Showing papers in "Journal of Social Issues in 2011"
TL;DR: In this article, a web-based survey of members of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science tested a model that proposed that the effects of science support experiences on commitment to science careers would be mediated by science self-efficacy and identity as a scientist.
Abstract: A web-based survey of members of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science tested a model that proposed that the effects of science support experiences on commitment to science careers would be mediated by science self-efficacy and identity as a scientist. A sample of 327 undergraduates and 338 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows described their science support experiences (research experience, mentoring, and community involvement); psychological variables (science self-efficacy, leadership/teamwork self-efficacy, and identity as a scientist); and commitment to pursue a career in scientific research. Structural equation model analyses supported our predictions. Among the undergraduates, science (but not leadership/teamwork), self-efficacy, and identity as a scientist fully mediated the effects of science support experiences and were strong predictors of commitment. Results for the graduate/postdoctoral sample revealed a very similar pattern of results, with the added finding that all three psychological mediators, including leadership/teamwork self-efficacy, predicted commitment.
451 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed that cultural intelligence is a critical leadership competency for those with cross-border responsibilities and tested this hypothesis with multisource data, including multiple intelligences, in a sample of 126 Swiss military officers.
Abstract: Emphasizing the importance of cross-border effectiveness in the contemporary globalized world, we propose that cultural intelligence—the leadership capability to manage effectively in culturally diverse settings—is a critical leadership competency for those with cross-border responsibilities. We tested this hypothesis with multisource data, including multiple intelligences, in a sample of 126 Swiss military officers with both domestic and cross-border leadership responsibilities. Results supported our predictions: (1) general intelligence predicted both domestic and cross-border leadership effectiveness; (2) emotional intelligence was a stronger predictor of domestic leadership effectiveness, and (3) cultural intelligence was a stronger predictor of cross-border leadership effectiveness. Overall, results show the value of cultural intelligence as a critical leadership competency in today's globalized world.
289 citations
TL;DR: It is indicated that having a mentor of one's own gender or race was felt to be important by many students, especially women and students of Color, and matching by race or gender did not affect academic outcomes.
Abstract: This study examined the extent to which science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students reported having had mentors of their own race and gender and the extent to which they have adopted the idea that matching by race and gender matters. The study also documented the effects of race and gender matching on three academic outcomes, self-reported grade point average, efficacy, and confidence, based on data collected from 1,013 undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars actively participating in MentorNet's online community. Analyses indicated that having a mentor of one's own gender or race was felt to be important by many students, especially women and students of Color. Students who had a mentor of their own gender or race reported receiving more help, but matching by race or gender did not affect academic outcomes. Key findings are discussed in terms of implications for future research and mentoring in the STEM fields.
269 citations
TL;DR: It is indicated that important structural differences exist between institutions in shaping students' interactions with faculty, and students at more selective institutions typically have less frequent, less personal interactions withulty whereas Black students at HBCUs report having more support and frequent interactions with Faculty.
Abstract: Faculty members play a key role in the identification and training of the next generation of scientific talent. In the face of the need to advance and diversify the scientific workforce, we examine whether and how specific institutional contexts shape student interactions with faculty. We conducted a mixed methods study to understand institutional contextual differences in the experiences of aspiring scientists. Data from a qualitative five-campus case study and a quantitative longitudinal study of students from over 117 higher education institutions were analyzed to determine how aspiring scientists interact with faculty and gain access to resources that will help them achieve their educational goals. Findings indicate that important structural differences exist between institutions in shaping students’ interactions with faculty. For example, students at more selective institutions typically have less frequent, less personal interactions with faculty whereas Black students at HBCUs report having more support and frequent interactions with faculty.
208 citations
TL;DR: The authors reviewed some of the major findings across these social science disciplines to identify points of synergy that can inform effective policy recommendations, including prejudice and stereotype threat, the role of social support, and the availability of options for identity development.
