College of Behavioral & Social Sciences
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..
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Item SELF-PROTECTIVE EPISODIC SIMULATIONS MOTIVATE NEGATIVE SOCIAL BEHAVIORS IN LONELY PEOPLE(2024) Davis, Alexander; Lemay, Edward P.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Loneliness can be an enduring condition, with the stability of loneliness comparable to that of a personality trait. The Evolutionary Theory of Loneliness (ETL) posits that loneliness is a self-perpetuating condition; lonely people prioritize self-protection over connecting with others. To self-protect, lonely people engage in increased hostility and avoidance and decreased prosocial behaviors. Engaging in these behaviors perpetuates their loneliness by eroding their social networks. I hypothesize that self-protective episodic simulations of rejection may be an underlying mechanism that drives negative social behaviors. To assess the effects of episodic simulations on the stability of loneliness, I conducted a longitudinal assessment of participants' unmanipulated episodic simulations of social interactions and ratings of loneliness. Participants were 207 undergraduate students at the University of Maryland who completed up to four sequential weekly assessments. Multilevel modeling was used to assess within subjects change in social behaviors, social perceptions, and episodic simulations. I found evidence to support episodic simulations of rejection predicted next week's prosocial behaviors, social avoidance, and hostility. Prosocial behaviors and hostility, in turn, predicted loneliness. I did not find evidence to support the hypothesis that loneliness predicts the following week's hostility. The results highlight the potential influence episodic simulations of rejection have on social behaviors and loneliness. Contrary to ETL, I did not find any support for the hypothesis that loneliness predicts future hostility.Item PREDICTING PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT IN GRIEF: CROSS-NATIONAL DIFFERENCES AMONG KOREANS AND AMERICANS(2023) Yang, NaYeon; O'Brien, Karen M.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Grieving the death of a significant individual is a universal experience. However, the rituals, beliefs, and meanings surrounding death are shaped by one’s cultural values. Recent scholars stressed the importance of recognizing cultural differences in bereavement, as Western-centric perspectives on grief in the bereavement literature could adversely affect clients with different cultural backgrounds (Rosenblatt, 2008). Prior research demonstrated that the constructs contributing to healthy grieving may differ across cultures. Specifically, continuing bonds, meaning-making, and social support have been identified as three constructs associated with bereaved individuals’ psychological adjustment in several cultures (e.g., Gillies et al., 2015; Kim et al., 2008; Scholtes & Browne, 2015; Yang & Lee, 2020). Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the similarities and differences in the relations among psychological distress, salient grief-related variables (i.e., internalized/externalized continuing bonds, meaning-making, and implicit/explicit social support), and psychological adjustment among Koreans and Americans during their grieving process. The data were collected in the United States and South Korea. The results indicated that psychological distress and one subscale of meaning-making (i.e., emptiness and meaninglessness) were associated with psychological adjustment for both US and Korean bereaved individuals. For US bereaved individuals, externalized continuing bonds and one subscale of meaning-making (i.e., being present) were positively associated with psychological adjustment, whereas one subscale of meaning-making (i.e., sense of peace) was negatively associated with psychological adjustment. For Korean individuals, implicit social support was positively associated with psychological adjustment. Overall, the results indicated that there may be both universal and culturally unique aspects of grieving. Clinical implications and future research considerations are discussed.Item EFFECTS OF GROUP STATUS AND IDENTITY ALIGNMENT ON SOCIAL INFLUENCE(2024) Beavan, Kelly Ann; Lucas, Jeffrey W; Sociology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)A series of three studies examine effects of social identity alignment versus social status on influence within task groups. Status Characteristics Theory (SCT) predicts that deference will be given to high-status members, and Social Identity Theory (SIT) predicts deference to in-group members. This dissertation investigates conditions under which social status or identity alignment might be more predictive of deference by examining status characteristics that also constitute significant identities or memberships to a social in-group (e.g., race, gender). By discerning when social identity or status holds greater sway in task groups, results of three experimental studies shed light on influence dynamics and the interplay of status and social identity. The studies tested three mechanisms—degree of in-group identification, identity threat, and task importance—expected to be impactful in affecting the influence of high-/low-status, in-/out-group partners under varying conditions. Study 1 examines these processes in a minimal group setting (based on abstract groups based on “cognitive association styles”), and Studies 2 and 3 use more naturally-occurring social groups (e.g., home state in Study 2), such as those attached to an overarching status hierarchy (e.g., gender and race in Study 3). Each experiment had participants work with two (simulated) partners to complete a series of trials on an uncertain group task. This setting met the scope conditions for the theories I am applying to establish group structures: Participants were task and collectively oriented (SCT), were working on a task with no immediate feedback about performance and were explicitly told of categorical group differences between themselves and their partners (SIT). The instructions for Study 1 assigned participants to minimal groups based on bogus cognitive association styles. Study 2 used self-reported home state as a group-differentiating characteristic, and finally, Study 3 tested theorized processes with gender and race. Hypothesis 1 predicted that high-status partners would exert more influence than low-status partners and found