The influence of received integration efforts on immigrants’ adaptation and integration in Norway

PsycINFO Codes: 3000 Social Psychology 3020 Group & Interpersonal ProcessesThe western world is registering an unprecedented number of people moving through borders to settle in a new country. The process of adaptation that occurs has been consistently study, however how the role of majority members in this process effects immigrants needs further attention. With the creation of a new scale – Received Integration Efforts Scale (RIES) -, I intend to contribute to close this gap. Furthermore, I analyse the causality between RIES, acculturation strategies, and sociocultural and psychological well-being. All in all, the results suggest that the higher the perception of participants in receiving help from Norwegians, specifically the received social inclusion integration efforts (RSIIE) and the received sociostructurally integration efforts domains (RSIE), the more they chose integration or assimilation strategies and the more they feel life satisficed and sociocultural adapted. Hence these findings emphasize the importance of majority members’ active efforts on immigrants’ adaptation and integration in Norway.O mundo ocidental tem registado um número sem precedentes de pessoas a atravessarem fronteiras para se estabelecerem num novo país. O processo de adaptação que ocorre tem sido sistematicamente estudado, no entanto, a forma como o papel dos membros maioritários afeta os imigrantes necessita de maior atenção. Com a criação de uma nova escala – Received Integration Efforts Scale (RIES) -, eu pretendo contribuir para a eliminação desta lacuna na literatura. E ainda, analiso a causalidade entre RIES, estratégias de aculturação e adaptação psicológica e sociocultural. Em suma, os resultados sugerem que quanto maior a perceção dos imigrantes na ajuda que recebem dos Noruegueses, mais especificamente nos domínios received social inclusion integration efforts (RSIIE) e received sociostructurally integration efforts (RSSIE) mais os imigrantes escolhem como estratégias a integração ou assimilação e mais satisfeitos eles se sentem com a sua vida e socioculturalmente adaptados. Consequentemente, estas conclusões enfatizam a importância que os esforços ativos dos membros maioritários têm no que diz respeito à adaptação e integração dos imigrantes na Noruega

Science and rhetoric in a globalizing public sphere: mediating systems of climate change knowledge and action

Classification (PsychINFO): 3000 Social Psychology 3040 Social Perception & Cognition 4070 Environmental questions e attitudesPeople’s knowledge and beliefs about intangible problems such as climate change rely heavily on mediated discourses of science and policy. This thesis employs a dialogical and rhetorical approach to social representations to examine how two mediating systems -the mainstream press and environmental non-governmental organizations- represent and reconstruct climate change. The first empirical chapter focuses on the articles published over one decade (1999-2009) in the mainstream Turkish press. The analyses reveal that climate change emerged as a matter of public concern after 2005 in relation to the ecological extremes faced with in the country (Study 1), and that high levels of dramatization in the press in this national context were achieved by drawing on these local impacts and dire risks, and divorcing them from the global and political aspects of the problem (Study 2). Through this separation between the global and the local, and by reconstructing an image of solid scientific knowledge, a hegemonic representation of a serious ‘human-caused threat’ was established, without identifying by whom or how it would be dealt with (Study 3). The second empirical chapter focuses on the interviews (N=22) with non-governmental actors involved in climate change information and policy in Turkey and Portugal. The analyses show that when responding to less reflexive tasks, the non-governmental experts also confine themselves to the hegemonic representation: ‘a human caused problem’ (Study 4). Yet, in their reflexive representations, they focus more on the solutions to the problem, bringing into play, contrasting and reconciling two more representations: ‘an environmental problem’ and ‘a socio-political problem’ (Study 5). It is shown how these representations interfere with each other in two argumentative contexts, in which the interviewees organized the points of agreement and disagreement in a way which makes their views more acceptable to others (Study 6). Overall, these studies show that, in pursuit of persuasion, the mainstream press mainly resorted to a unifying threat and to emotions, whereas the non-governmental actors resorted to negotiation and reconciliation of divergent views

Heterogeneity of Research Results: A New Perspective From Which to Assess and Promote Progress in Psychological Science

