Exploring social exclusion: Where we are and where We're going

Humans naturally have an orientation toward forging social connections, and they suffer both physically and psychologically when denied those connections. Individuals can be denied a sense of social connection in various ways, sometimes via direct negative attention (e.g., rejection) or other times by complete inattention (e.g., ostracism). These diverse experiences can be considered types of social exclusion, broadly defined as being kept apart from others physically or emotionally. In this article, we provide a brief overview of the empirical literature on social exclusion. Then we highlight new areas of research that provide future opportunities to help the literature continue to mature and interface with other research areas, both within psychology and beyond.     

Self-construal,affective valence of the encounter,and quality of social interactions: Within and cross-culture examination

In two samples, one from Greece and another from Germany, we examined relationships between self-construal, emotional experience, and the quality of social interactions. In Greece, a more collectivistic culture, the negative affect people experienced in social interactions was more weakly related to the quality of social interactions for those higher in interdependent self-construal than it was for those lower in interdependent self-construal. In Germany, a more independent culture, a contrasting pattern was observed such that the positive affect people experienced in social interaction was more strongly related to the quality of social interactions for those higher in independent self-construal than it was for those lower in independent self-construal. These findings suggest that positive and negative affect in social encounters can have different effects for persons with independent and interdependent cultural orientations within different cultural settings.     

Visual categorization of social interactions

Prominent theories of action recognition suggest that during the recognition of actions the physical patterns of the action is associated with only one action interpretation (e.g., a person waving his arm is recognized as waving). In contrast to this view, studies examining the visual categorization of objects show that objects are recognized in multiple ways (e.g., a VW Beetle can be recognized as a car or a beetle) and that categorization performance is based on the visual and motor movement similarity between objects. Here, we studied whether we find evidence for multiple levels of categorization for social interactions (physical interactions with another person, e.g., handshakes). To do so, we compared visual categorization of objects and social interactions (Experiments 1 and 2) in a grouping task and assessed the usefulness of motor and visual cues (Experiments 3, 4, and 5) for object and social interaction categorization. Additionally, we measured recognition performance associated with recognizing objects and social interactions at different categorization levels (Experiment 6). We found that basic level object categories were associated with a clear recognition advantage compared to subordinate recognition but basic level social interaction categories provided only a little recognition advantage. Moreover, basic level object categories were more strongly associated with similar visual and motor cues than basic level social interaction categories. The results suggest that cognitive categories underlying the recognition of objects and social interactions are associated with different performances. These results are in line with the idea that the same action can be associated with several action interpretations (e.g., a person waving his arm can be recognized as waving or greeting).     

Positioning Asian Americans in social cognition

Asian Americans are increasingly positioned at the center of current events, yet extant theories and approaches in social psychology (and social cognition specifically) may not adequately capture how Asian Americans are perceived and treated in the current American racial landscape. We propose three directions to propel social cognition research on Asian Americans. First, research emphasizes Asian Americans' perceived high status (e.g., the model minority stereotype) while often overlooking their perceived foreignness. The two-dimensional Racial Position Model elucidates the consequences of being stereotyped as perpetual foreigners for Asian Americans and their relations with other racial and ethnic groups. Second, research and laypeople alike consider East Asian Americans to be the prototypical Asian Americans, thereby excluding subgroups such as South and Southeast Asian Americans. Considering the ethnic diversity of Asian Americans challenges and extends existing social psychological theories. Lastly, much of psychological research approaches race in isolation without considering its intersection with other identities such as gender. An intersectional framework offers insights into how Asian Americans' gender and race overlap in our social cognition. More nuanced research on Asian Americans is needed to fully understand race relations in the 21st century and we hope these three interconnected directions can guide researchers who are interested in the topic.     

De-centring social capital: exploring the implications of empirical research for conceptualising Christian faith-based social engagement

The concept of social capital is frequently applied in political and academic discussions about the role of churches and other faith groups in contemporary society. This article draws on findings from empirical research in two London-based megachurches to illustrate ways in which these churches contribute to the formulation of relational networks, both among their congregations and beyond them. However, more significantly, it highlights the limitations of the notion of social capital as a means of understanding the nature and purpose of the social engagement of these churches and—by paying close attention to accounts given by those involved in these activities—seeks to provide an alternative, more nuanced account of the way in which relationships were conceived and developed in these contexts.     

