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Full-Text Articles in Social Psychology and Interaction

Personal Goal Facilitation, Burnout And Work Engagement: The Role Of Self-Discrepancy, Jacinth Jia Xin Tan, Bek Wuay Tang Jul 2026

Personal Goal Facilitation, Burnout And Work Engagement: The Role Of Self-Discrepancy, Jacinth Jia Xin Tan, Bek Wuay Tang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Employees who perceive greater personal goal facilitation through work (PGFW) experience lower burnout and higher work engagement. This research examined whether self-discrepancies and emotional experiences explain these relationships across two cross-sectional studies involving a nationally representative sample of working adults (Study 1; N = 889) and a sample of public school teachers (Study 2; N = 228) in Singapore. Participants listed personal goals and rated how much their jobs facilitated these goals, alongside measures of self-discrepancy, emotions, burnout, and engagement. Across both samples, higher PGFW predicted lower burnout and greater engagement. These associations were consistently explained by lower ideal self-discrepancy …


Dual Self-Construal Integration (Dsci) And Romantic Relationships In Singapore: Enhancing Romantic Relationship Satisfaction Through Creativity, Kenneth Tan, Chi-Ying Cheng, Gloria J. Lai, Daniel Ho Feb 2026

Dual Self-Construal Integration (Dsci) And Romantic Relationships In Singapore: Enhancing Romantic Relationship Satisfaction Through Creativity, Kenneth Tan, Chi-Ying Cheng, Gloria J. Lai, Daniel Ho

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Research has shown that independent vs. interdependent self-construals are largely shaped by culture and can predict the endorsement of distinct relational schemes when dealing with close others. Intriguingly, individuals exposed to both Eastern and Western cultures can develop both independent and interdependent self-construals and possess the two seemingly conflicting self-construals simultaneously. What is less explored is how different management of both independent and interdependent self-construals influence individuals' navigation of relational schemas in their romantic relationships. The current research examines the influence of how one's dual self-construal integration (DSCI)—an individual difference measure that captures the degree to which individuals perceive independent …


A Cultural Identity Approach To The Generational Divide, Davelle Lee, Andree Hartanto Dec 2025

A Cultural Identity Approach To The Generational Divide, Davelle Lee, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Some scholars have argued strongly against the idea that differences between generations are responsible for intergenerational conflict, calling for organisations and policymakers to do away with the notion of generations altogether. The current review argues that generations are an important social identity and makes the case for why generational identity should inform policy, despite inconsistent empirical evidence for generational differences. Drawing on cultural psychology and social identity theory, we find parallels between how racial and ethnic identities shape how people interpret and respond to racial diversity and so-called racial and ethnic “differences”, and how generational identity influences people's attitudes and …


The Link Between Intergenerational Social Mobility Of Cohorts And Individual Self-Rated Health: A Multi-Country Analysis., Jacinth J. X. Tan, Gregory T. H. Hng, Faith A. Wee Nov 2025

The Link Between Intergenerational Social Mobility Of Cohorts And Individual Self-Rated Health: A Multi-Country Analysis., Jacinth J. X. Tan, Gregory T. H. Hng, Faith A. Wee

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This research examined the potential health consequences of increased opportunities for social mobility. Specifically, we used indices of intergenerational social mobility of cohorts—the average level of change in economic status relative to one’s parents experienced across individuals within a cohort—as proxy measures of individuals’ exposure to opportunities for social mobility and investigated links to their self-rated health (SRH). We combined recent multi-country data on cohort social mobility from the World Bank with multi-country individual SRH data from the World Values Survey waves six (Ncountries=44, Nrespondents=48,955) and seven (Ncountries=41, Nrespondents=37,051). Multilevel modeling analyses revealed that at the aggregate, SRH had negative …


Ai As Your Ally: The Effects Of Ai-Assisted Venting On Negative Affect And Perceived Social Support, Meilan Hu, Xavier Cheng Wee Chua, Shu Fen Diong, K. T. A. Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Andree Hartanto Feb 2025

