Narcissism and Social Media Usage: Is There No Longer a Relationship?

In previous studies, narcissism has been found to relate to social media behaviors, such as how often one posts and how many friends or followers one has (McCain & Campbell, 2016; Singh, Farley, and Donahue, 2018). The present study attempted to create a model of social media use predicted by narcissism and selfconsciousness. A sample of 397 adults with a mean age of 29 years was collected using MTurk. Participants completed a social media use survey, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Raskin & Hall, 1979) and the Self-Consciousness Scale (Scheier & Carver, 1985). Results showed that while narcissism and selfconsciousness were correlated, narcissism was not significantly related to social media use. Several explanations for the present study’s findings are discussed

Examining the Qualities of Online and Offline Friendships: A Comparison Between Groups

Online social technologies are now used by a majority of individuals in the U.S. (Pew, 2018a). Sending emails, texting, posting on social media sites, and connecting with others through online gaming open up our social networks to a wider range of individuals. As a result, it is not uncommon to develop friendships with others that are conducted primarily in an online environment. However, we know little about the qualities of online friendships and how they may, or may not, differ from traditional face to face friendships. The present study focused on exploring friendship quality in online and offline domains using two different groups: a gamer group and a non-gamer group that used non-gaming applications to connect with others online. All participants completed a demographic questionnaire to gather information about their online and face to face friendships, the McGill Friendship Questionnaire (Mendelsohn and Aboud, 2014) for their closest online and offline friends and measures of happiness, anxiety, and depression. In Study 1, within group comparison found that gamers’ online friendships were of significantly higher quality than their offline friendships. For non-gamers, the opposite results were found. A second study was done using a larger, non-college-based sample. Results of Study 2 found that for gamers and non-gamers offline friendships were of higher quality than online friendships, although both types of friendships existed in both groups. There were no differences between groups in general life happiness, anxiety or depression. Suggestions for follow-up research are presented

Moral Considerations in Political Decision-Making: Differences by Political Orientation and Gender

There may be many factors determining the moral dimensions used by individuals when making political decisions. Two important dimensions worthy of examination are political orientation and gender. Based on Moral Foundation Theory (Graham et al., 2009), the present study examined how both of the aforementioned factors influence the moral dimensions used in political decisions. Participants (n = 338) completed a demographic survey, rated their self-perceived political orientation and then completed the Moral Relevance Scale (Graham, Haidt, & Nosek, 2009) and the Ideological Consistency Scale (Pew Research Center, 2014), which was used to place participants in liberal, moderate or conservative political orientation groups. A MANOVA showed no differences in participants based on gender, but significant differences in decision-making based on political ideology. Discussion focused on how moderates differ in their views from other ideologies, a relatively new finding

Friendships in Gamers and Non-Gamers

Online social technologies, such as email, social networking applications, texting and others, are now used by a majority of individuals in the U.S. (Pew, 2018a). As a result, it is not uncommon to develop friendships with others that are conducted primarily in an online environment. However, we know little about the qualities of online friendships and how they may, or may not, differ from traditional face to face friendships. The present study focused on exploring friendship quality in online and offline domains using two groups: a gamer group and a non-gamer group that used non-gaming applications to connect with others online. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire to gather information about their online and face to face friendships, the McGill Friendship Questionnaire (Mendelsohn & Aboud, 2014) for their closest online and offline friends and measures of happiness, anxiety, and depression. In Study 1, within group comparison found that gamers’ online friendships were of significantly higher quality than their offline friendships. For non-gamers, the opposite results were found. A second study was done using a larger, non-college-based sample. Results of Study 2 found that for gamers and non-gamers offline friendships were of higher quality than online friendships, although both types of friendships existed in both groups. There were no differences between groups in general life happiness, anxiety or depression. Suggestions for follow-up research are presented

Examining Gender and Enjoyment: Do They Predict Job Satisfaction and Well-Being?

