Can Sadness Be Good for You?

The subtle relationship between feeling and thinking, affect and cognition has fascinated philosophers and writers since time immemorial, yet, empirical research on this topic was relatively neglected by psychologists until recently. There have been many claims emphasising the beneficial cognitive and behavioural consequences of positive affect. Many recent works suggest that negative affect may also facilitate optimal performance in many situations, consistent with evolutionary theories suggesting the adaptive signalling function of various affective states. This paper reviews traditional and current psychological theories linking affect to social thinking and behaviour. A variety of empirical studies from our laboratory will also be presented, demonstrating that in many situations, negative affect promotes optimal performance in cognitive and social tasks, including tasks such as memory, social judgements, motivation, and strategic interpersonal behaviours. These results will be interpreted in terms of a dual‐process theory that predicts that negative affect promotes a more accommodative, vigilant, and externally focused thinking strategy. The relevance of these findings for recent affect–cognition theories will be discussed, and the practical implications of negative affect promoting improved social thinking and performance in a number of applied fields will be considered.     

Normative Influences on Secondary Disturbance: The Role of Social Expectancies

A “new wave” within psychotherapy has introduced the concept of acceptance into people's emotional repertoires. Accepting unpleasant emotional states has been demonstrated as an important pathway towards reducing secondary disturbances and improving emotional and psychological functioning. What is often overlooked, however, is whether this move towards acceptance is reinforced within the social and cultural contexts in which people experience their emotional states. Our research has begun to explore the contribution that normative influences make to secondary disturbance, specifically the perception that feeling happy is a desired state, and that experiencing and expressing negative emotions is undesirable and unacceptable to others. We review evidence here that these perceived “social expectancies” are associated with increased negative emotionality and depression, and reduce well‐being. Furthermore, we highlight that the effects of social expectancies are more apparent in Australia than Japan, consistent with the view that a higher premium is placed on happiness within Australia. We also review experimental evidence that social messages that reinforce these social expectancies serve to increase secondary disturbances. The implications of taking a social perspective on emotion regulation and dysfunction, and specifically implications for promoting happiness and acceptance in the field, are discussed.     

Why and for whom does the pressure to help hurt others? Affective and cognitive mechanisms linking helping pressure to workplace deviance

Scholars are paying increasing attention to the “dark side” of citizenship behavior. One aspect of this dark side that has received relatively scant attention is “helping pressure”—an employee's perception that s/he is being encouraged to, or otherwise feels that s/he should, enact helping behavior at work. Drawing from theory associated with work stress, we examine affective and cognitive mechanisms that potentially explain why helping pressure, counterintuitively, may lead employees to engage in deviant behavior instead. Beyond examining these possible mechanisms, we also answer calls to identify a potential buffer to these effects. Drawing from self-determination theory, we examine how an employee's intrinsic motivation for citizenship may lessen the deleterious consequences of helping pressure at work. In two studies (a within-individual experience-sampling study and a two-wave between-individual study), we find consistent evidence that helping pressure has a positive indirect relationship with deviant behavior through increased negative affect. Further, we find evidence that intrinsic motivation for citizenship weakens the positive relationship of helping pressure with negative affect, buffering the indirect effect on subsequent deviant behavior. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings for the study of helping pressure at work are discussed.     

Money Doesn't Talk, It Swears: How Economic Stress and Resistance Resources Impact Inner-City Women's Depressive Mood

We examined the differential impact of chronic versus acute economic stress on depressive mood among a sample of 1241 low-income, single, European and African American women. Based on Hobfoll's (1988, 1989) conservation of resources (COR) theory, we predicted that acute resource loss would be more distressing than chronic economic lack. That is, although chronically impoverished conditions are stressful, the attendant resource losses created will be more distressing. We further predicted that mastery and social support would be more beneficial in offsetting the negative consequences of acute resource loss than the negative consequences of chronic economic lack, because acute loss creates identifiable demands that resources may address. Hence, we hypothesized that mastery and social support would show stress buffering effects only for material loss, not chronic lack. The findings generally supported the hypotheses, but mastery buffered only European American women's resource loss and social support buffered only African American women's resource loss. The findings are discussed in light of implications for prevention within theoretical and cultural contexts.     

