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Full-Text Articles in Social Psychology

Through The Lens Of A Naturalist: How Learning About Nature Promotes Nature Connectedness Via Awe, Shu Tian Ng, Angela K. Y. Leung, Sarah Hian May Chan Dec 2023

Through The Lens Of A Naturalist: How Learning About Nature Promotes Nature Connectedness Via Awe, Shu Tian Ng, Angela K. Y. Leung, Sarah Hian May Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Environmental educators stress the importance of engaging with the wonders of the Earth in promoting nature connectedness. However, it remains unclear if learning about nature has an incremental effect beyond mere exposure to nature and what psychological mechanism can explain such a learning effect if it exists. To fill this gap, we propose a mediation model in which learning about nature promotes a sense of awe—a self-transcendent emotion associated with the recognition of vastness in nature. A sense of awe, in turn, promotes nature connectedness. Study 1 employed a cross-sectional survey and offered preliminary support for the proposed model, with …


Behavioral Evidence For Global Consciousness Transcending National Parochialism, James H. Liu, Sarah Y. Choi, I-Ching Lee, Angela K. Y. Leung, Michelle Lee, Mei Hua Lin, Darrin Hodgetts, Sylvia X. Chen Dec 2023

Behavioral Evidence For Global Consciousness Transcending National Parochialism, James H. Liu, Sarah Y. Choi, I-Ching Lee, Angela K. Y. Leung, Michelle Lee, Mei Hua Lin, Darrin Hodgetts, Sylvia X. Chen

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

While national parochialism is commonplace, individual differences explain more variance in it than cross-national differences. Global consciousness (GC), a multi-dimensional concept that includes identification with all humanity, cosmopolitan orientation, and global orientation, transcends national parochialism. Across six societies (N = 11,163), most notably the USA and China, individuals high in GC were more generous allocating funds to the other in a dictator game, cooperated more in a one-shot prisoner’s dilemma, and differentiated less between the ingroup and outgroup on these actions. They gave more to the world and kept less for the self in a multi-level public goods dilemma. GC …


Greater Traditionalism Predicts Covid-19 Precautionary Behaviors Across 27 Societies, Theodore Samore, D. M. T. Fessler, A. M. Sparks, C. Holbrook, L. Aaroe, Norman P. Li, Kai Lin Lynn Tan, Et Al Dec 2023

Greater Traditionalism Predicts Covid-19 Precautionary Behaviors Across 27 Societies, Theodore Samore, D. M. T. Fessler, A. M. Sparks, C. Holbrook, L. Aaroe, Norman P. Li, Kai Lin Lynn Tan, Et Al

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

People vary both in their embrace of their society’s traditions, and in their perception of hazards as salient and necessitating a response. Over evolutionary time, traditions have offered avenues for addressing hazards, plausibly resulting in linkages between orientations toward tradition and orientations toward danger. Emerging research documents connections between traditionalism and threat responsivity, including pathogen-avoidance motivations. Additionally, because hazard-mitigating behaviors can conflict with competing priorities, associations between traditionalism and pathogen avoidance may hinge on contextually contingent tradeoffs. The COVID-19 pandemic provides a real-world test of the posited relationship between traditionalism and hazard avoidance. Across 27 societies (N = 7844), we …


Effects Of Framing, Nomenclature, And Aversion To Tampering With Nature On Consumer Acceptance Of Cultivated Meat In Singapore, Mark Chong, Angela K. Y. Leung, Tricia M. Fernandez, Shu Tian Ng Nov 2023

Effects Of Framing, Nomenclature, And Aversion To Tampering With Nature On Consumer Acceptance Of Cultivated Meat In Singapore, Mark Chong, Angela K. Y. Leung, Tricia M. Fernandez, Shu Tian Ng

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper comprises a qualitative (Study 1) and a quantitative phase (Study 2). Study 1 aimed to find out what frames and nomenclature would appeal most to meat eaters – including consumers who have eaten cultivated chicken – in Singapore. It also aimed to discover whether perceptions of cultivated meat's naturalness varied across different age groups. Study 2 assessed which message frame and nomenclature were most effective in fostering consumer acceptance of cultivated meat. In addition, it investigated if age was related to the perception of cultivated meat's naturalness and acceptance, and whether aversion to tampering with nature was negatively …