Ai As Your Ally: The Effects Of Ai-Assisted Venting On Negative Affect And Perceived Social Support, Meilan Hu, Xavier Cheng Wee Chua, Shu Fen Diong, K. T. A. Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots have made significant strides in generating human-like conversations. With AI's expanding capabilities in mimicking human interactions, its affordability and accessibility underscore the potential of AI chatbots to facilitate negative emotional disclosure or venting. The study's primary objective is to highlight the potential benefits of AI-assisted venting by comparing its effectiveness to venting through a traditional journaling platform in reducing negative affect and increasing perceived social support. We conducted a pre-registered within-subject experiment involving 150 participants who completed both traditional venting and AI-assisted venting conditions with counterbalancing and a wash-out period of 1-week between …


No Consistent Evidence For Between- And Within-Person Associations Between Objective Social Media Screen Time And Body Image Dissatisfaction: Insights From A Daily Diary Study, Adalia Y. H. Goh, Andree Hartanto, K. T. A. Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Nadyanna M. Majeed Jan 2025

No Consistent Evidence For Between- And Within-Person Associations Between Objective Social Media Screen Time And Body Image Dissatisfaction: Insights From A Daily Diary Study, Adalia Y. H. Goh, Andree Hartanto, K. T. A. Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Nadyanna M. Majeed

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

With the abundance of social media content that promotes unrealistic beauty standards, there are growing concerns about the potential negative impact of social media use on body image satisfaction. While some studies highlight negative associations, others present null effects, pointing to methodological limitations like biased and unreliable self-reported screen time measures and a focus on singular platforms. Addressing these gaps, our study employed a daily diary method to objectively measure social media screen time across six major platforms (Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook), alongside daily body image dissatisfaction among 252 young adults (Mage = 21.67 years, 67.77% female) …


Costly Signaling Theory, Hui Ying Ivy Koh, Norman P. Li Dec 2024

Costly Signaling Theory, Hui Ying Ivy Koh, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Costly signaling theory is the idea that the high costs incurred by an individual to convey information about underlying qualities keeps this signal reliable, as only individuals who truly possess the quality signaled can afford to send the signal.


Experimental Evidence Of Instagram Influencers’ Impact On Well-Being, Kimberly Yiting T'Ng, Kai Qin Chan, Andree Hartanto Nov 2024

Experimental Evidence Of Instagram Influencers’ Impact On Well-Being, Kimberly Yiting T'Ng, Kai Qin Chan, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

With Instagram influencers holding significant sway over public perception, their presumed psychological impact on young adults has gathered public attention. It has been claimed that influencers, known for showcasing enviable lifestyles, have the potential to affect their followers’ well-being. However, these claims have been based on correlational data that focuses on diffused indicators of social media consumption rather than specific features of Instagram. This limits our insight into the direct effects of Instagram on well-being. We experimentally investigated the effects of a brief exposure to Instagram influencers on the well-being. Our results showed that viewing profiles of demographically similar social …


Nuanced Relationships Between Indices Of Smartphone Use And Psychological Distress: Distinguishing Problematic Smartphone Use, Phone Checking, And Screen Time, Yue Qi Germaine Tng, Hwajin Yang Sep 2024

Nuanced Relationships Between Indices Of Smartphone Use And Psychological Distress: Distinguishing Problematic Smartphone Use, Phone Checking, And Screen Time, Yue Qi Germaine Tng, Hwajin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Recent theoretical and empirical accounts maintain that different indices of smartphone use—including problematic smartphone use, phone-checking, and screen time—tap distinct facets of smartphone use. This highlights the importance of disentangling potentially unique associations between facets of smartphone use and psychological distress outcomes. The present study examined fine-grained relationships between several smartphone-use indices and facets of psychological distress. Further, we probed whether sex modulated the relationships between smartphone-mediated behaviours and distress outcomes. Using structural equation modelling, we analysed data from young adults (N = 364) and evaluated the associations of smartphone-related behaviours—problematic use, phone checking, and overall screen time—with depression, anxiety, …


Human-Animal Interaction And Human Prosociality: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Experimental And Correlational Studies, Nicole Ruiying Chen, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Gloria J. Lai, Paye Shin Koh, Manmeet Kaur, K. T. A Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Zhi Yan Alycia Ho, Jose C. Yong, Andree Hartanto Jun 2024