越富有越不支持再分配?——社会阶层与再分配偏向的关系及其心理机制

社会阶层是影响再分配偏向的重要因素。研究发现, 与低阶层者相比, 高阶层者再分配偏向更低。基于以往研究, 提出高社会阶层者低再分配偏向的作用机制及干预模型。依据该模型, 动机方面的经济自利与系统合理信念, 认知方面的经济不平等感知、贫富差距归因与刻板印象, 情感方面的同情心与地位焦虑是影响高阶层者再分配偏向的中介因素; 培育谦卑心态、进行反刻板印象干预、利用不平等框架效应、提高同情心、改变阶层文化价值观有助于提升高阶层者的再分配偏向。未来研究可对高阶层者的慈善行为及部分低阶层者拒绝再分配的现象加以关注, 深入考察和完善该模型的作用机制, 探索提升高阶层者再分配偏向的策略。     

污名化对被污名个体人际互动的影响

污名是指个体所具有不受欢迎的特征, 这种特征会导致个体在一定社会背景下被主流文化群体贴负性标签、贬低、侮辱而遭受到污名化。污名化对个体或群体本身会有消极影响, 不仅会使个体遭受到来自他人的歧视、排斥或拒绝等这些直接作用于自身的外部影响, 还会进一步消极影响被污名个体在人际互动中的表现和行为反应。被污名个体与主流文化群体之间的消极互动又会进一步加剧主流文化对被污名个体或群体的排斥, 形成恶性循环。从被污名个体的角度出发, 有助于更加深入地探讨污名化对被污名个体人际互动方面的影响以及被污名个体采取的应对方式。     

On Strong Attitudes and Group Deliberation: Relationships,Structure, Changes,and Effects

Drawing on quasi‐experimental data from participants in structured and moderated deliberations on sexual minority rights in Poland, this study tests the relationship between attitude importance, certainty, intensity, and extremity. This study also examines the antecedents of these attributes and their consequences for several democratically important outcomes (i.e., perceived disagreement, negative affect, attitude polarization, self‐reported polarization, argument repertoire, and political participation). This study further asks whether these attributes exert different effects than a composite attitude strength index. Although factor analysis suggests that these attributes represent one construct, they are differently affected by deliberation and exert differential effects. The analyses further reveal that relying on the composite index obscures substantial information and inaccurately represents strength‐related processes and functions. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications are discussed.     

Effect of Motivational Goals on the Causal Realism of Counterfactual Thoughts

Counterfactual thinking refers to mental comparisons of reality with imagined alternatives of it. The “functional view” of counterfactual thinking suggests that upward counterfactuals (which improve on reality) serve a preparative function and downward counterfactuals (which worsen reality) serve an affective function. This view presumes that people generate counterfactuals that focus on cause(s) that have actually produced the negative outcomes. The two experiments reported here demonstrate that people spontaneously manipulate the causal content of their counterfactuals, depending on their motivational goals. Specifically, it was found that when people aim to feel better about a poor decision they generate less realistic (upward) counterfactuals, experience less negative affect and tend to attribute the outcome to less controllable causes than when they aim to learn from their experience. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

身体活动对情绪的影响及其脑机制

身体活动不仅有助于提高人的生理机能, 还具有改善心境、调节情绪的功能。有规律的身体活动不仅能够增强个体的积极情绪, 提升幸福感和自尊感, 也可以缓解消极情绪、矫治情绪障碍。关于身体活动对情绪影响的脑神经机制, 研究者先后提出神经递质假说、大脑可塑性假说、前额叶偏侧化假说和双模型假说。进一步的研究需要控制运动强度对身体活动情绪效益的影响, 比较不同类型身体活动的情绪调节效果, 同时考察基因、神经生长及社会互动等因素对情绪的交互作用。     

