The circumstances under which people are more likely to use their attitude certainty were examined. Across three studies, participants shared their attitudes on current topics (e.g. refugees). Then, attitude certainty was either measured or manipulated, depending on the study. Elaboration was assessed via need for cognition or manipulated after forming attitudes and certainty, just before the behavioural

Automated decision‐making systems have become increasingly prevalent in morally salient domains of services, introducing ethically significant consequences. In three pre‐registered studies (N = 804), we experimentally investigated whether people's judgements of AI decisions are impacted by a belief alignment with the underlying politically salient context of AI deployment over and above any general

This study revisits an alleged ‘sedative’ effect of intergroup friendship on minority support for social change. Focusing on support for political action and empowering policies among Indigenous minorities in Chile, we examine both friendship with majority Chileans and personal discrimination; we distinguish ethnic and politicized minority identifications as hypothetical processes connecting intergroup

When witnessing aggression, individuals often empathize more with victims than with aggressors, which may bias their perceptions and interpretations of the transgressions. However, the mechanisms underlying these biases remain poorly understood. Through two experiments, we investigated whether people's decisions to condemn aggressors are influenced by their predisposition to sympathize with the victim

The current research examines perceived ingroup strengths and their relationship with collective efficacy, generalized power, and resistance among Black Americans. Two studies investigated how different perceptions of ingroup strengths (e.g. collective resilience, ingroup solidarity, intergroup coalitions, ingroup resistance, and intergroup respect) were associated with generalized power perceptions

Understanding potential costs of social identity switching contributes to our knowledge of how people manage their various group memberships in a fast‐paced and interconnected world. Recent research demonstrates that people can switch between demographic social identities seamlessly. The current studies advance this research by (1) moving beyond demographic identities to identities that are not perceptually

We investigated the preregistered hypothesis that an optimistic bias in updating beliefs about climate change (i.e., integrating good news more than bad news) cross‐sectionally (NStudy 1 = 109) and longitudinally (NStudy 2 = 407) predicts self‐reported pro‐environmental behaviour (PEB). To test this, we employed an experimental task in which participants were presented with multiple climate change

Across both wealthy and non‐wealthy nations, research finds public support for wealthy countries taking greater climate action. However, it is unclear whether this is driven by a belief that wealthier nations have greater economic capacity to respond or a greater historic responsibility for causing climate change. We explore this idea in the context of climate aid policies, which direct support to

Many descendants of migrants feel belonging to both the national group and the ethnic minority group of their family (dual identity), but they often experience that majority members see them only as ethnic minority members. This could hamper their potential to improve intergroup relations. Because social networks tend to be homogeneous, having friends from a particular group could be interpreted as

We analyzed the effect of collective efficacy on mobilizing allies for Roma rights and the role of legitimizing ideologies and perceived discrimination as moderators. In an online experiment, pooling two samples of non‐Roma Hungarians (n = 397) and Spaniards (n = 339), participants were randomly assigned to a high (vs. low) efficacy condition and reported their perceived collective efficacy, collective

The contact hypothesis stipulates that contact between social groups can reduce intergroup prejudice, implying that contact changes people (i.e., within‐person effects). However, recent research suggests that more intergroup contact might simply be associated with less intergroup prejudice (i.e., between‐person effects). We explore primary but also secondary contact effects, whereby contact with one

Governments around the world fear a loss of social cohesion and a risk of harm to individuals and democratic processes that stem from politicization, polarization and radicalization. We argue that these processes of social influence provide the motivation for—but are not sufficient for—mobilization (the behaviour of engaging in collective action). To be able to collectively act, people require the

Emotional responses to anthropogenic climate change have attracted significant attention. People negotiate emotions through culturally available frameworks. This study, based on 18 focus group discussions, explores in detail three instances of how Norwegian youth engage affectively with climate change. Utilising affect and discourse theory, we conceptualise affective dilemmas as conflicts arising from

The stigma of incarceration contributes to the global reoffending crisis and remains a barrier to reintegration into receiving communities. Recent research suggests that the key to solving this problem may lie in shared transformative experiences. We tested whether the salience of such experiences can overcome stigma among members of receiving communities when they act as gatekeepers for formerly incarcerated