Relationship Between Contentment And Working Memory Capacity: Experimental And Naturalistic Evidence, Khai Qing Chua, Rachel Ng, Clarissa L. Q. Sung, Andree Hartanto, Vincent Y. S. Oh, Eddie M. W. Tong Oct 2023

Relationship Between Contentment And Working Memory Capacity: Experimental And Naturalistic Evidence, Khai Qing Chua, Rachel Ng, Clarissa L. Q. Sung, Andree Hartanto, Vincent Y. S. Oh, Eddie M. W. Tong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Contentment is a positive emotion characterized by perceived goal attainment, a sense of having or being enough, and a focus on the present. Research on this new construct is thin, and no studies have examined its cognitive properties, particularly whether it facilitates or impairs controlled cognitive processes. We hypothesize that contentment positively predicts working memory. We found support for this hypothesis in two experimental studies (Studies 1 and 2) which showed that induced contentment improved working memory in the operation span task, and in one non-experimental study (Study 3) which showed that measured contentment positively correlated with working memory on …


The Role Of Humor Production And Perception In The Daily Life Of Couples: An Interest-Indicator Perspective, Kenneth Tan, Bryan Kwok Cheng Choy, Norman P. Li Oct 2023

The Role Of Humor Production And Perception In The Daily Life Of Couples: An Interest-Indicator Perspective, Kenneth Tan, Bryan Kwok Cheng Choy, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In established relationships, are couples who are funny more satisfied with each other, or are satisfied couples more able to see the funny side of their partners? Much research has examined the evolutionary function of humor in relationship initiation, but not in relationship maintenance. Using a dyadic daily-diary study composed of college students from Singapore, results showed that relationship quality was positively associated with same-day humor production and perception. Importantly, and consistent with an interest-indicator perspective in which humor exchanges communicate relationship interest, relationship quality was also positively associated with next-day humor production and perception, and across both sexes. Results …


Gain-Loss Domain And Social Value Orientation As Determinants Of Risk Allocation Decisions, Ming-Hong Tsai, Verlin B. Hinsz Sep 2023

Gain-Loss Domain And Social Value Orientation As Determinants Of Risk Allocation Decisions, Ming-Hong Tsai, Verlin B. Hinsz

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

People often make less risky decisions for themselves than others. We examined how people allocated risks (i.e., determining the ratio of uncertain outcomes to certain outcomes) between themselves and others. We also investigated gain (vs. loss) domain and social value orientation as predictors of risk allocations. The results of three experiments demonstrated that participants were more likely to share their risks equally between themselves and others than distribute risk unequally. In the gain (vs. loss) domain, participants allocated fewer risks to themselves and more risks to the other person for unequal risk allocations. Compared to proselfs, prosocials were more likely …


The Role Of Cosmopolitan Orientation In Covid-19-Related Attitudes: Perceived Threats And Opportunities, Vaccination Willingness, And Support For Collective Containment Efforts, Angela K. Y. Leung, Brandon Koh, Verity Yu Qing Lua, James H. Liu, Sarah Y. Choi, I-Ching Lee, Michelle Lee, Mei-Hua Lin, Darrin Hodgetts, Sylvia X. Chen Aug 2023

The Role Of Cosmopolitan Orientation In Covid-19-Related Attitudes: Perceived Threats And Opportunities, Vaccination Willingness, And Support For Collective Containment Efforts, Angela K. Y. Leung, Brandon Koh, Verity Yu Qing Lua, James H. Liu, Sarah Y. Choi, I-Ching Lee, Michelle Lee, Mei-Hua Lin, Darrin Hodgetts, Sylvia X. Chen

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Cosmopolitan individuals identify themselves as "citizens of the world." In the present research, we tested the idea that endorsing a cosmopolitan orientation (CO) is adaptive in the COVID-19 crisis. Cosmopolitan individuals more readily transcend national parochialism, show greater concern for all humanity, and prioritize collective interests. In a two-wave multi-region investigation with six samples from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and the U.S., we first established longitudinal and cross-cultural measurement invariance of the CO scale. Next, we found that people with a higher CO tended to perceive over time a greater threat posed by COVID-19, take more safety measures, …


