Social Psychology Commons^™

Personality Traits In The Workplace: Examining The Light Triad And Its Relationship With Job Satisfaction, Sarah Overton

Scholars Week

The expanding psychological research into several “dark traits” of one’s personality (Moshagen et al., 2018) has presented a void in examining more positive characteristics. In recent years, Kaufman and colleagues (2019) developed the “Light Triad” to provide a more holistic perspective on humankind. The Light Triad is a construct encompassing benevolent personality traits, including humanism, faith in humanity, and Kantianism. Most relevant to the current study, Kaufman and colleagues (2019) found a significant relationship between the Light Triad and life satisfaction. Furthermore, life satisfaction is also positively correlated with job satisfaction (Rice et al., 1980). Given these relationships, it was …

The Storm Is Coming: Analyzing The Belief In Q-Anon, Hillary Copeland

Scholars Week

The Storm is Coming: Analyzing the Belief in Q-Anon

Conspiracy theories can broadly be defined as constructed attempts to provide monocausal explanations for high-profile social and political events with a premise of secretive malicious intent to further push the agenda of powerful, evil-minded groups that seek to pursue goals in direct opposition of less powerful groups (Douglas, Sutton, & Cichocka, 2017; van Prooijen & van Vugt, 2018). One conspiracy theory which has recently gained prominence is known as Q-Anon. Proponents of Q-Anon believe that criminals have risen to power who abuse children and take advantage of Americans to advance their …

Put Yourself In Their Shoes: Empathy And Thinking Patterns, Tyler Robinson

Scholars Week

Fewer social maxims are repeated more than to “put yourself in someone else’s shoes.” This sentiment encourages empathy by prompting one to change their entrenched thinking patterns. Empathy can be thought of as an active attempt to understand another’s perspective or the visceral sensation of identifying with another's emotions (i.e., cognitive or affective empathy; Davis, 1983). Recently, research has identified a relationship between empathy and self-serving cognitive distortions (Grieve & Panebianco, 2013). Cognitive distortions refer to predictable and inaccurate patterns of thinking. Self-serving cognitive distortions are a form of distorted thinking patterns that are steeped in self-centered attitudes, thoughts, and …

Gender Differences And Social Judgements Of Face Masks, Katherine Link, Daphne J. Jackson, Jessica M. Criddle, Jana Hackathorn

Scholars Week

This study seeks to investigate whether face masks influence social judgements of first impressions. Ratings of trustworthiness in strangers has been linked to smiling and facial features. With the Coronavirus pandemic still running rampant in today’s society it has become a social norm to wear a face mask out in public. Due to the fact that a facemask obscures half of an individual’s face, it is expected that the presence of a face mask will influence first impressions. Additionally, gender differences have also been associated with social judgments, in that females are often perceived more positively (e.g., trustworthy) than males. …

(S)He Said What Behind My Back: The Negative Effects Of Gossip, Hillary Copeland

Scholars Week

Gossip can be defined as communication within a social context directed towards the evaluation of absent others (Foster, 2004), and likely evolved as an advantage for our ancestors to build social bonds and maintain group stability (Dunbar, 2004). The ubiquitous nature of gossip suggests significant influences on group dynamics, particularly when associated with factors related to social functions, such as influence, friendship, information, or entertainment (Foster, 2004; Peters et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2016). The current study examined the effects of gossip on the evaluations of absent targets. Undergraduate participants (N = 128) were presented with short biographies …

Can I Hit Your Juul? Nicotine Motives & Accessibility In College Students, Ashlen Grubbs

Scholars Week

The purpose of this project was to examine the associations between nicotine dependency, motives, and the impact of new laws on college student nicotine patterns. Motives for smoking can also be analyzed through categorizing motives into primary and secondary motives (Piasecki, et. al., 2011). Primary motives are reasons such as habit, tolerance, cravings, and loss of control (Piasecki, et. el., 2011). All motives for smoking have been shown to have a positive correlation with nicotine dependence except smoking to lose weight and for socialization (McEwen, et. al., 2008). Yet conflicting research by Aloise-Young, Grant, and Hansen (1994) indicates that smoking …

Face Masks And Ambiguity In Expressions: A Barrier To Social Affiliation?, Jessica Criddle, Daphne J. Jackson, Katherine D. Link

