In current multicultural societies, mutual adjustment of majority and ethnic minority groups is a crucial issue shaped by groups' acculturation preferences and their encounters. These aspects are particularly relevant in adolescence when young people extend their social relationships and develop attitudes towards others. However, the association between acculturation preferences across domains and the quantity and quality of intergroup contact in adolescence remains underexplored. Thus, we conducted a three-wave longitudinal study with majority (N = 740; 64.73% female; Mage = 14.58) and ethnic minority (N = 244; 56.56% female; Mage = 14.91) adolescents to examine these links. Results of random-intercept cross-lagged models showed that among majority adolescents, at the between-person level, their preferences for minority acculturation were mainly associated with contact quality in and out-of-school, with preference for heritage culture maintenance linked to more positive contact and preference for adoption linked to more negative contact. Within-person increases in positive contact in school were followed by decreases in adoption preference. Among ethnic minority adolescents, at the between-person level, their adoption preference was related to more frequent and positive contact across contexts, with additional within-person associations. Overall, the findings emphasize the context-specific and asymmetrical interplay between acculturation and intergroup contact in adolescence.
Stereotypes about mental illness (MI) are not necessarily context-free or stably localized within the stereotype content model (SCM). Studies using different comparison sets are expected to produce different relationships between the two SCM dimensions, meaning that placements derived from visual maps, cluster solutions or quadrant descriptions should not be interpreted as fixed properties of social categories. Drawing on a PRISMA-guided meta-analysis, we synthesize SCM ratings of depression and schizophrenia and demonstrate substantial heterogeneity across studies, both in pooled mean estimates for each diagnosis-by-dimension combination and in contrasts between diagnostic categories. Analyses used random-intercept and random-slope meta-analytic models, with heterogeneity assessed through I2, τ and Cochran's Q. Across 17 studies, results showed considerable heterogeneity in evaluations of both diagnoses on both SCM dimensions. Although comparative analyses also showed high heterogeneity, findings consistently indicated that schizophrenia is rated as less warm than depression, whereas both diagnoses receive similar competence evaluations. These findings support the theoretical and methodological claim that SCM research should avoid treating depression and schizophrenia stereotypes as stable diagnosis-specific placements. We discuss how a diagnostic approach can be developed within a contextual framework using standardized procedures for data collection and analysis.
Punishment conveys social information to transgressors, who attribute motives to punishers. Drawing on the motive-attribution framework, we examined whether transgressors' attributions to competitive (i.e. harming transgressors), individualistic (i.e. managing one's own interests) and prosocial (i.e. healing relationships) motives differ depending on whether punishment is administered by victims (second-party punishment) or uninvolved observers (third-party punishment), and how these attributions relate to downstream affective, relational and behavioural outcomes. In an incentivized Stealing Game, participants could steal valuable points and were punished either by the victim or an observer. Subsequently, transgressors reported their motive attributions, affect and willingness to reconcile and completed a measure of prosocial behaviour towards an unrelated other. Contrary to predictions, motive attributions did not systematically differ between second- and third-party punishment, except that third-party punishment was more strongly attributed to reputational concerns (i.e. a subdimension of individualistic motive attribution). Punishment severity emerged as an important predictor, with harsher sanctions linked to stronger competitive and individualistic attributions. Competitive motive attribution, in turn, was associated with higher negative affect and lower positive affect, willingness to reconcile and prosocial behaviour. Overall, transgressors' responses to punishment were less clearly shaped by who punished and more closely linked to punishment severity and motive attribution.
Daily life is characterized by periods of complete and public solitude, face-to-face interactions and digitally mediated interactions when alone or with others, all of which elicit varying degrees and different types of affect. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of affect during these distinct everyday contexts. By combining data from 11 distinct datasets, we examined how time spent in complete solitude (not interacting and with no-one around), digitally mediated interactions when alone, public solitude (not interacting but with others present), interacting face-to-face and digitally mediated interactions when with others, as well as individual differences in age and extraversion, were associated with four types of affect distinguished on two dimensions (arousal and valence) and loneliness. Results showed that prior face-to-face interactions were associated with increased high-arousal positive affect and decreased low-arousal positive affect. This research offers nuanced insights into how social and solitary contexts, personality and age contribute to everyday affective experiences.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused a wave of emigration, with vast numbers of people fleeing Russia due to political persecution or safety concerns. The study explored how anti-war Russian emigrants negotiate their national identity and moral responsibility amid ingroup wrongdoing. Previous research has shown that having a stigmatized identity can lead to self-group distancing. Yet those studies concerned groups that can be characterized as victims of violence or discrimination, and there is a lack of research on identity performance and negotiation of people who represent perpetrator groups. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with Russian emigrants (N = 12) in two rounds between March 2023 and early 2024. We analysed data using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Participants described feelings of collective guilt and fear from identity disclosure, accompanied by a sense of vigilance in how they perform their identity in interactions. To avoid any implication that they supported the State's actions, participants tended to mitigate potential moral judgement by positioning themselves as morally aware yet lacking agency. Although participants actively disidentified from Russian identity, they still emphasized struggling with navigating collective responsibility and guilt. We discuss the implications of our findings for the potential resistance and future post-conflict reconciliation.