Experiential purchases and prosocial spending promote happiness by enhancing social relationships

Recent research on consumption and subjective well-being has revealed that experiential purchases and prosocial spending promote happiness by enhancing the purchasers’ social relationships. This study (N = 1523) explored whether undergraduate students’ consumption behaviors during summer break would be associated with their post-break happiness, and whether the consumption–happiness relationship would be mediated by a positive influence on their social relationships. The results showed that both experiential purchases and prosocial spending during summer break were associated with greater post-break happiness, but only when these purchases had a positive influence on the purchasers’ social relationships. These effects remained significant after controlling for respondents’ personality traits, financial standing, and sex. Moreover, both experiential purchases and prosocial spending were more likely to have a positive influence on social relationships than luxury purchases. These results are congruent with the recent exposition that experiential purchases and prosocial spending promote happiness by enhancing the purchasers’ social relationships.     

Emotion regulation and peer-rated social functioning: A 4-year longitudinal study

Different emotion regulation strategies have been linked to distinct social outcomes, but only concurrently or in the short-term. The present research employed a 4-year longitudinal design with peer-reported measures of social functioning to examine the long-term social effects of emotion regulation. Individual differences in suppression before entering college predicted weaker social connections (e.g., less close relationships) at the end of college, whereas reappraisal predicted stronger social connections and more favorable sociometric standing (e.g., higher social status). These effects of emotion regulation remained intact even when controlling for baseline social functioning and Big Five personality traits. These findings suggest that individual differences in the use of particular emotion regulation strategies have an enduring impact, shaping the individual’s social environment over time.     

Exploring dynamics of abusive lesbian relationships: preliminary analysis of a multisite,qualitative study

This paper presents preliminary results from a multisite, qualitative study on violence in lesbian relationships. A framework for conducting community-based, empowerment research that draws on theories of community psychology, feminism, and postmodernism is presented. The study was designed to understand the dynamics of abusive lesbian relationships and social service providers' responses to the abuse. Results from 80 in-depth interviews with lesbians who have experienced relationship violence are examined with a particular focus on a pattern of first relationships being abusive and a theme of shifting power dynamics. Analysis of focus group discussions with 45 feminist service providers (e.g., counselors, shelter workers, social workers, healthcare providers) reveals the difficulties in assessing the power dynamics of abusive same-sex relationships and in developing appropriate responses when relying on heterosexually gendered models developed to address men's violence against women. The preliminary results present implications both for how we theorize and research this form of violence, and for improving the practices and policies of social services that work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered communities.     

社会阶层的心理学研究：社会认知视角

社会阶层是心理学研究的一个新的前沿领域,是指由于经济、政治等多种原因而形成的,在社会层次结构中处于不同地位的群体,这些群体之间存在着客观的社会资源（收入、教育和职业）的差异,以及感知到由此造成的社会地位的差异。基于社会认知视角的社会阶层理论认为,处于同一阶层中的个体,由于共享的经历,形成了相对稳定的认知倾向,低阶层者是情境主义的,高阶层是唯我主义的。大量的实证研究进一步证实,环境所导致的认知倾向差异,使得高低阶层这在感知自我、他人和社会的方式存在显著的不同。而阶层的流动性对个体心理与行为的影响以及本土化的社会阶层心理学研究是需要未来深入探索的研究方向。     

A Road Map for an Emerging Psychology of Social Class

Though the scientific study of social class is over a century old, theories regarding how social class shapes psychological experience are in their infancy. In this review, we provide a road map for the empirical study of an emerging psychology of social class. Specifically, we outline key measurement issues in the study of social class – including the importance of both objective indicators and subjective perceptions of social class – as well as theoretical insights into the role of the social class context in influencing behavior. We then summarize why a psychology of social class is likely to be a fruitful area of research and propose that social class environments guide psychological experience because they shape fundamental aspects of the self and patterns of relating to others. Finally, we differentiate social class from other rank‐relevant states (e.g., power) and social categories (e.g., race/ethnicity), while also outlining potential avenues of future research.     

