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Gibhardt S, Hepach R, Henderson AME. Observing prosociality and talent: the emotional characteristics and behavioral outcomes of elevation and admiration in 6.5- to 8.5-year-old children. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1392331. [PMID: 38855306 PMCID: PMC11160138 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1392331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Helping and seeing others being helped elicits positive emotions in young children but little is known about the nature of these emotions, especially in middle childhood. Here we examined the specific emotional characteristics and behavioral outcomes of two closely related other-praising moral emotions: elevation and admiration. We exposed 182 6.5- to 8.5-year-old children living in New Zealand, to an elevation- and admiration-inducing video clip. Afterwards children's emotion experiences and prosocial behaviour was measured. Findings revealed higher levels of happiness, care, and warmth after seeing prosociality in others (elevation condition) and higher levels of upliftment after seeing talent in others (admiration condition). We found no differences in prosocial behavior between the elevation and admiration conditions. This is the first study to assess elevation in childhood and offers a novel paradigm to investigate the role of moral emotions as potential motivators underlying helping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Gibhardt
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Faculty of Education, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Robert Hepach
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
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2
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Liao CH. Exploring the Influence of Public Perception of Mass Media Usage and Attitudes towards Mass Media News on Altruistic Behavior. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:621. [PMID: 37622761 PMCID: PMC10451722 DOI: 10.3390/bs13080621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Based on the cultivation theory and the theory of planned behavior, this study determined how people's perceptions of mass media news and their attitudes towards it impact their altruistic behavior by examining the factors that influence perception. The study collected data from 435 individuals with access to mass media in Taiwan, which were analyzed using SEM. The results revealed that media exposure, credibility, and social influence were critical factors that influenced individuals' perceptions of mass media news, with media exposure having a more significant influence. Surprisingly, the findings demonstrated that perception was negatively related to attitudes, inconsistent with the proposed hypothesis. Thus, perceptions and attitudes were positively associated with altruistic behavior, and attitude was found to mediate the relationship between perceptions about mass media news and altruistic behavior. The study also provides important implications for theory and practice, especially in mass media entities, in developing and adopting practices that promote trust among the audience by encouraging altruistic behaviors through news coverage of various issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Horng Liao
- Department of Communication Studies, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan;
- Bachelor Program in Digital Media and Technology, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan
- Media Production and Education Center, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan
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de Leeuw RNH, van Woudenberg TJ, Green KH, Sweijen SW, van de Groep S, Kleemans M, Tamboer SL, Crone EA, Buijzen M. Moral Beauty During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prosocial Behavior Among Adolescents and the Inspiring Role of the Media. COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 2023; 50:131-156. [PMID: 36874391 PMCID: PMC9922666 DOI: 10.1177/00936502221112804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we examined whether adolescents helped others during the COVID-19 pandemic and how stories in the media inspired them in doing so. Using an online daily diary design, 481 younger adolescents (M = 15.29, SD = 1.76) and 404 older adolescents (M = 21.48, SD = 1.91) were followed for 2 weeks. Findings from linear mixed effects models demonstrated that feelings of being moved by stories in the media were related to giving emotional support to family and friends, and to helping others, including strangers. Exposure to COVID-19 news and information was found to spark efforts to support and help as well and keeping physical distance in line with the advised protective behaviors against COVID-19. Moreover, helping others was related to increased happiness. Overall, the findings of this study highlight the potential role of the media in connecting people in times of crisis.
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Holbrook C, Fessler DMT, Sparks AM, Johnson DL, Samore T, Reed LI. Coalitionality shapes moral elevation: evidence from the U.S. Black Lives Matter protest and counter-protest movements. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:220990. [PMID: 36998761 PMCID: PMC10049748 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Witnessing altruistic behaviour can elicit moral elevation, an emotion that motivates prosocial cooperation. This emotion is evoked more strongly when the observer anticipates that other people will be reciprocally cooperative. Coalitionality should therefore moderate feelings of elevation, as whether the observer shares the coalitional affiliation of those observed should influence the observer's assessment of the likelihood that the latter will cooperate with the observer. We examined this thesis in studies contemporaneous with the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests. Although BLM protests were predominantly peaceful, they were depicted by conservative media as destructive and antisocial. In two large-scale, pre-registered online studies (total N = 2172), political orientation strongly moderated feelings of state elevation elicited by a video of a peaceful BLM protest (Studies 1 and 2) or a peaceful Back the Blue (BtB) counter-protest (Study 2). Political conservatism predicted less elevation following the BLM video and more elevation following the BtB video. Elevation elicited by the BLM video correlated with preferences to defund police, whereas elevation elicited by the BtB video correlated with preferences to increase police funding. These findings extend prior work on elevation into the area of prosocial cooperation in the context of coalitional conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Holbrook
- Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Daniel M. T. Fessler
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Kindness Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Center for Behavior, Evolution, and Culture, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | | - Devin L. Johnson
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, ON, Canada L8S4K1
| | - Theodore Samore
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Smith KM, Mabulla IA, Apicella CL. Hearing Prosocial Stories Increases Hadza Hunter-Gatherers' Generosity in an Economic Game. HUMAN NATURE (HAWTHORNE, N.Y.) 2023; 34:103-121. [PMID: 36826777 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-023-09444-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Folk stories featuring prosocial content are ubiquitous across cultures. One explanation for the ubiquity of such stories is that stories teach people about the local socioecology, including norms of prosociality, and stories featuring prosocial content may increase generosity in listeners. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of 185 Hadza hunter-gatherers. We read participants a story in which the main character either swims with another person (control story) or rescues him from drowning (prosocial story). After hearing the story, participants played a dictator game with dried meat sticks and then were given a recall test of facts presented in the story. There was moderate evidence for a small effect of the prosocial story: participants who heard the prosocial story gave an estimated 0.22 [90% HDI: -0.12-0.57] more meat sticks than those who heard the control story. However, the association between generosity and sex, marital status, and region of residence was stronger; men gave more than women, unmarried participants gave more than married participants, and participants living in a region with more exposure to markets gave more than participants living further from markets. There was no evidence that the prosocial story was more easily recalled than the control story. These results provide some support for the hypothesis that prosocial stories can increase prosociality in listeners, though the effect of hearing a single story is small.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher M Smith
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
| | - Ibrahim A Mabulla
- Department of Archaeology and History, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Coren L Apicella
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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6
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Buchanan K, Sandstrom GM. Buffering the effects of bad news: Exposure to others' kindness alleviates the aversive effects of viewing others' acts of immorality. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284438. [PMID: 37195988 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Negatively valenced news dominates the press, with stories of death and destruction gaining significant traction while also negatively impacting people's mental health and perceptions of humanity. Given that horrific acts happen and need to be reported, we examined if news stories featuring others' kindness could undo the aversive effects of news stories featuring others' immorality. In Studies 1a-d we tested whether media exposure to the acts of kindness that occurred in response to a terrorist attack could alleviate the aversive effects of media exposure to the terrorist attack. In Study 2, we examined whether, more generally, the aversive effects of news stories featuring immorality (e.g., homicide, paedophilia, bullying) could be alleviated through news stories featuring acts of kindness (e.g., volunteering, philanthropy, caring for the homeless). In Studies 1 and 2, we found that participants exposed to others' immorality and then others' kindness suffered from less aversive changes to their mood, experienced greater levels of elevation and were more inclined to believe in the goodness of others, than participants exposed only to others' immorality. Given this, we suggest there is merit in journalists shining a light on others' kindness if people's affective well-being and belief in the goodness of humanity is to remain intact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Buchanan
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Essex, United Kingdom
