Emotions are commonly described using the valence-based terms “positive” and “negative,” which, we suggest, can create value-judgments of emotions and people experiencing them as being, for example, good or bad. We examined this assertion in four studies (N = 818). We found that people perceive valence-based terminology in a more value-laden manner than feeling-based terminology (“pleasant”/“unpleasant”; Study 1). We then examined whether using valence-based, feeling-based, or neither terminology influences value-judgments of anger and envy and people expressing them (Studies 2, 3). We found that both terminologies can create value-judgments. Some of our findings in Study 3 were moderated by participants’ political ideology. In Study 4, we explored alternatives to the valence-based terminology. While all terminologies can convey some degree of value-judgments, the valence-based terminology does it most. We tentatively recommend (a) using either a feeling-based (“pleasant”/“unpleasant”) or a feeling-specific terminology (“pleasant-feeling”/ “unpleasant-feeling”) to discuss general emotion groups and (b) using no descriptive terminology when discussing specific emotions. We conclude by offering the Words-as-Values (WaV) Theoretical Framework through which researchers may further explore the influences of terminology and its boundary conditions.
Men's experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV), particularly how men interpret and make sense of these experiences, remain underexamined in research and practice. To address this gap, the present study analyzed open-ended responses from 247 racially and ethnically diverse men living in the United States whose descriptions of IPV victimization by female partners extended beyond discrete acts of abuse. Reflexive thematic analysis identified six interconnected themes: unhealthy relational dynamics, consequences of abuse, reflections on the relationship, intentional withholding of information, defending the partner's behavior, and broader concerns. Together, these findings illuminate how men across racial and ethnic groups understand and narrate their IPV experiences within broader relational and psychological contexts, highlighting processes that can inform future research, trauma-informed practice, and interventions for male IPV victims.
Pesticides and road deicing salts are widespread contaminants in freshwater systems and frequently co-occur due to runoff and direct application. Atrazine, a triazine herbicide, and sodium chloride (NaCl), commonly used for road deicing, can independently alter water chemistry and affect aquatic primary producers. Atrazine can affect the freshwater algae, either inhibiting or stimulating their growth. The prolonged persistence of dissolved salts, ranging from decades to centuries, can lead to complex environmental scenarios characterized by multiple interacting stressors. Although many studies have examined each pollutant separately, their interactive effects have only recently gained scientific attention. This study investigated the individual and interactive effects of atrazine and NaCl on freshwater quality and algal physiological responses using laboratory microcosms. Two NaCl concentrations (120 and 230 mg/L) and two atrazine concentrations (1 and 5 μg/L) were tested using the green alga Selenastrum capricornutum. Water-quality parameters and algal endpoints, including chlorophyll concentration and cell abundance, were measured over the experimental period. Both atrazine and NaCl altered water chemistry, with nitrate concentrations increasing at higher atrazine concentrations and in mixture treatments. Combined atrazine-NaCl exposures resulted in elevated chlorophyll concentrations relative to controls, indicating a nonadditive physiological response, whereas cell abundance did not differ among treatments. These findings demonstrate that co-occurring chemical stressors can influence freshwater quality and algal physiology without proportional changes in population growth, highlighting the importance of considering mixture effects in water-quality assessment and management.
To better understand how coworkers socialize for fun, this multistudy research builds on prior conceptualizations to develop and validate a more conceptually precise measure of coworker socializing for fun. We introduce the Multidimensional Coworker Socializing for Fun Scale (MCSFS), conceptualized as a higher-order construct reflected in three first-order dimensions-friendly conversations, playful interactions, and gathering socially. Drawing on data from eight diverse samples of employees from multiple industries (total N = 1535) and four phases of scale development, results provide evidence of content, convergent, and discriminant validity. Confirmatory factor analyses support the hierarchical structure of the measure. The MCSFS also demonstrates nomological validity via positive relationships with theoretically relevant relational, attitudinal, and well-being outcomes, with dimension-level analyses indicating meaningful differences across the three dimensions of coworker socializing for fun.
This study examined barriers to help-seeking among male victims of intimate partner violence perpetrated by female partners, comparing differences across non-Latino Black, Latino, and non-Latino White men in the United States. Using a sample of 1,194 men recruited through the online panel Centiment, this study assessed the prevalence of specific barriers to help-seeking and examined differences across racial/ethnic groups. Data were collected through a structured survey with an additional open-ended item to capture barriers not reflected in the checklist. Results indicated that men across all racial/ethnic groups reported similar core barriers to help-seeking, including viewing intimate partner violence as a private matter, fear of retaliation, shame, and concerns about not being believed; however, the pattern of barrier endorsement varied by group. Latino men were significantly more likely than both Black and White men to report difficulty knowing how to disclose their experiences and were more likely than White men to report language- and immigration-related barriers. In contrast, Black men were less likely than Latino and White men to report concerns about bias or disbelief, a pattern that warrants cautious interpretation given broader historical and structural contexts. White men, meanwhile, were more likely than Latino men to report difficulty recognizing or labeling their experiences as abuse. Together, these findings highlight the need for culturally responsive, gender-inclusive interventions that address stigma, structural barriers, and institutional biases shaping men's help-seeking and service engagement following intimate partner violence victimization.
