Showing papers in "Journal of Social Issues in 2002"
TL;DR: Kraut et al. as discussed by the authors reported negative effects of using the Internet on social involvement and psychological well-being among new Internet users in 1995-96 and found that negative effects dissipated.
Abstract: Kraut et al. (1998) reported negative effects of using the Internet on social involvement and psychological well-being among new Internet users in 1995–96. We called the effects a “paradox” because participants used the Internet heavily for communication, which generally has positive effects. A 3-year follow-up of 208 of these respondents found that negative effects dissipated. We also report findings from a longitudinal survey in 1998–99 of 406 new computer and television purchasers. This sample generally experienced positive effects of using the Internet on communication, social involvement, and well-being. However, consistent with a “rich get richer” model, using the Internet predicted better outcomes for extraverts and those with more social support but worse outcomes for introverts and those with less support.
2,064 citations
TL;DR: This article found that people who can better disclose their true self to others on the Internet than in face-to-face settings will be more likely to form close relationships on-line and will tend to bring those virtual relationships into their real lives.
Abstract: We hypothesized that people who can better disclose their “true” or inner self to others on the Internet than in face-to-face settings will be more likely to form close relationships on-line and will tend to bring those virtual relationships into their “real” lives. Study 1, a survey of randomly selected Internet newsgroup posters, showed that those who better express their true self over the Internet were more likely than others to have formed close on-line relationships and moved these friendships to a face-to-face basis. Study 2 revealed that the majority of these close Internet relationships were still intact 2 years later. Finally, a laboratory experiment found that undergraduates liked each other more following an Internet compared to a face-to-face initial meeting.
1,394 citations
TL;DR: This article found that people who feel better able to express their true self in Internet rather than face-to-face interaction settings are more likely to form close relationships with people met on the Internet.
Abstract: Those who feel better able to express their “true selves” in Internet rather than face-to-face interaction settings are more likely to form close relationships with people met on the Internet (McKenna, Green, & Gleason, this issue). Building on these correlational findings from survey data, we conducted three laboratory experiments to directly test the hypothesized causal role of differential self-expression in Internet relationship formation. Experiments 1 and 2, using a reaction time task, found that for university undergraduates, the true-self concept is more accessible in memory during Internet interactions, and the actual self more accessible during face-to-face interactions. Experiment 3 confirmed that people randomly assigned to interact over the Internet (vs. face to face) were better able to express their true-self qualities to their partners.
1,224 citations
TL;DR: A selective review of the literature on the correlates of volunteerism is presented in this article, which includes new data from an on-line survey that show significant relationships among personality traits, religiosity, and volunteer activities.
Abstract: Community service often involves sustained prosocial actions by individuals. This article focuses on one kind of such actions, volunteerism. Volunteerism involves long–term, planned, prosocial behaviors that benefit strangers, and usually occur in an organizational setting. A selective review of the literature on the correlates of volunteerism is presented. One part of the review concerns the relationship between dispositional variables and volunteerism; it includes new data from an on–line survey that show significant relationships among personality traits, religiosity, and volunteer activities. The other part concerns how organizational variables, alone and in combination with dispositional variables, are related to volunteerism. A theoretical model of the causes of sustained volunteerism is presented and the practical implications of this model are discussed.
794 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the relationship between well-being and social aspects of Internet use and found that the closeness of instant message communication partners was associated with daily social anxiety and loneliness in school.
Abstract: Previous research suggests that Internet use may be associated with decreases in well-being among adolescents. However, there has been little investigation of the relationship between well-being and social aspects of Internet use. In the present study, 130 7th graders from a middle-class public school in California completed dispositional measures of well-being, and on three subsequent evenings they responded to questions regarding their Internet use (including detailed logs of instant messages) and daily well-being. Time spent on-line was not associated with dispositional or daily well-being. However, as suggested by intimacy theory, the closeness of instant message communication partners was associated with daily social anxiety and loneliness in school, above and beyond the contribution of dispositional measures.
577 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present concrete suggestions about this type of program and present evidence from studies of problem-based learning, situated cognition, and cognitive development suggests approaches to reflection that will enhance the power of service-learning in attaining these important goals which facilitate full community participation.