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You Z, Wang M, He Z. Residents' WeChat Group Use and Pro-Community Behavior in the COVID-19 Crisis: A Distal Mediating Role of Community Trust and Community Attachment. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2023; 16:833-849. [PMID: 37193293 PMCID: PMC10182810 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s407534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the resident's WeChat group has created a new material foundation for dialogue to occur and become a powerful platform for resident communication. This study explores the mechanism behind and the effects of residents' WeChat group use on residents' community trust, community attachment, and pro-community behavior. Methods An online survey questionnaire was used for data collection. The authors collected data from 500 commercial housing community residents in Wuhan, China, and analyzed the data using SPSS 26.0 and Mplus 8.3 software. Results This study's findings uncover that (1) residents' usage of WeChat groups has a statistically significant and positive impact on their community trust, community attachment, and pro-community behavior; (2) community trust and community attachment both play a mediating role in the mechanism behind residents' usage of WeChat groups in improving pro-community behavior; and (3) the transmission and united effects between community trust and community attachment form a distal mediating role. Conclusion The model systematically and comprehensively reveals the internal mechanism behind residents' adoption of pro-community behavior. Community managers can actively participate in the resident's WeChat group to ensure the dissemination of positive information in the community; enhance residents' awareness of risk, community trust, and belonging; and cultivate community resilience. At the same time, community managers should also fully recognize the important transformative roles that community trust and community belonging play between the use of WeChat groups by residents and the formation of pro-community behavior. Community managers should actively establish a warm and trusting community culture, strive to create a community atmosphere with a sense of belonging, make residents develop emotional attachment to the community, and then form behavior that is beneficial to the community, greatly enhancing the resilience and self-management of the community in disaster situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenwu You
- School of Journalism and Information Communication, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Meng Wang
- School of Journalism and Information Communication, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiwu He
- School of Journalism and Information Communication, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Zhiwu He, School of Journalism and Information Communication, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430000, People’s Republic of China, Email
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Staley G, Zaidan ACV, Henley K, Childers LG, Daniel R, Lauderdale SA, McGuire AP. Commending rather than condemning: Moral elevation and stigma for male veterans with military sexual trauma. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:292. [PMID: 36474306 PMCID: PMC9727843 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-01002-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Using an experimental study, we examined the link between state moral elevation and stigmatic beliefs surrounding male veterans with military sexual trauma (MST). METHODS Undergraduate students were presented with a video or written narrative of a male veteran self-disclosing how they struggled with and overcame MST (n = 292). Participants completed measures regarding trait and demographic characteristics at baseline, then measures immediately after the disclosure stimulus to assess immediate elevation and stigma-related reactions. RESULTS Results suggest state-level elevation in response to a veteran self-disclosing their experience with MST was negatively correlated with harmful stigmatic beliefs about MST. A greater predisposition to experience elevation and PTSD symptoms were linked with stronger elevation responses to the stimulus. CONCLUSION Findings support the need for further exploration of elevation and its potential to impact public stigma for male veterans with MST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gracie Staley
- grid.267327.50000 0001 0626 4654Department of Psychology and Counseling, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX USA
| | - Ana Clara Vieira Zaidan
- grid.267327.50000 0001 0626 4654Department of Psychology and Counseling, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX USA
| | - Katrina Henley
- grid.267327.50000 0001 0626 4654Department of Psychology and Counseling, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX USA
| | - Lucas G. Childers
- grid.267327.50000 0001 0626 4654Department of Psychology and Counseling, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX USA
| | - Ray Daniel
- grid.264758.a0000 0004 1937 0087Department of Psychology and Special Education, Texas A&M University Commerce, TX Commerce, USA
| | - Sean A. Lauderdale
- grid.264759.b0000 0000 9880 7531Department of Psychology and Sociology, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX USA
| | - Adam P. McGuire
- grid.267327.50000 0001 0626 4654Department of Psychology and Counseling, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX USA ,grid.492803.40000 0004 0420 5919VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX USA ,grid.413775.30000 0004 0420 5847Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX USA
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Wider W, Lim MX, Wong LS, Chan CK, Maidin SS. Should I Help? Prosocial Behaviour during the COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192316084. [PMID: 36498158 PMCID: PMC9741476 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192316084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The Movement Control Order (MCO) enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the social life and behaviour of the Malaysian population. Because the society is facing huge social and economic challenges that need individuals to work together to solve, prosocial behaviour is regarded as one of the most important social determinants. Because it is related with individual and societal benefits, participating in prosocial activities may be a major protective factor during times of global crisis. Rather than focusing only on medical and psychiatric paradigms, perhaps all that is necessary to overcome the COVID-19 risks is for individuals to make personal sacrifices for the sake of others. In reality, a large number of initiatives proven to be beneficial in decreasing viral transmission include a trade-off between individual and collective interests. Given its crucial importance, the purpose of this concept paper is to provide some insight into prosocial behaviour during the COVID-19 period. Understanding prosocial behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial because it may assist in the establishment of a post-COVID society and provide useful strategies for coping with future crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walton Wider
- Faculty of Business and Communications, INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Mei Xian Lim
- Faculty of Business and Communications, INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Ling Shing Wong
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Choon Kit Chan
- Faculty of Engineering and Quantity Surveying, INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Siti Sarah Maidin
- Faculty of Data Science and Information Technology, INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
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Ye W, Li Z, Xu Y. Transmission of environmentally responsible behavior between tourist destination employees and tourists: The role of moral elevation and environmental knowledge. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1027736. [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1027736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionTourists’ environmental misconduct is the primary reason for the environmental destruction that tourist sites experience; nevertheless, their environmentally responsible behavior is also a major push for the improvement of the environment. The main goal of this study is to induce tourists to adopt proactive environmental responsibility behaviors.MethodsA total of 455 valid questionnaires were obtained from China and analyzed using multiple linear regression.ResultsThe findings of this study indicate employees’ environmentally responsible behavior (E-ERB) in tourist destinations has a positive impact on tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior (T-ERB). In the mediating variable of moral elevation, the correlation between E-ERB and T-ERB is mediated by elevating emotions and views of humanity. And desire to be a better person did not play a mediating role in the relationship between E-ERB and T-ERB. Additionally, environmental knowledge moderates the transmission path of the impact of E-ERB and T-ERB via elevating emotions. With high environmental knowledge, the transmission path of the impact of employees’ environmentally responsible behavior of the tourist destination on tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior via elevating emotions will be enhanced.DiscussionWe propose a new perspective to explain the transmission mechanism between employees’ environmentally responsible behavior and tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior in tourism destinations, which will help to expand our understanding of the relationship between employees’ behavior and tourists’ behavior. We expect our study to spark more exploration of the contagion of positive behavior in the field of environmental psychology.
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11
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Emotional, motivational and attitudinal consequences of autonomous prosocial behaviour. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Regan A, Walsh LC, Lyubomirsky S. Are Some Ways of Expressing Gratitude More Beneficial Than Others? Results From a Randomized Controlled Experiment. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2022; 4:72-81. [PMID: 37070012 PMCID: PMC10104980 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-022-00160-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
AbstractGratitude activities have been shown to increase well-being and other positive outcomes in numerous experiments to date. The current study tested whether self-directed gratitude interventions that vary by type (i.e., social vs. nonsocial) and format (i.e., long-form letters vs. shorter lists) produce differential benefits. To that end, 958 Australian adults were assigned to one of six activities to complete each day for 1 week, including five gratitude activities that varied by type and format and an active control condition (i.e., keeping track of daily activities). Regressed change analyses revealed that, overall, long-form writing exercises (i.e., essays and letters) resulted in greater subjective well-being and other positive outcomes than lists. Indeed, those who were instructed to write social and nonsocial gratitude lists did not differ from controls on any outcomes. However, participants who wrote unconstrained gratitude lists—that is, those who wrote about any topics they wanted—reported greater feelings of gratitude and positive affect than did controls. Finally, relative to the other gratitude conditions, participants who wrote gratitude letters to particular individuals in their lives not only showed stronger feelings of gratitude, elevation, and other positive emotions but also reported feeling more indebted. This study demonstrates that not only does gratitude “work” to boost well-being relative to an active neutral activity, but that some forms of gratitude may be more effective than others. We hope these findings help scholars and practitioners to develop, tailor, implement, and scale future gratitude-based interventions.