Incremental/entity beliefs refer to individuals' views on whether traits are malleable/static. Previous research, mostly from a target attribution perspective, identified a positive relationship between entity beliefs and harsh moral judgements towards moral transgressors. Little research has examined the relationships between entity beliefs and positive moral behaviours (e.g., prosocial behaviours) from a self-attribution perspective. The current study filled this gap. Two correlational studies, Studies 1a (N = 1229) and 1b (N = 328), revealed positive correlations between entity beliefs, prosocial behaviours and the tendency to attribute behaviours to one's own traits. In Study 2 (N = 167), beliefs were manipulated. Entity theorists exhibited higher levels of helping intentions and self-trait attribution than incremental theorists. Studies 3a (N = 1737) and 3b (N = 183) further explored the moderating effects of prosocial cost and helping efficacy and found that by holding a strong connection between one's own traits and behaviour, entity theorists were less influenced by increased prosocial costs and reduced helping efficacy compared to incremental theorists. These findings establish a more grounded and dialectical understanding of entity and incremental beliefs.
International sporting events like the UEFA EURO 2024 provide a powerful natural context to study how social identity dynamics and social processes link to well-being and motivation beyond the sporting domain. In this pre-registered longitudinal experience-sampling study (N = 842; k = 2,414 post-game responses) across five European countries, we examined how social context (watching alone vs. with others) and game result (win vs. loss) link to spectators' life satisfaction and work motivation. Drawing on social identity and self-categorisation theory, we explored mediating processes including team, football, and national identity, as well as social processes-social connectedness and game-related socialising. Multilevel analyses revealed that watching games with others was unexpectedly associated with lower work motivation, an effect explained by alcohol consumption. The social context was unrelated to life satisfaction. Game result (i.e., a win) was positively related to life satisfaction and work motivation, mediated by social identities and social processes. These findings demonstrate that collective success-rather than shared spectating-coincides with positive psychological spill-overs from leisure to work. By situating these effects within a social identity framework, the study highlights how collective experiences relate to both evaluative well-being (i.e., life satisfaction) and motivational outcomes (i.e., work motivation) in everyday and organisational life.
Previous literature on impression updating has paid extensive attention to confirmation bias - the tendency to seek out, favour, interpret or remember information in a way that reinforces existing beliefs. Fewer studies examined the contrast effect/bias in the sequential updating of impressions. Contrast bias occurs when the difference between current beliefs and new information is exaggerated, leading to a stronger shift in evaluation than the new information alone would justify. In this work, we conducted two Ecological Momentary Experiments to capture real-world impression formation and updating on both social (e.g. an employee) and non-social (e.g. a vacation house) targets. We also developed novel computational models of biased impression updating based on parametric distortions of Bayesian ideal observers. Across the two studies, we found that daily impression updating exhibited significant contrast bias, with negative contrast bias exerting a stronger influence than positive ones. Additionally, we found no evidence for differences in impression updating between social and non-social targets. By focusing on within-person impression updating over time, these findings reveal contrast bias as a core dynamic of impression updating, systematically shaping how impressions change in response to inconsistent information.
This research examines how actual and perceived spatial distance from group members shape collaboration intentions in the context of community energy initiatives. While previous studies highlight in-group identification and interpersonal contact for community engagement, the role distance plays in this has received less attention. Across two studies (N total = 195, N total = 287), we tested across spatially different groups (neighbourhood, city, nation, family, workplace) whether indicators of greater (perceived) spatial distance were indicative of less interpersonal contact, lower identification with the group and weaker collaboration intentions. Our results indicate that perceived spatial distance did not correspond to actual spatial differences across groups, suggesting that perceived distance does not always reflect actual distance. However, members who perceive other members as less distant report stronger interpersonal contact, identification (Studies 1 and 2) and collaboration intentions (Study 2). Associations between interpersonal contact, identification and collaboration intentions were consistent across groups, suggesting that these processes are rather universal, while the role and interpretation of distance fluctuate between the groups tested. These results contribute to t/0258heory by clarifying the interplay between spatial and social dimensions of groups, and by showing how perceptions of space shape identification and intentions to engage in community-based energy.