Abstract: While research on service–learning has been mixed, there is evidence to suggest that service–learning programs which thoroughly integrate service and academic learning through continuous reflection promote development of the knowledge, skills, and cognitive capacities necessary for students to deal effectively with the complex social issues that challenge citizens. While there is not much research in the service–learning literature that specifically addresses techniques of reflection, evidence from studies of problem–based learning, situated cognition, and cognitive development suggests approaches to reflection that will enhance the power of service–learning in attaining these important goals which facilitate full community participation. This review presents concrete suggestions about this type of program.
516 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the phases of relationships and the dynamics of relationships in service-learning instructors and campus personnel with a clearer understanding of how to develop healthy campus-community partnerships.
Abstract: The emergence of service-learning in higher education and the renewed emphasis on community involvement presents colleges and universities with opportunities to develop campus-community partnerships for the common good. These partnerships can leverage both campus and community resources to address critical issues in local communities. Campus-community partnerships are a series of interpersonal relationships between (a) campus administrators, faculty, staff, and students and (b) community leaders, agency personnel, and members of communities. The phases of relationships (i.e., initiation, development, maintenance, dissolution) and the dynamics of relationships (i.e., exchanges, equity, distribution of power) are explored to provide service-learning instructors and campus personnel with a clearer understanding of how to develop healthy campus-community partnerships.
461 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a conceptual analysis is offered that differentiates four types of motivation for community involvement: egoism, altruism, collectivism, and principlism, based on identification of a unique ultimate goal for each motive.
Abstract: A conceptual analysis is offered that differentiates four types of motivation for community involvement: egoism, altruism, collectivism, and principlism. Differentiation is based on identification of a unique ultimate goal for each motive. For egoism, the ultimate goal is to increase one's own welfare; for altruism, it is to increase the welfare of another individual or individuals; for collectivism, to increase the welfare of a group; and for principlism, to uphold one or more moral principles. As sources of community involvement, each of these four forms of motivation has its strengths; each also has its weaknesses. More effective efforts to stimulate community involvement may come from strategies that orchestrate motives so that the strengths of one motive can overcome weaknesses of another. Among the various possibilities, strategies that combine appeals to either altruism or collectivism with appeals to principle may be especially promising.
369 citations
TL;DR: The authors used interview data from a convenience sample of 450 lesbians, gay, and bisexual adults to investigate the varieties of victim experiences in hate crimes based on sexual orientation. But they found that victims tended to rely primarily on contextual cues and the perpetrators' explicit statements, as well as their own beliefs about the crime's severity and the likelihood that the perpetrators would be punished.
Abstract: Using interview data from a convenience sample of 450 lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults, the varieties of victim experiences in hate crimes based on sexual orientation are described. Most crimes were perpetrated in public settings by one or more strangers, but victimization also occurred in other locales, and perpetrators included neighbors, coworkers, and relatives. In deciding whether a crime was based on their sexual orientation, victims tended to rely primarily on contextual cues and perpetrators’ explicit statements. Victims’ concerns about police bias and public disclosure of their sexual orientation were important factors in deciding whether to report antigay crimes, as were beliefs about the crime’s severity and the likelihood that perpetrators would be punished.
333 citations
TL;DR: This work discusses methods to detect arid minimize these threats to the validity of Internet-based research, including the problem of participant self-selection and loss of experimental control on the Internet laboratory.
Abstract: Differences between traditional laboratory research and Internet-based research require a review of basic issues of research methodology. These differences have implications for research ethics (e.g., absence of researcher, potential exposure of confidential data and/or identity to a third party, guaranteed debriefing) and security (e.g., confidentiality and anonymity, security of data transmission, security of data storage, and tracking participants over time). We also review basic design issues a researcher should consider before implementing an Internet study, including the problem of participant self-selection and loss of experimental control on the Internet laboratory. An additional challenge for Internet-based research is the increased opportunity for participant misbehavior, intentional or otherwise. We discuss methods to detect arid minimize these threats to the validity of Internet-based research.