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Only the good cry: Investigating the relationship between crying proneness and moral judgments and behavior. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2022. [DOI: 10.32872/spb.6475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
People cry for various reasons and in numerous situations, some involving highly moral aspects such as altruism or moral beauty. At the same time, criers have been found to be evaluated as more morally upright—they are perceived as more honest, reliable, and sincere than non-criers. The current project provides a first comprehensive investigation to test whether this perception is adequate. Across six studies sampling Dutch, Indian, and British adults (N = 2325), we explored the relationship between self-reported crying proneness and moral judgments and behavior, employing self-report measures and actual behavior assessments. Across all studies, we observed positive correlations of crying proneness with moral judgments (r = .27 [.17, .38]) and prosocial behavioral tendencies and behaviors (r = .20 [.12, .28]). These associations held in three (moral judgment) or two (prosocial tendencies and behaviors) out of five studies when controlling for other important variables. Thus, the current project provides first evidence that crying is related to moral evaluation and behavior, and we discuss its importance for the literature on human emotional crying.
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Zhang Q, Ma J, Wang Y, Lu X, Fan C. Ripples in the pond: Evidence for contagious cooperative role modeling through moral elevation and calling in a small pre-study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1005772. [PMID: 36337499 PMCID: PMC9630473 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1005772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Existing research has identified the importance of role models in the imitation of cooperative behaviors. This Pre-Study attempted to explore the contagion effects of cooperative models. Drawing on goal contagion theory, we proposed that encountering cooperative models could catalyze participants’ cooperation when participants joined new groups without role models, and that moral elevation and calling would play a chain-mediating role in this process. To test the hypothesis, we designed a four-person public goods game consisting of two phases in which participants were formed into teams with different people in each phase. We randomly assigned 108 participants to either a consistent contributor (CC) or control condition. The only difference was that participants in the CC condition encountered a cooperative role model (i.e., CC) in the first phase, while those in the control group did not. The results moderately supported all hypotheses. Briefly, our findings provide empirical evidence supporting the two processes of goal contagion theory: when individuals encounter a CC, they first make inferences about the CC’s goal, as reflected by moral elevation, and then adopt the model’s prosocial goals (i.e., calling), resulting in increased cooperative behaviors in new groups. These findings could extend our understanding of the contagion effect of cooperative modeling, but require high-powered replication studies before such conclusions can be drawn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qionghan Zhang
- School of Business Administration, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianhong Ma
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuqi Wang
- School of Business Administration, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yuqi Wang,
| | - Xiqian Lu
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Changcun Fan
- School of Business Administration, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, China
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15
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Yasuda S, Shoda H, Uemiya A, Isaka T. A review of psychological research on kando as an inclusive concept of moving experiences. Front Psychol 2022; 13:974220. [PMID: 36324777 PMCID: PMC9620799 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.974220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We are emotionally moved when we give birth to a child, witness the triumph of an athlete, listen to a beautiful piece of music, and so forth. Such moving experiences have been described as a form of emotion, by terms such as being moved, awe, and kama muta, each of which have been studied as a separate, but interrelated, psychological phenomenon. Japanese people use the term kando to describe these experiences collectively. In this study, we propose that kando should be treated as an umbrella term covering being moved, awe, and kama muta. To this end, we reviewed the literature on kando conducted by Japanese researchers and compared it to relevant concepts, mainly examined in Western countries. We also reviewed the literature on the generative mechanism of kando, and established that emotional and physical reactions are important to determine the degree of kando across the cases with and without storyline. Furthermore, individual characteristics such as trait empathy may generate a stronger degree of kando. Kando experiences can affect subsequent behaviors and cognition, though we still need evidence that such change can be triggered genuinely by the experience of kando. We suggest that kando may make our neuro-cognitive network tend toward more direct, unconscious, and impulsive decision making. One of the remaining questions in this domain is whether the mental construct of kando can find an equivalent to people in Western countries. For this purpose, events and reactions relevant to kando experiences should be systematically collected from a broad population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Yasuda
- Mori Arinori Institute for Higher Education and Global Mobility, Hitotsubashi University, Kunitachi, Japan
- *Correspondence: Shoko Yasuda
| | - Haruka Shoda
- Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Japan
| | - Ai Uemiya
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Institute of Human and Social Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Tadao Isaka
- Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Japan
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Walsh LC, Regan A, Twenge JM, Lyubomirsky S. What is the Optimal Way to Give Thanks? Comparing the Effects of Gratitude Expressed Privately, One-to-One via Text, or Publicly on Social Media. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2022; 4:82-91. [PMID: 36246532 PMCID: PMC9551243 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-022-00150-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Numerous investigations to date have established the benefits of expressing gratitude for improved psychological well-being and interpersonal relationships. Nevertheless, the social dynamics of gratitude remain understudied. Do the effects of gratitude differ when it is expressed privately, communicated directly to the benefactor one-to-one, or shared publicly? We tested this question in a preregistered intervention study. An ethnically and economically diverse sample of undergraduate students (N = 916) was randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions: (1) write gratitude letters and do not share them (private gratitude), (2) share gratitude one-to-one with benefactors via text (1-to-1 gratitude), (3) share gratitude publicly on social media (public gratitude), or (4) track daily activities (control). Participants were asked to complete their assigned activity four times with different people (as applicable) over the course of about a week. Overall, participants assigned to any digital gratitude intervention experienced improvements in state gratitude, positive emotions, negative emotions, elevation, connectedness, support, and loneliness, relative to controls. Relative to all other conditions, participants assigned to text their benefactors showed the biggest boosts in social connectedness and support. Our findings show that easily scalable digital gratitude interventions can advance the well-being of young college students.