Human-Animal Interaction And Human Prosociality: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Experimental And Correlational Studies, Nicole Ruiying Chen, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Gloria J. Lai, Paye Shin Koh, Manmeet Kaur, K. T. A Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Zhi Yan Alycia Ho, Jose C. Yong, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Pet ownership and interactions with animals confer various physiological and psychological benefits to humans. Although interactions with animals are commonplace, there is no consensus in the literature on the actual impact of animal exposure on prosociality. Hence, this meta-analysis investigated 20 eligible studies (n = 4,116, k = 48) and provided an extensive examination into the different potential moderators of the relationship between human–animal interaction (HAI) and prosociality, such as the distinction between empathy and prosocial behavior, HAI characteristics, and sample characteristics. Overall, a small positive effect size was found (d = 0.22), suggesting that human exposure to animals is …


The Impact Of Modernization On Mating Strategies In Iran: A Comparison Across Cities Versus Small Towns, Saeed Koohgard, Kai Lin Lynn Tan, Norman P. Li, Marzie Hashemi Apr 2024

The Impact Of Modernization On Mating Strategies In Iran: A Comparison Across Cities Versus Small Towns, Saeed Koohgard, Kai Lin Lynn Tan, Norman P. Li, Marzie Hashemi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The mating market in Iran has shown an increased rate of relationship formation. In such relationships, the most important pillar is physical attractiveness. We adopt an evolutionary perspective to understand this trend. Through comparing districts with different levels of modernization, this study explores the effects of modernization on mate preferences in Iran. We propose that rapid modernization reduces the preference for long-term relationships and has led to a rise in short-term mating strategies. We predict that the rise of short-term mating strategies will be reflected in higher frequencies of relationships and prioritizing physical attraction in mateseeking in modern versus non-modern …


Educational Assortative Mating And Motherhood Penalty In China, Cheng Cheng, Yang Zhou Feb 2024

Educational Assortative Mating And Motherhood Penalty In China, Cheng Cheng, Yang Zhou

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Mothers earn less than comparable childless women, and such motherhood penalty differs in magnitude by women’s socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Prior research, however, has rarely considered how the effect of parenthood on women’s income may also depend on the characteristics of their partners. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies 2010–2018, we examine how the effects of motherhood on women’s earnings and within-couple income inequality vary by couples’ educational pairings in China. A large educational gap between spouses–hypergamy or hypogamy–exacerbates the motherhood penalty on a woman’s individual income and her share of the couple’s combined income. However, when the …


Leveraging Instagram To Enhance Self-Esteem: A Self-Affirmative Intervention Study And Multilevel Mediation Analysis, Shuna Shiann Khoo, Hwajin Yang, Wei Xing Toh Jan 2024

Leveraging Instagram To Enhance Self-Esteem: A Self-Affirmative Intervention Study And Multilevel Mediation Analysis, Shuna Shiann Khoo, Hwajin Yang, Wei Xing Toh

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Although studies have consistently indicated that heavier use of social networking sites (SNS) perpetuates poorer self-esteem outcomes, no study has examined potential intervention methods that can yield positive effects from SNS use. We hypothesized that viewing one's Instagram profile would have self-affirmative effects on self-perception because the profile typically showcases curated instrumental positive aspects of self. Furthermore, these self-affirmative effects would indirectly improve state self-esteem via enhanced clarity of self-concept. To test our hypothesis, we designed an experimental intervention study where one group viewed their Instagram profile regularly, while another group viewed a neutral abstract art profile. Using multilevel latent …


How Does Parents’ Social Support Impact Children’S Health Practice? Examining A Mediating Role Of Health Knowledge, Paulin Tay Straughan, Chengwei Xu Dec 2023

How Does Parents’ Social Support Impact Children’S Health Practice? Examining A Mediating Role Of Health Knowledge, Paulin Tay Straughan, Chengwei Xu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Background: Family environmental factors play a vital role in shaping children’s health practices (e.g., obesity prevention). It is still unclear how parents’ social support affects children’s obesity-related health practices. The present study argues that whether parents’ social support positively associates with children’s obesity-related health practice depends on if it could promote parents’ obesity-related health knowledge. Thus, we hypothesize that health knowledge mediates the relationship between parents’ social support and children’s health practice regarding weight management. Methods: To test the hypothesis, we conducted a questionnaire survey and collected a nationally representative sample of 1488 household responses in Singapore. The survey included …


Relationship Status And Psychological Well-Being: Initial Evidence For The Moderating Effects Of Commitment Readiness, Kenneth Tan, Daniel Ho, Christopher R. Agnew Dec 2023