Irrelevant Cultural Influences on Belief

Recent work in psychology on ‘cultural cognition’ suggests that our cultural background drives our attitudes towards a range of politically contentious issues in science such as global warming. This work is part of a more general attempt to investigate the ways in which our wants, wishes and desires impact on our assessments of information, events and theories. Put crudely, the idea is that we confirm our assessments of the evidence for and against scientific theories with clear political relevance to our pre‐existing political beliefs and convictions. In this article, I explore the epistemological consequences of cultural cognition. What does it mean for the rationality of our beliefs about issues such as global warming? I argue for an unsettling conclusion. Not only are those on the ‘political right’ who reject the scientific consensus on issues like global warming unjustified in doing so, some of those on the ‘political left’ who accept the consensus are also unjustified in doing so. I finish by addressing the practical implications of my conclusions.     

从固定到可变：情感对认知影响的再认识

情感-认知领域的最新研究发现,已有研究通常认为的积极和消极情感对认知加工的固定影响,会在某些条件下发生反转。这致使情感-认知联系的固定观受到挑战,而情感-认知反馈假说（AACF）的出现则从联系可变的视角上为上述冲突提供了有效的解释。该假说认为,情感对认知之所以存在可变影响,其关键在于个体具备认知加工的预先准备状态,即可通达策略的存在。后续研究围绕众多认知现象,验证并支持了AACF的观点。针对这一理论构想,未来研究还应结合对概念本质的哲学反思以及不同视角的实证研究,对情感与认知的内在关系进行更为深入的探索。     

Do Online Comments Influence the Public's Attitudes Toward an Organization? Effects of Online Comments Based on Individuals’ Prior Attitudes

The authors investigated the effects of reading different types of online comments about a company on people's attitude change based on individual's prior attitude toward the company. Based on Social Judgment Theory, several hypotheses were tested. The results showed that the effects of online comments interact with individuals’ prior attitudes toward a corporation. People with a strong negative attitude toward a corporation were less influenced by other's online comments than people with a neutral attitude in general. However, people with a prior negative attitude were more affected by refutational two-sided comments than one-sided comments. The results suggest that the effects of user generated content should be studied in a holistic manner, not only by investigating the effects of online content itself, but also by examining how others’ responses to the content shape or change individuals’ attitudes based on their prior attitudes.     

社会群体的实体性:回顾与展望

社会群体的实体性是指群体被知觉为一个真正独立存在的有意义实体的程度.它受到知觉者、社会情境和文化等因素的影响.实体性在群际关系中具有重要意义,它影响着认同、刻板印象,偏见和群际冲突.实体性从本质上来说并不是绝对积极的或消极的群体特征,它主要取决于知觉者与群体的关系性质和其所处的情境.对中国研究者而言,如何让实体性最大可能地发挥积极作用,以利于群体关系的和谐是未来研究应该努力的方向;加强中国文化背景下实体性与群际关系的研究,为解决中国各社会阶层以及不同群体之间的和谐相处提供理论上的指导也是未来可以关注的方向.     

Meaning in life accounts for the association between long-term ostracism and depressive symptoms: The moderating role of self-compassion

ABSTRACT

According to the temporal need–threat model, ostracism results in three stages of responses. Research on the responses to ostracism has predominantly focused on the first two stages, and the literature needs further empirical evidence on responses to long-term ostracism. We conducted two studies to better understand the association between long-term ostracism and depressive symptoms. Study 1 found a positive association between long-term ostracism and depressive symptoms. More importantly, Study 1 found the threatened sense of meaning in life partially mediates the relationship. Study 2 further found that self-compassion, a positive and healthy trait, weakens the relationship between long-term ostracism and depressive symptoms. More specifically, self-compassion moderates the relationship between the threatened sense of meaning in life and depressive symptoms. Our findings not only further our understanding about the negative consequences of long-term ostracism but also suggest a possible way to mitigate depressive symptoms associated with long-term ostracism.     

Neuroticism and Facebook Addiction: How Social Media can Affect Mood?

