Changing, priming, and acting on values: Effects via motivational relations in a circular model

Circular models of values and goals suggest that some motivational aims are consistent with each other, some oppose each other, and others are orthogonal to each other. The present experiments tested this idea explicitly by examining how value confrontation and priming methods influence values and value-consistent behaviors throughout the entire value system. Experiment 1 revealed that change in 1 set of social values causes motivationally compatible values to increase in importance, whereas motivationally incompatible values decrease in importance and orthogonal values remain the same. Experiment 2 found that priming security values reduced the better-than-average effect, but priming stimulation values increased it. Similarly, Experiments 3 and 4 found that priming security values increased cleanliness and decreased curiosity behaviors, whereas priming self-direction values decreased cleanliness and increased curiosity behaviors. Experiment 5 found that priming achievement values increased success at puzzle completion and decreased helpfulness to an experimenter, whereas priming with benevolence values decreased success and increased helpfulness. These results highlight the importance of circular models describing motivational interconnections between values and personal goals

Motivational and emotional dynamics of social values

This research examined theoretical and emotional interrelations among social values, emotion, and action. Data from nine experiments revealed some novel and important findings. Experiments 1 to 3 examined the motivational dynamics of values by observing the effects of priming motivationally opposing values on judgment and behaviour. The results showed that priming tradition values reduced the better-than-average effect, but priming stimulation values increased it. Also, priming security values increased cleanliness behaviour, but priming self-direction values decreased it. Similarly, security values decreased curiosity behaviours, but priming self-direction values increased it. These findings supported the circular model's assumption about motivational interconnections between values. Experiments 4-9 examined the motivational dynamics of values by observing the effects of priming emotion on the importance of motivationally opposing values. Three types of negative emotion were primed: sadness, disgust, and shame. The results revealed that the context of the emotions determined their effect on values. Experiments 4 and 5 found that death-related sadness (e.g., passing away of a family member), but not failure-related sadness, led to increased importance of self-transcendence values (e.g., helpfulness) and decreased importance of self-enhancement values (e.g., self-success). Experiments 6 and 7 found that moral disgust (e.g., terrorists), but not hygiene disgust, led to increased importance of self-transcendence values and decreased importance of self-enhancement values. Experiment 8 found that moral shame, but not performance shame, led to increased importance of conservation values (e.g., conformity) and decreased importance of openness to change values (e.g., independence). Experiment 9 found that the context of shame interacts with prior individual differences to shape values and that these effects extend to value-relevant behaviour. Together, these findings provide novel support for important assumptions about motivational interconnections between values, while connecting these assumptions to extant evidence regarding the effects of goal and value priming on action and to evidence regarding the effects of emotion on social judgment and action. In addition, the results provide novel evidence in support of the importance of emotion appraisal processes in value-relevant judgment and behaviour

Acting in solidarity: testing an extended dual pathway model of collective action by bystander group members

We examined predictors of collective action among bystander group members in solidarity with a disadvantaged group by extending the dual pathway model of collective action, which proposes one efficacy-based and one emotion-based path to collective action (Van Zomeren, Spears, Fischer, & Leach, 2004). Based on two proposed functions of social identity performance (Klein, Spears, & Reicher, 2007), we distinguished between the efficacy of collective action at consolidating the identity of a protest movement and its efficacy at achieving social change (political efficacy). We expected identity consolidation efficacy to positively predict collective action tendencies directly and indirectly via political efficacy. We also expected collective action tendencies to be positively predicted by moral outrage and by sympathy in response to disadvantaged outgroup's suffering. These hypotheses were supported in two surveys examining intentions to protest for Palestine in Britain (Study 1), and intentions to attend the June 4th vigil in Hong Kong to commemorate the Tiananmen massacre among a sample of Hong Kong citizens (Study 2). The contributions of these findings to research on the dual pathway model of collective action and the different functions of collective action are discusse

Nostalgia Proneness and Reduced Prejudice.