Relationship Status And Psychological Well-Being: Initial Evidence For The Moderating Effects Of Commitment Readiness, Kenneth Tan, Daniel Ho, Christopher R. Agnew

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Past research has suggested that the association between romantic relationship status (i.e., single vs. coupled) and well-being can be dependent on different aspects of an individual's personal life. In the current research, we examined whether commitment readiness (i.e., the subjective sense that the current time is "right" to be in a committed romantic relationship) moderates the link between current relationship status and psychological well-being. With correlational data obtained from three independent samples (two from Singapore, one cross-cultural comparison between Singapore and USA), we found a significant moderating effect of commitment readiness. Coupled individuals higher in readiness reported greater levels of …


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

The Role Of Humor Production And Perception In The Daily Life Of Couples: An Interest-Indicator Perspective, Kenneth Tan, Bryan K. C. 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 …


Dolling-Up Under Disease Threats: Do Pathogen Threats Motivate Attractiveness Signaling?, Kai Lin Lynn Tan, Michal Folwarczny, Agata Gasiorowska, Norman P. Li Jun 2023

Dolling-Up Under Disease Threats: Do Pathogen Threats Motivate Attractiveness Signaling?, Kai Lin Lynn Tan, Michal Folwarczny, Agata Gasiorowska, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Under high pathogen threat, it is adaptive for humans to find mates with high immunocompetence. Supporting this, research shows that pathogen cues increase humans’ preference for physical attractiveness—an indicator of a well-functioning immune system—among their potential mates. Building on this literature, we examined whether exposure to videos depicting pathogens (vs. a control video of nature scenery) triggers the desire to signal one’s physical attractiveness. We tested this prediction in four experiments, including two well-powered preregistered ones. In Experiment 1, we examined how pathogen cues influenced the desire for cosmetic surgery and the amount of time and money participants are willing …


Anxiety Disorders And Executive Functions: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis Of Reaction Time And Accuracy, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Yi Jing Chua, Meenakshi Kothari, Manmeet Kaur, Frosch Y. X. Quek, Matthew H. S. Ng, Wee Qin Ng, Andree Hartanto Mar 2023

Anxiety Disorders And Executive Functions: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis Of Reaction Time And Accuracy, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Yi Jing Chua, Meenakshi Kothari, Manmeet Kaur, Frosch Y. X. Quek, Matthew H. S. Ng, Wee Qin Ng, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Anxiety disorders, one of the most common classes of psychological disorders, have been shown to result in a decreased quality of life. Although some research suggests that anxiety disorders are linked to impairments in executive functioning, the inconsistency in the current literature yields an unclear conclusion on the relationship between the two. The current meta-analysis systematically investigated 55 records (N = 4601; kReactionTime = 44, kAccuracy = 79) that compared various groups with anxiety disorders to healthy controls on executive function tasks. Overall, our meta-analysis showed that individuals with anxiety disorders exhibited significant deficits in performance efficiency (reaction times) on …


The Effects Of Ses, Social Support, And Resilience On Older Adults’ Well-Being During Covid-19: Evidence From Singapore, Mindy Eiko Tadai, Paulin Tay Straughan, Grace Cheong, Rachel Wen Yi Ngu, Yan Er Tan Mar 2023

The Effects Of Ses, Social Support, And Resilience On Older Adults’ Well-Being During Covid-19: Evidence From Singapore, Mindy Eiko Tadai, Paulin Tay Straughan, Grace Cheong, Rachel Wen Yi Ngu, Yan Er Tan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The COVID-19 pandemic has rendered visible many socioeconomic inequalities and the lengthy period of dis- ruption to everyday life had disproportionate effects on the most vulnerable groups in Singapore and across the world. Utilizing data from the Singapore Life Panel ® (SLP) collected in September 2021, this study examined a sample of 6667 older adults to assess the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on well-being, and the mechanisms through which social support and resilience may mediate its influence. Overall, our results suggest significant direct and indirect effects of SES on well-being and provide evidence for the pivotal role that social …


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, …


From Pulau To Pulo: Archipelagic Perspectives On Southeast Asian Chinese Ethnicity From The Philippines And Indonesia, Josh Stenberg, Chien-Wen Kung, Charlotte Setijadi Oct 2022

