In times of crisis, people are more prone to endorse conspiracy theories. Conspiracy thinking provides answers about the causes of an event, but it can also have harmful social consequences. Our ...research tested both the predictor and the consequences of two types of conspiracy beliefs related to the Covid-19 pandemic: (1) general conspiracy beliefs and (2) government-related conspiracy theories. In two studies in Poland (Ntotal = 2726), we found that a perceived lack of individual control predicted both types of conspiracy theories, while a sense of collective control was positively related to general conspiracy beliefs but negatively associated with government-related conspiracy theories. Moreover, general conspiracy theories were related to the acceptance of xenophobic policies and to a less favourable attitude towards outgroups whereas government-related conspiracy theories were not. Additionally, people who believed in conspiratorial governments less frequently indicated that they used prevention methods, such as social distancing and handwashing. Our research demonstrates the importance of considering the content of various conspiracy theories when studying their social effects and potential causes. Knowing which attitudes may be associated with the endorsement of specific conspiracy theories can contribute to counteracting their negative consequences during crises.
People can extract and learn statistical regularities from various aspects of everyday life. The current study examined whether people have a mechanism to learn regularity based on time information ...and investigated whether sensitivity to time information is modulated by individual time management. In the familiarization phase, participants were required to observe a visual sequence of objects. Although the objects were presented in a random order, the amount of time for which the objects were presented was organized into successive triplets (e.g., 850-1,000-700 ms). In the subsequent test phase, two three-object sequences were presented. One sequence was a timing triplet that had temporal regularities. The other was a foil created from three different triplets. Participants were required to judge which sequence was more familiar based on the familiarization phase. The results showed that the triplets were successfully discriminated from the foils. These results were also observed for blank intervals. The current findings also revealed that although visual statistical learning was expressed when participants observed the temporal regularities of shapes tied to the corresponding durations during familiarization, this learning overshadowed them from indicating generic timing regularities when they were untied to objects. Furthermore, participants with high scores on the Time Management Scale showed a higher extent of visual statistical learning on object durations than those with low scores. These results suggest that people extract and learn regularities based on time information and that statistical learning based on time information is correlated with individual time management.
Stress and compromised parenting often place children at risk of abuse and neglect. Child maltreatment has generally been viewed as a highly individualistic problem by focusing on stressors and ...parenting behaviors that impact individual families. However, because of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), families across the world are experiencing a new range of stressors that threaten their health, safety, and economic well-being.
This study examined the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to parental perceived stress and child abuse potential.
Participants included parents (N = 183) with a child under the age of 18 years in the western United States.
Tests of group differences and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were employed to assess the relationships among demographic characteristics, COVID-19 risk factors, mental health risk factors, protective factors, parental perceived stress, and child abuse potential.
Greater COVID-19 related stressors and high anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with higher parental perceived stress. Receipt of financial assistance and high anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with higher child abuse potential. Conversely, greater parental support and perceived control during the pandemic are associated with lower perceived stress and child abuse potential. Results also indicate racial and ethnic differences in COVID-19 related stressors, but not in mental health risk, protective factors, perceived stress, or child abuse potential.
Findings suggest that although families experience elevated stressors from COVID-19, providing parental support and increasing perceived control may be promising intervention targets.
This study aimed to investigate psychological mechanisms underlying the association between older adults' Internet use and cognition and examine potential age and gender group differences.
2064 older ...participants were extracted from the Waves 2012, 2013, and 2016 Health and Retirement Study. Internet use was measured by two sets of variables: Internet access and different types of online activities (i.e., informational use, social use, online shopping, and online banking). Path analyses were applied to test the proposed mechanisms via three mediators (i.e., loneliness, depressive symptoms, and perceived control). Multi-group analyses were conducted to examine the potential group differences.
Internet use was positively associated with cognition. Despite the large direct effect, small but significant indirect effects via depressive symptoms and perceived control were identified across all online activities. Multi-group analyses revealed age-group differences in the mechanisms: depressive symptoms mediated the effects of all online activities on cognition among young-old adults, while perceived control mediated all the effects among old-old adults. Gender group differences were also identified: depressive symptoms mediated the effects of all online activities on cognition among older women and most online activities among older men, whereas perceived control mediated the associations between informational and instrumental (i.e., online shopping and banking) use and cognition among older men.