The social cure hypothesis proposes that national identification can be beneficial to the well-being and mental health of ingroup members. However, research has also identified a social curse phenomenon in which identification can exacerbate distress and undermine recovery after trauma. We propose that these seemingly paradoxical phenomena arise from the effects of different dimensions of identification. To test this approach, we examined the context of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, as the actions of Russian troops, bombings, and the loss of homes and relatives are all sources of trauma for Ukrainians. Our research hypothesised that ingroup ties and ingroup affect would serve as protective factors, while identity centrality would serve as a risk factor for post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. Using two studies conducted among Ukrainians living in Ukraine (N1 = 1012) and Ukrainian refugees in Poland (N2 = 381), we consistently found that identity centrality was positively associated with PTS symptoms. In addition, Study 2 provided evidence for the protective role of ingroup ties and affect. These findings clarify how specific dimensions of national identification may function as either a 'social cure' or a 'social curse' during ongoing conflict, with important implications for mental health interventions for war-affected populations.
Stereotype formation is shaped by differentiation, that is, the tendency to prioritize attributes that render a novel group distinct from comparison groups. While differentiation is well documented, it remains unclear whether it is intrinsic to categorization or whether it is a byproduct of a general processing advantage of novel stimuli. We conducted three preregistered experiments to disentangle these accounts. In all experiments, participants learned a set of social traits that were either assigned to a single group or distributed across two groups. Crucially, novel traits presented in the second half of the stimulus set marked intergroup distinctiveness only in the two-groups condition while being equally novel in the single-group condition. In line with a category-based account of differentiation, recall for novel traits was enhanced in the two-groups condition compared to the single-group condition (Exp. 1 & 3) and an additional control condition without groups (Exp. 3). Moreover, novel traits were judged as more typical for their group than initially learned traits, but only in the two-groups condition (Exp. 2). These findings suggest differentiation is not a fixed response to novelty but a genuine categorization effect, serving a functional role in distinguishing groups. We discuss implications for category learning and stereotype formation.
The impassioned advocacy both for and against Indigenous rights in recent years suggests a polarization of public opinion. Accordingly, we theorize increasingly divided endorsement of two ideologies that challenge Indigenous rights to material and symbolic equality-historical negation and symbolic exclusion, respectively (the 'Dark Duo'). Using latent class growth analysis, we test for distinct classes of change in the Dark Duo over 16 years (2009-2025) among a national probability sample of New Zealand adults (N = 43,020). As expected, results reveal a subgroup of Progressives (76.84%) with lower levels of historical negation and symbolic exclusion that decreased over time and a smaller subgroup of Reactionaries (23.16%) with higher levels of these ideologies that increased over the same period. Demographic and socio-political variables predicted class membership, and support for political parties varied across classes. Thus, the current study illustrates the presence and implications of ideological polarization towards Indigenous rights.
Belief in free will has been linked to more punitive and retributive responses to wrongdoing. While past research has focused on North American samples and criminal contexts, this study tested whether free will belief predicts punitiveness across diverse cultural contexts and focuses on more everyday moral transgressions. We surveyed 8917 participants from 44 countries using a validated measure of free will belief and a vignette-based measure of punitiveness. Multilevel analysis revealed that individuals with stronger free will beliefs were more punitive towards everyday moral transgressions. These findings suggest that free will belief is a cross-culturally robust predictor of punitiveness towards everyday moral transgressions. Implications are discussed for the potential benefits of mitigating free will belief in specific contexts.
Rising concern about student mental health has highlighted the complex role of social media as both a source of support and a risk factor. However, existing research often relies on simplistic measures that overlook the context-dependent ways in which students engage with these platforms. This daily diary study (159 observations; N = 40 university students) examined how the valence of university-specific social media interactions related to student well-being. Grounded in the view that digital spaces increasingly mediate campus social life, we tested whether more positive daily online interactions predicted greater subsequent well-being and whether this association was mediated by sense of community and social support, provided or received. Social class was examined as a moderator. Multilevel analyses showed that more positive interaction valence was associated with higher subsequent daily well-being, stronger sense of community, and greater provided and received social support. However, none of the mediators predicted well-being, and no indirect effects were observed. These findings suggest that the quality of university-related online interactions is linked to student well-being.
In the past decades, social scientists have interrogated the racialized machinations of social space. Ahmed (2007), for example, speaks of the 'Whiteness of space', wherein White bodies 'are what lags behind', sinking into the background and 'cohering to form the edges of spaces (pg. 156,157)', but non-White bodies are fated to be noticed and to be uncomfortably incoherent in space. This research examines the deep entanglements of racialized bodies and space, focusing on two recent 'disruptions' of space: the January 6th Capitol attack and the Gaza solidarity encampments. We examined media sources and employed a critical discursive analysis to detail how the occupation of space is categorized and constructed, paying specific attention to how racialized assumptions get discursively (re)produced. We observed that the acts of violence on January 6th, through discursive reproductions of habitus, were imbued with/in White innocence-a habitus not afforded to those involved in the Gaza solidarity encampments. For those participating in the encampments, a habitus of banal terrorism was linguistically and spatially reproduced, whereby the surveillance of the physical space of non-White and Muslim bodies was routinized. We consider these results within the context of existing critical psychological studies of Whiteness, discourse and race scholarship.