From Pulau To Pulo: Archipelagic Perspectives On Southeast Asian Chinese Ethnicity From The Philippines And Indonesia, Josh Stenberg, Chien-Wen Kung, Charlotte Setijadi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Southeast Asia is an important region for working through ques-tions of Chineseness. It is, however, a notoriously heterogeneous region, and conclusions derived from some parts of it can be of limited applicability elsewhere. This special issue offering empiri-cally-grounded, multi-disciplinary research engages with and expands on existing scholarship on Southeast Asia’s Chinese. By focusing on Indonesia and the Philippines, the articles in this special issue investigate diverse models of being Chinese in Southeast Asia and depart from the familiar paradigms offered by Singapore and Malaysia, where ethnic Chinese populations are in the highest proportions and hold significant political power, and where …


Tugging At Their Heartstrings: Partner’S Knowledge Of Affective Meta-Bases Predicts Use Of Emotional Advocacies In Close Relationships, Kenneth Tan, Ya Hui Michelle See Mar 2022

Tugging At Their Heartstrings: Partner’S Knowledge Of Affective Meta-Bases Predicts Use Of Emotional Advocacies In Close Relationships, Kenneth Tan, Ya Hui Michelle See

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Traditional studies of attitude change have focused on attempts between strangers, but what about in close relationships? The present article examines whether accuracy regarding a partner's meta-attitudinal bases can influence persuasion attempts. Because meta-bases reflect informationprocessing goals, we hypothesized that given partners with more affective meta-bases, greater accuracy regarding partners' meta-bases would predict use of emotional advocacies and their perceived persuasiveness. Self and partner ratings of meta-bases were assessed, and emotional advocacies as well as cognitive ones were provided to participants to present to their partners. Results revealed that the correspondence between perceptions of partner's affective meta-bases and use of …


The Economy Of Time, The Rationalisation Of Resources: Discipline, Desire And Deferred Value In The Playing Of Gacha Games, Orlando Woods Mar 2022

The Economy Of Time, The Rationalisation Of Resources: Discipline, Desire And Deferred Value In The Playing Of Gacha Games, Orlando Woods

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper offers a counterpoint to existing research that explores the associations between gacha games and gambling. Whilst existing research tends to advance a view that playing these games is equivalent to gambling, I contend that such assertions rest on analyses that focus almost exclusively on investing money in the game. Moreover, they tend to view the game as separate from the structuring forces of everyday life. Arguing that players are embedded within a double structural frame that moderates the extent of seemingly ‘irrational’ playing behaviours, I reinterpret grinding as a form of temporal investment that is motivated by more …


Effects Of Economic Uncertainty And Socioeconomic Status On Reproductive Timing: A Life History Approach, Kenneth Tan, Norman P. Li, Andrea. M. Meltzer, Joel L. J. Chin, Kai Lin Lynn Tan, Amy J. Lim, Steven. L Neuberg, Mark Van Vugt Feb 2022

Effects Of Economic Uncertainty And Socioeconomic Status On Reproductive Timing: A Life History Approach, Kenneth Tan, Norman P. Li, Andrea. M. Meltzer, Joel L. J. Chin, Kai Lin Lynn Tan, Amy J. Lim, Steven. L Neuberg, Mark Van Vugt

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Why do some people have children earlier compared to others who delay reproduction? Drawing from an evolutionary, life history theory perspective, we posited that reproductive timing could be influenced by economic uncertainty and childhood socioeconomic status (SES). For individuals lower in childhood SES, economic uncertainty influenced the desire to reproduce earlier compared to individuals higher in childhood SES. Furthermore, the decision regarding reproductive timing was influenced by tradeoffs between earlier reproduction or furthering one's education or career. Overall, economic uncertainty appears to shift individuals into different life history strategies as a function of childhood SES, suggesting how ecological factors and …


Subjective Social Class And Life Satisfaction: Role Of Class Consistency And Identity Uncertainty, Bek Wuay Tang, Jacinth Jia Xin Tan Jan 2022

Subjective Social Class And Life Satisfaction: Role Of Class Consistency And Identity Uncertainty, Bek Wuay Tang, Jacinth Jia Xin Tan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Drawing on a recent perspective that inconsistent class identities can negatively impact psychological outcomes, the current research explored if the relative benefit of higher subjective social class for life satisfaction would differ depending on whether it is consistent with one’s objective social class. In Study 1, across two independent samples from Singapore (n = 1,045) and the United States (n = 492), higher subjective social class predicted higher life satisfaction more strongly among those high in objective social class, but less strongly among those low in objective social class. In Study 2, these patterns were replicated in another large U.S. …