Scholars Week

First impressions are a key component of the formation of social relationships. Facial expressions and facial features inform impressions leading to social affiliation, such as trustworthiness. The usage of face masks, common with the incidence of COVID-19, veils features giving information on trustworthiness, attractiveness, and other factors informing social impressions. Existing literature shows ambiguity in expressions and in social situations can make individuals less trusting of others. This is prevalent in those intolerant of uncertainty or with a high need for closure, which is the need to find answers in ambiguous situations. Together, these findings suggest that ambiguity of facial …

Am I Laughing At What You're Laughing At?: The Relationship Between Humor And Empathy, Connor Brown

Scholars Week

How and when does someone decide to tell a joke? The current study is focused primarily on examining the relationship between using humor to communicate and empathy. It was hypothesized that there will be a positive correlation between using humor to communicate and empathy. This furthers previous research which has only commonly looked at enjoying humor as it correlates to empathy (Hampes, 2001; 2010). The current study was administered as an online survey to undergraduate participants (N = 70), and measured using communicative humor, and empathy, as well as other individual difference traits such as openness and conscientiousness. Results of …

Emotions & Satisfaction: Does Emotional Contagion Make The Heart Grow Fonder?, Morgan Brewington

Scholars Week

Existing research identifies strong links between empathy within couples and relationship quality, often helping to cope with difficult life events (Levesque et al., 2014). Similarly, emotional contagion is the process of mirroring the expressions and affect of others, but going further to adopt the emotions that were mimicked (Doherty, 1997). Some research identifies a positive relationship between contagious emotions and relationship quality but impacts of empathy and emotional contagion in relation to sexual and relational satisfaction are yet to be investigated (Mazzuca et al., 2019). The interpersonal theory of depression includes the contagion of negative affect, by which depressed individuals …

Dating Apps: Quick Sex On The Maps, Hannah Hays

Scholars Week

Geosocial (i.e., location-based) dating apps are an increasingly popular way in which people meet for sexual purposes. For example, Tinder has at least 10 million active users a day (Sumter, Vandenbosch, & Ligtenberg, 2016). At present, little is known about the use of geosocial/location-based dating applications for sexual hookups and the relationship between this behavior and personality constructs. One possibility is that individuals who are highly impulsive are more likely to use geosocial dating apps, specifically for sexual “hookups” (i.e., the partners are not in a committed relationship with one another, the experience is short term, and not likely to …

Body Language In The Classroom: Effects Of Gesturing, Maia Rolfe

Scholars Week

Body Language in the Classroom: Effects of Gesturing

This study was designed to give some insights into how body language could interact with teaching. This study tested if active gesturing (pointing) had an effect on the amount of a story that was remembered and on how likable someone who is presenting the story was perceived as being. Male and female participants watched a female presenter read a short story projected on a screen while either pointing to key words or not pointing. Then they wrote down as much of the story as they could remember and rated the likeability of …

The Few And The Proud: Examining The Need For Belonging And The Need For Distinctiveness In Regards To Sport Choice, Thomas Derossett

Scholars Week

According to Sheldon and Bettencourt, feeling like you belong to a group has a significantly positive impact on mood. This directly relates to research which discusses how sport fans are more likely to consume sport if they feel like they belong. The sense of belonging drives the individuals to be a part of a group.

Distinctiveness is also an important part of personality. This is the concept that you stand out amongst the crowd. Much like belonging, it has been directly correlated to positive outcomes on mood. It is an innate biological need which drives individuals to form groups (Eastwick, …

My Best Friend Is A Smurf: Assessing Racism Through Children's Cartoons, Asheley M. Roberts, Morgan Owens, Tommy Derossett

Scholars Week

Modern racism, compared to old-fashioned racism, is more implicit due to modern pressures regarding racially sensitivity. Although the notion of being multicultural is positive, the pressure is problematic as it hinders psychologists’ ability to measure self-reported racism. That is, when Caucasian individuals are given measures regarding racial bias, they tend to answer in socially desirable ways in order to appear less racist. However, those socially desirable answers are then used as evidence of their prejudice. The current study is examining the notion that explicit self-report measures are flawed because they initiate stereotype threat. This threat occurs when an individual is …

Who Should I Marry: Advice From Parents, Robert Tucker

Scholars Week

When getting married people may worry about whether their parents will approve of their choice in a spouse. On the other hand, parents may want to be involved in their children’s choice. This study was centered on the question: Is there a correlation between adult children’s perceptions and feelings about their parents and their willingness to accept parental advice on marriage choices? A sample of 248 university students completed a set of questionnaires that measured their willingness to accept parental marriage advice, their overall feelings about their parents, and the health of their family relationships. Willingness to accept parental marriage …