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Li W, Mao Y, Hu B. Will exposure to different consequences of prosocial behavior always lead to subsequent prosocial behavior among adolescents: An experimental study of short videos. Front Psychol 2022; 13:927952. [PMID: 36248583 PMCID: PMC9556875 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.927952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between exposure to prosocial media content and prosocial behavior has been extensively explored. However, previous studies mainly explore the effect of prosocial media content exposure by comparing an individual’s exposure to the different types of content (i.e., prosocial content or neutral content), and generally focus on traditional media and video games, with less attention given to the increasingly popular new media platforms. In this study, we explored new dimensions by considering individuals’ exposure to different consequences of the same prosocial behavior (i.e., reward, punishment, or no consequences) in the context of short videos. Drawing upon Social Cognitive Theory and the General Learning Model, this experimental study identified the effect of such exposure on subsequent prosocial behavior among adolescents. We found that compared to the no consequences group, exposure to the reward consequence did not significantly predict moral elevation and subsequent prosocial behavior. Meanwhile, exposure to the punishment consequence had a significantly negative effect on subsequent prosocial behavior via moral elevation. Furthermore, the results revealed that empathy moderated the relationship between moral elevation and prosocial behavior, and moral elevation only positively predicted prosocial behavior among those with low empathy. Theoretically, this study deepens our understanding of the impact of exposure to different consequences of prosocial behavior on adolescents’ subsequent prosocial behavior, and highlights the importance of moral elevation and empathy to understand the underlying mechanism. The study also provides some practical implications for parents and practitioners to nurture prosocial behavior among adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Li
- School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Wu Li,
| | - Yuanyi Mao
- Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bo Hu
- Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Hu H, Mo PKH, She R, Lau JTF. Understanding the Pathways from Mindfulness to COVID-19 Vaccination Intention via Positive Psychology Attributes among Health Care Workers in China. THE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 156:535-551. [PMID: 36170676 DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2022.2101419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study aims to examine the association between mindfulness and COVID-19 vaccination intention, and the mediating role of presence of meaning in life and moral elevation in such association. METHOD In a cross-sectional study design, a total of 1733 health care workers (81.1% females, Mage = 34.16 ± 9.03) from four cities in China were recruited and completed an online survey that measured mindfulness, moral elevation, presence of meaning in life and COVID-19 vaccination intention. RESULTS It has been found that 73.1% of the participants reported an intention to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Mindfulness was positively associated with COVID-19 vaccination intention; Mediation analyses using structural equation modeling showed a significant indirect effect of mindfulness on COVID-19 vaccination intention, accounting for 42.4% of the total effect. Mindfulness was positively associated with COVID-19 vaccination intention directly via presence of meaning in life, and indirectly via moral elevation and presence of meaning in life. CONCLUSIONS The findings add knowledge of how mindfulness may increase COVID-19 vaccination intention, and underscore the potential need for mindfulness training, positive emotion promotion, presence of meaning in life interventions to improve acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among health care workers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rui She
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong
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19
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Herting AK, Schubert TW. Valence, sensations and appraisals co-occurring with feeling moved: evidence on kama muta theory from intra-individually cross-correlated time series. Cogn Emot 2022; 36:1149-1165. [PMID: 35731041 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2089871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Emotional experiences typically labelled "being moved" or "feeling touched" may belong to one universal emotion. This emotion, which has been labelled "kama muta", is hypothesised to have a positive valence, be elicited by sudden intensifications of social closeness, and be accompanied by warmth, goosebumps and tears. Initial evidence on correlations among the kama muta components has been collected with self-reports after or during the emotion. Continuous measures during the emotion seem particularly informative, but previous work allows only restricted inferences on intra-individual processes because time series were cross-correlated across samples. In the current studies, we instead use a within-subject design to replicate and extend prior work. We compute intra-individual cross-correlations between continuous self-reports on feeling moved and (1) positive and negative affect; (2) goosebumps and subjective warmth and (3) appraisals of closeness and morality. Results confirm the predictions of kama muta theory that feeling moved by intensified communal sharing cross-correlates with appraised closeness, positive affect, warmth and (less so) goosebumps, but not with negative affect. Contrary to predictions, appraised morality cross-correlated with feeling moved as much as appraised closeness did. We conclude that strong inferences on emotional processes are possible using continuous measures, replace earlier findings, and are largely in line with theorising.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas W Schubert
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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20
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Tee EY, binti Raja Reza Shah RIA. Self‐transcendent emotions and their influence on organizational effectiveness: A literature review and synthesis. ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Y.J. Tee
- Department of Psychology Higher Education Learning Philosophy (HELP) University Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
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21
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Lieder F, Prentice M, Corwin‐Renner ER. An interdisciplinary synthesis of research on understanding and promoting well‐doing. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Falk Lieder
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Tübingen Germany
| | - Mike Prentice
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Tübingen Germany
| | - Emily R. Corwin‐Renner
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
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22
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More than Merely Positive: The Immediate Affective and Motivational Consequences of Gratitude. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14148679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Although gratitude is typically conceptualized as a positive emotion, it may also induce socially oriented negative feelings, such as indebtedness and guilt. Given its mixed emotional experience, we argue that gratitude motivates people to improve themselves in important life domains. Two single-timepoint studies tested the immediate emotional and motivational effects of expressing gratitude. We recruited employees (n = 224) from French companies in Study 1 and students (n = 1026) from U.S. high schools in Study 2. Participants in both studies were randomly assigned to either write gratitude letters to benefactors or outline their weekly activities (control condition). Expressing gratitude led to mixed emotional experiences (e.g., greater elevation and indebtedness) for employees and students as compared with the control group. Students also felt more motivated and capable of improving themselves, as well as conveyed stronger intentions to muster effort towards self-improvement endeavors.
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23
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Chen L, Liu J, Fu L, Guo C, Chen Y. The Impact of Gratitude on Connection With Nature: The Mediating Role of Positive Emotions of Self-Transcendence. Front Psychol 2022; 13:908138. [PMID: 35783719 PMCID: PMC9244548 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.908138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gratitude, as one of the positive emotions associated with self-transcendence, is also a moral and pro-social emotion with a pro-social nature. Therefore, in order to verify whether gratitude has the same effect as pro-social in promoting connection with nature, this study (N = 890) divided subjects into three groups (gratitude, recreation, and control) and used a questionnaire to explore the effects of gratitude on positive emotions of self-transcendence, connection with nature, and pro-environmental tendencies (willingness to participate in environmental protection, willingness to sacrifice for the environment). The results found that (1) positive emotions of self-transcendence partially mediated the effect of the gratitude condition on connection to nature, and (2) positive emotions of self-transcendence and connection to nature were fully and continuously mediated, suggesting that the gratitude condition had an indirect effect on both (a) willingness to participate in environmental protection and (b) willingness to sacrifice for the environment. These findings imply that we may need to pay more attention to the connection between gratitude and nature to promote a harmonious relationship between humans and nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chen
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
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24
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McGuire AP, Hayden CL, Tomoum R, Kurz AS. Development and Validation of the State Moral Elevation Scale: Assessing State-Level Elevation Across Nonclinical and Clinical Samples. JOURNAL OF HAPPINESS STUDIES 2022; 23:2923-2946. [PMID: 35474850 PMCID: PMC9022734 DOI: 10.1007/s10902-022-00533-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Research on moral elevation has steadily increased and identified several psychosocial benefits that bear relevance to both the general population and people with psychological distress. However, elevation measurement is inconsistent, and few state-level measures have been created and critically evaluated to date. To address this gap, the State Moral Elevation Scale (SMES) was developed and tested using an online sample (N = 930) including subsamples of general participants (nonclinical) and those who screened positive for mental health symptoms (clinical). Factor analysis indicated a single factor structure with nine items that demonstrated excellent reliability. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis indicated good fit statistics and strict measurement invariance across clinical and nonclinical subsamples. Lastly, correlational analyses with related constructs provided evidence of construct validity for both subsamples. Thus, the SMES is a psychometrically valid and reliable assessment tool for state-level elevation which can be used in both general and clinical populations. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10902-022-00533-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam P. McGuire
