, emerges as a significant instrument in this domain. This research

In this study (N = 495), dating apps were conceptualized as digital leks. We examined how interpersonal (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy), sexual (sociosexual attitudes, desires, and behavior), and search (satisficing, alternatives) styles relate to mating success through dating apps (dates and sex). Individuals with a faster life history strategy, particularly men high in psychopathy and

Sexual harassment (SH) against women is one of the most worldwide problems. To mitigate its incidence, various programs, including virtual reality (VR), have been developed for both prevention and treatment. 360-degree video has emerged as a subfield of VR capable of inducing the body swap illusion and facilitating perspective-taking (PT), as well as eliciting related emotions. The present study represents

In recent years, a plethora of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots have been developed and made available to the public. Consequently, an increasing number of individuals are integrating AI chatbots into their daily lives for various purposes. This trend has also raised concerns regarding AI chatbot dependence. However, a valid and reliable scale to assess AI chatbot dependence is yet to be developed

Psychological ownership refers to the subjective feeling that something is mine. Although research shows that observed behaviours towards a target object can signal psychological ownership to others, we propose that trait cues—specifically, cues of dominance—also inform inferences of psychological ownership. Across four pre‐registered studies, we predict and find that another person's trait dominance

ObjectiveVarious psychological concepts with different names reflect essentially the same content. A recent study (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112102) found short scales of subclinical psychopathy and everyday sadism to be affected by this so‐called jangle fallacy: Latent factors of psychopathy and everyday sadism were almost perfectly correlated, the nomological networks of psychopathy and

Frontal alpha asymmetry has been proposed as a ubiquitous marker of state and trait approach motivation, but recent meta-analyses found weak or nonexistent links with personality traits. It has been suggested that frontal asymmetry may show stronger individual differences in situations that elicit approach motivation (state-trait interaction). To investigate this with sufficient statistical power,

Stress experiences have been found to vary at both the interindividual and intraindividual levels. The present study investigated the concurrent and longitudinal associations between values and stress at both the between-person and the within-person levels. We considered multiple aspects of stress, including self-reported stressor exposure and perceived stress, as well as general and domain-specific

Memorials extend beyond their physical constructs, embodying political narratives and influencing collective memory. This study examines how traditional memorials and counter‐memorials shape geopolitical storytelling and public sentiment. Through text analysis of over 158,000 online reviews, we compare emotional responses elicited by these memorial types. Our findings reveal distinct differences in

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

Compassionate love, generally defined as giving oneself for the good of another, has been receiving increased attention, especially in the context of romantic relationships. The purpose of the present research was to examine compassionate love "where it begins," namely, in the family. Seven studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that compassionate love would be correlated with various kinds

People's attitudes toward almost any stimulus (e.g., brands, people, food items) can change in line with the valence of co-occurring stimuli (e.g., images, messages, other people), a phenomenon known as the evaluative conditioning (EC) effect. Recent research has shown that EC effects are not always controlled, which is problematic in many circumstances (e.g., advertising, misinformation). We examined

ObjectiveThe current study assessed how individuals evaluate potential romantic partners who display either low, medium, or high levels of DT traits for short‐term (STR) and long‐term (LTR) relationships.MethodsNine fictitious persons in the form of vignettes (description of behavior and facial image) were presented to every participant. The sex of the fictitious persons was determined by sexual orientation

This article critically examines the pervasive yet often-neglected influence of capitalism on psychological processes and human behavior. While capitalist ideologies like neoliberalism have entered the mainstream in psychology, there remains a lack of deeper engagement with the foundations of capitalism. The article argues that capitalism generates distinct cultural syndromes that emerged from the

Having a vision and being able to imagine socially and ecologically just alternatives can motivate people for societal transformation. However, which psychological processes drive this link between the mental accessibility of societal alternatives and collective action? We hypothesized that collective efficacy beliefs and politicized identification form two pathways mediating the effects of cognitive

Research on moral decision-making in organizations has expanded significantly over the past few decades. In this review, we build on prior comprehensive reviews on the topic to provide an updated view of the field, based on the latest findings. We first provide a brief historical overview of influential theories of moral decision-making and then describe the individual characteristics, interpersonal

Why do we care so much for friends-much more than one might predict from reciprocity alone? According to a recent theory, organisms who cooperate with each other come to have a stake in each other's well-being: A good cooperator is worth protecting-even anonymously if necessary-so they can be available to cooperate in the future. Here, we present three experiments showing that reciprocity creates a

Evaluative conditioning (EC) is the change of a conditioned stimulus's evaluation due to its pairing with an unconditioned stimulus (US). While learning typically shows negativity biases, we found no such biases in a reanalysis of meta-analytic EC data. We provide and test a cognitive-ecological answer for this lack of negativity bias. We assume that negativity effects follow from ecological differences

How does living in an environment with many or few family relatives shape our psychology? Here, we draw upon ideas from behavioral ecology to explore the psychological effects of ecological relatedness-the prevalence of family relatives in one's environment. We present six studies, both correlational and experimental, that examine this. In general, people and populations that live in ecologies with