Heterogeneity emerges when multiple close or conceptual replications on the same subject produce results that vary more than expected from the sampling error. Here we argue that unexplained heterogeneity reflects a lack of coherence between the concepts applied and data observed and therefore a lack of understanding of the subject matter. Typical levels of heterogeneity thus offer a useful but neglected perspective on the levels of understanding achieved in psychological science. Focusing on continuous outcome variables, we surveyed heterogeneity in 150 meta-analyses from cognitive, organizational, and social psychology and 57 multiple close replications. Heterogeneity proved to be very high in meta-analyses, with powerful moderators being conspicuously absent. Population effects in the average meta-analysis vary from small to very large for reasons that are typically not understood. In contrast, heterogeneity was moderate in close replications. A newly identified relationship between heterogeneity and effect size allowed us to make predictions about expected heterogeneity levels. We discuss important implications for the formulation and evaluation of theories in psychology. On the basis of insights from the history and philosophy of science, we argue that the reduction of heterogeneity is important for progress in psychology and its practical applications, and we suggest changes to our collective research practice toward this end

Satisfaction in terms of autonomy, competence and relatedness, and its importance in promoting job motivation in the Portuguese culture

PsycINFO Content Classification Code System: 3000 Social Psychology; 3660 Organizational BehaviorSelf-Determination Theory (SDT) argues that autonomy, competence and relatedness are three universally critical needs that, once satisfied, will promote self-determined types of motivation and more intrinscally motivated behaviours that yield positive effects on well-being. In contrast, researchers on cross-cultural differences argue that the pursuit of autonomy and relatedness in collectivist cultures is not compatible. For individuals living in collectivist cultures valuing social bonding, striving for autonomy would be in conflict with the development of meaningful and satisfying relationships. The present study explored the role of the three needs in fostering self-determined types of job motivation in the Portuguese culture. We hypothesized that relatedness would have a stronger impact than autonomy and competence, in promoting self-determined types of motivation at the work place. Consistent with SDT, we also hypothesized that an interaction between autonomy and relatedness would have significant results in enhancing self-determined types of job motivation. Both of our hypothesis were not supported by the data. Instead, the results show that, even in the Portuguese collectivist culture, autonomy and competence are the most significant basic needs predicting self-determined types of job motivation, only partially supporting SDT’s claims.A Teria de Auto-Determinação (Self-Determination Theory) defende que autonomia, competência e relatedness (necessidade de relacionamento) são necessidades universais que, uma vez satisfeitas, promovem tipos de motivação mais auto-determinados e comportamentos intrinsecamente mais motivados e que produzem efeitos positivos no bem-estar. Contrastantes com esta ideia, investigadores interculturais argumentam que a satisfação da autonomia e da necessidade de relatedness não é compatível. Para indivíduos oriundos de culturas colectivistas, a procura de autonomia entraria em conflito com o desenvolvimento de relações gratificantes e agradáveis. O presente estudo explorou em que medida o papel das três necessidades seria importante na estimulação de tipos de motivação auto-determinados, em contexto laboral, na cultura Portuguesa. Hipotetizou-se que a necessidade estabelecer relacionamentos agradáveis e gratificantes teria maior impacto na promoção de tipos de motivação auto-determinados, que as necessidades de autonomia e competência. Congruente com a Teoria de Auto-Determinação, também se hipotetizou que uma interacção entre a satisfação de autonomia e a satisfação de relatedness produziria resultados significativos na promoção de tipos de motivação auto-determinados no contexto de trabalho. Ambas as hipóteses foram rejeitadas pelos resultados obtidos. Em vez disso, os resultados mostraram que, mesmo na cultura colectiva de Portugal, autonomia e competência são as necessidades mais importantes na promoção de motivação auto-determinada num contexto laboral, reforçando parcialmente as afirmações da teoria em estudo

Exploiting opportunities at all cost? Entrepreneurial intent and externalities

Do potential entrepreneurs exploit welfare-destroying opportunities as much as they exploit welfare-enhancing opportunities as it is assumed in several normative models? Do we need to prevent potential entrepreneurs from being destructive or are there intrinsic limits to harm others? We experimentally investigate how people with different entrepreneurial intent exploit risky investment opportunities that are associated with negative and positive externalities. We find that participants who consider entrepreneurship as a future occupation invest significantly less than others in destructive opportunities. Nevertheless, our results support prior evidence that the entrepreneurially talented invest more in destructive opportunities. The latter effect seems to be entrepreneurship-specific, because the investment behavior of the generally more talented does not differ from that of other participants. Taken together, our results suggest that people who are willing to exploit destructive opportunities do not only do this in private ventures, but also - and maybe even more so - in wage employment.Social Psychology, Entrepreneurship, Externalities, Laboratory, Individual Behavior

When and how does the promotion of inclusive global identities affect attitudes towards refugees in Germany?