- Department of Psychology and Counseling, The University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, HPR 237, Tyler, TX 75799 USA
- VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research On Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX USA
- Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX USA
| | - Candice L. Hayden
- Department of Psychology and Counseling, The University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, HPR 237, Tyler, TX 75799 USA
| | - Rawda Tomoum
- Department of Psychology and Counseling, The University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, HPR 237, Tyler, TX 75799 USA
| | - A. Solomon Kurz
- VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research On Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX USA
- Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX USA
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Walsh LC, Regan A, Lyubomirsky S. The role of actors, targets, and witnesses: Examining gratitude exchanges in a social context. THE JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2021.1991449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa C. Walsh
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Annie Regan
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Sonja Lyubomirsky
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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26
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Lizarazo Pereira DM, Schubert TW, Roth J. Moved by Social Justice: The Role of Kama Muta in Collective Action Toward Racial Equality. Front Psychol 2022; 13:780615. [PMID: 35300167 PMCID: PMC8921536 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.780615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Participation in collective action is known to be driven by two appraisals of a social situation: Beliefs that the situation is unfair (injustice appraisal) and beliefs that a group can change the situation (collective efficacy appraisal). Anger has been repeatedly found to mediate the relationship between injustice appraisals and collective action. Recent work suggests that the emotion of being moved mediates the relationship between efficacy appraisals and collective action. Building on this prior work, the present research applies kama muta theory to further investigate the relationship between efficacy appraisals and collective action. Kama muta is a positive emotion that is evoked by a sudden intensification of communal sharing, and largely overlaps with the English concept being moved. We investigated its relationship with collective action in both advantaged and disadvantaged racial groups in the context of the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM) in Spring of 2020. In one pilot study (N = 78) and one main study (N = 215), we confirmed that anger toward the system of racial inequalities mediated between injustice and collective action intentions, and that kama muta toward the movement mediated between collective efficacy and collective action intentions. Both mediations were found for both Black and White participants. We also observed additional unpredicted paths from anger to kama muta and from efficacy to anger. Together, this provides evidence for the pivotal role of emotions in collective action intentions, but also points out that appraisals need to be better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M. Lizarazo Pereira
- Department of Psychology, Universitetet i Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Thomas W. Schubert
- Department of Psychology, Universitetet i Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- CIS-IUL, ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jenny Roth
- Department of Psychology, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
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27
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Su Q, McAvoy A, Plotkin JB. Evolution of cooperation with contextualized behavior. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm6066. [PMID: 35138905 PMCID: PMC10921959 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm6066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
How do networks of social interaction govern the emergence and stability of prosocial behavior? Theoretical studies of this question typically assume unconditional behavior, meaning that an individual either cooperates with all opponents or defects against all opponents-an assumption that produces a pessimistic outlook for the evolution of cooperation, especially in highly connected populations. Although these models may be appropriate for simple organisms, humans have sophisticated cognitive abilities that allow them to distinguish between opponents and social contexts, so they can condition their behavior on the identity of opponents. Here, we study the evolution of cooperation when behavior is conditioned by social context, but behaviors can spill over between contexts. Our mathematical analysis shows that contextualized behavior rescues cooperation across a broad range of population structures, even when the number of social contexts is small. Increasing the number of social contexts further promotes cooperation by orders of magnitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Su
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Mathematical Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alex McAvoy
- Center for Mathematical Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joshua B. Plotkin
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Mathematical Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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28
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Huang SX, Ham SA, Varghese M, Yoon JD. Moral Elevation, Physician Role Models, and Selected Markers of Professional Identity Formation and Well-Being: A Secondary Analysis from Two National Surveys. South Med J 2022; 115:129-135. [PMID: 35118502 DOI: 10.14423/smj.0000000000001357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Moral elevation is the underlying emotion that arises when witnessing admirable acts, and it is theorized to be the psychological mechanism driving the impact that positive clinical role models have on medical students' professional identity formation (eg, growth in professional virtues, higher sense of meaning, and well-being). This proof-of-concept study explores the development of the Moral Elevation Scale in Medicine by testing the association of moral elevation with various markers of professional identity formation. METHODS A secondary data analysis of two nationally representative samples of 960 medical students and 2000 physicians was performed. Respondents completed validated measures of moral elevation as well as markers of professional identity formation, including patient-centered virtues (empathic compassion, interpersonal generosity, mindfulness) and measures of well-being (life meaning, life satisfaction, spirituality, burnout). RESULTS The study obtained adjusted response rates of 56.2% (1047/1863, physician survey) and 48.7% (448/919, student survey). The national estimates for mean moral elevation in medical students and physicians are 4.34/5.00 and 4.22/5.00, respectively. In medical students and physicians, high moral elevation was associated with higher empathic compassion (student odds ratio [OR] 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.67; physician OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.23-1.65) and, similarly, generosity. In addition, higher moral elevation in the physician cohort was associated with greater life meaning (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.25-3.32) and similarly spirituality. CONCLUSIONS In medical students and practicing physicians, self-reported experiences of high moral elevation with physician role models were associated with higher self-reported measures of patient-centered virtues, spirituality, and life meaning. Our Moral Elevation Scale in Medicine demonstrates preliminary promise as a measure to assess environmental precursors needed for virtue development in professional identity formation, but further reliability and validity testing of this measure is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shay X Huang
- From the Department of Medicine, Pritzker School of Medicine and the Center for Health and the Social Sciences, University of Chicago, and Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Sandra A Ham
- From the Department of Medicine, Pritzker School of Medicine and the Center for Health and the Social Sciences, University of Chicago, and Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Merlin Varghese
- From the Department of Medicine, Pritzker School of Medicine and the Center for Health and the Social Sciences, University of Chicago, and Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - John D Yoon
- From the Department of Medicine, Pritzker School of Medicine and the Center for Health and the Social Sciences, University of Chicago, and Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
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McGuire AP, Fagan JG, Howard BAN, Wurm AI, Szabo YZ. Changes in Trauma-Related Cognitions and Emotions After Eliciting Moral Elevation: Examining the Effects of Viewing Others' Virtuous Behavior on Veterans with PTSD. FRONTIERS IN HEALTH SERVICES 2022; 1:831032. [PMID: 35434727 PMCID: PMC9009273 DOI: 10.3389/frhs.2021.831032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Moral elevation is described as feeling inspired after witnessing someone perform a virtuous act. Past work suggests the features of moral elevation may be contrary to PTSD, yet few studies have directly tested its impact on relevant symptoms. This experimental study assessed changes in trauma-related cognitions and emotions from after a trauma reminder task to after an elevation induction exercise. We hypothesized that higher elevation after the induction exercise would be associated with greater reductions in cognitions and emotions. Veterans with probable PTSD (N = 38) completed measures of trauma-related cognitions and emotions, once after a written trauma narrative exercise (T1) and again after watching two videos designed to elicit elevation (T2). Veterans also completed measures of state elevation after each video. Results suggest veterans experienced small, significant decreases in self-blame (d = 0.36) and negative beliefs about others (d = 0.46), and medium, significant decreases in guilt (d = 0.68), shame (d = 0.60), and negative beliefs about self (d = 0.69) between T1 and T2. As hypothesized, higher elevation was associated with significantly greater reductions in multiple outcomes above and beyond the effects of general positive affect. Specifically, there were medium effects for changes in shame (β = -0.42, SE = 0.17, p = .019, Δf 2 = 0.25), negative view of others (β = -0.34, SE = 0.16, p = .044, Δf 2 = 0.20), and a large effect for changes in negative view of self (β = -0.31, SE = 0.13, p = .019, Δf 2 = 0.54). These findings suggest elevation may be well-suited to target trauma-related symptoms and future research should further examine its clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam P. McGuire
- VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, United States
- Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX, United States
- Department of Psychology and Counseling, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, United States
| | - Joanna G. Fagan
- Department of Psychology and Counseling, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, United States
| | - Binh An N. Howard
- VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, United States
- Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX, United States
| | - Annika I. Wurm
- Department of Psychology and Counseling, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, United States
| | - Yvette Z. Szabo
- VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, United States
- Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX, United States
- Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States
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30
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Gerdemann SC, Büchner R, Hepach R. How being observed influences preschoolers’ emotions following (less) deserving help. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stella C. Gerdemann
- Department of Early Child Development Faculty of Education Leipzig University Leipzig Germany
- Leipzig Research Center for Early Child Development Leipzig University Leipzig Germany
| | - Ronja Büchner
- University of Leipzig Medical Center Department of Psychiatry Leipzig Germany
| | - Robert Hepach
- Department of Experimental Psychology University of Oxford Oxford UK
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31
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Oliver MB. Social Media Use and Eudaimonic Well-Being. Curr Opin Psychol 2022; 45:101307. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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32
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Parkitny L, Carter CS, Peckins MK, Hon DA, Saturn S, Nazarloo H, Hurlbut W, Knutson B, Crane S, Harris X, Younger J. Longitudinal tracking of human plasma oxytocin suggests complex responses to moral elevation. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 9:100105. [PMID: 35755919 PMCID: PMC9216598 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Positive social experiences may induce oxytocin release. However, previous studies of moral elevation have generally utilized cross-sectional and simple modeling approaches to establish the relationship between oxytocin and emotional stimuli. Utilizing a cohort of 30 non-lactating women (aged 23.6 ± 5.7 years), we tested whether exposure to a video identified as capable of eliciting moral elevation could change plasma oxytocin levels. Uniquely, we utilized a high-frequency longitudinal sampling approach and multilevel growth curve modeling with landmark registration to test physiological responses. The moral elevation stimulus, versus a control video, elicited significantly greater reports of being “touched/inspired” and “happy/joyful”. However, the measured plasma oxytocin response was found to be markedly heterogeneous. While the moral elevation stimulus elicited increased plasma oxytocin as expected, this increase was only modestly larger than that seen following the control video. This increase was also only present in some individuals. We found no relationship between plasma oxytocin and self-report responses to the stimulus. From these data, we argue that future studies of the relationship between oxytocin and emotion need to anticipate heterogeneous responses and thus incorporate comprehensive individual psychological data; these should include evidence-based variables known to be associated with oxytocin such as a history of trauma, and the individual’s psychological and emotional state at the time of testing. Given the complexity of physiological oxytocin release, such studies also need to incorporate frequent biological sampling to properly examine the dynamics of hormonal release and response. A moral elevation stimulus elicits positive emotional responses The human oxytocin responses to a morel elevation stimulus are more heterogenous than previously reported Future studies need to utilize longitudinal hormone measurements and comprehensive psychological assessments
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Yang C. Exploring Communication Strategies to Encourage COVID-19 Vaccination: Motivation-Based Message Appeals, Incidental Emotions, and Risk Perception. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2022:1-13. [PMID: 35067103 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2022.2028481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Motivation-based message appeals and incidental emotions have the potential to encourage COVID-19 vaccination, especially when the motivation components of the two agree. Risk perception may also interact with self vs. other-oriented message appeals. Results from a 2 (message appeal) × 4 (incidental emotion) online experiment (N = 306) indicate that when exposed to an altruistic message, those who experienced self-transcendent emotions reported higher COVID vaccination intention than those amused or not induced with emotions. This effect, however, was not identified in the egoistic message condition. Risk perception was positively associated with self-vaccination intention but did not interact with message appeals. The main effect of risk perception and interaction effects between incidental emotions and message appeals provide important implications for addressing vaccine hesitancy and increasing vaccine uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Yang
- Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University
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Li M, Tan M, Wang S, Li J, Zhang G, Zhong Y. The Effect of Preceding Self-Control on Green Consumption Behavior: The Moderating Role of Moral Elevation. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2022; 14:2169-2180. [PMID: 34992478 PMCID: PMC8711736 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s341786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Studies have shown that individuals restrain their egoistic desires to benefit others (eg, the natural world), which require a higher-order psychological process, such as self-control. Therefore, performing a preceding self-control task may subsequently decrease green consumption behavior. However, whether and how moral elevation, which is an important type of positive incidental emotion, moderates the negative effect of exerting self-control on green consumption behavior remains unknown. Purpose The present study aimed to examine how exerting self-control and moral elevation influenced green consumption behavior. Methods The product choice task that requires participants to make choices between buying environmentally friendly (eco-friendly) and cheaper (self-interest) products is an index of green consumption behavior. In Experiment 1, we adopted the incongruent Stroop task to induce the exertion of self-control, and participants were asked to make choices in the product choice task. In Experiment 2, participants were provided with moral elevating videos to elicit moral elevation during the interval between the Stroop and product choice tasks. Results Experiment 1 indicated that, relative to the congruent Stroop task (the control condition), completing the incongruent Stroop task led to less environmentally friendly choices. Experiment 2 indicated that the participants who watched the elevating video in the incongruent Stroop task condition chose environmentally friendly products with greater frequency compared to those who watched the neutral video. Furthermore, the analyses showed that self-reported moral elevation partly moderated the effect of the exertion of self-control on green consumption behavior. Conclusion Our findings indicate that the exertion of self-control has a negative effect on green consumption behavior; however, moral elevation can counteract this negative effect of exerting self-control on green consumption behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Li
- Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Tan
- Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shibei Wang
- Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Li
- Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanfei Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiping Zhong
- Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
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Han H, Workman CI, May J, Scholtens P, Dawson KJ, Glenn AL, Meindl P. Which moral exemplars inspire prosociality? PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 35:943-970. [PMID: 36466108 PMCID: PMC9718423 DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2022.2035343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Some stories of moral exemplars motivate us to emulate their admirable attitudes and behaviors, but why do some exemplars motivate us more than others? We systematically studied how motivation to emulate is influenced by the similarity between a reader and an exemplar in social or cultural background (Relatability) and how personally costly or demanding the exemplar's actions are (Attainability). Study 1 found that university students reported more inspiration and related feelings after reading true stories about the good deeds of a recent fellow alum, compared to a famous moral exemplar from decades past. Study 2A developed a battery of short moral exemplar stories that more systematically varied Relatability and Attainability, along with a set of non-moral exemplar stories for comparison. Studies 2B and 2C examined the path from the story type to relatively low stakes altruism (donating to charity and intentions to volunteer) through perceived attainability and relatability, as well as elevation and pleasantness. Together, our studies suggest that it is primarily the relatability of the moral exemplars, not the attainability of their actions, that inspires more prosocial motivation, at least regarding acts that help others at a relatively low cost to oneself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyemin Han
- Educational Psychology Program, University of Alabama, Alabama, AL 35487,Corresponding author: Hyemin Han, College of Education, University of Alabama, Box 870231, Tuscaloosa AL 35487,
| | - Clifford I. Workman
- Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Joshua May
- Philosophy Department, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294
| | - Payton Scholtens
- Department of Psychology, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
| | - Kelsie J. Dawson
- Educational Psychology Program, University of Alabama, Alabama, AL 35487
| | - Andrea L. Glenn
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Alabama, AL 35487
| | - Peter Meindl
- Department of Psychology, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI 49546,Simon Center, United States Military Academy at West Point, West Point, NY 10996
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Fryburg DA. Kindness as a Stress Reduction-Health Promotion Intervention: A Review of the Psychobiology of Caring. Am J Lifestyle Med 2022; 16:89-100. [PMID: 35185431 PMCID: PMC8848115 DOI: 10.1177/1559827620988268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress is a ubiquitous problem shouldered by many people worldwide. Although the stressors are myriad (eg, loneliness, finances, health, discrimination), the corporal response to them either causes or exacerbates mental and physical illness, including depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disease. Identifying efficient ways to help people buffer their response and promote resilience and wellness is critical to improving overall health. Positive interpersonal connection is a proven way to promote resilience and happiness. It is associated with decreased mortality and markers of better health. Kindness and caring are prosocial behaviors that build positive interpersonal connections and can uplift both the giver and receiver. Simply seeing kindness and caring activates the neuropsychology of kindness, elevating the viewer and promoting generosity, interpersonal connection, and inclusion. That augmenting positive emotions, enhancing interpersonal connection, and inducing prosocial behavior change are possible through seeing kindness opens the opportunity to bolster resilience in higher stress settings like health care. In a recent study, watching kindness media in a health care setting rapidly increased self-reported feelings of happiness, calm, gratitude, and being inspired. Viewers were significantly more generous. Providing staff and patients with a nonjudgmental lift to enhance caring interactions through kindnesses media can be an important, low-cost adjunct to improving the healthcare environment.