Abstract: A growing body of literature provides insight into the ingredients for academic success for underrepresented ethnic minority students at all points of the academic pipeline. Theory and research in developmental and social psychology, education, and sociology all point to the important role of identity for students’ academic success. The purpose of this article is to review some of the major findings across these social science disciplines to identify points of synergy that can inform effective policy recommendations. The review is structured around three points of convergence across disciplines: (1) prejudice and stereotype threat; (2) the role of social support; and (3) the availability of options for identity development. Reviewing these three topics sheds light on how the relation between identity and academic success must be understood on individual, relational, and institutional levels of analysis.
192 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors address the questions of how people make sense of and respond to globalization and its sociocultural ramifications; how people defend the integrity of their heritage cultural identities against the "culturally erosive" effects of globalization, and how individuals harness creative insights from their interactions with global cultures.
Abstract: In most parts of the world, globalization has become an unstoppable and potent force that impacts everyday life and international relations. The articles in this issue draw on theoretical insights from diverse perspectives (clinical psychology, consumer research, organizational behavior, political psychology, and cultural psychology) to offer nuanced understanding of individuals’ psychological reactions to globalization in different parts of the world (Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Mainland China, Singapore, Switzerland, United States, Taiwan). These articles address the questions of how people make sense of and respond to globalization and its sociocultural ramifications; how people defend the integrity of their heritage cultural identities against the “culturally erosive” effects of globalization, and how individuals harness creative insights from their interactions with global cultures. The new theoretical insights and revealing empirical analyses presented in this issue set the stage for an emergent interdisciplinary inquiry into the psychology of globalization.
163 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present data from an ongoing study of 127 heterosexual allies who have been visibly active in these efforts in the United States and suggest two major sets of ally motives: those rooted in fundamental principles (justice, civil rights, patriotism, religious beliefs, moral principles, and using privilege to positive ends) and those based on personal experiences or roles (professional roles, family relationships, valuing marriage, achieving closure on personal experience, transforming guilt, and anger).
Abstract: The literature on collective action in support of equality without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity has emphasized the role of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activists. Relatively little attention has been given to the role of members of the advantaged group, heterosexual allies who work for equality. This study presents data from an ongoing study of 127 allies who have been visibly active in these efforts in the United States. The findings suggest two major sets of ally motives: those rooted in fundamental principles (justice, civil rights, patriotism, religious beliefs, moral principles, and using privilege to positive ends) and those based on personal experiences or roles (professional roles, family relationships, valuing marriage, achieving closure on personal experiences, transforming guilt, and anger). The findings suggest that the concept of opinion-based groups holds promise for conceptualizing and mobilizing LGBT–ally collective action.
114 citations
TL;DR: This article showed that exposure to a commercial product that embodies symbols of two dissimilar cultures can enhance perceptibility of cultural differences and perceptions of cultural incompatibility and individuals may display defensive responses to cultural contamination of an iconic cultural brand when mortality concerns are salient.
Abstract: In globalized economies, people often encounter symbols of dissimilar cultures simultaneously. Research on the psychological effects of simultaneous exposure to dissimilar cultures is therefore strategically located at the intersection of globalization, culture, and psychology. In seven experiments, we showed that exposure to a commercial product that embodies symbols of two dissimilar cultures can enhance perceptibility of cultural differences (Experiments 2, 5, and 6) and perceptions of cultural incompatibility (Experiment 1). Furthermore, following simultaneous exposure to two dissimilar cultures, individuals may display defensive responses to “cultural contamination” of an iconic cultural brand when mortality concerns are salient (Experiments 3, 4, and 7). Finally, although we obtained a robust bicultural exposure effect across experiments, thoughtful elaboration about cultural complexities can attenuate this effect and its attendant defensive responses to “cultural contamination” (Experiments 5–7).
106 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined what factors may be related to resilience in these academic environments and found that past experience with discrimination, positive experience with female role models, family support, and general social support were associated with a greater sense of belonging to or desire to participate in the conference.