Understanding social networks and social support resources with sports coaches

ObjectivesResearch on social support with sports coaches is limited, yet the benefits of social support within other occupations have been widely reported. This study explored sports coaches’ social network structures, the social support resources available to coaches, and the situations in which coaches use social support.DesignCross-sectional.MethodData were collected with male (n = 6) and female (n = 7) British coaches (M_age = 34.20, SD = 13.37; M_experience = 13.20, SD = 10.41) using semi-structured interviews and interviewee-aided sociograms. Interview data and sociograms were analyzed using abductive thematic analysis and social network analysis to create ego-network diagrams. The ego-network diagrams were created to provide information on the locality and influence of coaches’ social network members.ResultsThe ego-network diagrams highlight that the structure of coaches’ social networks encompasses support from peers, friends, family, and miscellaneous (e.g., media). The diagrams also demonstrate that support from friends tended to be perceived as most influential. The coaches called on their network for appraisal (e.g., affirmation), emotional (e.g., venting), informational (e.g., training), and or instrumental support (e.g., cooking dinner) for a variety of situations, such as training (e.g., drill ideas) and issues with athletes (e.g., venting about a misbehaving player).ConclusionGiven the pertinence of coaches’ social networks and resources for performance and psychological well-being, coach education programs should include a focus on the importance of building relationships. Longitudinal research methods are warranted to, for example, explore the dynamic functions of coaches’ social support. This will develop a more comprehensive base from which interventions can be developed.     

心理学研究中社会阶层的操作化界定及其衍生问题

个体的社会阶层反映了其所掌控的客观社会资源(即客观社会阶层)和其主观上所感知到的自身社会地位(即主观社会阶层)的水平。收入(或财产)、职业、受教育程度是研究中常用来反映客观社会阶层的操作化指标。而主观社会阶层的操作化界定既包括对主观阶层进行问卷测量,也包括对其加以实验操纵。心理学研究要基于研究目的以及要考察的具体效应与机制对不同的操作化界定加以取舍,有时也要综合兼顾多种操作化方式。通过选取典型群体来代表不同阶层,这种做法宜慎重采用。同时研究的信效度问题有必要更多加以重视。未来研究应加强关注阶层认同偏差与阶层纵向流动等基础问题,以及因取样偏差而带来的阶层效应被简化的现象,并结合跨文化视角分析不同文化下社会阶层的内涵差异。     

嵌入于社会情境的工作重塑

工作重塑实质上是一种情境性的主动性行为。基于已有研究成果, 首先系统归纳工作重塑与社会情境因素之间关系的4种研究视角, 即社会情境是工作重塑的目标、社会情境因素是工作重塑的组成部分、社会情境因素影响工作重塑、社会情境因素为工作重塑设立边界条件。此外, 梳理并讨论社会情境因素影响工作重塑的内在机制以及社会情境因素与个体特征的交互对于工作重塑的影响、工作重塑在特定情境中的有效性两方面的研究。在此基础上, 结合其他相关变量的研究现状对嵌入于社会情境的工作重塑的未来研究进行展望, 包括探索工作重塑对他人的影响、探索团队工作重塑驱动个体工作重塑的多重路径、探索社会情境影响工作重塑的内在机制、探索社会情境与个体特征的交互如何影响工作重塑, 以及探讨基于中国社会情境的工作重塑的有效性。     

Intergroup emotions and gateway groups: Introducing multiple social identities into the study of emotions in conflict

After 2 decades of extensive empirical studies on affective intergroup processes, it is now clear that emotional processes play a critical role in the dynamics of intergroup conflict. However, it seems that much of the research in this domain views intergroup relations in a dichotomous manner of pure in‐groups and out‐groups despite the developments in the realm of social identity that suggest otherwise. We here suggest that the incorporation of more complex social identity models into the study of affective social science can not only help to better understand intergroup conflict dynamics but can also offer new possible venues for conflict resolution. Specifically, we claim that the presence of groups with multiple identities, which include both the in‐group's and the out‐group's identity (e.g., biracial groups that encompass both a White and a Black social identity) can impact intergroup emotional processes between the different groups comprising those multiple identities (e.g., between Whites and Blacks). Accordingly, we review recent developments in the literatures of emotion in intergroup conflict and multiple social identity and offer a conceptual integration of the two. Thus, we attempt to enrich the theory in both fields, better explain intergroup conflict, and possibly pave the way for the development of novel conflict resolution methods.     