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Vukadinović MS, Marković S. Factor structure of audiences' physical experience while watching dance. Psych J 2021; 11:660-672. [PMID: 34905809 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to explore factor structure of audiences' physical experience and their related bodily sensations when watching dance choreographies. This study also includes the process of developing an instrument for measuring the observers' physical experience of dance choreographies and their related kinesthetic responses to watching dance. In the main study, participants rated their physical experiences and kinesthetic responses when watching 16 different dance choreographies of various dance forms, including contemporary dance, jazz, tango, and hip-hop. Three factors of the observers' physical experiences when watching dance were identified: Action Tendency, Arousal, and Relaxation. Furthermore, the results show that the structure of the observers' kinesthetic responses when watching dance consisted of three factors: Focus, Excitement and Embodied Anticipation. The spectators' physical experiences and bodily sensations in response to an observed dance are the result of their engagement in the dance, the pleasure they draw from the dance, the emotions provoked in them, and their admiration for the performance. These findings are in line with the concept of kinesthetic empathy, which can be understood as the experience of sharing a dancer's movements.
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Fryburg DA. What's Playing in Your Waiting Room? Patient and Provider Stress and the Impact of Waiting Room Media. J Patient Exp 2021; 8:23743735211049880. [PMID: 34869835 PMCID: PMC8641118 DOI: 10.1177/23743735211049880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients enter the healthcare space shouldering a lot of personal stress. Concurrently, health care providers and staff are managing their own personalstressors as well as workplace stressors. As stress can negatively affect the patient-provider experience and cognitive function of both individuals, it is imperative to try to uplift the health care environment for all. Part of the healthcare environmental psychology strategy to reduce stress often includes televisions in waiting rooms, cafeterias, and elsewhere, with the intent to distract the viewer and make waiting easier. Although well-intentioned, many select programming which can induce stress (eg, news). In contrast, as positive media can induce desirable changes in mood, it is possible to use it to decrease stress and uplift viewers, including staff. Positive media includes both nature media, which can relax and calm viewers and kindness media, which uplifts viewers, induces calm, and promotes interpersonal connection and generosity. Careful consideration of waiting room media can affect the patient-provider experience.
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Cheng Q, Han Z, Liu S, Kong Y, Weng X, Mo L. Neural responses to facial attractiveness in the judgments of moral goodness and moral beauty. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:843-863. [PMID: 34767078 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02422-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The judgments of moral goodness and moral beauty objectively refer to the perception and evaluation of moral traits, which are generally influenced by facial attractiveness. For centuries, people have equated beauty with the possession of positive qualities, but it is not clear whether the association between beauty and positive qualities exerts a similarly implicit influence on people's responses to moral goodness and moral beauty, how it affects those responses, and what is the neural basis for such an effect. The present study is the first to examine the neural responses to facial attractiveness in the judgments of moral goodness and moral beauty. We found that beautiful faces in both moral judgments activated the left ventral occipitotemporal cortices sensitive to the geometric configuration of the faces, demonstrating that both moral goodness and moral beauty required the automatic visual analysis of geometrical configuration of attractive faces. In addition, compared to beautiful faces during moral goodness judgment, beautiful faces during moral beauty judgment induced unique activity in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex and midline cortical structures involved in the emotional-valenced information about attractive faces. The opposite comparison elicited specific activity in the left superior temporal cortex and premotor area, which play a critical role in the recognition of facial identity. Our results demonstrated that the neural responses to facial attractiveness in the process of higher order moral decision-makings exhibit both task-general and task-specific characteristics. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the essence of the relationship between morality and aesthetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuping Cheng
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, No. 55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Zhili Han
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, No. 55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Shun Liu
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, No. 55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Yilong Kong
- School of Music, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Xuchu Weng
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, No. 55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Lei Mo
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, No. 55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
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Luong KT, Moyer-Gusé E. Can Altruistic Emotions Promote Vaccine Advocacy? Examining the Use of Empathy and Elevation in Vaccine Messages. JOURNAL OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2021; 26:753-763. [PMID: 34802392 DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2021.2002981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study examines the effectiveness of evoking other-oriented emotions in vaccine messages to promote vaccine advocacy behaviors. A between-subject experiment with a parent sample was conducted, in which portrayals of a victim exemplar (someone who is suffering from the consequence of vaccine hesitancy) and a moral exemplar (someone who is selflessly helping others) were varied. Results showed that the victim exemplar led to greater empathy, and the moral exemplar led to greater elevation, both of which predicted vaccine advocacy responses. Implications of the findings and future directions were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate T Luong
- Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Emily Moyer-Gusé
- School of Communication, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Pizarro JJ, Basabe N, Fernández I, Carrera P, Apodaca P, Man Ging CI, Cusi O, Páez D. Self-Transcendent Emotions and Their Social Effects: Awe, Elevation and Kama Muta Promote a Human Identification and Motivations to Help Others. Front Psychol 2021; 12:709859. [PMID: 34589024 PMCID: PMC8473748 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.709859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abundant literature shows the effects of negative emotions on motivations to engage in collective action (i.e., to collectively mobilize personal resources to achieve a common objective), as well as their influence on the creation of shared identities. In this proposal, we focus on the possible role of Self-Transcendent Emotions (STEs) defined as positive-valence emotions that have been key in the creation and maintenance of collective identities, as well as in promoting individuals well-being. In detail, we examine their influence in (a) strengthening a global identification, (b) increasing willingness to collectively help others, and (c) improving people’s wellbeing. For this reason, we conducted a preliminary literature review of k = 65 independent studies on the effects of STEs on connection to others. Through this review (fully available in Supplementary Materials), we selected a sample of STEs (Awe, Elevation, and Kama Muta) and elicitors to conduct a video-base study. In it, 1,064 university students from 3 different cultural regions (from Spain and Ecuador) were randomized to answer one of three STE scales (i.e., each measuring one of the selected STEs), and evaluate three videos in random order (i.e., each prototypical for the selected STEs). Participants also answered a measure of global identification and intentions to collectively help others (after each video), as well as self-transcendent and well-being (at the end of the survey). Results from SEM analyses show these STEs motivated a fusion of identity with all humanity, as well as collective intentions to help others, even controlling for individuals’ value orientations. In addition, the three of them indirectly increased participants’ well-being through a higher global identity. While there are differences among them, these three STEs share common elements and their effects are constant across the different cultural regions. It is concluded that Awe, Elevation, and Kama Muta, even individually experienced, have a significant potential to influence people’s behavior. Specifically, in various forms of collective action aimed at helping others.