Existing research into values and relationship formation highlights the role of individuals' own values or value similarity between the parties. We consider the formation of functional relationships with professionals, which cannot be fully explained by documented value‐based mechanisms. Instead, we examine the role of professionals' values as perceived by others. We study two occupations that require

This paper explores the idea of a ‘golden age’ in social psychological research. I begin with ‘behavioural social psychology’—research that leverages the behavioural traces that are a product of the digital age. I argue that the ability to analyse digital visual data, natural language data, and smartphone and ambient sensor data, has made substantial contributions to the state of social psychological

We study the role of social status and neoliberal contexts on perceptions of social justice and their consequences for political behaviour in Latin America. While most literature measures these perceptions through personal assessments of income distribution fairness, we resort to a wider understanding including perceptions of fairness on access to fundamental rights. Using data from the Latinobarómetro

Confrontational collective actions are neither uncontrolled outbursts of initially pacifist resistance nor mere reactions to helplessness and lack of viable political options. Instead, they serve strategically determined purposes within the group, making them perceived as both effective and legitimate. Regardless of whether it is more or less confrontational, examining the role of efficacy and legitimacy

Ableism, encompassing discrimination and social oppression of disabled people, which results in their marginalization, persists as a significant global barrier to equity and inclusion. This paper explores how social psychological research can inform strategies to combat ableism by analysing the social processes that underlie ableist attitudes and actions. Social Identity Theory speaks to the role of

In three studies (N = 8775) including two pre‐registered experiments and a pre‐registered cross‐national replication across five countries, we tested whether intergenerational appeals that emphasize our responsibility to protect future generations can expand our moral circle to include distant future people within the boundaries of moral regard. Importantly, asking participants to roleplay as a leader

In addition to sources (e.g. scripture) that directly disseminate religious agents' minds (e.g. attitudes), an egocentric model suggests one's own mind may serve as a basis for estimating religious agents' minds. However, the egocentric model is rarely directly tested for inferences of religious agents' minds, and such tests have largely been limited to correlational methodologies, morally charged

Citizens in democracies are increasingly dissatisfied with democratic governance, distrustful of elected officials and view politicians as aloof and detached. We argue that this is, in part, due to the overrepresentation of elites in political office. We conducted four studies (N = 2009) in the U.K. focusing on the education sector. That is, we explore the impact of the overrepresentation of privately

The Roma—an ethnic minority group in Europe—continues to face high levels of discrimination. This research explores how the quality of contact between Roma and non‐Roma is associated with collective action participation for Roma rights in Spain. It examines non‐Roma as potential allies (Study 1; N = 239) and Roma (Study 2; N = 259), while considering the roles of social class, social identification

Nigeria has one of the largest youth populations in the world. Across three rounds of a total of 17 focus group discussions in and around Abuja (N = 115), we discussed the sociopolitical situation in Nigeria before and after the national elections in 2023. Participants spoke of the need for change, and in their future‐thinking, they positioned youth as key drivers for change. Through a narrative analysis

Awe is a self‐transcendent emotion generating a range of benefits at the individual and at the societal level. Yet, research within the domain of intergroup relations is scarce. Across three studies—two experimental and one cross‐sectional (total N = 2113)—we explored whether, how and for whom awe is negatively related to prejudice towards sexual minority group members (LGBT individuals) among sexual

The military is widely regarded as an extension and tool of government and society, and unreliable military behaviour during operations can have far‐reaching strategic and political consequences. Historically, literature has focused on the role of leaders in preventing disaster, emphasizing their traits, styles and attributes. Building on the Social Identity approach and High‐Reliability Organization

Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for one's past, confers important psychological benefits: positive affect, social connectedness, meaning in life, self‐continuity, self‐esteem, optimism, and inspiration. Is nostalgia equally beneficial in populations that have experienced a difficult upbringing? We explored boundaries of nostalgia's psychological benefits in an experiment among Gaza Strip youth (N

The war in Ukraine has deepened ideological divides, particularly in neighbouring countries such as Romania and Moldova. This study examines how pro‐Russian supporters in these nations construct narratives to sustain moral superiority while justifying the invasion of Ukraine. Drawing on Social Identity Theory (SIT) and theoretical models of social creativity and moral disengagement, we analyse how