从社会文化的视角看健康与教育的阶层差异

如何缩小健康和教育的阶层差异, 促进社会公平是世界各国普遍关心的社会问题。已有的社会阶层心理研究取向中, 社会文化视角从不同阶层的文化所塑造的不同自我出发, 提出了解释社会阶层生产和再生产的文化循环理论和提升低阶层社会适应水平的差异教育方法, 这些理论观点为教育与健康的阶层差异提供了超越个体或环境任何单一因素的系统解释, 并提供了着眼于社会心理重塑的干预方案以减少健康和教育的不平等。未来社会文化视角的研究和实践工作的可能方向包括理论和干预实践的中国化, 与其他社会阶层理论和社会公正视角相结合, 以及考察社会流动与文化变迁背景的影响。     

社会网络视角下儿童青少年同伴关系网络与欺凌相关行为的共同变化关系

欺凌是一种群体动态过程,同伴生态是欺凌发生发展的重要情境。虽然已有研究重视影响欺凌的同伴因素,但从群体动态关系视角细致探讨欺凌相关行为(欺凌、受欺凌和保护行为)发展变化的研究仍十分有限。从社会网络与欺凌相关行为相互影响的关键问题入手,重点考察欺凌相关行为在同伴关系网络中的发展进程,揭示了同伴关系网络的结构特征和内部关系作为欺凌相关行为是否发生、如何发展的重要生态标志,阐明了存在相同行为特征的个体分群汇聚的选择效应和群体内行为传染的影响效应。未来研究应结合多维社会网络、多类型网络结构和关系特征、不同欺凌角色以及我国本土化特点等进一步加强欺凌治理的群体生态研究,从而更好地为群体生态层面上的欺凌治理提供科学依据。     

Towards a social-cognitive theory of multiple psychological contracts

ABSTRACT

Psychological contracts are typically conceptualized as an employee’s perceived terms of exchange with an employer. However, more and more researchers recognize that defining psychological contracts in such a unitary manner does not adequately reflect the complex nature of modern organizations and work. Most individuals likely maintain numerous work-related exchange relationships that are not necessarily confined within the boundaries of a single organization nor characterized by a traditional employment relationship. Contributing to this emerging body of research, we draw on social exchange and social cognition theories to begin developing a theory of multiple psychological contracts. Towards this end, we generate a series of propositions predicting that the relative likelihood of an individual holding a psychological contract with a particular individual, group, or organization as a counterparty is contingent upon degrees of perceived dependence, accountability and trust. We further predict the dynamic nature of the contents (relational, transactional, balanced or ideological) of these contracts and how it may evolve over time. As a whole, these propositions help explain how an individual’s attitudes and behaviours differ across psychological contracts and the exchange relationships they govern. This work provides an introductory foundation on which a more comprehensive body of future research can be built.     

高社会阶层者的财富分享行为及其促进

高阶层者有着较高的权利感和较低的同情心,从而在社会互动中表现出较少的促进他人福祉的财富分享行为。在实践中,可以通过符合能动性目标、匹配动机需求、降低权利感与激发同情心等个体层面策略以及缩小经济不平等与培育关注他人的社会氛围等社会层面策略促进高阶层者的财富分享行为。未来研究应努力探寻促进高阶层者财富分享行为的长效激励机制,并有针对性地将现有研究结论应用到我国重大社会实践中去。     

Mentalizing strategies for navigating the social world in adolescence

Mentalizing—the ability to represent or infer the mental states of others—continues to develop into and throughout adolescence. Increased mentalizing sophistication during adolescence is thought to support the navigation of increasingly complex social relationships and contexts. However, developmental science has yet to aggregate the seemingly disparate findings from research relating mentalizing to functional outcomes, such as internalizing mental health concerns, into clear and comprehensive theories that explain individual variability during adolescence. In this review, we describe approaches that have been used to measure mentalizing during adolescence and propose a methodological framework to measure mentalizing as a multi-dimensional process that continues to develop as a response to the environment during adolescence.     

Distinguishing social and individual psychology

Abstract.— The problem analyzed is how (according to what rules) to disentangle social and individual aspects in, e.g., an act of communication. Taking as point of departure the everyday fact that social relationships as well as individuals may be assessed across variables, an attempt was made to classify variables as either social or individual. It was found, however, that they seem to be distributed along a continuum from individual via relational to social variables; that all variables seem to have both a social and an individual aspect; and that they may be classified along a continuum accordning to how easily they can be made socially relevant or salient. Instead of concluding either that a social psychology proper is impossible, since all variables can be ascribed to the individual(s), or that we are dealing only with social psychology, since all variables have a social potential, a pragmatic solution may be to make clear at each stage of research from which perspective, the social or the individual, one is exploring the variable in focus.