Abstract: Women who have academic careers in engineering have successfully navigated the social identity threats that prevent many other women from feeling that they belong in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. In this research, we examined what factors may be related to resilience in these academic environments. Female academics in engineering and nonengineering fields watched a fictitious conference video depicting either an unbalanced ratio of men to women or a balanced ratio. Subjective measures of identity threat were collected. Past experience with discrimination, positive experience with female role models, family support, and general social support were associated with a greater sense of belonging to or desire to participate in the conference. These variables all buffered negative responding to social identity threat. Implications are discussed for understanding resilience to social identity threat, particularly among women in engineering.
106 citations
TL;DR: In two longitudinal studies, at-risk Latino freshmen were mentored from fall to spring by upper division or graduate students from psychology and counseling majors and compared in the spring to an equivalent sample of nonmentored students (nonmentees) as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The goals of this research program were to develop, implement, and evaluate a mentoring program for Latino college freshmen and to identify processes that account for the effects of the program. In two longitudinal studies, at-risk Latino freshmen (mentees) were mentored from fall to spring by upper division or graduate students from psychology and counseling majors and compared in the spring to an equivalent sample of nonmentored students (nonmentees). In both studies, mentees showed improvement in psychosocial factors that underlie academic performance. In the second study, mentees decreased in depression and stress and were less likely than nonmentees be classified as being at risk for poor academic outcomes. The amount of mentor–mentee contact and the quality of the relationship contributed to positive outcomes for mentees. Results suggest that mentors are of value in alleviating psychosocial risk factors. Selecting at-risk students and using experienced peers as mentors make the program cost effective.
77 citations
TL;DR: The authors summarized a stigma-based analysis of anti-equality marriage laws and campaigns and found that being denied the legal right to marry because of one's sexual orientation is an instance of stigma.
Abstract: This article summarizes a stigma-based analysis of anti-equality marriage laws and campaigns. Three major themes are discussed. First, being denied the legal right to marry because of one’s sexual orientation is an instance of stigma. Second, being the target of stigma is stressful, and the political campaigns surrounding anti-equality marriage amendments are a source of heightened stress for lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals. Third, structural and individual manifestations of sexual stigma are interrelated; the initial enactment and continuing existence of anti-equality marriage laws depend on the opinions and actions of the voting public. Social psychological knowledge can be useful for understanding heterosexuals’ attitudes toward those laws. Building on findings from studies of prejudice and intergroup contact, suggestions are offered for future research on how individuals influence the opinions of their family and friends about marriage equality.
TL;DR: In a recent study, this paper found that the right to marry and exercising the right of same-sex couples to marry were associated with greater feelings of social inclusion among people in samesex couples.
Abstract: Much of the debate about marriage rights for same-sex couples has focused on material and legal benefits. However, some of the primary benefits of marriage equality for same-sex couples and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people might be psychological. The two studies presented draw on qualitative data from 19 same-sex couples in the Netherlands and 556 people married to same-sex partners in Massachusetts (United States). The right to marry and exercising the right to marry were associated with greater feelings of social inclusion among people in same-sex couples. The Massachusetts data find that White, male, high-income respondents reported greater feelings of inclusion than other groups. Individuals with more accepting families and people with more wedding guests reported more feelings of social inclusion. On a policy level, the social inclusion effect suggests marriage may have significant psychological benefits for same-sex couples.
TL;DR: The authors examined the consequences of the campaign associated with California's Proposition 8 on LGB individuals' well-being and personal relationships and found that participants reported experiencing both negative and positive emotions (e.g., anger, pride) and were particularly ambivalent regarding the effect of Proposition8 on relationships with friends, family, coworkers, and their intimate partner.