partial support in Studies 2 and 3, primarily driven by the influence of high-status (in-group) partners over subjects. Hypothesis 2 predicted that in-group partners would have more influence than out-group partners, and results generally supported this by revealing strong influence from in-group partners, regardless of status (although in-group high-status partners were most influential in Studies 2 and 3). Hypothesis 3, which expected heightened task importance to increase deference to high-status others, did not receive strong empirical or theoretical support and was only directly manipulated in Study 1. Hypothesis 4 predicted that under threat to group identity, the effects of group membership on influence would increase relative to that of status. Contrary to expectations, results revealed that identity threat significantly increased the influence levels of high-status partners, even when that high-status meant out-group membership. These findings suggested that identity threat did not heighten the SIT-based effects on social influence (i.e., in-group influence), as predicted, and in some ways point to an SCT-based explanation (i.e., high-status influence) under threat. Hypothesis 5, predicting that identification to the in-group would increase the impact of group membership, relative to that of status, on outcomes of social influence, was strongly supported in Studies 1 and 3. Participants who more highly identified with their in-group accepted greater influence from their in-group (compared to out-group) partners, regardless of that in-group’s relative (high- or low-) status. An SIT interpretation of this finding suggests that low-status in-group members who more highly identify with their (e.g., racial, gender) in-group may not necessarily be more influenced by similar in-group others simply because of their shared group membership. They do, however, appear to be significantly less influenced by out-group others (even when that out-group is higher-status), a finding consistent with my predictions on in-group identification. Finally, Hypothesis 6, predicting in-group identification to moderate the relationships between task importance (6a) and identity threat (6b) on social influence, found mixed support. More highly-identified participants were more influenced by in-group partners (compared to their out-group counterparts), and in-group identification significantly and directly predicted influence above and beyond effects from experimental manipulations. Results from the three studies show that subtle features of the group context (identity threat and heightened in-group identification) affect how much influence (high- and low-status) group members exert over individuals. Findings from this research highlight the complex interplay between status, group membership, identification and threat in shaping social influence dynamics, and I conclude by using these results to evaluate the relative strength of status-based (SCT) versus identity-based (SIT) processes in driving outcomes of social influence.Item WARRIORS, GUARDIANS, WOLVES, AND SHEEP: OFFICER PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE-CIVILIAN IDENTITIES AND THE PERSISTENCE OF ORGANIZED INEQUITY(2024) Powelson, Connor Reed; Ray, Rashawn; Sociology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Despite nearly a decade of community engagement and police reform efforts guided by the Warrior/Guardian paradigm, there remains little evidence of police culture change and rates of racially disproportionate police misconduct remain a social problem. In this work, I bring officers into this conversation and leverage the Warrior/Guardian paradigm as a starting point for an exploration of how identity structures constitute police organizational culture and practice, its consequences, and its potential for change. The present work contributes to the public and scholarly discourse on police culture and the role of identity processes in the reproduction of organizational practices. I characterize police culture as a set of identity schemas that connect people, practices, and social resources. I chart three domains of symbolic interaction that characterize the intersection of police structure, police culture, and public culture and account for police organizational rules and practices that distribute law enforcement outcomes and pattern organized inequity.Item Religious belief, religious minorities, and support for democracy(2023) Overos, Henry David; Birnir, Johanna K.; Government and Politics; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Over the last two decades, the intersection of religion in politics and democratic backsliding has prompted questions about public support for democracy. This study investigates the link between individual-level religious beliefs, religious minority status, and support for democracy. It presents a modified authoritarian personality theory, proposing that higher religious commitment correlates with stronger support for authoritarianism and weaker support for liberal democracy. This hypothesis is tested using Latent Class Analysis (LCA) and validated through the World Values Survey data. A survey experiment in Indonesia in 2022 examines the impact of minority status on views regarding liberal democracy. The findings indicate that religious commitment is associated with reduced support for liberal democracy, and minority status can affect perspectives on democracy under specific political contexts. Additionally, this research pioneers a large-scale approach to measuring religious experience through clustering analysis. It underscores the need to explore how democracy is perceived differently by diverse segments of the population, adding depth to the study of democratic support.Item The emergence of symbolic norms(2023) Pan, Xinyue; Gelfand, Michele J.; Nau, Dana S.