Social psychological research has shown how far-right leaders mobilize people by claiming that majority populations are threatened or silenced. This paper builds on this work to examine a related process in naturalistic interactions: how riotous actions are explained and justified through appeals to 'British values' in online forums. Using discursive psychology, we analyse talk surrounding the riots that followed the stabbing of three young girls in Southport, England-the UK race riots of August 2024. We show that invoking British or English values serves two key functions: it renders rioters' actions self-explanatory and offers a competing account of rioters as the more authentic representation of Britishness and the British people than the government. This reframing of 'British values' offers up a challenge to those attributing riots to 'far right' motivations and instead portrays the riots as effortful and even ideal expressions of British citizenship. Thus, British values operate not merely as symbols but as rhetorical tools that can sanitize the 'far-right' label linking the riots, immigration, state policy and national identity.
Self-affirmation interventions can protect individuals from perceived threats and enhance well-being. However, previous studies highlight the need to adapt these interventions to specific populations, particularly non-WEIRD ones, to achieve effective results. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use a mixed-methods participatory approach to develop self-affirmation techniques tailored to the threats Syrian forced migrants face during acculturation in European host societies. In the first qualitative study, 30 in-depth interviews explored threats encountered during acculturation, their negative effects and spontaneous self-affirmation mechanisms used to preserve well-being and self-image. A second experimental study assessed the effectiveness of tailored self-affirmation interventions. Three hundred and thirteen participants reported their acculturation orientations, read a threat-inducing text and were then assigned to one of three self-affirmation conditions (host-domain, heritage-domain or individual) or a control condition. We then measured hedonic well-being, self-esteem and a challenged sense of belonging. Contrast analysis showed that combined self-affirmation interventions enhanced hedonic well-being compared to control, particularly when aligned with individuals' acculturation orientations. Our studies contribute to the literature by developing culturally grounded interventions for a specific underrepresented population using mixed methods. Future research should test their effectiveness with similar forced migrant populations and continue adapting interventions to fit diverse cultural contexts and interindividual differences.
Across two studies, this research explored the relationship between levels of social inclusion within a group and cooperative sharing decisions among children, using the public goods game (PGG). In Study 1 (10-12 years old, N = 165), participants' social inclusion was experimentally manipulated using a modified version of the Cyberball paradigm that varied the number of ball tosses, after which they were asked about their willingness to contribute resources to the common pool in the PGG. In Study 2 (10-11 years old, N = 249), social inclusion was measured in a naturalistic context by assessing children's interactions with peers in their class and their actual contributions in the PGG at two time points, 1 week apart. In both studies, children who experienced higher levels of social inclusion within the group were more willing to contribute to the group, even at a personal cost, compared with children experiencing lower levels of social inclusion. Together, these findings deepen our understanding of how social inclusion within the group shapes prosocial behaviour during middle childhood-a pivotal period in social development.
Political campaigns widely use fear speech to appraise historically salient identity-based differences and mobilize voters. Despite ample literature to support fear speech's effectiveness in mobilizing collective violence, empirical evidence exploring its nuances and mechanisms in electoral contexts is limited. The current study examines online fear speech used by competing political candidates in the pre-electoral period during the 2021 State Assembly Elections in West Bengal, India. Using qualitative content analysis, we coded 391 publicly available Facebook posts on the group and personal accounts of the candidates, during the 3 weeks leading up to the elections. The analysis focused on the types and intensity of fear speech, its use across constituencies and party candidates, and how existing communal and partisan threats were appraised using fear speech. Findings highlight the strategic use of violent vs. non-violent fear speech representing the socio-political history of the context and the cultural values represented by each party, and the affordances of social media as a platform for political and electoral campaigning and collective mobilization.
Even though conspiracy beliefs have been linked to behaviours such as vaccination and voting, the association is weak and heterogeneous. To shed light on this matter, we examined belief qualities associated with stronger correlations of beliefs with attitudes and behaviour. Across three studies-the first being pre-registered, two utilizing large, probability US samples and the last measuring behaviour prospectively-we analysed associations with prejudice (Study 1 N = 1959), vaccination behaviour (Study 2 N = 2572) and political behaviour (Study 3 N = 1551; total N = 6082). We found consistent evidence that conspiracy beliefs are linked to attitudes, and attitudes are related to behaviours. As hypothesized, this pathway is stronger when the beliefs are perceived as more certain or important, a tendency that is amplified when they are also perceived as more actionable. These findings have implications for addressing the most dangerous conspiracy beliefs and for understanding the belief-behaviour associations in other domains.