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Affiliation(s)
- José J Pizarro
- Department of Social Psychology, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Nekane Basabe
- Department of Social Psychology, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Itziar Fernández
- Department of Social Psychology and Organizations, The National Distance Education University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Carrera
- Department of Social Psychology and Methodology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Apodaca
- Department of Research and Diagnostic Methods, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Carlos I Man Ging
- Faculty of Philosophical-Theological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Olaia Cusi
- Department of Social Psychology, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Darío Páez
- Department of Social Psychology, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastian, Spain
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van Kleef GA, Lelieveld GJ. Moving the self and others to do good: The emotional underpinnings of prosocial behavior. Curr Opin Psychol 2021; 44:80-88. [PMID: 34592600 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The functioning of social collectives hinges on the willingness of their members to cooperate with one another and to help those who are in need. Here, we consider how such prosocial behavior is shaped by emotions. We offer an integrative review of theoretical arguments and empirical findings concerning how the experience of emotions influences people's own prosocial behavior (intrapersonal effects) and how the expression of emotions influences the prosocial behavior of others (interpersonal effects). We identified research on five broad clusters of emotions associated with opportunity and affiliation (happiness, contentment, hope), appreciation and self-transcendence (gratitude, awe, elevation, compassion), distress and supplication (sadness, disappointment, fear, anxiety), dominance and status assertion (anger, disgust, contempt, envy, pride), and appeasement and social repair (guilt, regret, shame, embarrassment). Our review reveals notable differences between emotion clusters and between intrapersonal and interpersonal effects. Although some emotions promote prosocial behavior in the self and others, most emotions promote prosocial behavior either in the self (via their intrapersonal effects) or in others (via their interpersonal effects), suggesting trade-offs between the functionality of emotional experience and emotional expression. Moreover, interpersonal effects are modulated by the cooperative versus competitive nature of the situation. We discuss the emerging patterns from a social-functional perspective and conclude that understanding the role of emotion in prosociality requires joint attention to intrapersonal and interpersonal effects.
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Pighin S, Byrne RMJ, Tentori K. “If only” counterfactual thoughts about cooperative and uncooperative decisions in social dilemmas. THINKING & REASONING 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/13546783.2021.1961859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Pighin
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Ruth M. J. Byrne
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Katya Tentori
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
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The Public Servants' Response When Facing Pandemic: The Role of Public Service Motivation, Accountability Pressure, and Emergency Response Capacity. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9050529. [PMID: 34062945 PMCID: PMC8147436 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9050529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Public servants are regarded as guardians of the public interest, and their pandemic response played a vital role in controlling the spread of the epidemic. However, there is limited knowledge of the factors that influence public servants' response (PSR) when facing pandemic prevention and control tasks. (2) Methods: Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), models were constructed and a regression method was employed with Chinese civil servant data to investigate how PSR is influenced by public service motivation (PSM), accountability pressure (AP), and emergency response capacity (ERC). (3) Results and discussion: PSM, AP, and ERC all have a positive effect on PSR, with AP having the greatest influence, followed by PSM and ERC. The effects of PSM, AP, and ERC on PSR have group heterogeneity, which had little effect on civil servants with very low levels of PSR and the greatest impact on civil servants with medium-level PSR. Job categories of civil servants also are a factor related to PSR; PSM and AP have the strongest effects on civil servants in professional technology, and ERC has the greatest influence on administrative law enforcement. Moreover, gender, administrative level, and leadership positions also have an impact on PSR. (4) Conclusions: Based on the factors of PSR, we found at least three important aspects that governments need to consider in encouraging PSR when facing a pandemic.
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Shulman D, Halperin E, Elron Z, Reifen Tagar M. Moral elevation increases support for humanitarian policies, but not political concessions, in intractable conflict. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Optimistic Fiction as a Tool for Ethical Reflection in STEM. JOURNAL OF ACADEMIC ETHICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10805-021-09405-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
AbstractGreater emphasis on ethical issues is needed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The fiction for specific purposes (FSP) approach, using optimistic science fiction texts, offers a way to focus on ethical reflection that capitalizes on role models rather than negative examples. This article discusses the benefits of using FSP in STEM education more broadly, and then explains how using optimistic fictions in particular encourages students to think in ethically constructive ways. Using examples of science fiction texts with hopeful perspectives, example discussion questions are given to model how to help keep students focused on the ethical issues in a text. Sample writing prompts to elicit ethical reflection are also provided as models of how to guide students to contemplate and analyze ethical issues that are important in their field of study. The article concludes that the use of optimistic fictions, framed through the lens of professional ethics guidelines and reinforced through ethical reflection, can help students to have beneficial ethical models.
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Fryburg DA, Ureles SD, Myrick JG, Carpentier FD, Oliver MB. Kindness Media Rapidly Inspires Viewers and Increases Happiness, Calm, Gratitude, and Generosity in a Healthcare Setting. Front Psychol 2021; 11:591942. [PMID: 33551910 PMCID: PMC7854918 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.591942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Stress is a ubiquitous aspect of modern life that affects both mental and physical health. Clinical care settings can be particularly stressful for both patients and providers. Kindness and compassion are buffers for the negative effects of stress, likely through strengthening positive interpersonal connection. In previous laboratory-based studies, simply watching kindness media uplifts (elevates) viewers, increases altruism, and promotes connection to others. The objective of the present study is to examine whether kindness media can affect viewers in a real-world, pediatric healthcare setting. Methods: Parents and staff in a pediatric dental clinic were studied. Study days were randomized for viewers to watch either original kindness media or the standard televised children's programming that the clinic shows. Participants scored self-rated pre-media emotions in a survey, watched either media type for 8 min, and then completed the survey. All participants were informed that they would receive a gift card for their participation. After completion of the survey, participants were asked if they wanted to keep the card or donate it to a family in need. Results: Fifty (50) participants completed the study; 28 were parents and 22 were staff. In comparison to viewers of children's programming, participants who watched kindness media had significant increases in feeling happy, calmer, more grateful, and less irritated (p < 0.05), with trends observed in feeling more optimistic and less anxious. Kindness media caused marked increases in viewers' reports of feeling inspired, moved, or touched (p < 0.001). No change was observed in self-reported compassion, although baseline levels were self-rated as very high. People who watched kindness media were also more generous, with 85% donating their honoraria compared to 54% of Standard viewers (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Kindness media can increase positive emotions and promote generosity in a healthcare setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven D. Ureles
- Children’s Dental Associates of New London County, East Lyme, CT, United States
- School of Dental Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jessica G. Myrick
- Bellisario College of Communications, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Francesca Dillman Carpentier
- Hussman School of Journalism and Media, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Mary Beth Oliver
- Bellisario College of Communications, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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Condon P, Makransky J. Sustainable Compassion Training: Integrating Meditation Theory With Psychological Science. Front Psychol 2020; 11:2249. [PMID: 33041897 PMCID: PMC7518715 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Meditation programs continue to proliferate in the modern world, with increasing participation from scientists and many others who seek to improve physical, mental, relational, and social flourishing. In developing such programs, the meditation practices have been adapted to meet the needs of modern cultures. However, through that adaptation, important contextual factors of traditional contemplative cultures are often dropped or forgotten. This article presents a system of compassion and mindfulness training, Sustainable Compassion Training (SCT), which is designed to help people cultivate increasingly unconditional, inclusive, and sustainable care for self and others. SCT aims to recover important contextual factors of meditation that flexibly meet the diverse needs of modern secular and religious participants. SCT draws on Tibetan Buddhism in dialogue with caregivers, other contemplative traditions and relevant scientific theories to inform meditative transformation for secular contexts. We provide an overview of SCT meditations that includes both contemplative and scientific theories that draw out important features of them. Each meditation includes novel hypotheses that are generated from this dialogical process. We also provide links to audio-guided meditations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Condon
- Department of Psychology, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR, United States
| | - John Makransky
- Department of Theology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
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