Numerous studies have discussed the connection between social exclusion and prosocial behaviour, yet the conclusions have been inconsistent. We conducted a three‐level meta‐analysis on 83 effect sizes derived from 53 studies (N = 21,405). Overall, a significant yet weak negative correlation was found between social exclusion and prosocial behaviour (r = −.10, 95% CI [−0.17, −0.04]). Moderator analysis

Social identification and group norms have been identified as key social psychological determinants of engagement in protective public health behaviours, such as social distancing, in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Drawing upon both social identity and balanced identity theories, the research tests the utility of a Social Identity Model of Behavioural Associations (SIMBA)—which proposes reciprocal

Almost inherently, helping occurs between people with disparate resources. Consequently, the helping dynamic can reinforce power hierarchies, particularly regarding dependency‐oriented helping (that preserves the power hierarchy) rather than autonomy‐oriented helping (that may level power hierarchies). We posit that perceived social norms regarding helping disadvantaged groups affect the tendencies

Interindividual‐intergroup discontinuity refers to the finding that groups are more competitive than individuals. Research on this phenomenon has typically compared interindividual and intergroup interactions in mixed‐motive games where both players have equal power, neglecting power differentials that often characterize social interactions in everyday life. We had three key objectives. First, we tested

People may perceive economic inequality through moral lens, focusing on the unfair distribution of resources, or as a threat to their personal and social environment. This research examines how justice‐ and threat‐based concerns shape reactions to economic inequality. In Study 1 (N = 358), we identify elements of inequality perceived as unjust or threatening and explore how these are organized into

Prejudice is a pervasive problem that affects each and every one of us. Understanding how to reduce prejudice and promote better outcomes for both individuals and societies at large is an ambitious but essential task. For decades, social psychologists have theorized about and evaluated approaches to achieve just that, and there is one that stands out from the rest: facilitating intergroup contact,

System Justification Theory (SJT) proposes that members of disadvantaged groups perceive norms to express ingroup positivity. Adherence to these norms is assumed to result in open expressions of ingroup preferences on self‐report measures while being unrelated to ingroup preferences assessed with indirect measures. We tested these assumptions with members of three disadvantaged groups: participants

When individuals committed to a certain long‐term identity goal fall short of relevant activities, they experience the state of self‐incompleteness. This motivational state leads them to prioritize the identity goal pursuit by engaging in self‐symbolizing behaviours. The present research investigates whether inducing a deliberative mindset in incomplete individuals by offering a choice will lead to

Both psychology and historical studies have addressed the question of the diffusion of collective action events, although using very different methodological approaches and with differing concepts. In the present paper, we present a novel approach, combining historiographical research methods with analytic concepts from social psychology, to explore the psychological processes underlying riot diffusion

Research has documented the identity relevance of racism perception, such that White Americans tend to deny the prevalence of racism and inequality in the United States to a greater extent than do Americans from other ethnic‐racial groups. Across two studies (N = 971), we draw on temporal comparison theory to investigate how the identity relevance of such perceptions varies across past and future temporal

Research suggests that social fear of crime and prejudice towards minority groups may be linked. We investigated (Ntotal = 7712) whether prejudice towards a social group that is stereotyped as more criminal (refugees) is more strongly associated with social fear of crime than prejudice towards a group that is less (homosexual individuals); and whether prejudice predicts social fear of crime or vice

To examine how personal preferences and social norms can influence women's occupancy of organizational leadership roles, this research compared leadership roles that differ in their stakeholder focus on private profit (PP), producing gains for shareholders, or on purpose beyond profit (PBP), producing gains for the community and society. Consistent with the greater representation of women leaders in

Feeling positively connected to other people is a basic human need. If this need is threatened by feeling lonely, people might become more susceptible to conspiracy theories to help make sense of their surroundings. Simultaneously, conspiracy beliefs could lead to loneliness because they can strain existing relationships. Using two pre‐registered longitudinal studies, we investigated the reciprocal

