Social Psychology Commons^™

How Wisconsin Extension Educators Talk About Climate Change Without Talking About ``Climate Change'', Sky Hershberger, Todd P. Newman

Journal of Extension

Climate change touches all areas of Extension's programming. To understand how educators approach talking about climate change with constituents, we interviewed 15 Extension educators and three program managers in Wisconsin. Crops and Soils educators view climate change as interwoven with their work, Financial Education educators view it as mostly disconnected, and Community Economic Development educators range between these extremes. Educators in all three programs avoid the polarizing phrase ``climate change,'' instead focusing on specific, local, and relatable issues. Educators show empathy and emphasize resilience (adaptation) rather than mitigation. These findings can inform Extension's organizational strategy on climate change.

Leisure Activities And Stress Levels Among College Students​, Ellie Nahm

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The present study sampled 30 university students to test the effects of time spent participating in leisure activities on stress levels, with social support and physical activity as moderators. Participants were aged18 to 56 and were largely White and women. We hypothesized that the relationship between time spent engaging in one's leisure activity and stress will be moderated by the physical exertion and social support experienced through leisure activity engagement. Results indicated no significant relationship between leisure participation and stress levels in this sample, nor a moderating effect of social support or physical exertion. Limitations include a small sample size …

Love And Artificial Intelligence: A Research Proposal, Bryanna M. Deatherage, Necdet Gurkan, Sandra J.E. Langeslag

Undergraduate Research Symposium

What happens when people fall in love with Artificial Intelligence (AI)? This study seeks to examine individuals who are in love with AI companions to gain a deeper insight in the cognitive and affective consequences. In addition, this study will examine the most effective forms of intervention regarding growing or reducing feelings of love toward AI. The first part of this study will be a questionnaire about the social and emotional impact of being in love with an AI companion. Three hundred participants will be recruited through online communities related to AI companions. The second part of this study will …

Sharing Toys, Sharing Talks, Sharing Thoughts: Siblings’ Role In Language Skills And Theory Of Mind In Children, Khansa Nabila Anjani, Ike Anggraika Kuntoro

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

Background: Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to understand one’s own and others’ mental states and is closely related to children’s prosocial behavior. Previous research has linked ToM to language skills and sibling factors; however, findings remain inconsistent. Siblings may function as early social partners who support language use and social–cognitive development, thereby influencing ToM. This study examined whether sibling presence moderates the relationship between language skills and ToM in children. Methods: Participants were 117 children aged 4–7 years from the Jabodetabek area, recruited using convenience sampling. A simple moderation analysis with bootstrapping was conducted. Results …

The Algorithmic Narcissus: Ai Validation And The Atrophy Of The 'Athletic' Social Self, Ilham Phalosa Reswara, Anggi Mayangsari

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

Artificial intelligence systems designed around continuous affirmation and minimal friction are becoming increasingly prominent as social and relational partners in everyday life. This article examines how sustained interaction with such frictionless AI systems may reshape the developmental conditions under which social selfhood forms and is maintained. Drawing on Cooley's (1902) looking glass self, Kohut's (1971) concept of optimal frustration, and the developmental literature on social competence, the article argues that frictionless AI may distort the social mirror through which identity forms, remove the manageable frustration that appears necessary for psychological growth, weaken empathic capacity, and erode the social stakes that …

Gambaran Generasi Z Yang Kesepian Dalam Penggunaan Chat Ai Sebagai Pemenuhan Kebutuhan “Someone To Talk”, Ikhwanul Ihsan Armalid, Febty Zahra Arsiwi, Qisthi Fathiyyah, Ratri Mayzakky Afra Syahida

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

This study aims to understand the experiences of Generation Z individuals who experience loneliness in utilizing Chat AI to fulfill their need for someone to talk to within a socio-emotional context. The study employed a qualitative approach using a phenomenological method involving six Generation Z participants aged 18 to 25 who had used Chat AI for emotional sharing or venting. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The thematic analysis yielded six main themes: the dynamics of Generation Z social interactions, experiences of loneliness in social life, patterns of Chat AI usage, Chat AI as a …