Trait Self-Control, Emotions, And Openness To Alternative Viewpoints, Ming-Hong Tsai, Norman P. Li Aug 2023

Trait Self-Control, Emotions, And Openness To Alternative Viewpoints, Ming-Hong Tsai, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We examined openness to alternative viewpoints as an unexplored consequence of trait self-control. We conducted three studies to investigate the relationship between trait self-control and openness to alternative viewpoints during situations with different opinions and to explore various emotions as potential mediators of this relationship. Our results demonstrated a positive relationship between trait self-control and openness, and this relationship was mediated by decreased anger and increased emotions with positive valence, including attentiveness and serenity. In addition, trait self-control was negatively related to fatigue, but the relationship between fatigue and openness was not consistently significant across the studies. These findings clarify …


Subjective Socioeconomic Status Moderates Self-Esteem Reactivity To Daily Stressor Exposure: Evidence From A Daily Diary Approach, Yi Jing Chua, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Verity Yu Qing Lua, Chi-Ying Cheng, Andree Hartanto Jul 2023

Subjective Socioeconomic Status Moderates Self-Esteem Reactivity To Daily Stressor Exposure: Evidence From A Daily Diary Approach, Yi Jing Chua, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Verity Yu Qing Lua, Chi-Ying Cheng, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Research on self-esteem reactivity has demonstrated that self-esteem fluctuates in response to daily stressor exposure, and the strength of this relationship varies between individuals. Drawing upon the positive link between objective socioeconomic status (SES) and self-esteem, how subjective SES influences self-esteem reactivity to daily stressor exposure was explored. Using a 7-day daily diary study, the current study (N-participants = 243, N-days = 1651) adopted a multilevel analysis to demonstrate that subjective SES attenuated the within-person association between daily stressor exposure and daily self-esteem, even after controlling for demographics and objective indicators of SES. The interactions were also consistent across social …


Desire For Social Status Affects Marital And Reproductive Attitudes: A Life History Mismatch Perspective, Amy J. Lim, Norman P. Li, Zoi Manesi, Steven L. Neuberg, Mark Van Vugt, Andrea L. Meltzer, Kenneth Tan Jun 2023

Desire For Social Status Affects Marital And Reproductive Attitudes: A Life History Mismatch Perspective, Amy J. Lim, Norman P. Li, Zoi Manesi, Steven L. Neuberg, Mark Van Vugt, Andrea L. Meltzer, Kenneth Tan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Modern low fertility is an unresolved paradox. Despite the tremendous financial growth and stability in modern societies, birth rates are steadily dropping. Almost half of the world's population lives in countries with below-replacement fertility and is projected for a continued decline. Drawing on life history theory and an evolutionary mismatch perspective, we propose that desire for social status (which is increasingly experienced by individuals in industrialized, modern societies) is a key factor affecting critical reproductive preferences. Across two experimental studies (total N = 719), we show that activating a desire for status can lead people to prefer reproductive tradeoffs that …


Does Watching Videos With Natural Scenery Restore Attentional Resources? A Critical Examination Through A Pre-Registered Within-Subject Experiment, Andree Hartanto, Nicole Lee Anne Teo, Verity Y. Q. Lua, Keith Tay, Nicole R. Y. Chen, Nadyanna M. Majeed May 2023

Does Watching Videos With Natural Scenery Restore Attentional Resources? A Critical Examination Through A Pre-Registered Within-Subject Experiment, Andree Hartanto, Nicole Lee Anne Teo, Verity Y. Q. Lua, Keith Tay, Nicole R. Y. Chen, Nadyanna M. Majeed

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Existing studies have shown that direct exposure to a real nature environment has a restorative effect on attentional resources after a mentally fatiguing task. However, it remains unclear whether virtual nature simulations can serve as a substitute for real nature experienced in the outdoors to restore executive attention. Given the mixed findings in the literature, the present study sought to examine if viewing videos with natural scenery (vs. a control with urban scenery) restores participants’ working memory capacity – measured by an operation span task – in a high-powered pre-registered within-subject experimental study. Overall, our within-subject experiment did not find …