A central issue in adoption research is understanding why some individuals adapt to their adoption experience while others face considerable difficulties. The social identity approach (SIA) offers a valuable framework for examining this. Recent research has increasingly shown that identifying with social groups can protect and promote well‐being. However, in the context of adoption, certain groups

Conspiracy theories and beliefs against LGBTQ+ people are a recurrent theme in the political agenda, depicting them as evil actors in a larger plot, seeking to undermine societal norms, institutions, and traditional values. Lessening LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs is crucial to reaching more social equality, and intergroup contact might represent a useful strategy. Study 1 (N = 253) investigated the associations

Social psychological processes related to identities and stereotypes—such as threat, belonging uncertainty, identity incompatibility and bias—can be ignited by features and practices in educational contexts, often further disadvantaging members of minoritised or underrepresented groups. Such psychological processes are consequential and predict hard academic outcomes such as attainment and progression

Conspiracy theories against outgroups (e.g., the Great Replacement Conspiracy [GRC]) are believed to fuel radicalisation. Two experimental studies with British and American samples (Ntotal = 1690) examined how different GRC narratives and political ideologies influence radical collective action against Muslims and ideologically opposed political elites. We predicted that the Muslim conspirator and

The way we use animals for human consumption, medicines, and entertainment causes problems for the environment, our health, and animal welfare. This research investigated an intervention aimed at reducing harmful attitudes and behaviours towards animals. As the underlying mechanism of prejudice towards animals is similar to human outgroup prejudice, we designed an intervention based on synthesized

A future time perspective is critical to domains where outcomes of choices are delayed and potentially catastrophic: such as with agriculture where management decisions today are critical to the viability of multiple outcomes in the future. Farmers are on the front lines of climate change where shifts in rainfall and temperature threaten the viability of crop production. This reality is compounded

When people think of a utopian future, what do they imagine? We examined (a) whether people's self‐generated utopias differ by how much they criticize, seek to change or escape from an undesirable present; and (b) whether these distinct types of utopian thinking predict system‐critical attitudes and intentions to change the status quo. Participants (N = 509) wrote about a future where a social issue

Previous research has relied on characteristics of relationship behaviours (e.g., choosing/avoiding intimacy) as evidence of prioritising potential rewards over the perceived risks (i.e., interpersonal risk tolerance). Across four studies (Ntotal = 1422), we drew from psychological risk–reward models of decision‐making to test whether perceived risks, benefits, and/or risk tolerance were associated

From the playground to the boardroom, social power profoundly shapes the way people think and behave. Social psychological research has offered a nuanced understanding of the diverse psychological and behavioural tendencies of powerholders. We add to this literature by proposing that powerholders also differ in how they construe the origin of their power. Specifically, we differentiate between perceiving

In two cross‐sectional and two experimental studies across both advantaged and disadvantaged group members (Ntotal = 1980 from two national contexts, UK and Italy), we explored if perceptions of group relative prototypicality may explain the association of positive and negative contact with collective action. Specifically, across studies, we investigated subgroup relative prototypicality with respect

In the European context, North African immigrants are often perceived as a threat to societal values and resources. Studies suggest that intersected identities (e.g., gay North African immigrant) may dilute the threat associated with one of those social categories (e.g., North African immigrant). However, the mechanisms underlying this dilution effect remain largely misunderstood. Three studies (NTotal

The impacts of extreme events can intersect with pre‐disaster systemic inequalities and deficiencies, exacerbating distress. This paper contributes to the existing literature by exploring the psychosocial processes through which stressors become traumatic during an extreme event. It does so by focusing on how mothers of children and/or adolescents in the United Kingdom experienced the COVID‐19 pandemic

This paper sheds light on how spaces become contested sites for identity construction and negotiation to take place. Applying the Social Representations Approach, a qualitative study of 10 focus group discussions (n = 39), was conducted in Singapore, Malaysia and the UK to explore how, and why racialised identity construction changed in each socio‐political context. The study challenged two underlying

We examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and endorsement of honour. We studied the SES‐honour link in 5 studies (N = 13,635) with participants recruited in different world regions (the Mediterranean and MENA, East Asian, South‐East Asian, and Anglo‐Western regions) using measures that tap into various different facets of honour. Findings from these studies revealed that individuals