Penerapan Digital Parenting Untuk Menangani Dampak Negatif Bermain Gawai Terhadap Kemampuan Prososial Anak Usia Dini, Pria Dita Anis Wari, Muqowim Muqowim

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

Implementing digital parenting is an alternative for parents to address the negative impacts of gadget use on the prosocial abilities of early childhood. This is particularly relevant for working mothers who have limited time to accompany their children's digital activities. This study aims to examine the perceptions of working mothers regarding the implementation of digital parenting as an effort to enhance the prosocial abilities of early childhood, the forms of implementation, and the dynamics experienced. This research is qualitative and phenomenological in nature. The subjects of the study consist of three working mothers with different professions and children aged 5-6 …

Reframe The Narrative: Menganalisis Motivasi, Konsekuensi, Dan Solusi Perilaku Bullying Dalam Lingkungan Sekolah Dasar Melalui Teori Frustasi-Agresi, Muhammad Hatta, Nabila Eka Ramadhani, Majesty Steffania Putri Anggen Dese, Manda Zahratu Nisa, Dimas Ramadan Hariadi, Muhammad Abdan Shadiqi

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

This study analyzed the motivation, consequences, and solutions to bullying behavior from the perpetrator's perspective among elementary school students, applying frustration-agression theory. A qualitative transcendental phenomenological approach was employed to explore the lived experiences of bullying perpetrators among elementary school students volving 10 participants aged 11–12 years in Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru. In-depth interviews served as the primary source of data, while the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) was administered after the interviews as supplementary descriptive data to provide an indication of participants’ frustration levels. A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with educational and child-protection professionals was conducted to …

Catatan Editor: Ai, Kesejahteraan Psikologis, Dan Masa Depan Relasi Manusia, Rahkman Ardi

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

Kecerdasan buatan kini hadir dalam wilayah kehidupan yang sebelumnya hampir sepenuhnya ditempati oleh manusia: percakapan, dukungan emosional, dan relasi. Kita dapat menceritakan kecemasan kepadanya, meminta nasihat, mencari penghiburan, bahkan kembali kepadanya ketika percakapan dengan manusia terasa terlalu sulit. Kecerdasan buatan (Artificial Intelligence/AI), khususnya AI generatif, dengan demikian mulai bergerak melampaui fungsinya sebagai alat. Ia perlahan memasuki wilayah yang selama ini sangat manusiawi: wilayah relasi.

Digital Companions Or Relational Substitutes? Understanding The Use Of Generative Ai As Storytelling Companion Among Young Adults, Lail Queeny Nurfaizah, Syurawasti Muhiddin Ms

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

Objectives. This study aims to explore the factors underlying the use of GenAI as a storytelling companion among young adults. Method. A qualitative approach was employed within an interpretivist paradigm, using an open-ended questionnaire as the primary data collection instrument. A total of 412 participants aged 19–33 years were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using data-driven thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework. Results. Two major themes emerged: Driving Factors and Barriers to Continuing Interaction. Each theme comprised four sub-themes organized around cognitive, affective, instrumental, and social dimensions, yielding 26 sub-themes in total. Driving factors were predominantly …

Adaptasi Dan Validasi Skala Kelekatan Terhadap Kecerdasan Artifisial, Theda Renanita, Julaibib Julaibib, Yohanes Budiarto

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

Recent years have witnessed renewed interest in how attachment is no longer limited to human figures. Instead, the attachment discourses now also encompass artificial intelligence (AI). Attachment to AI could be caused by a number of factors which could potentially lead to some psychological consequences, hence this new dynamic calls for further in-depth inquiries to understand it better.