PsycINFO Codes: 3000 Social Psychology 3020 Group & Interpersonal ProcessesThe current study draws on one of the major theories of intergroup relations, the common ingroup identity model (Gaertner & Dovidio, 2000), and aimed to examine if and how promoting an inclusive common global identity or a more complex global identity among German citizens improves attitudes and helping behavioral intentions toward refugees. This topic has become more important with the increasing numbers of asylum seekers coming to Germany (Eurostat, 2015). This work, therefore, focuses on the context of Germany and seeks to understand which intervention is most suitable for this national context. Participants (N = 178) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (i.e., common global identity, complex global identity or a control condition) and read a fabricated newspaper article. After the manipulation participants’ attitudes and helping behavioral intentions towards refugees were measured. Results revealed that, as predicted, a complex global identity was more successful, relative to a common global identity to promote more positive attitudes and behaviors towards refugees. These effects were mediated by reduced intergroup threats and reduced dehumanization. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of considering the context in which groups are situated, as well as, implications for developing strategies to promote harmony between refugees and Germans. Implications for journalists, politicians, as well as, NGO’s campaigning for the rights of refugees are given.O presente estudo baseia-se numa das principais teorias das relações intergrupais, o modelo da identidade endogrupal comum (Gaertner & Dovidio, 2000), e examinou se, e de que forma, a promoção de uma identidade comum global ou de uma identidade global complexa melhora as atitudes e as intenções comportamentais de ajuda de cidadãos alemães em relação aos refugiados. Este tópico tornou-se mais relevante devido ao número crescente de requerentes de asilo que chegam à Alemanha (Eurostat, 2015). Este trabalho foca-se assim no contexto alemão e procura analisar qual intervenção mais eficaz neste contexto nacional. Os participantes (N = 178) foram aleatoriamente atribuídos a uma de três condições experimentais (identidade comum global, identidade global complexa ou condição de controlo) e leram um artigo de jornal criado pelos experimentadores. Após a manipulação das diferentes formas de identidades comuns, foram medidas as atitudes e as intenções comportamentais de ajuda em relação aos refugiados. Os resultados revelaram que, tal como previsto, uma identidade global complexa foi mais eficaz, relativamente à identidade comum global, na promoção de atitudes positivas e comportamentos de ajuda aos refugiados. Estes efeitos foram mediados pela redução de ameaças intergrupais e da dezumanização. Os resultados são discutidos em termos da importância teórica de considerar o contexto social no qual os grupos estão inseridos, bem como, as implicações para o desenvolvimento de estratégias de promoção da harmonia entre refugiados e alemães. São ainda apontadas implicações para jornalistas, políticos, assim como para ONGs que actuam pelos direitos dos refugiados

Face evaluation: an embodied cognitive approach

American Psychological Association (PsycINFO Classification Categories and Codes) 2320 Sensory Perception 2340 Cognitive Processes 3000 Social Psychology 3040 Social Perception and Cognitionthesis intends to demonstrate that face evaluation can be embodied. Studies in the area of face evaluation suggest that face perception is linked to action. Given that actions depend on our bodies, face evaluation supposedly influence how our bodies will act. Furthermore, I intend to show that the action of our bodies can also influence face perception. In the first three empirical chapters, I tested the notion that judgments of social dominance result from an overgeneralization of properties that signal to the perceiver the potential for someone to act (i.e. physical strength). This may potentially influence our bodily actions. The results indicate that judgments of physical strength predict social dominance. In the last three empirical chapters, I tried to show that bodily actions can influence face evaluation. I showed that an expansive posture can reduce the perception of differences between facial levels of social dominance when compared to a constrictive posture. Participants in the expansive body posture also recreated a mental image of their self-face evidencing greater dominance than participants in a constrictive posture. Finally, I also demonstrated that the interaction between bodies through a multisensory stimulation can influence judgments and the recognition of trustworthiness in faces. Thus, the present thesis shows that face evaluation is embodiedEsta tese tem por objectivo demonstrar que a avaliação de faces pode ser corporalizada. Os estudos na área da avaliação de faces sugerem que a percepção facial está associada à acção. Sendo que as acções dependem dos nossos corpos, a avaliação de faces supostamente influenciará a forma como os nossos corpos irão actuar. Para além disso, pretende-se evidenciar que a acção corporal também pode influenciar a avaliação de faces. Nos três primeiros capítulos empíricos testou-se a noção de que os julgamentos de dominância social resultam de uma generalização de propriedades que sinalizam ao percipiente o potencial de alguém para agir (i.e. força física) o que poderá influenciar as acções corporais. Os resultados indicam que os julgamentos de força física predizem a dominância social. Nos últimos três capítulos empíricos, procurei demonstrar que as acções corporais podem influenciar a avaliação de faces. Demonstrei que uma postura expansiva em comparação com uma postura constritiva pode reduzir a percepção das diferenças entre os níveis faciais de dominância social. Os participantes numa postura corporal expansiva recriaram uma imagem mental do seu eu facial que evidencia uma maior dominância, comparativamente aos participantes numa postura constritiva. Finalmente, evidenciei que a interacção entre os corpos através de uma estimulação multissensorial pode influenciar os julgamentos e o reconhecimento do traço confiável nas faces. Assim, a presente investigação evidencia que a avaliação de faces é corporalizada

