Psychology has become less WEIRD in recent years, marking progress toward becoming a truly global psychology. However, this increase in cultural diversity is not matched by greater attention to ...cultural biases in research. A significant challenge in culture-comparative research in psychology is that any comparisons are open to possible item bias and non-invariance. Unfortunately, many psychologists are not aware of problems and their implications, and do not know how to best test for invariance in their data. We provide a general introduction to invariance testing and a tutorial of three major classes of techniques that can be easily implemented in the free software and statistical language R. Specifically, we describe (1) confirmatory and multi-group confirmatory factor analysis, with extension to exploratory structural equation modeling, and multi-group alignment; (2) iterative hybrid logistic regression as well as (3) exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis with Procrustes rotation. We pay specific attention to effect size measures of item biases and differential item function. Code in R is provided in the main text and online (see https://osf.io/agr5e/), and more extended code and a general introduction to R are available in the Supplementary Materials.
We examined the effectiveness of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) of the theory of planned behavior on COVID-19 relevant behavioral intentions and behaviors. We ...conducted a meta-analysis of 335 effect sizes from 83 samples across 31 countries (N = 68,592). We found strongest effects for PBC, but contrary to previous research also moderately strong effects of subjective norms. Focusing on systematic context effects: (a) norm–behavior associations at individual level were strengthened if population norms were stronger; (b) collectivism strengthened norm effects in line with cultural theories, but also attitude and PBC associations, suggesting that COVID-relevant behaviors show collective action properties; (c) in line with cultural theory, tightness–looseness strengthened normative effects on behaviors; and (d) contrary to post-modernization theory, national wealth weakened attitude and PBC associations. These analyses provide new theoretical and practical insights into behavioral dynamics during an acute public health crisis.
Objectives
We present a bibliometric review of research on trait mindfulness published from 2003 until 2021 to determine the current state of the field and identify research trajectories.
Methods
A ...search conducted on Aug 25, 2021, using the search terms “trait mindfulness” OR “dispositional mindfulness” in the Web of Science Core Collection identified 1405 documents.
Results
Using keyword-based network analyses, the various clusters suggested two major approaches in the field, one focusing on cognitive attentional processes, and a second approach that encompasses a wider field of well-being and clinical research topics. We also documented increasing consolidation of research fields over time, with research on wider individual differences such as personality being subsumed into clinically and well-being-oriented research topics. More recently, a distinct theme focused on the validity of measurement of mindfulness emerged. In addition to general patterns in the field, we examined the global distribution of trait mindfulness research. Research output was substantially skewed towards North American-based researchers with less international collaborations. Chinese researchers nevertheless also produced research at significant rates. Comparing the difference in research topics between China and the US-based researchers, we found substantial differences with US research emphasizing meditation and substance abuse issues, whereas researchers from China focused on methodological questions and concerns around phone addiction.
Conclusions
Overall, our review indicates that research on trait mindfulness might profit from conceptual and cultural realignment, with greater focus on individual differences research as well as stronger focus on cross-cultural and comparative studies to complement the strong clinical and cognitive focus in the current literature.
Individual differences in behavioral dispositions, values and motivation systems have been investigated in relative isolation from each other. We investigated the network structure of indicators ...derived from Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, Five-Factor Model and Basic individual values in a large sample of young adults (N = 749). The network showed evidence of a small world structure indicating a small number of densely connected networks is sufficient to describe human personality. We identified a number of nodes (indicators) that were central within the network. An Exploratory Graph Analysis suggested ten distinct network clusters, which varied in terms of behavioral approach versus inhibition; exploration vs constraint and self/ego vs social orientation, demonstrating the complexity of individual differences from a motivational-situational perspective. A more complex dimensional exploration of personality networks allows for a more nuanced understanding of how personality systems can be motivated within specific environments and towards different internal or external targets.
We report a longitudinal study of Jeitinho brasileiro (salient cultural characteristic of Brazil) during a period of significant political instability. Previous historical and anthropological sources ...have pointed to the importance of political instability for cultural changes in behaviors such as jeitinho. We are the first to examine possible individual-level dynamics over time, reporting a 3-year longitudinal study (N = 205) of two dimensions that differentiate keeping a socially pleasant social climate (simpatia) from trickery and breaking social norms. Using longitudinal network analysis, we found (a) reinforcing links between behavioral nodes within each of these two jeitinho clusters over time, (b) few between-cluster links, (c) within-person and between-person components were distinct, and (d) only the between-person structure resembled the overall factor structure. Overall, our data show that cultural behaviors are systematically changing during a political crisis, offering first insights how cultural systems may change via shifts in individual behavior.
Objectives
Are affective states influencing state mindfulness and can this explain the link between personality and mindfulness? Mindfulness is commonly thought to decrease negative affect, but a ...number of studies have reported reductions in mindfulness in negative affect situations. This highlights a potential mechanism explaining previously observed negative relationships between individual differences such as Neuroticism and mindfulness, via their shared relationship with negative affect.