Old Minds, New Marketplaces: How Evolved Psychological Mechanisms Trigger Mismatched Food Preferences, Michal Folwarczny, Tobias Otterbring, Valdimar Sigurdsson, Lynn K. L. Tan, Norman P. Li Jan 2022

Old Minds, New Marketplaces: How Evolved Psychological Mechanisms Trigger Mismatched Food Preferences, Michal Folwarczny, Tobias Otterbring, Valdimar Sigurdsson, Lynn K. L. Tan, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Principally due to unhealthy food choices, almost half of adults worldwide are overweight or obese. Current food retail practices bear some responsibility for such public health issues. We argue that numerous attempts to promote healthy eating have been unsuccessful due to the failure to account for our outdated evolved food selection mechanisms. Building on the evolutionary mismatch hypothesis and contrasting ancestral versus present-day foraging environments, we discuss how marketing activities exploit evolutionarily old food preferences and elicit unhealthy food choices for profit maximization at the expense of public health in terms of food consumption. We conclude by explaining how to …


What Drives Companies To Do Good? A “Universal” Ordering Of Corporate Social Responsibility Motivation, Alwyn Lim, Shawn Pope Jan 2022

What Drives Companies To Do Good? A “Universal” Ordering Of Corporate Social Responsibility Motivation, Alwyn Lim, Shawn Pope

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The classic question of why companies do corporate social responsibility (CSR) is central to much theoretical, regression-based, and experimental research. Guiding research into this question is a tripartite schema of normative, instrumental, and political CSR motivations that has become increasingly established in the CSR literature. This paper challenges the schema’s status as a typology of equally plausible alternatives through an integration and analysis of a worldwide literature of 120 existing academic surveys on CSR motivation. Rather, the paper reformulates the schema into a surveyed ordering of CSR motivations that might be called “universal” in having remarkable stability across time periods, …


Distracted: Why Students Cannot Focus By James M. Lang, Joax Wong, Andree Hartanto Aug 2021

Distracted: Why Students Cannot Focus By James M. Lang, Joax Wong, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Humans are easily distracted creatures. Our attention seems to constantly waver, shifting every second to different objects, sounds or stimuli. As we transition into adolescence, we start to hear the all-too familiar phrase that technology – smartphones, laptops, televisions and gaming devices – is an obstacle preventing us from reaching full productivity and sapping our attention. In Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It, James Lang describes the oftentimes complicated and false conceptions about distraction and the part that technology plays in it. Currently, society places extremely high demands on students and expects them to …


A Critical Review On The Moderating Role Of Contextual Factors In The Associations Between Video Gaming And Well-Being, Andree Hartanto, Verity Yu Qing Lua, Frosch Yi Xuan Quek, Jose C. Yong, Matthew H. S. Ng Aug 2021

A Critical Review On The Moderating Role Of Contextual Factors In The Associations Between Video Gaming And Well-Being, Andree Hartanto, Verity Yu Qing Lua, Frosch Yi Xuan Quek, Jose C. Yong, Matthew H. S. Ng

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The appeal of video gaming has undoubtedly withstood the test of time. In view of its increasing popularity, lay people and researchers alike have taken an interest in the psychological consequences of video gaming. However, there seems to be a paradox associated with the effect of video gaming on gamers' well-being—namely, while most video game players cite “fun” as their motivation to play video games, video games continue to hold a notorious reputation among some researchers for being detrimental to mental health and emotional well-being as measured by indicators such as happiness, perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. We suggest …


Social Psychology Of Climate Change In The Asian Context: Introduction To Special Issue, Kim-Pong Tam, Angela K. Y. Leung, Susan Clayton Jun 2021

Social Psychology Of Climate Change In The Asian Context: Introduction To Special Issue, Kim-Pong Tam, Angela K. Y. Leung, Susan Clayton

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing many countries in the Asia Pacific. Asia as a whole is a primary contributor to carbon emissions. According to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2020, the Asia Pacific region alone accounts for more than half of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. This represents an increase in consumption of oil, gas, and coal in Asia Pacific from 44.5% in 2009 to 50.5% in 2019. According to the review, compared to the rest of the world, Asia Pacific had the highest growth rate (2.7%) of carbon emissions between 2008 and …