Within organizations, happiness of employees is of key importance, and researchers have theorized that work happiness is comprised of positive well-being and job satisfaction (Sgroi, 2015; Wright & Cropanzano, 2000). However, women experience the workplace differently than their male counterparts (Clark, 1997). In the present study, we examine how female leaders and non-leaders (compared to male leaders and non-leaders), experience well-being and job satisfaction, as well as how work enjoyment predicts well-being and job satisfaction. Participants (286 women and 255 men) completed a demographic measure, the Subjective Vitality Scale (Ryan & Frederick, 1997), the Job Satisfaction Survey (Macdonald & McIntyre, 1997) and the ENJOY (Davidson, 2018). Results showed that being in a leadership position, not gender, determined well-being and job satisfaction with those in leadership positions experiencing higher levels of both variables. For women, number of individuals supervised and leadership experience did not predict well-being or job satisfaction. Last, for women, the work enjoyment variables of pleasure, relatedness and competence predicted well-being and job satisfaction. Results were similar for male participants. Unlike earlier research, the results of the present study found more similarities than differences between women and men. Differences in well-being and satisfaction were more influenced by whether one was in a managerial role than by gender. Future research would do well to focus on exploration and understanding of how female leaders versus non-leaders experience the workplace

Leadership in Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges for Psychologist-Managers

This article provides ideas and recommendations for psychologist-managers seeking to transition from the private sector to institutions of higher education. We first describe the differences between the cultures of academia and the private sector and then distinguish between traditional and nontraditional leadership roles at a university or college. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by future academic leaders. Throughout this article, we describe the knowledge and skills sets that make psychologist- managers attractive candidates for campus leadership

Transitioning out of Leadership: Is There Life After Higher Administration?

This article showcases the case histories of three former higher education administrators who stepped down from their responsibilities to rejoin the faculty. From their collective experiences, they extracted the variables that tend to influence the change in professional trajectory. The authors explain how an assortment of cognitive biases can influence the success or failure of downward transitions. We conclude the article with suggestions regarding how to make a successful transition from academic administration back to faculty status

The American Girl Retail Experience

The American Girl brand is characterized by its ability to promote identity development in young girls through play and educational experiences. Due to the accessibility of smart-devices (e.g. mobile and web based technologies) and the frequency of their use, recent trends in toy designs have shown an increase in digital/technology features. Taking this into consideration, American Girl has continuously emphasized doll-centric products and experiences that also satisfy consumer’s digital interests. American Girl’s interactive digital resources include: the entire American Girl website which features a wide selection of Games, Apps, activities, e-cards, the InnerStar University (i.e., an interactive world for My American Girl Dolls and their owners that provides girls with games, advice and new friends) as well as information about how to plan a trip to your local retail store. Again, the inherent theme in each of these digital activities is the doll. American Girl uses doll-centric activities in retail stores to promote the “American Girl” experience. For this project we examined all aspects of the American Girl Retail Experience ranging from making reservations to planning parties, events, and excursions. Our approach to developing this proposal came from observations of the American Girl Place in Chicago, Illinois and the American Girl Store in Orlando, Florida. We also conducted a review of digital resources such as the American Girl website, 2013 Mattel Annual Report, press releases, videos, and Apps available in the iTunes store. The American Girl website provided us with information about all of the current in-store experiences (e.g. book reading, craft making, cookie decorating, hair styling and more) as well as the current list of products and respective pricing. These details strongly influenced the development of our design. Our proposal examined the user experience from the perspective of the performing arts. The proposal outlines the performing arts experience which suggests the need for a performance stage and describes the activities and events that go along with the stage

A New Era for Psychologist-Leaders: Introduction to the Society of Psychologists in Leadership and the Psychology of Leaders and Leadership

This article introduces the name change of the Society for Psychologists in Leadership (SPL), from the Society of Psychologists in Management (SPIM). SPL seeks to become the premier home for psychologists who are also executives, managers, leaders, and consultants, and for psychologists who aspire to leadership positions in their organization, locally, nationally, or globally. In this article, we first discuss the founding and early years of SPIM as critical development in the recognition of psychologists as managers and leaders. Then we discuss societal and cultural changes that led to consideration of SPL rebranding and name change, including discussions of cultural and academic changes in the connotation of management vs. leadership, an increasing emphasis on psychologists as leaders, and a cultural increase in focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We discuss the board’s mixed methods approach to assessing the needs of its members, expanding the membership and value of the organization, recognizing and honoring the founders and early members, ensuring a unique identity and value of SPL, and revitalizing and refocusing the academic journal. We conclude with considerations of the future of SPL to serve psychologists in leadership in the 21st century

An Analysis of Expressed Cheating Behaviors in Video Games

A series of 50 responses regarding reasons for cheating behavior in video games were provided by undergraduate students. These responses were sorted into a series of 13 categories by raters to investigate the most common reasons provided for cheating. An analysis of inter-rater agreement as well as frequency of category representation is provided. The most common outcomes were that players cheat to progress in a game as well as to gain advantage over others. The discussion compared this study’s results to an existing cheating taxonomy