Problematic Smartphone Usage, Objective Smartphone Engagement, And Executive Functions: A Latent Variable Analysis, Andree Hartanto, Yi Jing Chua, Frosch Yi Xuan Quek, Joax Wong, Wei Ming Ooi May 2023

Problematic Smartphone Usage, Objective Smartphone Engagement, And Executive Functions: A Latent Variable Analysis, Andree Hartanto, Yi Jing Chua, Frosch Yi Xuan Quek, Joax Wong, Wei Ming Ooi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The negative consequences of smartphone usage have seen frequent discourse in popular media. While existing studies seek to resolve these debates in relation to executive functions, findings are still limited and mixed. This is partly due to the lack of conceptual clarity about smartphone usage, the use of self-reported measures, and problems related to task impurity. Addressing these limitations, the current study utilizes a latent variable approach to examine various types of smartphone usage, including objectively measured data-logged screen time and screen-checking, and nine executive function tasks in 260 young adults through a multi-session study. Our structural equation models showed …


Religious Stewardship And Pro-Environmental Action: The Mediating Roles Of Environmental Guilt And Anger, Shu Tian Ng, Kimin Eom Mar 2023

Religious Stewardship And Pro-Environmental Action: The Mediating Roles Of Environmental Guilt And Anger, Shu Tian Ng, Kimin Eom

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Past research has found that stewardship belief can motivate pro-environmentalism among religious individuals. The present study investigates the emotional pathways linking religious stewardship belief and pro-environmental policy support. In an online experiment conducted with Christians in the United States (N = 604), we experimentally primed stewardship belief (N = 195) using a video that highlighted the human responsibility to care for God’s creations. We also included a control condition (N = 206) and a religion condition (N = 203), which presented a more generic religious message. As demonstrated in a mediation model, the stewardship manipulation (vs. …


Untangling The Additive And Multiplicative Relations Between Natural Scenery Exposure And Human-Animal Interaction On Affective Well-Being: Evidence From Daily Diary Studies, Adalia Yin Hui Goh, Shu Min Chia, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Nicole R.Y. Chen, Andree Hartanto Feb 2023

Untangling The Additive And Multiplicative Relations Between Natural Scenery Exposure And Human-Animal Interaction On Affective Well-Being: Evidence From Daily Diary Studies, Adalia Yin Hui Goh, Shu Min Chia, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Nicole R.Y. Chen, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Built nature spaces have been increasingly integrated into our urban environments in recent years with the aim of reaping their psychological benefits. However, despite numerous works of research on the relationship between nature exposure and well-being, most studies have looked into the benefits of well-being from the lens of isolated elements of nature, such as natural scenery or animal exposure. This study aims to fill in the gaps by examining the additive and multiplicative relationships between natural scenery exposure and human–animal interaction on affective well-being (i.e., positive affect, negative affect, and stress) through a daily diary study. Over seven days, …


Effects Of Positive Reappraisal And Self-Distancing On The Meaningfulness Of Everyday Negative Events, Clement Yong Hao Lau, William Tov Feb 2023

Effects Of Positive Reappraisal And Self-Distancing On The Meaningfulness Of Everyday Negative Events, Clement Yong Hao Lau, William Tov

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Current work on meaning-making has primarily focused on major negative life events such as trauma and loss, leaving common daily adversities unexplored. This study aimed to examine how utilizing meaning-making strategies such as positive reappraisal and self-distancing (in isolation or in combination) can facilitate an adaptive processing of these daily negative experiences. Overall meaning and facets of meaning (coherence, purpose, and significance/mattering) were assessed at both global and situational levels. Results suggested that positive reappraisal was generally effective for enhancing situational meaning but not under all conditions. Specifically, when negative experiences were high on emotional intensity, reflecting on the experience …


A Narrative Review Of Screen Time And Wellbeing Among Adolescents Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Implications For The Future, Verity Yu Qing Lua, Terence B. K. Chua, Michael Y. H. Chia Feb 2023

A Narrative Review Of Screen Time And Wellbeing Among Adolescents Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Implications For The Future, Verity Yu Qing Lua, Terence B. K. Chua, Michael Y. H. Chia