We examined the association between nostalgia proneness and prejudice. In four correlational studies, we assessed nostalgia proneness, empathy, motivation to control prejudiced reactions, and blatant as well as subtle prejudice expression. The more prone to nostalgia participants were, the more likely they were to be motivated to control prejudice against an outgroup (African-Americans; Studies 1–4). Further, motivation to control prejudice mediated the relation between nostalgia proneness and reduced blatant/subtle prejudice expression (Studies 2–4). Finally, the stronger motivation to control prejudice and subsequent prejudice expression reduction was mediated by empathy that accompanied higher levels of nostalgia proneness (Studies 3–4). Nostalgia has implications for intergroup perception, and specifically prejudicial attitudes

Autobiographical Memory Functions of Nostalgia in Comparison to Rumination and Counterfactual Thinking: Similarity and Uniqueness

We compared and contrasted nostalgia with rumination and counterfactual thinking in terms of their autobiographical memory functions. Specifically, we assessed individual differences in nostalgia, rumination, and counterfactual thinking, which we then linked to self-reported functions or uses of autobiographical memory (Self-Regard, Boredom Reduction, Death Preparation, Intimacy Maintenance, Conversation, Teach/Inform, and Bitterness Revival). We tested which memory functions are shared and which are uniquely linked to nostalgia. The commonality among nostalgia, rumination, and counterfactual thinking resides in their shared positive associations with all memory functions: individuals who evinced a stronger propensity towards past-oriented thought (as manifested in nostalgia, rumination, and counterfactual thinking) reported greater overall recruitment of memories in the service of present functioning. The uniqueness of nostalgia resides in its comparatively strong positive associations with Intimacy Maintenance, Teach/Inform, and Self-Regard and weak association with Bitterness Revival. In all, nostalgia possesses a more positive functional signature than do rumination and counterfactual thinking.</p

Resistance in repressive contexts:A comprehensive test of psychological predictors

Empirical research on the social psychological antecedents of collective action has been conducted almost exclusively in democratic societies, where activism is relatively safe. The present research examines the psychological predictors of collective action intentions in contexts where resistance is met with significant repression by the authorities. Combining recent advancements in the collective action literature, our model examines the unique predictive roles of emotion (anger and fear), political identity consolidation and participative efficacies, politicized identification, and moral obligation, over and above past participation. It further investigates how these variables are shaped by perceptions of risks attributable to repression. Four survey studies test this model among protesters in Russia (N = 305), Ukraine (N = 136), Hong Kong (N = 115), and Turkey (N = 296). Meta-analytic integration of the findings highlights that, unlike in most current accounts of collective action, protesters in these contexts are not primarily driven by political efficacy. Rather, their involvement is contingent upon beliefs in the ability of protest to build a movement (identity consolidation and participative efficacies) and motivated by outrage at state repression, identification with the social movement, and a sense of moral obligation to act on their behalf. Results also confirm that risks attributable to state repression spur rather than quell resistance by increasing outrage, politicized identification, identity consolidation and participative efficacies, and moral obligation. The implications of these findings for models of collective action and our understanding of the motives underlying engagement in repressive contexts are discussed.PostprintPeer reviewe

Anticipated Nostalgia: Looking Forward to Looking Back

Anticipated nostalgia is a new construct that has received limited empirical attention. It concerns the anticipation of having nostalgic feelings for one’s present and future experiences. In three studies, we assessed its prevalence, content, emotional profile, and implications for self-regulation and psychological functioning. Study 1 revealed that anticipated nostalgia most typically concerns interpersonal relationships, and also concerns goals, plans, current life, and culture. Further, it is affectively laden with happiness, sadness, bittersweetness, and sociality. Studies 2 and 3 assessed the implications of anticipated nostalgia for self-regulation and psychological functioning. In both studies, positive evaluation of a personal experience was linked to stronger anticipated nostalgia, and anticipated nostalgia was linked to savouring of the experience. In Study 3, anticipated nostalgia measured prior to an important life transition predicted nostalgia a few months after the transition, and post-transition nostalgia predicted heightened self-esteem, social connectedness, and meaning in life

Collective Nostalgia Is Associated with Stronger Outgroup-Directed Anger and Participation in Ingroup-Favoring Collective Action

Collective nostalgia refers to longing for the way society used to be. We tested whether collective nostalgia is associated with ingroup-favoring collective action and whether this association is mediated by outgroup-directed anger and outgroup-directed contempt. We conducted an online study of Hong Kong residents (N = 111) during a large-scale democratic social movement, the Umbrella Movement, that took place in Hong Kong in 2014 in response to proposed electoral reforms by the Chinese government in Mainland China. Reported collective nostalgia for Hong Kong’s past was high in our sample and collective nostalgia predicted stronger involvement in ingroup-favoring collective action, and it did so indirectly via higher intensity of outgroup-directed anger (but not through outgroup-directed contempt). We argue that collective nostalgia has implications for strengthening ingroup-serving collective action, and we highlight the importance of arousal of group-based emotions in this process.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Car hire service in Hong Kong : changing dynamics of governance and policy tools

published_or_final_versionPolitics and Public AdministrationMasterMaster of Public Administratio