To date, no previous study has developed an Indonesian version scale to measure AI attachment that is adequate in terms of its psychometric properties. The primary aim of this study is to demonstrate the adaptation and validation of the attachment to AI …

Pemaknaan Perilaku Phubbing Dalam Interaksi Sosial Pada Generasi Z Dan Generasi Milenial: Sebuah Studi Kasus Berganda, Ikhwanul Ihsan Armalid, Zidan Achmad, Wulan Zaesa Aurellia, Azimatul Mardliyah

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

The development of digital technology has transformed patterns of social interaction and given rise to the phenomenon of phubbing, which refers to ignoring one’s interlocutor due to smartphone use. This study aims to examine the meaning-making of phubbing behavior among the Millennial Generation and Generation Z in social interactions, focusing on differences in meaning, emotional responses, and ethical judgments. This study employed a qualitative approach with a multi-case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and observations involving seven participants selected using purposive sampling techniques. Data analysis was conducted through verbatim transcription, coding, and thematic analysis using the constant …

Lived Experiences Influencing Breast Cancer Survivorship Among African American Women After Treatment, Brianne Layce Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is well documented that a breast cancer diagnosis elicits various psychoemotional feelings. Despite resilience African American women show during breast cancer treatment, gaps remain in the healthcare system in regard to meeting specific needs of this population. Using Kierkegaard’s theory of existentialism, this study examined influences of breast cancer survivorship among African American women after treatment. Data were collected from 10 African American women who were breast cancer survivors residing in Virginia via in-person and virtual interviews. Interviews were conducted using a questionnaire. Resilience, spirituality, and personal coping strategies were values among African American women who survived breast cancer. …

Refereed Research - Indispensable Yet Not Fully Legitimate: Street Markets As Invisible Subsistence Infrastructure, Raji Srinivasan, Maria C. Merino

Subsistence Marketplaces

Street markets are key provisioning systems across the Global South, supplying fresh food, employment, and retail access absent formal infrastructure. Yet despite street markets’ functional indispensability to millions of low-income consumers, their legitimacy is chronically contested, affirmed by vendors and communities yet challenged by planners, developers, and state authorities who apply formal-economy criteria in evaluating them. We theorize this as a legitimacy paradox and ask what structural mechanisms sustain it? Using composite vignettes grounded in fieldwork, we theorize three mechanisms. First, visibility without recognition: street markets are hyper-visible yet excluded from cognitive templates of legitimate, formal retail. Second, asymmetric essentiality: …

The Lived Experiences Of Workplace Discrimination Of Transgender People In Mississippi, Wendy Mann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In recent years, transgender people have been more open to living as the gender they believe they were meant to be, instead of the gender they were born as. With this decision, they are more susceptible to mistreatment and discrimination in the workplace. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and understand the experiences and perceptions of discrimination of transgender individuals within workplaces in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Transgender identity development (TID) and social identity theory provided a theoretical framework for examining participants’ lived experiences of perceived transgender workplace discrimination, navigation of this discrimination, and the role …

Social Media-Based Social Comparisons Among Socially Anxious Young Adults: The Role Of Cognitive Reappraisal, Jennifer L. De Rutte

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Social media is a central context for social interaction and self-evaluation among young adults. For those with elevated social anxiety, these environments may be especially salient because they provide frequent opportunities for social comparison. Although upward social comparison on social media has been linked to poorer emotional outcomes, less is known about its experimental effects among socially anxious young adults or whether upward and downward comparison have distinct effects that extend to later socially evaluative situations. The present study examined these questions in 84 socially anxious young adults randomly assigned to view simulated Instagram feeds eliciting upward comparison, downward comparison, …

Supporting English Language Learners: Evaluating Bilingual Education Policies In Boston Area High Schools, Valentina A. Tolentino

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This study examines how the evolution of bilingual education policies and instruction has affected non-English speaking and bilingual high school students. Especially in Boston/Lynn Public School, bilingual and non-English speaking students are rapidly growing in population, yet questions still remain whether the existing educational policies adequately support their academic and emotional well -being. Using a demographic survey and interviews, I connected with high school graduates  ranging from 18 year olds to 22 years olds and asked questions to assess their language support, classroom experience, emotional well-being, and academic engagement. Analysis of the data demonstrates the influence that their bilingual education …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Protective And Compensatory Experiences, And Parenting Attitudes Among Fathers, Kylie Schmidt

Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are defined as potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood particularly between the ages of 0 and 17 years that negatively influence long-term health, relational functioning, and parenting practices (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2026; Felitti et al., 1998; Merrick et al., 2019). Conversely, protective and compensatory experiences (PACEs) have emerged as protective factors that foster resilience and possibly buffer against the adverse outcomes of ACEs (Narayan et al., 2018). As the existing research has greatly focused on mothers, little is known about how men’s early life experiences shape their parenting attitudes, particularly during the …

Authoritarianism, Hostility And Threat: An Analysis Of American Political Podcasts Surrounding The 2024 Presidential Election, Noah D. Cohen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Political rhetoric surrounding key events has seen sharp increases in emotionally affective speech, intergroup sentiment, and rhetoric unbecoming of democratic societies in recent years. Similarly, semi-democratic and ideologically driven speech has become increasingly normalized within an era of political polarization and hardline beliefs in modern media. Within this economy of outrage, sensational and largely unmoderated media formats, particularly podcasts, have become a mainstay of political information and discourse. This raises an important question: how does rhetoric surrounding political events construct intergroup sentiment and authoritarian rhetoric within political media, particularly American political podcasts? Further, given political podcasts’ growing social influence in …

When Protection Becomes Predation: Militarized Masculinity And Sexual Violence In Northeastern Nigeria, Tosin Osasona

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The study investigates the structural and situational drivers of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) perpetrated by state security actors in the context of Nigeria’s counterinsurgency campaigns in Borno State. Drawing on militarized masculinity and strain and deprivation theories, and using a qualitative, interpretive research design, the study argues that CRSV is not an isolated or episodic form of deviance by individual soldiers and security personnel but is embedded in routine military–civilian interactions. Advancing an interactionist explanation of CRSV in Nigeria’s Islamist counterinsurgency operations, the study demonstrates that the likelihood of sexual violence increases through the interaction of gendered institutional norms, operational …

Nihilistic Violence Aesthetics In Public Online Communication, Heath Nicholas Landress

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Public online communication has increasingly included violence-related content that is meme-based, ironic, visually stylized, multimodal, and only partially ideological. This comprehensive literature review synthesized research on online extremism, extremist memes, toxic multimodal content, dehumanizing digital communication, nihilistic violent extremism, warning behaviors, platform affordances, and youth-facing online environments. The purpose was to clarify what the literature had established; identify where the scholarship remained fragmented; and map research domains relevant to social, behavioral, public safety, and human services scholarship. The review used a structured, comprehensive literature review strategy supported by integrative synthesis procedures. The final corpus contained 34 scholarly sources, including 32 …

Asian American Men's Experiences Of Gendered Racism In Online Competitive Gaming, Calvin Weiting Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S., Asian Americans men make up a large portion of active players in online competitive video games. In these settings, harassment, racism, and hate speech are prevalent and often normalized. The purpose of this study was to explore Asian American men’s experiences of gendered racism in online competitive gaming spaces. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2022) and applying the Intersectionality Framework (Crenshaw, 1989; Collins, 2000), six Asian American men were interviewed about their experiences of gendered racism while playing online competitive games. Two Group Experiential Themes emerged from their accounts: 1) Gendered racism …

Biases Toward Threat In Categorization And Attention Allocation When Evaluating Static And Dynamic Emotional Crowds, Delaney Mcdonagh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Visual representations are often biased, and these biases can manifest across many different stages of perception. For example, when categorizing nuanced, ambiguous, or fleeting emotional expressions, most perceivers are biased to interpret expressions as negative. Biases also manifest at the level of attention-allocation as observers dynamically examine and attend to expressions as they visually navigate a crowd. To comprehensively understand biased emotion perception, it remains critical to understand how bias manifests across the process of making emotional judgements, both as observers gather information about faces over time and as they make a final categorization of what they see. Biased patterns …