Abstract: When an anti-gay initiative is on the ballot, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals must contend not only with the tangible consequences if the initiative passes (e.g., a lack of rights) but also with the stress of the campaign itself. The current research examined the consequences of the campaign associated with California's Proposition 8 on LGB individuals’ well-being and personal relationships. LGB participants (N= 354) completed a survey in the 5 days before the 2008 election. In both quantitative results and open-ended responses, participants revealed much personal ambivalence. Participants reported experiencing both negative and positive emotions (e.g., anger, pride) and were particularly ambivalent regarding the effect of Proposition 8 on relationships with friends, family, coworkers, and their intimate partner. The campaign created opportunities for support but also opportunities for stigmatization and conflict. These results demonstrate the powerful effects that campaigns themselves, and not just outcomes, have on targeted individuals.
TL;DR: In this paper, the mediating role of emotions implicated in the multicultural experience was examined and it was shown that when individuals are dealing with apparent cultural contradictions upon encountering two cultures simultaneously, mentally juxtaposing dissonant cultural stimuli could lower positive affect or increase negative affect, which could induce a deeper level of cognitive processing of cultural discrepancies and inspire creativity.
Abstract: This research examines the mediating role of emotions implicated in the multicultural experience—creativity link. We propose that when individuals are dealing with apparent cultural contradictions upon encountering two cultures simultaneously, mentally juxtaposing dissonant cultural stimuli could lower positive affect or increase negative affect, which could in turn induce a deeper level of cognitive processing of cultural discrepancies and inspire creativity. Two studies compared dual cultural exposure versus single cultural exposure among bicultural Singaporeans (Study 1) and compared self-relevant (jointly presenting local and foreign cultures) versus self-irrelevant (jointly presenting foreign cultures only) dual cultural exposure among monocultural Taiwanese (Study 2). As in past research, dual cultural exposure promotes creativity, particularly if one presented culture is self-relevant. Further, this effect was mediated by a less positive or a more negative emotional state. These findings illuminate the underlying influence of emotions activated by simultaneous exposure to diverse cultures.
TL;DR: This article used the concept of "belonging" to analyze the underlying social values attached to marriage that position couples differently as citizens in South Africa and found that four out of 11 couples were married, whereas the rest were in various stages of either contemplating or rejecting marriage.
Abstract: In 1996 South Africa was the first country in the world to safeguard sexual orientation as a human right in its Constitution. Homonegativity is pervasive in Africa, including South Africa, with claims that, “homosexuality is unAfrican.” In interviews with 20 self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, and queer people living in South Africa, the participants spoke about how their identities were shaped by history, place, race, gender, and culture. Though they all recognized marriage as a powerful instrument in asserting their rights, it did not take the place of subjective commitment. Four out of 11 couples were married, whereas the rest were in various stages of either contemplating or rejecting marriage. I used the concept of “belonging” to analyze the underlying social values attached to marriage that position couples differently as citizens. A key issue concerned the tensions between values of “Whiteness,” Ubuntu, and the role of kinship in belonging in post-apartheid South Africa.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate whether exposure to the mixing of a foreign culture with one's heritage culture can evoke need for closure, a motive that engenders ethnocentric social judgments.
Abstract: Political theorists of globalization have argued that foreign inflows to a society can give rise to collective-identity closure—social movements aiming to narrow the in-group, and exclude minorities. In this research we investigate whether exposure to the mixing of a foreign culture with one's heritage culture can evoke need for closure, a motive that engenders ethnocentric social judgments. On the basis of a proposed identity threat mechanism, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to situations mixing foreign and heritage cultures would evoke need for closure for individuals with low foreign identification but not those with high foreign identification. An experiment with Hong Kong Chinese students varied linguistic and visual cues of Western and Chinese culture and found, as predicted, that exposure to mixed Western/Chinese conditions elevated need for closure for those low in Western identification but not those high in Western identification.
TL;DR: In this article, the social and psychological effects of same-sex marriage amendment campaigns and policies have been studied in an international, interdisciplinary, methodologically, and theoretically diverse collection of original empirical research articles that collectively address three broad questions.
