The present research investigates the individual and aggregate level determinants of support for thin-centred ideology parties across 23 European countries. Employing a multilevel modelling approach, ...we analysed European Social Survey data round 7 2014 (N = 44000). Our findings show that stronger identification with one's country and confidence in one's ability to influence the politics positively but perceiving the system as satisfactory and responsive; trusting the institutions and people, and having positive attitudes toward minorities, i.e., immigrants and refugees, negatively predict support for populist and single issue parties. The level of human development and perceptions of corruption at the country level moderate these effects. Thus, we provide the first evidence that the populist surge is triggered by populist actors' capacity to simultaneously invoke vertical, "ordinary" people against "the elites", and horizontal, "us" against "threatening aliens", categories of people as well as the sovereignty of majority over minorities. These categories and underlying social psychological processes of confidence, trust, and threats are moderated by the general level of human development and corruption perceptions in a country. It is, therefore, likely that voting for populist parties will increase as the liberally democratic countries continue to prosper and offer better opportunities for human development. Stronger emphasis on safeguarding the integrity of the economic and democratic institutions, as our findings imply, and preserving their ethical and honest, i.e., un-corrupt, nature can keep this surge under check.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, multidisciplinary research focusing on the long-term effects of the COVID-19 infection and the complete recovery is still scarce. With regards to long-term ...consequences, biomarkers of physiological effects as well as the psychological experiences are of significant importance for comprehensively understanding the complete COVID-19 recovery. The present research surveys the IgG antibody titers and the impact of COVID-19 as a traumatic experience in the aftermath of the active infection period, around 2 months after diagnosis, in a subset of COVID-19 patients from the first wave (March-April 2020) of the outbreak in Northern Cyprus. Associations of antibody titers and psychological survey measures with baseline characteristics and disease severity were explored, and correlations among various measures were evaluated. Of the 47 serology tests conducted for presence of IgG antibodies, 39 (83%) were positive. We identified trends demonstrating individuals experiencing severe or critical COVID-19 disease and/or those with comorbidities are more heavily impacted both physiologically and mentally, with higher IgG titers and negative psychological experience compared to those with milder disease and without comorbidities. We also observed that more than half of the COVID-19 cases had negative psychological experiences, being subjected to discrimination and verbal harassment/insult, by family/friends. In summary, as the first study co-evaluating immune response together with mental status in COVID-19, our findings suggest that further multidisciplinary research in larger sample populations as well as community intervention plans are needed to holistically address the physiological and psychological effects of COVID-19 among the cases.
Three studies investigated the effect of intergroup contact and social identification on social change among three advantaged groups in Cyprus, Romania, and Israel. In Study 1 (n = 340, Turkish ...Cypriots), intergroup contact with disadvantaged immigrant Turks positively predicted endorsement of their social change motivations directly, and via intergroup trust and perspective-taking indirectly. In Study 2 (n = 200, Romanians), contact with the ethnic minority Hungarians positively predicted endorsement of their social change motivations via intergroup trust, perspective-taking, and intergroup anxiety, while ingroup identification negatively predicted endorsement of Hungarian ethnic minority’s collective action tendencies via perspective-taking and anxiety. In Study 3 (n = 240, Israeli Jews), intergroup contact positively predicted, while ingroup identification negatively predicted, endorsement of disadvantaged Israeli Palestinian citizens’ social change motivations via perspective-taking, anxiety, and trust. Across three studies, results show that intergroup contact led the advantaged groups to attitudinally support social change motivations of the disadvantaged outgroups through increased trust, perspective-taking, and reduced anxiety, whereas ingroup identification weakened their intention to support social change motivations via perspective-taking and intergroup anxiety in Study 2, and via intergroup trust, perspective-taking, and intergroup anxiety in Study 3.
Two studies investigated the role of perceived realistic and symbolic threats in predicting collective action tendencies, and in mediating effects of intergroup contact and social identity on ...collective action in the context of an intractable conflict. Extending earlier research on collective action, integrated threat theory, and intergroup contact theory, we tested whether realistic and symbolic threats would predict collective action tendencies and outgroup attitudes; and mediate the effects of intergroup contact and social identity on collective action tendencies and outgroup attitudes among the advantaged, Turks, and the disadvantaged, Kurds. Findings from both studies (Study 1, N = 289 Turks; Study 2, N = 209 Kurds) supported the predictive and mediating role of threats on collective action tendencies and outgroup attitudes. Overall findings suggest that advantaged and disadvantaged groups might not always have disparate psychologies regarding collective action and incorporating perceived threats as antecedents of collective action can help to explain collective action tendencies among both groups especially in conflictual contexts.