324 citations
TL;DR: In the Berlin Aging Study (BASE: Baltes & Mayer, 1999), a locally representative sample of men and women aged 70 to 100+ (N= 516, M= 85 years), suggest that cumulative health-related chronic life strains set a constraint on the potential of oldest old individuals to experience the positive side of life as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Most individuals experience a decline in health status during old age. Paradoxically, there are proposals that older adults nevertheless maintain a positive sense of well–being, an indicator of successful aging. Data from the Berlin Aging Study (BASE: Baltes & Mayer, 1999), a locally representative sample of men and women aged 70 to 100+ (N= 516, M= 85 years), suggest that cumulative health–related chronic life strains set a constraint on the potential of oldest old individuals to experience the positive side of life. The young old in BASE reported significantly higher positive SWB than did the oldest old. Chronic illness and functional impairments (e.g., vision, hearing, mobility, strength) limit well–being especially in very old age.
TL;DR: In this paper, a model of inter-group helping relations is proposed, which suggests that when the high status group provides to the low status group dependency oriented help, it may do so in order to establish dominance.
Abstract: The article presents a model which proposes that groups may establish or challenge dominance through helping. It begins by noting the centrality of inequality in helping and inter–group relations. The implications of this to affirmative action programs are noted. Following this, a model of inter–group helping relations is proposed. It suggests that when the high status group provides to the low status group dependency oriented help, it may do so in order to establish dominance. The willing receptivity of the low status group may indicate its acceptance of the inequality, and lack of receptivity for such help may be motivated by the desire to achieve social equality. Empirical findings that are relevant to this analysis are presented in studies using Israeli students as research participants.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue for the conceptual independence of differentiation among social category members and personalized interaction (self-disclosure and self/other comparison) with category members, and a hypothetical experiment is presented to illustrate the independent operationalization of the two constructs.
Abstract: The article discusses theoretical issues regarding the generalization of positive intergroup contact. It contrasts the models of Brewer and Miller (1984), Hewstone and Brown (1986), and Gaertner and Dovidio (2000). It elaborates the conceptual meaning of key concepts: intergroup salience, typicality of an outgroup member, decategorization, differentiation, and personalization. In particular, the article argues for the conceptual independence of differentiation (individuation) among social category members and personalized interaction (self-disclosure and self/other comparison) with category members. A hypothetical experiment is presented to illustrate the independent operationalization of the two constructs. Stronger benefits are expected for the latter. Whereas the benefits of differentiation primarily rest on cognitive effects, personalization also has motivational consequences: justifying one’s self-disclosure and inducing increased trust.
TL;DR: This paper conducted semistructured interviews with 38 participants in white racist Internet chat rooms, examining the extent to which people would, in this unique environment, advocate interracial violence in response to purported economic and cultural threats.
Abstract: We conducted semistructured interviews with 38 participants in White racist Internet chat rooms, examining the extent to which people would, in this unique environment, advocate interracial violence in response to purported economic and cultural threats. Capitalizing on the anonymity and candor of chat room interactions, this study provides an unusual perspective on extremist attitudes. We experimentally manipulated the nature and proximity of the threats. Qualitative and quantitative analyses indicate that the respondents were most threatened by interracial marriage and, to a lesser extent, Blacks moving into White neighborhoods. In contrast, job competition posed by Blacks evoked very little advocacy of violence. The study affords an assessment of the advantages and limitations of Internet-based research with clandestine populations.
TL;DR: The authors argue that the general conclusions about the social effects of new communications media have been turned upside down and propose that these media may actually strengthen social bonds but also reinforce power inequalities, employing the social identity model of de-individuation effects.
Abstract: The rush to judgment about the social effects of the new communications media has branded them as positive and negative in equal measure Alienation from "real world" relationships coupled with a lack of social regulation within the medium is balanced by liberation from the influences, inequalities, and identities to which people are subjected in face-to-face interaction We argue that such general conclusions may in fact be turned upside down and propose that these media may actually strengthen social bonds but also reinforce power inequalities Reviewing evidence of our research with university students, employing the social identity model of deindividuation effects, we show how these technologies can often be more "social," and socially regulated, than face-to-face interaction
TL;DR: The authors examined the costs of self-esteem for the self, in terms of competence, relatedness, and mental health, and for others, and found that external contingencies of selfworth require validation from others and are unreliable as a basis of selfesteem, and hence are associated with greater costs.