Abstract: The political debates and policies related to the civil marriage rights of same-sex couples have psychological and social impacts on lesbian, gay, bisexual individuals and same-sex couples and also on their families, friends, and communities. The overarching goal of this issue was to significantly advance the previous sparse literature on these impacts. The result is an international, interdisciplinary, methodologically, and theoretically diverse collection of original empirical research articles that collectively address three broad questions: (1) What are the social and psychological effects of marriage amendment campaigns and policies? (2) How does civil marriage compare to other statuses for same-sex couples or marriage in other countries? (3) How do anti-gay initiatives affect heterosexual allies and intergroup relationships? Across the diverse approaches and populations that comprise this volume, findings converge in demonstrating that the denial of civil marriage rights is a significant public health issue with important policy implications.
TL;DR: The history of community self-surveys, popularized by Margot Haas Wormser and Claire Selltiz in the 1950s, brought together diverse community groups to examine racial injustice in their local contexts.
Abstract: Community self-surveys, popularized by Margot Haas Wormser and Claire Selltiz in the 1950s, brought together diverse community groups to examine racial injustice in their local contexts. A precursor to contemporary participatory action research, the self survey method provides evidence of SPSSI's long history of “engaged scholarship.” In this article, we resurrect this history and connect it to contemporary research in critical psychology that shares commitments to participation, methodological complexity, expanded notions of “expertise,” as well as social and political relevance.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the pursuit of intimacy in the form of intimacy-related personal projects among a sample of 431 LGB and heterosexual individuals and found that LGBs perceived more devaluation and barriers to achieving their intimacy projects than heterosexuals.
Abstract: Negative attitudes and discriminatory policies pertaining to same-sex relationships create social and structural inequalities, privileging heterosexuals’ abilities to achieve intimacy while impeding the intimacy-related pursuits of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. This study examined the pursuit of intimacy in the form of intimacy-related personal projects among a sample of 431 LGB and heterosexual individuals. LGBs and heterosexuals did not differ in how meaningful they rated their intimacy projects. LGBs perceived more devaluation and barriers to achieving their intimacy projects than heterosexuals. These differences were more pronounced at the macrosocial level (e.g., laws and policies). No significant sexual orientation differences were observed regarding participants’ job-related projects, highlighting the domain specificity of project devaluation and barriers. Results suggest that the pursuit of intimacy is highly meaningful for both LGBs and heterosexuals. Nonetheless, LGBs experience minority stressors specific to their relational pursuits from both interpersonal and macrosocial sources, including discriminatory laws and policies.
TL;DR: This article found that high risk Japanese students were more likely to persist on the challenging task upon being given negative feedback compared to being given positive feedback, and high risk students were also lower on levels of interdependence relative to low risk students according to explicit and implicit measures of self-construal.
Abstract: Due to economic structural changes in Japan, an increasing population of youthare“NotengagedinEmployment,Education,orTraining”(NEET).Wearguethatthis state of anomie is associated with a lack of motivation in conforming to inter-dependent norms. To illustrate this type of “deviant” motivation, we conducted astudy in which high- and low risk Japanese students were given either success orfailure feedback upon completing a challenging task. Low risk Japanese studentswere more likely to persist on the challenging task upon being given negativefeedback compared to being given positive feedback. This motivational pattern isconsistentwiththatoftheprototypicalJapanese(Heineetal.).Incontrast,theop-positepatternwasfoundwithhighriskJapanesestudents.Highriskstudentswerealso lower on levels of interdependence relative to low risk students according toboth explicit and implicit measures of self-construal.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed two interpretational mindsets that attenuate (transactional mindset) and agitate (categorization mindset) these culturally motivated responses, and concluded that while economic activities such as cross-border acquisitions can inadvertently evoke nationalistic reactions, it is possible to mitigate them or even encourage rational evaluations by influencing people's interpretational mindset.
