Tightness-Looseness in the United States: Ecological Predictors and State Level Outcomes

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dc.contributor.advisorGelfand, Michele Jen_US
dc.contributor.authorHarrington, Jesse Ryanen_US
dc.contributor.departmentPsychologyen_US
dc.contributor.publisherDigital Repository at the University of Marylanden_US
dc.contributor.publisherUniversity of Maryland (College Park, Md.)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2015-02-05T06:30:53Z
dc.date.available2015-02-05T06:30:53Z
dc.date.issued2014en_US
dc.description.abstractThis research demonstrates wide variation in tightness-looseness (strength of punishment and degree of permissiveness) at the state level in the United States, and its association with various ecological and historical factors, psychological characteristics, and state-level outcomes. Consistent with theory and past research, ecological and man-made threats--more natural disasters, greater disease prevalence, fewer natural resources, and greater external threat--predict increased tightness at the state level. Tightness is also associated with higher trait conscientiousness and lower trait openness. Compared with loose states, tight states have more social stability, indicated by lowered drug and alcohol use, lower rates of homelessness, and lower social disorganization. However, tight states also have relatively higher incarceration rates, greater discrimination and inequality, lower creativity, and lower happiness. In all, tightness-looseness provides a parsimonious explanation of the wide variation seen across the 50 states of the United States of America.en_US
dc.identifierhttps://doi.org/10.13016/M20P5F
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/16060
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledPsychologyen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledcultureen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledecologyen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledindexen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrollednormsen_US
dc.titleTightness-Looseness in the United States: Ecological Predictors and State Level Outcomesen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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