Justice seems not to be for all: the role played by justice perceptions in discrimination against immigrants

This thesis aimed to examine how justice perceptions are related with the perpetuation of discrimination, exploring the role played by the scope of justice and belief in a just world (BJW) in the legitimation of discrimination against immigrants. Based on the assumptions of the Justified Discrimination Model (JDM), individuals need to search for justification in order to legitimize the discriminatory behaviour, preserving their self-image as a fair individual. The scope of justice is presented as a justice-based argument that facilitates the legitimation process, since the restricted scope of justice helps to the exclusion of the outgroup from positive treatment. This hypothesis is verified correlational and experimentally, indicating the mediation role played by the restricted scope of justice in the relationship between prejudice and discrimination against Brazilian immigrants in Portugal. In order to verify in which conditions this mediation happens, the BJW is applied to the model, testing the prediction that the legitimising role played by the scope of justice is guided by a justice motivation. Results show that the mediation by the restricted scope of justice is moderated by BJW, only when participants expressed a high level of BJW. Experimental studies reinforce the moderation role of BJW where a greater degree of discrimination against immigrants was influenced by a restricted scope of justice priming but only when the BJW was made salient. This evidence introduces an innovation into the literature on the legitimation of social inequalities by demonstrating the relevant role played by justice perceptions in discrimination against immigrants.A presente tese tem como objetivo analisar como perceções de justiça estão relacionadas com a perpetuação da discriminação, ao explorar o papel do scope of justice e da crença no mundo justo (CMJ) na legitimação da discriminação contra imigrantes. Com base nos pressupostos do Modelo da Discriminação Justificada (MDJ), as pessoas precisam de buscar justificações para legitimar seu comportamento discriminatório, preservando sua auto-imagem como um indivíduo justo. O scope of justice é apresentado como um argumento de justiça que facilita o processo de legitimação, visto que o scope of justice restrito auxilia que exogrupos sejam excluídos de tratamento positivo. Está hipótese é verificada correlacional e experimentalmente, indicando o papel mediador do scope of justice restrito na relação entre preconceito e discriminação contra imigrantes brasileiros em Portugal. A fim de verificar em que condições esta mediação acontece, a CMJ é aplicada ao modelo, testando a predição de que o papel legitimador do scope of justice é guiado por uma motivação para justiça. Resultados mostram que a mediação pelo scope of justice é moderada pela CMJ, apenas quando os participantes expressam CMJ alta. Estudos experimentais reforçam o papel moderador da CMJ, onde um maior grau de discriminação contra imigrantes é influenciado pela primação do scope of justice restrito, apenas quando a CMJ está saliente. Esta evidência introduz uma inovação na literatura sobre legitimação das desigualdades sociais ao demonstrar o papel relevante das perceções de justiça na discriminação contra imigrantes

O efeito moderador das necessidades sócio-emocionais de pertença à organização na relação entre a percepção de suporte organizacional e o bem-estar do indivíduo