I'M With Us, But Not With Them: A Study Of In-Group Bias And Political Party, Quinn Lambert

Scholars Week

The purpose of this research is to test the interaction of in-group/out-group bias and political parties. This research is especially necessary and timely due to the unstable and somewhat unorthodox political climate surrounding our country this year. Research by Olivola, Sussman, Tsetsos, Kang, and Todorov (2012) shows that voters identifying as Republicans showed a greater preference for candidates who fit the physical stereotype of a Republican (an older white male) even if that candidate was not a Republican. My research asks if in-group biases apply to perceptions of attractiveness and trustworthiness. I hypothesized that participants will be more likely to …

Attitudes About Nudity And Sexuality, Morgan Owens, Kesia M. Casey

Scholars Week

Nudity is the subject of art in sculptures and paintings, or more controversial pieces that include photography. Few studies have examined why society deems nudity as scandalous or negative. One study by Beggan, and colleagues (2014) compared perceptions of “adult” photos based on the target’s gaze. They discovered females who made eye contact with the camera were deemed more vulnerable and more objectified than males, which suggests, in addition to gender differences, it is the implied sexual content for which people are reacting. The current study investigated relationships between attitudes towards nudity and individual difference variables (e.g., political ideology, relationship …

Same Words, Different Impressions: How Accent Upstages Words In Communication, Alexandria Farris

Scholars Week

The current study investigated how different non-native accents of English are perceived. A person's accent can be used to take the place of the individual's race or any other marker used to make judgements (Shuck, 2006). Participants listened to a recording of one out of five non-American female speakers of English from Mexico, Russia, Germany, India, or China, or a female native speaker of American English; the participants heard either a formal or informal text and then evaluated the speaker on factors of competence, caring/goodwill, and trustworthiness. Demographic data on age, gender, languages spoken, extent travelled, and time lived in …

Students’ Perceptions And Stigma Toward Those With Intellectual And Physical Disabilities, Brighton C. Hollingsworth

Scholars Week

Students’ Perceptions and Stigma Toward Those with Intellectual and Physical Disabilities

BACKGROUND: Previous research has shown that there is a negative impact on those who are labeled as having an intellectual or physical disability (Green, Davis, Karshmer, Marsh, & Straight, 2005). The purpose of this research was to learn more about the stigma against those with disabilities and how one can cope with this stigma.

METHODS: The subjects of this study were 80 General Psychology students. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, which differed in which vignette received. The four vignettes described individuals with the disabilities of …

Influence Of Authority On Attitude Change Due To Vicarious Dissonance, Kendrick Settler Jr.

Scholars Week

Recent research has suggested that watching others behave in an inconsistent or inappropriate manner can cause dissonance, particularly when one identified with the person behaving inappropriately (Norton, Cooper, Monin, & Hogg, 2003). To examine the differences is vicarious dissonance on attitude change, undergraduate students (N = 123) participated in an experiment, which consisted of a pre and post 24-item dissonance-relevant test (Elliot & Devine, 1988), to measure affect change, the participate was asked to write about either a friend or teacher they respected most, a pre and post Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale (Aron, Aron, & Smollan, 1992) …

"Women On Women Aggression" Predictors Of A Belief In Double Standards, April D. Crabtree

Scholars Week

"Woman on Woman Aggression": Predictors of Beliefs in Double Sex Standards

The presence of double standards is a topic that has been widely researched for the past several decades. Sexual double standards are based on the belief that sexual behaviors by women are viewed differently than when similar behaviors are exhibited by men. Early research stated that double standards were no longer much of an issue as seen in archival research by Crawford and Popp (2003). As they pulled research from previous decades, they concluded that double standards were not much of an issue in the 1970’s but resurfaced a …

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: Militaristic Video Games On Nationalistic Attitudes And Violence, David I. Crittendon

Scholars Week

From arcade rooms to individual gaming consoles, video gaming has gained in popularity over the past decade. As graphics have improved, the games have taken on life like characteristics, and have exposed the new age gamer into a world of virtual reality. Multiple studies have shown that priming (the exposure to a stimulus to activate attitudes/behaviors) using the media has been shown to increase feelings of National Identity, and priming in video games has been shown to increase violence in the individual. In addition to these priming studies, immersion into an avatar viewpoint tends to desensitizes individuals to real-life experiences …