Abstract: Americans are deeply engaged in the pursuit of self-esteem, attempting to satisfy contingencies or criteria for what makes a person worthwhile. In this article, I examine the costs of this pursuit of self-esteem for the self, in terms of competence, relatedness, and mental health, and for others. I hypothesize that external contingencies of self-worth require validation from others and are unreliable as a basis of self-esteem, and hence are associated with greater costs. Data from a longitudinal study of an ethnically diverse sample of 642 college freshman support the view that contingencies of self-worth shape how students spend their time, and the prediction that external contingencies of self-worth, especially appearance, have high costs for stress, aggression, drug and alcohol use, and symptoms of disordered eating. The pursuit of self-esteem has become a central preoccupation in our society. Self-help books advise us how to achieve high self-esteem, child rearing guides tell us how to raise children with high self-esteem, schools devote aspects of their curriculum to raising children’s self-esteem, and most people organize their lives, in part, around seeking out or avoiding activities, situations, and people to protect, maintain, and enhance their self-esteem (Miller, 2001). In this article, I consider the costs of this pursuit. I have four goals: first, to consider what previous research
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine how people negotiate via e-mail and in particular, how the process and outcomes of e-negotiations differ from those of traditional face-to-face bargaining.
Abstract: In this review article, we examine how people negotiate via e-mail and in particular, how the process and outcomes of e-negotiations differ from those of traditional face-to-face bargaining. We review the key tasks of negotiation and then undertake a review of the research literature that has examined e-negotiations. We outline four theories of interaction that provide insights about social behavior in e-media: rapport building, social contagion, coordination, and information exchange. Our research program has focused on the interpersonal factors and social identity factors that can enhance the quality of e-negotiations. E-negotiators often succumb to the temporal synchrony bias, the burned bridge bias, the squeaky wheel bias, and the sinister attribution bias. We discuss social psychological factors that can reduce these biases and the future of research on e-negotiations.
TL;DR: In this article, Levin and McDevitt reanalyze 169 Boston police case files that were originally studied in order to provide empirical grounding for the typology of hate crime offender motivations.
Abstract: Little research has been conducted to determine the motivations of hate crime offenders. This article builds on an earlier work of J. Levin and McDevitt (1993) in which a typology of offender motivations was first articulated. We reanalyze 169 Boston police case files that were originally studied in order to provide empirical grounding for the typology. In this updated study, characteristics of the three original motives—thrill, defensive, and mission—are examined in relation to a new category: retaliatory motivation. In addition, the article addresses the issue of levels of culpability in explaining the most appropriate sanctions for certain kinds of hate offenders.
TL;DR: In this article, a model of stocks and flows is described as applicable to the analysis of well-being, and the concept of resilience is proposed as important for research on wellbeing in relation to age.
Abstract: Well–being, or quality of life, is a continuing goal for individuals and a major criterion for the evaluation of governments and societies. As a research concept, however, it has been marked by persisting problems of definition and measurement and by uncertainties about its changing pattern over the life course. In this article, these issues are discussed; the concept of well–being is “unpacked” and a model of stocks and flows is described as applicable to the analysis of well–being. Finally, the concept of resilience is proposed as important for research on well–being in relation to age.
TL;DR: A review of the studies reported in this issue suggests that the Internet may have had less impact on many aspects of social life than is frequently supposed as discussed by the authors, and the policy implications of increasing Internet use may be less than is often believed.
Abstract: Although there has been a tremendous amount of discussion in the popular press about how the Internet is changing all facets of social life, research on the impact of the Internet is only beginning to emerge. A review of the studies reported in this issue suggests that the Internet may have had less impact on many aspects of social life than is frequently supposed. In many cases, the Internet seems to have created a new way of doing old things, rather than being a technology that changes the manner in which people live their lives. As a consequence, the policy implications of increasing Internet use may be less than is often believed.
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors found that rural oldest old are significantly more active in daily living than urban oldest old; adaptation is perhaps the major explanation of this difference, while female older old are seriously disadvantaged in functional capacities and self-reported health as compared with their male counterparts.