Methods
In an experiment, 331 participants were exposed to a negative affect stimulus to investigate whether previously established relationships between Neuroticism, Behavioral Inhibition, and Mindfulness are due to differences in negative affect reactivity. It was expected that participants high on Neuroticism and Behavioral Inhibition to show greater negative affect reactivity which in turn would reduce their state Non-Judgmental Acceptance and Acting with Awareness.
Results
While change in negative affect was related to lower Non-Judgmental Acceptance and Acting with Awareness, negative affect reactivity did not mediate the relationship between Neuroticism/BIS and these state mindfulness facets. Importantly, only Non-Judgmental Acceptance and Acting with Awareness facets of mindfulness were affected by negative affect change, but not Attention. This indicates that greater negative affect might require allocation of cognitive resources to stress-related processes such as threat monitoring, reducing mindful emotion processing but not attention.
Conclusions
The current study found that situational mindfulness might be influenced by state affect highlighting the need to more strongly consider the environmental factors which can shape affect in mindfulness interventions.
Trial Registration
Open Science Framework (
https://osf.io/kmyh2
).
We present the first investigation into the relationship between basic human values and two core lay-belief systems: Free-Will and Mind-Body beliefs.
We gathered data from two samples (Total N = 509) ...responding to measures on basic human values, mind-body beliefs, and free-will beliefs.
We found that basic values were substantially related to lay-perceptions about mind-body distinctions and beliefs about free-will. Specifically, we found that Self-Enhancement and Conservatism values were positively related to Monist and Deterministic Beliefs. Interestingly, we found that participants that endorsed Self-Enhancement and Conservatism values were more likely to integrate opposing beliefs and also endorsed Dualistic and Free-Will beliefs, albeit to a lesser extent. Finally, we found that Openness was positively related to both beliefs about mind-body Emergentism and Free-Will.
Overall, our study provides new insights for linking philosophy and psychology, specifically by linking lay philosophical attitudes high-level abstract beliefs and how they may be linked to motivational goals.
•Personality structure systematically varies across 16 large population samples.•Niche diversity and wealth effects show credible effects on personality structure.•Acute population-level threats due ...to COVID-19 do not show credible effects.•Life expectancy showed the most consistent results, suggesting new avenues for improving theorizing about niche effects on personality structure.
We report systematic variability in the psychometric properties of a brief personality inventory during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing upon recent discussions about the universality vs cultural relativism of personality measures, we review and comparatively test theories predicting systematic variability in personality measurement across cultures using an established brief personality measure applied to population samples in 16 nations during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 35,052). We found systematic variation in factor replicability and effective dimensionality. In line with previous theorizing, factors replicated better in contexts with greater niche diversity. Examining possible drivers underlying this association, the investigation of the individual components in the niche construction index suggested that life expectancy and to a lesser degree economic complexity are associated with greater personality structure differentiation. Population-level indicators of acute threat due to COVID-19 did not show credible effects. These patterns suggest that a) investigation of personality structure in population samples can provide useful insights into personality dynamics, b) socioecological factors have a systematic impact on survey responses, but c) we also need better theorizing and research about both personality and culture to understand how niche construction dynamics operate.
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Assessing evolution of cognitive structures across historical periods has remained challenging in the absence of direct access to humans from the past. Overcoming some of these challenges, we ...examined shifts in the implicit cognitive structures in the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is one of the earliest surviving pieces of literature, circulating in various versions over a period of approx. 2000 years in ancient Mesopotamia. Using a canonical English translation, we applied natural language processing (NLP) and human coding to extract low-dimensional representations of the implicit personality structure in three different historical epochs. We found systematic shifts over time with increasing complexity and increasing resemblance of contemporary personality models in later periods. We discuss how lexical analyses of ancient texts using trait co-occurrence analyses can provide novel insights on the evolution of human behaviour of relevance for contemporary social and behavioural science and the study of ancient societies.
Norms have emerged as a central concept across various fields of psychology. In social psychology, norms have been important to predict intentions and behavior in social psychology, but cultural ...variability has not been examined. In cultural psychology, norms have also played a central role in explained cultural differences. In contrast, to date, variability in norm-intention and norm-behavior relationships has not been systematically investigated. Any systematic variability may be challenging to both social and cultural psychology. We reanalyzed effect sizes taken from five previously published meta-analyses and demonstrate that the relative strength of norm-intention and norm-behavior correlations are systematically higher in contexts in which individuals are more flexible and pay more attention to situational variables as well as in less economically developed societies. We also found significant, but weaker, effects for individualism and tightness–looseness. Meanwhile, behavior domain effects also emerged, which suggests that norms are behavior specific. Norms effects systematically vary across modern societies, but more attention is needed to investigate culturally conditioned domain and behavior effects thoroughly.
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