This study highlights the mediating effect of depressive symptoms and perceived control and age and gender differences regarding the Internet use-cognition association. Internet-based cognitive interventions should consider these psychological mediators and age and gender differences for the best results.
•Internet use impacted older adults' cognition mainly via direct effect.•Small but consistently significant indirect effects were found in all participants.•Depression mediated the effects in young-old adults and older men and women.•Perceived control mediated the effect in old-old adults and older men.
The COVID-19 pandemic is creating unprecedented, sustained, and unavoidable stress for the entire population, and older people are facing particularly heightened risk of contracting the virus and ...suffering severe complications, including death. The present study was conducted when the pandemic was spreading exponentially in the United States. To address important theoretical questions about age differences in emotional experience in times of crisis, we surveyed a representative sample of 945 Americans between the ages of 18 and 76 years and assessed the frequency and intensity of a range of positive and negative emotions. We also assessed perceived risk of contagion and complications from the virus, as well as personality, health, and demographic characteristics. Age was associated with relatively greater emotional well-being both when analyses did and did not control for perceived risk and other covariates. The present findings extend previous research about age and emotion by demonstrating that older adults’ relatively better emotional well-being persists even in the face of prolonged stress.
The theory of planned behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1991, 2012), used widely for the prediction and modification of human actions, is behavior centered. According to the TPB, behavioral intentions, the ...immediate precursors of behavior, are determined by attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm with respect to the behavior, and perceived control over the behavior. In contrast, goal systems theory (GST; Kruglanski et al., 2002) is goal centered. It assumes that behavior typically serves as a means to an individual's goals. To extend the TPB's range of application and augment its explanatory and predictive power, we integrate these two theoretical perspectives in a proposed theory of reasoned goal pursuit. We conclude that the formation of a behavioral intention is determined by motivation to perform a behavior in light of alternative options and in the context of the individual's currently active goals.
Based on the Conservation of Resources theory, we propose a positive relationship between managerial latitude and salespeople’s adaptive-selling behavior. We also propose salesperson perceived ...control as a relevant mediator and salesperson work centrality as an important boundary condition. Using time-lagged (three rounds, two months apart) data from 321 sales manager-employee dyads, the present work shows that managerial latitude positively influences adaptive selling, both directly and indirectly, via salesperson perceived control. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that salesperson work centrality functions as a moderator of the direct association between managerial latitude and perceived control, as well as in the indirect link between managerial latitude and adaptive selling. The present study carries several important practical implications for organizations operating in different service and manufacturing sectors.
While social commerce research has predominantly focused on how established brands attract consumers, very little is known about what motivates individuals to risk purchasing from shops owned by ...other individuals. The study investigates the underlying factors influencing Indonesian consumers’ intentions to purchase lifestyle goods on Instagram shops, despite the lack of financial safeguards against fraudulence. Extending the theory of motivated reasoning, the findings show that perceived constraints to purchase through other channels moderate the effects of key variables that influence trust and purchase intentions. Perceived ease and security of transactions on social media shops only correlate with trust for consumers who perceive they have unrestricted control over where to purchase. However, these relationships were not significant for consumers who perceive high constraints over alternate purchase channels. The findings extend the understanding on the boundary conditions of social media marketing, particularly in emerging economies.
In this paper, we explore why and when perfectionistic leaders are likely to abuse subordinates. The results of a multi‐wave, multi‐source survey study of 253 pairings of leader–subordinate dyads ...indicate that perfectionistic leaders are likely to perceive less control than non‐perfectionistic leaders and are thus likely to show more abusive behaviour towards subordinates. In addition, subordinate feedback‐seeking behaviour moderates this mediated relationship. Specifically, the less subordinates seek feedback from perfectionistic leaders, the less control the leaders perceive themselves to have and the more abusive behaviour the leaders will exhibit towards the subordinates. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are also discussed.
Practitioner points
Perfectionistic leaders can engage in abusive behaviours that impede functioning.
Perfectionistic leaders tend to perceive less control and thus abuse subordinates, especially when perceiving less subordinate feedback‐seeking behaviour.
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