Abstract: This study is based on survey data from a sample of 8,805 elders aged 80–105 in 22 provinces of China. Rural oldest old are significantly more active in daily living than urban oldest old; adaptation is perhaps the major explanation of this difference. Female oldest old are seriously disadvantaged in functional capacities and self–reported health as compared with their male counterparts. Percentages of being active in daily living, having good physical performance, normal cognitive function and well–being drop dramatically from age 80–84 to 100–105. Proportion reporting satisfaction in current life, however, remains almost constant from age 80–84 to 90–94 and declines slightly afterwards. This may suggest that being more positive in self–feeling of life is one of the secrets of longevity.
TL;DR: In this article, a conceptual framework for the understanding of public service that allows for the incorporation of sociological themes of organizational structure and institutional power is proposed, using examples from research on health care workers.
Abstract: In this chapter we offer a conceptual framework for the understanding of public service that allows for the incorporation of sociological themes of organizational structure and institutional power. We build on sociological conceptualizations of the self found in role identity theory, using examples from research on health care workers to show how role identities and organizational structures can both limit and enhance the likelihood of principled dissent. Finally, we extend our theoretical framework to better understand how community service is employed to address the structural sources of social problems.
TL;DR: It is confirmed that people age with differing degrees of success and those aging most successfully not only live longer, but also experience a better quality of life.
Abstract: Wide variation in the experience of aging is increasingly recognized and models for identifying groups based on how “successfully” individuals are aging have taken many forms. This study used the criteria developed in the MacArthur studies on successful aging to identify subgroups with higher, intermediate, or lower levels of function, and to compare them across a range of other domains. Data were drawn from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ALSA) in Adelaide, Australia, which is a population–based, bio–psycho–social study of a cohort of 1947 adults aged 70 years or more. Six waves have been conducted, between 1992 and 2000. At waves 1 and 3, an extensive personal interview and self–complete questionnaires were administered and objective physical and psychological functioning assessed. Eight–year mortality was also examined. Results showed risk and protective effects of successful aging for physical functioning and performance, lifestyle, cognition, affect, and personality. The findings confirm that people age with differing degrees of success and those aging most successfully not only live longer, but also experience a better quality of life. The MacArthur model proved useful for this cross–national comparison of determinants and outcomes of “successful” aging.
TL;DR: This article examined how people experience hate speech and assessed people's perceptions regarding both the antecedents and outcomes of such expression targeted at Jews and homosexuals, and found that the most common response strategies were passive and participants often sought support.
Abstract: This study examines how people experience hate speech. Specifically, it assesses people’s perceptions regarding both the antecedents and outcomes of such expression targeted at Jews and homosexuals. One hundred twenty university students read (and in some cases also supplied) real-life epithets aimed at their social identity and then provided an assessment of their (a) perceived short- and long-term consequences, (b) understanding of the motive behind the message, (c) response to the sender, and (d) response to the message in terms of soliciting social support. A content analysis of the accounts produced the following patterns: (a) short- and long-term consequences mirrored a three-stage sequence found within other traumatic experiences; (b) respondents described motives as enduring, not situational, states; (c) the most common response strategies were passive; and (d) participants often sought support. The discussion focuses on implications for interventions that may mitigate negative consequences of hate speech.
TL;DR: This article provided an overview of the context and content of this issue devoted to hate crime, highlighting the origins of hate crime and the harm that it creates, and the victims' and society's response to hate crimes.
Abstract: This article provides an overview of the context and content of this issue devoted to hate crime. Working definitions of hate crime and hate speech are situated within the broader context of intergroup relations, prejudice, aggression, and law and social policy. Theory and research from social psychology, criminology, and legal studies are utilized to describe this context. We present summaries of the multidisciplinary contributions to this issue and note how these articles emphasize the origins of hate crime, the harm that it creates, and victims' and society's response to hate crime. They also highlight tensions between the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Finally, we note the interrelationships among these contributions and discuss the policy implications that arise from their analyses.