Initial Pilot Test Of A Single-Session Social Support Program For Increasing Social Approach Behavior And Social Support In Emerging Adults, Emily L. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adulthood, the developmental stage between adolescence and young adulthood (Arnett, 2000), is marked by increases in autonomy, changes in social dynamics, and identity exploration (Arnett, 2015). During this stage, social stressors may trigger or exacerbate preexisting mental health problems (Slavich & Auerbach, 2018), though few emerging adults seek or receive mental health support (Zhao et al., 2025). Single-session interventions, or “specific, structured programs that intentionally involve just one visit or encounter” (Schleider et al., 2019), may present an opportunity to provide some support to those who face barriers to participation in traditional forms of treatment (Janota et al., 2022). …

10 Questions To Fall In Love With A Chatbot: An Experimental Study On Interpersonal Closeness With Large Language Models (Llms), Jessica M. Szczuka, Lisa Mühl, Paula Ebner, Simon Dubé

Human-Machine Communication

Large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, are able to compute affectionately nuanced text, which can be deployed in online dating or power artificial companions. This study explores whether people can experience intimate interest and interpersonal closeness toward a potential human or AI partner, based on such text. In a mock matchmaking scenario, 307 participants rated 10 text responses to the Interpersonal Closeness Generation Task from the dating profile of their potential partner, unaware that all were LLM-generated. Surprisingly, the source label (human or AI) had no significant impact on intimate interest and interpersonal closeness. Instead, the perceived quality and human-likeness …

Reflections In Practice, Joshua William Erickson

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio narrative documents my professional development through the Master of Social Work program at the University of Montana. It discusses how I've developed my skills through practicum sites at Youth Villages and the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) at Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) as well as coursework spanning from clinical practice, policy analysis, program evaluation, and community organizing. Using the Five Elements of Advanced Integrated Practice and all ten CSWE competencies as an organizing structure, clinical skills with adolescents, families, and older adults are reflected on. Growth in macro-level practice, program evaluation, and interdisciplinary leadership is …

The Algorithm Of Difference: Gender, Communication, And Perception Online, Samantha Garcia

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This in-progress independent study thesis examines how exposure to gender-targeted content on social media platforms shapes college-aged users’ perceptions of communication differences between men and women. As platforms such as TikTok and Instagram increasingly rely on algorithmic curation, users are exposed to repetitive and often polarized narratives about gender roles, dating expectations, and interpersonal communication. This study builds on genderlect theory, as introduced by Deborah Tannen, while also incorporating more contemporary perspectives that frame gender as socially constructed and culturally performed rather than biologically determined. The research addresses the question of whether algorithm-driven content reinforces, reshapes, or distorts perceived communication …

What Makes Implicit Bias Training Effective? An Examination Of Training Program Interventions And K-12 Educator Experiences, Kyleigh K. Mcaloon

McNair Summer Research Program

Differences in disciplinary referrals based on race have led many to argue that bias may influence disciplinary decisions. Implicit bias (IB) training is designed to address such disparities by raising awareness of biases that may impact assessment of behavior and disciplinary decisions. In recent years, many have questioned the validity of IB as a construct and also the potential impact of training. Some scholars argue that these programs fail to produce meaningful behavioral change and may unintentionally reinforce or increase bias. The aim of the present study was to investigate how individuals receive and respond to such training. Sixteen K-12 …

Why Do We Need To Prove That Pigs Feel?, Aranza Vera-Espinoza, Nancy Harlet Esquivel-Marín

Animal Sentience

Birch's framework manages uncertainty but overlooks the likelihood that citizen panels have speciesist biases that reduce precaution to mere harm-management even in species that undoubtedly feel.

Repairing Workplace Trust: A Process-Based Classroom Exercise For Management Education, Luke A. Langlinais Ph.D.

Posters

Trust is essential in every workplace, but conflicts, mistakes, and broken promises are inevitable. This project develops an experiential classroom exercise in which students diagnose workplace trust violations, examine the perspectives and emotions of both parties, and practice selecting and communicating evidence-based reparative actions. The exercise translates organizational behavior research into a practical learning experience that develops not only managerial competence but also the character, empathy, and relational wisdom needed to build healthy organizations and promote human flourishing.

I gratefully acknowledge peer review feedback on this project, and I am accountable for writing of this product without generative AI and …