PsycINFO Content Classification Code System: 3000 Social Psychology; 3600 Industrial & Organizational PsychologyNo presente estudo pretendeu-se explorar o impacto da percepção de suporte organizacional no bem-estar dos colaboradores, nomeadamente na percepção que estes têm da sua saúde e, em segundo lugar, verificar o papel moderador que as necessidades de pertença à organização poderão ter nessa relação. Neste sentido foi recolhida uma amostra de 171 colaboradores de uma empresa do ramo da grande distribuição. Os resultados mostram que a percepção de suporte organizacional só é preditora da percepção que o indivíduo tem da sua saúde geral quando as suas necessidades de pertença à organização são elevadas. Os resultados obtidos demonstram a importância que os processos de vinculação à organização podem ter para o fortalecimento do efeito da percepção de suporte organizacional no bem-estar dos indivíduos.In the present study we aimed to explore the impact of perceived organizational support in the welfare of the employees, including the perception that they have of their health and, secondly, to verify the moderating role that the needs for belonging to the organization might have in this relationship. In this sense it was collected a sample of 171 employees of a company in the business of large retailers. The results show that perceived organizational support is only a predictor of the perception that the individual has of his overall health when his needs for belonging to the organization are high. The results demonstrate the importance that the linking process to the organization may have to strengthen the effect of perceived organizational support on the well-being of individuals

Acculturation strategies and outcomes of international retired migrants in Portugal

PsycINFO Codes:3000 Social Psychology; 3020 Group & Interpersonal ProcessesThe IRM (International Retired Migrants) are a growing demographic group in Portugal. The literature in Social Psychology has so far overlooked how this specific group acculturates. This study investigated the acculturation strategies adopted by the IRM, their psychological and sociocultural adaptation outcomes, and their perception of prejudice due to their advanced age and being a foreigner. We expected that some of the assumptions from the acculturation literature (Berry, 1997) might not hold, given the specificities of this group regarding age and changes in lifestyle associated with retirement. The study was conducted with IRM who currently live in Portugal (N = 131). The participants were recruited through expatriate groups on Facebook and completed an online questionnaire containing the measures of interest. Confirming our hypothesis, Integration was the strategy that showed the highest levels of psychological and sociocultural adaptation. However, contrary to our hypothesis and to the consensus in the acculturation literature, Separation was the strategy that showed the lowest levels of psychological and sociocultural adaptation. The Marginalization strategy did not produce the worst adaptation outcomes as the literature widely suggests. We speculate that there may be a new type of “marginalized” IRM that feels comfortable with ‘not identifying’ with host or original cultures. We also found that perceived prejudice against being a foreigner was more salient than perceived age prejudice. Finally, the study suggests strategies to integrate the IRM into Portuguese society aiming to keep those who are already in Portugal and attracting those who are still deciding their retirement destination.Os IRM (International Retired Migrants – Migrantes Reformados Internacionais) são um grupo demográfico em crescimento em Portugal. A literatura em Psicologia Social até hoje tem negligenciado a forma como este grupo realiza sua aculturação. Este estudo investigou as estratégias de aculturação adotadas pelos IRM, os resultados de sua adaptação psicológica e sociocultural, além de sua percepção de preconceito devido à idade avançada e por ser estrangeiro. Nós esperávamos que alguns dos pressupostos da literatura de aculturação (Berry, 1997) não fossem comprovados dada a especificidade deste grupo no que tange a idade e mudanças no estilo de vida associadas à reforma. O estudo foi realizado com os IRM que atualmente vivem em Portugal (N=131). Os participantes foram recrutados através de grupos de expatriados no Facebook e preencheram um questionário online que continha as medidas de interesse. Confirmando nossa hipótese, a Integração foi a estratégia que mostrou os maiores níveis de adaptação psicológica e sociocultural. Contudo, contrariamente à nossa hipótese e ao consenso na literatura sobre aculturação, a Separação foi a estratégia que mostrou os menores níveis de adaptação psicológica e sociocultural. A estratégia de Marginalização não produziu os piores resultados como a literatura geralmente sugere. Especulamos que possivelmente haverá um novo tipo de IRM “marginalizado” que se sente confortável em ‘não se identificar’ nem com a cultura original nem com a cultura local. Verificamos também que o preconceito percebido por ser estrangeiro é mais saliente que o preconceito percebido pela idade. Finalmente, o estudo sugere estratégias para integrar os IRM na sociedade portuguesa com o objetivo de manter aqueles que já estão no país e atrair aqueles que ainda não decidiram seu destino para o período da reforma