TL;DR: The concept of social capital reflects the norms and social relations embedded in the social structure of societies that enable people to coordinate community action to achieve desired goals as discussed by the authors, focusing on the role that norms of cooperation and civic and political culture play in addressing the "digital divide" in computer use and Internet access.
Abstract: The concept of social capital reflects the norms and social relations embedded in the social structure of societies that enable people to coordinate community action to achieve desired goals. Our research focuses on the role that norms of cooperation and civic and political culture play in addressing the "digital divide" in computer use and Internet access. We review evidence from mail surveys of randomly selected respondents in two rural Minnesota communities as well as qualitative focus group and archival evidence suggesting that the communities have adopted different approaches to technology diffusion. Whether information technology is viewed as a public or private good depends in part on the civic culture of a community.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined gender differences in social relations and resource deficits in France (N= 553), Germany (N = 516), Japan (n = 491), and the United States (n= 514) and found that women are more likely than men to experience widowhood, illness and financial strain.
Abstract: This article examines gender differences in social relations and resource deficits in France (N= 553), Germany (N= 516), Japan (N= 491), and the United States (N= 514). These data, from regionally representative samples, indicate few gender differences in quantity or quality of social relations, but that women are more likely than men to experience widowhood, illness, and financial strain. In all countries, more deficits and more negative social interactions are associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Interestingly, among women in France and Japan but not among men in any country, quality of social relations offsets the negative consequences of resource deficits. Findings suggest that quality of social relations may have important implications for helping people, particularly women, cope with resource deficits common in late life.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors conducted a longitudinal study with 2,302 older Dutch adults (aged 60 to 85) who live on their own and found a positive effect of good health on the personal network size and the instrumental support given.
Abstract: A negative effect of good health on the instrumental support received can be viewed as an effect of the mobilization of helpers. A positive effect of good health on the personal network size and the instrumental support given demonstrates that people in poor health have difficulty actively maintaining their relationships. Furthermore, the support received and given is positively related to the support given and received in the past. In four waves of a seven-year longitudinal study, personal interviews were conducted with 2,302 older Dutch adults (aged 60 to 85) who live on their own. The hypotheses have been confirmed. An implication is that investing in relationships by giving support might pay off in times of need. Individuals enter and leave a variety of roles throughout their lifetime, and each role is accompanied by a specific set of personal relationships as Kahn and Antonucci (1981) have illustrated in their metaphor of the convoy network. In old age, one’s personal network reflects the transitions earlier in life affecting the opportunities and individual choices to maintain and develop relationships. These life course differences not only produce differences in the networks of older adults, they affect the dynamics of these networks as well (Schulz & Rau, 1985; Stueve & Gerson, 1977). In old age, the process of making and losing personal relationships goes on, leading to changes in the size, composition and functioning of the network.
TL;DR: This article used field observations and 100 in-depth interviews with participants recruited from public places in Northern California to study the experience of being the target of racist and sexist hate speech in public places.
Abstract: Using field observations and 100 in-depth interviews with participants recruited from public places in Northern California, this article documents the experience of being the target of hate speech in public places. Focusing on racist and sexist hate speech (as participants define the phenomenon), I show that there is a range of experiences with hate speech and that it is often quite subtle, leaving all but intended victims unaware that it occurs. These data also show that such interactions occur with regularity and leave targets harmed in significant ways. There can be little doubt that members of traditionally disadvantaged groups face a strikingly different reality on the street than do members of privileged groups. Although the legal status of hate speech remains ambiguous, its harms are not.
TL;DR: The Internet is only 10 years old, but it has already had a great impact on the world as discussed by the authors, and our knowledge of the Internet across a variety of social science perspectives has now accumulated to where we have a good initial picture of how the Internet really is (or isn't) affecting social life.
Abstract: The Internet is only 10 years old, but it has already had a great impact on the world. In its "early " days, it was both heralded as a liberating force for the spread of democracy and condemned as a grave threat to the social fabric. However, as the present articles indicate, our knowledge of the Internet across a variety of social science perspectives has now accumulated to where we have a good initial picture of how the Internet really is (or isn't) affecting social life One theme stands out: These effects depend on how the unique qualities of Internet communication modes interact with the particular characteristics and goals of the individuals, groups, and communities using them.