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of many. In particular, during the height of the pandemic, many experienced lockdowns, which in turn increased screen time drastically. While the pandemic has been declared an endemic and most activities have been reinstated, there appears to still be elevated screen time among adolescents due to poor habits formed during the pandemic lockdowns. This paper explores the factors by which screen time affects well-being among adolescents and how the pandemic may have influenced some of these factors. For example, beyond having greater screen time, many adolescents have also reduced their physical activities and …


Biting The Hand That Feeds: A Status-Based Model Of When And Why Receiving Help Motivates Social Undermining, Kenneth Tai, Katrina Jia Lin, Catherice K. Lam, Wu Liu Jan 2023

Biting The Hand That Feeds: A Status-Based Model Of When And Why Receiving Help Motivates Social Undermining, Kenneth Tai, Katrina Jia Lin, Catherice K. Lam, Wu Liu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Social exchange theory suggests that after receiving help, people reciprocate by helping the original helpgiver. However, we propose that help recipients may respond negatively and harm the help giver when they perceive helping as a status threat and experience envy. Integrating the helping as status relations framework and the social functional perspective of envy, we examine when and why receiving help may prompt help recipients to undermine help givers. Across four studies, we find progressive support for our results, which show that when individuals receive task-related help from help givers who are perceived to be more, rather than less, competent …


Executive Functions Predict The Trajectories Of Rumination In Middle-Aged And Older Adults: A Latent Growth Curve Analysis, Gilaine Rui Ng, Wee Qin Ng, Hwajin Yang Jan 2023

Executive Functions Predict The Trajectories Of Rumination In Middle-Aged And Older Adults: A Latent Growth Curve Analysis, Gilaine Rui Ng, Wee Qin Ng, Hwajin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Previous studies suggest that executive functions (EF)—a set of domain-general cognitive control processes that contribute to the regulation of emotion—are generally associated with ruminative tendencies. However, there is a dearth of research that examines how EF influences changes in rumination over time, especially in middle-aged and older adults who typically experience a decline in EF. To fill this gap in the literature, we analyzed a large-scale combined dataset from the MIDUS Refresher, Daily Diary, and Cognitive Projects. We examined the impact of EF on the trajectory of rumination across 8 days using latent growth curve analysis. We also examined age …


Cross-Cultural Differences In Supportive Responses To Positive Event Disclosure, Lester Sim, Ka I. Ip, Esra Ascigil, Robin S. Edelstein Jan 2023

Cross-Cultural Differences In Supportive Responses To Positive Event Disclosure, Lester Sim, Ka I. Ip, Esra Ascigil, Robin S. Edelstein

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Perceived reactions to sharing of good news (capitalization), can have important implications for romantic relationships. Typically, when European Americans perceive that their partners respond in an active constructive (versus passive and/or destructive,) manner, they tend to perceive their partners as more responsive and report higher relationship quality. However, cross-cultural differences in norms can influence peoples’ preference for different capitalization responses and whether different capitalization responses convey partner responsiveness. In a combined sample of European Americans, East, and South Asians (N = 915), we investigated whether links among capitalization responses, perceived partner responsiveness, and relationship quality differed by culture. People who …


Bilingual Interactional Contexts Predict Executive Functions In Older Adults, Hwajin Yang, Yue Qi Germaine Tng, Gilaine Rui Ng, Wee Qin Ng Jan 2023

Bilingual Interactional Contexts Predict Executive Functions In Older Adults, Hwajin Yang, Yue Qi Germaine Tng, Gilaine Rui Ng, Wee Qin Ng

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Drawing on the adaptive control hypothesis, we examined whether older adults' bilingual interactional contexts of conversational exchanges would predict important indices of executive functions (EF). We assessed participants' engagement in each bilingual interactional context - single-language, dual-language, and dense code-switching - and their performance on a series of nonverbal EF measures. Sixty-nine healthy older adults (M-age = 70.39 years; ages 60-93) were recruited from local community centers. We found that the dense code-switching context was associated with enhanced overall EF, but not individual facets of EF (inhibitory control, shifting, and updating). These findings held true when we controlled for a …