Abstract: Cross-border transactions are often perceived by the general public as national threats instead of rational business deals. We propose two interpretational mindsets that attenuate (transactional mindset) and agitate (categorization mindset) these culturally motivated responses. Three studies were conducted in Singapore and the United States with various cross-border acquisition scenarios. As predicted, transactional mindset, which centers around cost–benefit calculations, nudged participants to evaluate the foreign acquisition more rationally and evoked fewer social–cultural considerations than categorization mindset, which focuses on categorizing and comparison procedures, and when no mindset was primed. Furthermore, the effects of categorization mindset are particularly strong when one perceives the two transacting parties as dissimilar and when he/she identifies closely with the local culture. We conclude that while economic activities such as cross-border acquisitions can inadvertently evoke nationalistic reactions, it is possible to mitigate them or even encourage rational evaluations by influencing people's interpretational mindset.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report evidence for the proposition that globalization provides particular information that people incorporate in forming their future societal perceptions, and suggest that future societal perception may play a constitutive role in the future of humanity, and that folk beliefs about globalization are a significant part of this process.
Abstract: Folk theory of social change (FTSC) is a generic knowledge structure that frames societal perceptions. According to FTSC, society develops from a traditional community where people are trustworthy though unsophisticated to a more sophisticated, but less warm-hearted modern society. People make future forecast about society within this generic structure while flexibly incorporating particular information about the past history and the present social trend. We report evidence for the proposition that globalization provides particular information that people incorporate in forming their future societal perceptions. We take an intranational perspective by examining people's beliefs about globalization (Study 1) and a cross-national perspective by comparing future societal perceptions in People's Republic of China, Japan, and Australia (Study 2). We suggest that future societal perceptions may play a constitutive role in the future of humanity, and FTSC and folk beliefs about globalization are a significant part of this process. © 2011 The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.
TL;DR: The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) has had official connections to the United Nations (UN) at two separate points in its history as discussed by the authors and has continued to bring a research focus to a range of projects at the UN aimed at improving global well-being.
Abstract: The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) has had official connections to the United Nations (UN) at two separate points in its history. In the period right after World War Two (1946–1960), SPSSI leaders were involved in the building of a global social science network through the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Otto Klineberg was heavily involved in creating connections between UNESCO and SPSSI. Changes at UNESCO as well as in academic research culture, combined with continued Cold War politics, minimized SPSSI's involvement at the UN throughout the 1960s and 1970s. By the mid-1980s, NGOs were increasingly a significant force in the UN through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). SPSSI has had NGO status since 1987 and was awarded consultative status in 1991, allowing the Society greater input at the UN. Since that time, SPSSI has continued to bring a research focus to a range of projects at the UN aimed at improving global well-being.
TL;DR: This paper examined the extent to which support from parents and friends was associated with academic achievement in high school, and found that adolescents who report higher levels of encouragement in ninth grade are more likely to enroll in courses and receive grades that make them eligible to attend California's public university system.
Abstract: Changes in adolescents' reports of social support from parents and friends were examined across the four years of high school in order to examine the extent to which support is associated with academic achievement. Results from 541 adolescents from diverse ethnic and immigrant generational backgrounds suggest that changes in encouragement from both parents and friends within individual adolescents are associated with concurrent changes in GPA. Between-person analyses indicate that adolescents who report higher levels of encouragement in ninth grade are more likely to enroll in courses and receive grades that make them eligible to enroll in California's public university system. Both GPA and eligibility, in turn, were associated with higher rates of enrollment in a college or university two years after high school. Many of these findings varied according to ethnicity and immigrant generation, reinforcing the importance of understanding the extent to which adolescents from diverse backgrounds have access to the information and support that is necessary to take advantage of the post-secondary educational system.
TL;DR: The authors discuss the critical role that psychological theory plays in understanding reactions to globalization, and in turn, how globalization research provides a new context that challenges, refines, and extends psychological theory.