In two correlational studies in Mexico (Study 1: N = 152, Mexican Indigenous people) and Chile (Study 2: N = 185, Chilean Indigenous people, Mapuche), we investigated how different dimensions of ...common ingroup identity (CII) and intergroup contact between Indigenous people influence activist tendencies and how past participation moderates this influence. In Study 1, CII as Mexican and intragroup contact between Indigenous people predicted activist tendencies via increased group efficacy. In Study 2, CII as Chilean positively predicted normative activism both directly and via group efficacy. In both studies intragroup contact between Indigenous people directly and positively predicted future intentions to engage in political action and past activism moderated these associations. These findings suggest that the negative effects of CII on activism do not readily map onto contexts where subgroup and CII overlap, and contact might have beneficial effects on activism. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.
The present research focuses on the secondary transfer effect of contact, a relatively less researched dimension of intergroup contact, on reconciliation in the context of one of the most intractable ...and longest surviving interethnic conflicts in Europe, the Cyprus conflict. Currently, Cyprus is home to three groups with differential social, economic and political statuses: (1) disadvantaged low‐status Turkish immigrants, (2) simultaneously advantaged (relative to Turkish immigrants) and disadvantaged (relative to Greek Cypriots) Turkish Cypriots and (3) historically advantaged high‐status Greek Cypriots. Across two studies (Study 1 N = 270 and Study 2 N = 501), we test whether and how Turkish immigrants’ contact with Turkish Cypriots shapes Turkish immigrants' support for reconciliation and willingness to live with Greek Cypriots via attitude generalisation. We also investigate whether Turkish immigrants’ perceived ingroup reputation qualifies this process. Controlling for the effects of direct contact with Greek Cypriots, our results show that both quantity and quality of contact with proximal Turkish Cypriots were indirectly associated with greater support for reconciliation with them and more willingness to live with Greek Cypriots via positive attitudes towards the primary (Turkish Cypriots) and positive attitudes towards the secondary (Greek Cypriots), sequentially. Moreover, we found that the perceived higher ingroup reputation across the island positively moderated the indirect effects of primary group contact on support for reconciliation and willingness to live with Greek Cypriots. That is, more contact with the primary outgroup was positively linked to greater support for reconciliation with the distal secondary outgroup Greek Cypriots when perceptions of ingroup reputation were higher.
The present research aims to probe the associations of one-group perceptions with collective action intentions among majority group members, by relying on a non-WEIRD sample, that is, from a tribal ...context in Nigeria. Considering their role in contact and collective action literatures, moral convictions, outgroup attitudes, and feelings were tested as parallel mediators. Participants were Yoruba adults (N = 200; one of the most prominent tribes in Nigeria). Deviating from a binary logic, we considered two outgroups varying in social status. Specifically, outgroups were represented by other two Nigerian tribes, including both a minority (Edos) and a majority group (Igbos). Results showed that identification with the common Nigerian identity was positively associated with collective action intentions toward both groups via greater moral convictions. Outgroup feelings worked as mediator only toward the minority group (Edo tribe). We discuss results in terms of the importance that a relevant one-group identity can have in determining morality attributions and ultimately engagement in collective action to promote a more equal society.
Examination of collective action and its determinants, which have great social effects is important in terms of understanding and foreseeing such actions. The aim of this literature review is to ...provide a summary of the main and current discussions and research of collective action from the perspective of social psychology for publication in Turkish and provide knowledge for alternative research areas to students and researchers who want to work on collective action. Accordingly, this review is structured into six main sections. In the first part, the definition of collective action is presented, this definition is discussed, and a typology of collective action is introduced through a social psychological perspective. In the second part, four main motivations (identification with the group, efficacy beliefs, feelings of anger, and moral motivations) that determine participation in collective action are explained and these motivations are examined with the empirical findings that provide evidence for these phenomena. In addition, models that examine one or more of these motivational sources together (e.g., Social Identity Model of Collective Action) are introduced. In the third section, studies related to the sedative effect of intergroup contact on the intention of the disadvantaged group to participate in collective actions are mentioned. In the fourth section, the effect of intergroup contact on advantaged groups’ motivation to participate in solidarity-based collective action is discussed. In the fifth part, a summary of the studies examining the Gezi Park protests as a common example of collective actions in our country is presented. To conclude, existing models and perspectives on collective action are discussed, the research gap in the field is highlighted, and alternative research topics are suggested for future studies.
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