Abstract

Individuals high in neuroticism experience negative affect and social anxiety, therefore, they may prefer online communications where they are able to portray an idealized image of themselves to attract social support, seek validation, and enhance mood. These motivations may lead to greater social media use and addiction. In this study of Facebook users (N?=?742; 474 females, 268 males) who mostly resided in the United States, we explored the association between neuroticism, Facebook addiction, and negative affect. Our mediation model showed a partial mediating effect of Facebook addiction in predicting negative affect in individuals who were high in neuroticism. In theory, individuals who use Facebook as a tool to improve their mood may actually experience more negative affect due to social overload, jealousy, and envy. Individuals high in neuroticism, who already maintain a higher negative affect than those low in neuroticism, might be particularly inclined towards increased Facebook use, which could deteriorate their mood further. Consequently, individuals and therapists should be aware of the personality traits that could lead to greater Facebook addiction and a higher negative mood. Therapists could encourage users to engage in activities, other than social media use, that can improve mood without leading to addiction.     

The Role of Affect in the Relationship Between Distributive Justice Expectations and Applicants' Recommendation and Litigation Intentions

This paper examined the moderating role of positive and negative affect in the relationship between distributive justice expectations and applicants' intentions to recommend the organization or to litigate. Specifically, it was suggested and supported in two samples of, respectively, 1,409 and 486 applicants, that the positive relationship between distributive justice expectations and recommendation intentions was stronger for applicants high in positive affect. In the second sample, it was further found that the negative relationship between distributive justice expectations and litigation intentions was stronger among applicants high in negative affect. This research is the first to identify the distinct roles of positive and negative affect in shaping responses to expectations of (un)fairness in the personnel selection literature. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Science, andPedagogical Technique

Changes in the aims and methods of the philosophy of mind have occurred in recent decades. In particular, computer simulations have emerged as a means of constructing empirically and conceptually defensible theories of mind. This article explores pedagogical innovations that may be necessitated by these changes. One question raised is whether hands-on teaching of simulation methods should be a standard part of philosophy of mind courses. These courses, because of an increasing empirical orientation, are becoming more interdisciplinary, and certain consequences of this development are elaborated here.     

Goal orientations and the search for confirmatory affect

People differ with respect to their beliefs about the consequences of attaining goals. Some people (linkers) believe that attaining certain goals will make them happy, whereas others (nonlinkers) see their happiness as more contingent upon the inherent quality of their actions than upon the outcomes of those actions. Because of the importance linkers place on goal attainment, linkers should be likely to seek information indicative of their progress toward their goals. Because of the importance nonlinkers place on enjoyment, nonlinkers should be likely to seek information indicative of the pleasurableness of their current task. Because negative affect can signal a lack of goal progress, whereas positive affect can signal task enjoyment, linkers may place more weight on their negative than their positive affect, whereas nonlinkers may do the opposite. Consistent with these hypotheses, the results of this study showed that linkers reported more negative affect when exposed to sad videos than when exposed to happy videos but did not report different amounts of positive affect. Nonlinkers, on the other hand, reported more positive affect when exposed to happy videos than when exposed to sad videos but did not report different amounts of negative affect. The implications of this pattern for a number of theoretical perspectives on goals and affect are discussed.     

Preparing the Field for Feasibility Testing of a Parenting Intervention for War‐Affected Mothers in Northern Uganda

In this article, we discuss the successful implementation of an adapted evidence‐based parenting intervention for families affected by two decades of war in Northern Uganda. The adaptation and adoption of such interventions to support mental health and family functioning is widely endorsed by prevention scientists and considered a priority in global mental health. The preparation and early adoption phases of engaging with a highly vulnerable community affected by war trauma are documented in this paper along with a discussion of the steps taken to adapt a parenting intervention for cultural and contextual fit. This study is a component of an overall program of research aimed at reducing the long‐term negative effects of war on parenting practices and childhood outcomes, which have considerable implications for preventing mental, neurological, and substance‐use disorders. The processes described here cover a 4‐year period culminating in the implementation of the nine‐session Enhancing Family Connection intervention piloted with a group of 14 mothers. The lessons in cultural adaptation have been valuable and the feasibility results promising for further testing the intervention.