Abstract: A psychological perspective has been largely absent in the multidisciplinary discourse surrounding globalization. In this commentary, we highlight the unique contributions that the articles in this special issue have made in advancing a new psychological science of globalization. We discuss the critical role that psychological theory plays in understanding reactions to globalization, and in turn, how globalization research provides a new context that challenges, refines, and extends psychological theory. We offer suggestions as to how psychology can take an active role in the future of globalization research, in particular in specifying the psychological dimensions on which globalization is construed (e.g., morality, power) and the implications these construals have for reactions to globalization. Building on research discussed in this special issue on psychological dynamics involved in responses to globalization, we offer some observations on factors that might play a role in positive and negative reactions to globalization. Contributors to this volume have collectively paved the way for a new frontier
TL;DR: This paper carried out two cross-regional studies to examine lay people's perception of globalization and its related concepts, as well as lay people appraisal of the social impacts of globalization, and found that participants in all four regions (the United States, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) perceived globalization to be related to but not synonymous with modernization, Westernization, and Americanization; they used international trade versus technology, and globalization of consumption versus global consequences as the dimensions to categorize globalization-related issues; and perceived globalization had stronger positive effects on people's competence than on
Abstract: As a first step to establish social psychology of globalization as a new area of investigation, we carried out two cross-regional studies to examine lay people's perception of globalization and its related concepts, as well as lay people's appraisal of the social impacts of globalization. The participants were undergraduates from regions with markedly different experiences with globalization (the United States, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong). Despite regional differences in experiences with globalization, cross-regional similarities were found in the way globalization-related issues were classified and how their social impacts were evaluated. Participants in all four regions (1) perceived globalization to be related to but not synonymous with modernization, Westernization, and Americanization; (2) used international trade versus technology, and globalization of consumption versus global consequences as the dimensions to categorize globalization-related issues; and (3) perceived globalization to have stronger positive effects on people's competence than on their warmth.
TL;DR: In the early 1970s, the focus in the field was entirely on the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the theoretical tools were quite limited, and the scholars were all of European-American heritage as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: I am delighted to write the commentary for this very rich set of papers. It is wonderful to have such a diverse set of papers together in one volume. When I began my work on this topic in the mid 1970s, the focus in the field was entirely on the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the theoretical tools were quite limited, and the scholars were all of European-American heritage. These papers illustrate how far this area of study has advanced along each of these dimensions.
TL;DR: This article explored the experiences of family members of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals following the 2006 November election in the United States and found that family members in states that passed a constitutional amendment to restrict marriage recognition reported greater exposure to negative media messages about LGB individuals and greater negative affect related to the amendments than family members living in non-pass states.
Abstract: This study explored the experiences of family members of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals (N= 198) following the 2006 November election in the United States Family members in states that passed a constitutional amendment to restrict marriage recognition (PASS) reported greater exposure to negative media messages about LGB individuals and greater negative affect related to the amendments than family members living in non-PASS states Family members in PASS states reported similar exposure to negative media and affect but less stress than LGB PASS individuals (N= 361) Analysis of responses to an open-ended question about feelings about marriage amendments revealed 6 themes, including concern for the safety and well-being of LGB family members and negative impact on family Overall, findings suggest that family members may experience increased concern for LGB family members during policy initiatives aimed at LGB individuals Social justice implications for family members are discussed
TL;DR: The authors found that knowledge about China and prejudice against the Chinese people and the Chinese government would mediate the relationship between contact and media exposure on the one hand, and U.S. China policy preferences on the other.
Abstract: Globalization affords greater opportunities to learn about foreign peoples than in the past. What impacts do interpersonal contact, media exposure to and knowledge about China have on the American people's China policy preferences? Two large surveys of U.S. citizens were conducted in the summers of 2008 and 2009 to explore whether knowledge about China and prejudice against the Chinese people and the Chinese government would mediate the relationship between contact and media exposure on the one hand, and U.S. China policy preferences on the other. Results show that while knowledge played the expected mediating roles between contact and media exposure on the one hand, and prejudice against the Chinese people on the other, greater knowledge of China was actually associated with greater negativity toward the Chinese government, which in turn contributed to desires for tougher China policies. Both media exposure and interpersonal contact thus had mixed effects on China policy preferences.