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Human groups are experts in developing and maintaining social norms. Many social norms have clear practical functions, such as regulating competition or facilitating coordination. Some other norms, however, have arbitrary functions and limited direct material consequences for the self or the group, but are nevertheless enforced. I define such norms as symbolic norms. Symbolic norms are prevalent across human societies. Given the discrepancy between the social importance and the functional opacity of these norms, it is important to understand how a seemingly neutral behavior can emerge as a symbolic norm and be adopted by the population. In this dissertation, I argue that a neutral behavior is more likely to evolve as a symbolic norm when it shows statistical correlation with a practical behavior on the population level. I call this the norm spillover effect. The norm spillover effect predicts that if, on the population level, followers of a practically beneficial norm happen to conduct a certain neutral behavior more often than practical norm violators, the social norm will spill over from the practical domain to the neutral domain. Thus, people will adopt and enforce that neutral behavior, and a symbolic norm will emerge. This dissertation uses agent-based models and an empirical experiment to test the norm spillover effect across two levels of analyses. First, agent-based models are used to test the evolutionary force behind the norm spillover effect on the population level. I argue that the statistical correlation between a practical and a neutral behavior creates an ecology that fosters symbolic norm following and enforcement. Second, an empirical experiment is conducted to examine the psychology of the norm spillover effect on the individual level. I argue that the perceived correlation between a practical and a neutral behavior increases the perceived direct function of and the pressure to conform to the symbolic norm.Item Can A Relationship Optimism and Perfectionism Intervention Increase Romantic Relationship Well-being?(2023) Xiao, Zizhong; Lemay, Jr., Edward P; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)A key predictor for romantic relationship quality is relationship optimism (also known as positive relationship expectations). However, relationship expectations can negatively affect relationship well-being when they become unrealistic and rigid, also known as dyadic perfectionism. The current research tests the effectiveness of a novel intervention that aims to improve relationship optimism and decrease dyadic perfectionism among couples. The four components of the intervention were based on previously validated social-psychological interventions that target relevant traits such as personal optimism and growth mindset. There were three intervention conditions. The first condition paired relationship optimism and dyadic perfectionism components together. The second condition only had the relationship optimism component. The third was the control condition. Results showed that despite a significant effect of the intervention on lowering immediate dyadic perfectionism, the intervention failed to have enduring effects on relationship optimism or dyadic perfectionism. Additionally, this intervention did not improve relationship quality on other indicators. Implications, broader impacts, and future directions based on the current results are discussed.Item Affective Reactions to Uncertainty as Driven by Past Experiences, Personality, and Perceived Valence(2022) Ellenberg, Molly Deborah; Kruglanski, Arie; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The assumption that uncertainty is inherently threatening which underlies decades of research belies the fact that people rarely react negatively to uncertain situations about which they do not care, and that some are excited by uncertainty. I propose that affective reactions to uncertainty are driven not by uncertainty itself, but by people’s expectations of positive and negative outcomes to personally relevant uncertain situations. I find that positive past experiences predict higher optimism and higher resilience, both of which predict higher tolerance of uncertainty and more positive perceptions of uncertain events. I also find that negative past experiences predict higher pessimism and lower resilience, both of which predict higher intolerance of uncertainty and more negative perceptions of uncertain events. The second study suggests that optimistic people are more likely to approach, rather than avoid, uncertainty. The third study finds that mindfulness training, which emphasizes non-attachment to outcomes, results in more neutral reactions to uncertainty. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.Item Addressing Follower Motivation Within the Kelley Typology of Followership Using Significance Quest Theory(2022) Forgo, Emily Elizabeth; Hanges, Paul J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis sought to build upon the Kelley typology of followership by examining the motivational factors that affect follower behavior in follower-leader interactions that the original theory did not explore. The motivational mechanism I argued accounted for differences in follower behavior was Significance Quest theory. This thesis examined whether the interaction between the activation of an individual’s significance quest and the closeness to a network perceived as valuable to them would influence follower behavior. Additional factors, such as narratives valued by the network and regulatory focus orientation, are also explored. Partial support was found for two hypotheses. Implications and future directions of these findings are discussed.Item The Way to Go: Considering Goals and Planned Behavior(2022) Factor, Adam; Kruglanski, Arie; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The Theory of Planned Behavior offers a parsimonious and useful basis by which attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predict behavioral intentions and behavior. Often employed in fields across the social sciences, this model is highly influential for its relatively strong predictions and simple parsimony. On the other hand, there remain many limitations to the theory and directions for future improvement. Based on emerging theoretical work arguing for a new integrative TPB framework, three studies tested the impact of goal context on the TPB’s predictions. The first study examined two hypothetical scenarios in which goals relevant to a particular behavior were manipulated, finding that goals did impact the relationship between attitudes and behavioral intentions in one vignette but not the other. A second study found evidence that goal activation (in the form of an upcoming deadline) affected some of the TPB’s predictions, and that accounting for goal activation improved the overall utility of the model. Finally, a third study assessed the TPB variables for participant-generated behaviors. There was some evidence that commitment to goals and conflict between them helps predict behavior over time and may affect the relationship between intentions and behavior.