{"title":"Playing it down: the hidden game of income understating.","authors":"Xing Shu, Jianmin Zeng","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2026.2637773","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2026.2637773","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Income is a sensitive yet common topic in conversations. When asked about their income in daily scenarios, do people tend to understate it, overstate it, or state the truth? Across five main experiments and two supplementary studies (<i>N</i> = 939), we consistently observed an income understatement effect across 15 conversational contexts involving 11 types of interpersonal relationships. The effect emerged both when participants responded to hypothetical income scenarios (Study 1 and Supplementary Studies 1-2) and when they discussed their actual self-reported income (Study 2). Guided by the theory of Sensitivity about Being the Target of a Threatening Upward Comparison (STTUC), we identified concerns about others' envy and potential borrowing requests as key psychological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon (Studies 3-4), particularly under downward social comparison conditions (Study 5).</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147367081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Materialism amid uncertainty: how intolerance of uncertainty shapes value shifts before and during the pandemic.","authors":"Qing Yang, Yicheng Wang, Oscar Ybarra","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2026.2634739","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2026.2634739","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic's socioeconomic disruptions may have reshaped perspectives on the pursuit of material wealth (commonly referred to as materialistic values) in emerging adults, a developmental period sensitive to environmental influences. We examined materialism changes among individuals aged 17 to 23 using longitudinal data. Study 1 compared pre-pandemic (late 2019) and post-onset (late 2020) periods. Study 2 tracked changes during the pandemic (2022-2023). We also probed the moderating effect of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) on changes in materialism, considering the uncertain nature of the pandemic. Both studies revealed rising materialism, suggesting factors beyond the pandemic contributed to this trend. Crucially, longitudinal evidence indicated that IU moderated changes in materialism during the initial outbreak, but this effect was not observed in later stages of the pandemic. These findings highlight how uncertain situations interact with personality traits to shape value systems during global crises.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147345418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Navigating threat: the effect of social comparison on variety-seeking.","authors":"Xinyi Li, Hongyu Meng, Ying Yang, Kun Zhou","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2479787","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2479787","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although previous research has explored how social comparison influences types of consumer behaviors, little attention has been paid to the impact on variety-seeking. This study investigates how variety-seeking behavior serves as a compensatory tool for consumers to cope with the threats posed by upward comparison. Through four experimental studies, we find that upward comparison (vs. downward comparison) motivates consumers to restore their sense of control by engaging in more variety-seeking (Studies 1, 2, and 3). However, this effect is contingent on the type of relationship orientation. In competitive relationships, receiving information about someone else's excellence diminishes self-development, reduces the sense of control, and leads to an increase in variety-seeking. Conversely, in cooperative relationships, information about someone else's excellence helps achieve a desired goal, thereby weakening the impact of upward comparison on the sense of control (Study 4). The findings significantly contribute to the understanding of consumer behavior in the context of social comparison and have important implications for marketing strategy.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"188-203"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143659107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Moving ostracism research from the lab into daily life using experience sampling.","authors":"Christiane M Büttner","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572651","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2025.2572651","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ostracism is a common yet profoundly impactful everyday experience with severe consequences for the affected individuals. Traditional methods like experiments or surveys typically fall short in capturing the immediate effects of ostracism in daily life. Fortunately, advances in experience sampling methods, particularly through smartphone-based apps, allow for a more precise examination of ostracism as it unfolds in daily life. By integrating event-contingent and time-contingent experience sampling methods, researchers can now comprehensively study the frequency and impact of ostracism, variabilities in how individuals respond to ostracism, as well as the risk and protective factors involved in ostracism experiences. The findings hold significant potential for developing effective, personalized interventions against ostracism in various settings. In conclusion, the continued refinement and application of experience sampling methods will be essential for advancing our understanding of ostracism and addressing its harmful effects in everyday life.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":"166 1","pages":"47-60"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145851130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S C Rudert, L C Damp, C Kenntemich, J N R Möring, C M Büttner
{"title":"Beyond the target: source motivation and observer attributions in ostracism research.","authors":"S C Rudert, L C Damp, C Kenntemich, J N R Möring, C M Büttner","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572646","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2025.2572646","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ostracism research has largely focused on the role of the target. However, this perspective does not account for the significant roles played by two other parties in the dynamics of ostracism: the sources who decide to ostracize a target and the observers who may be uninvolved or side with either the target or the sources. Here, we argue that accounting for these two perspectives is important if one wants to arrive at a comprehensive picture of ostracism episodes. We present research on the reasons and motivations of the sources for ostracizing as well as research on factors that influence moral judgments and attributions of observers. Moreover, we suggest an agenda for future research that entails 1) linking the perspectives of targets, sources, and observers, 2) developing novel paradigms to study observers and sources, and 3) designing interventions that encourage sources and observers to detect and be mindful of the use of ostracism.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":"166 1","pages":"13-25"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145851142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Social exclusion, social support, and trauma.","authors":"Eric D Wesselmann","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572662","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2025.2572662","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Humans have an inherent need to forge stable and quality social connections. One key benefit of having social connections is obtaining social support for navigating traumatic or otherwise stressful events. Ostracism (i.e. being both ignored and excluded, Williams, 2009) and other forms of social exclusion rob individuals of the opportunity to receive social support and likely contribute to stress-related mental health concerns. My colleagues and I tested this premise in different stress-related contexts, ranging from college students struggling with potentially stigmatizing secrets to community members who have experienced various types of traumatic incidents (e.g., miscarriage, military combat). We examined the connections among perceived ostracism, social support, and traumatic stress. We also examined the complex dynamics of how social support can be both beneficial and harmful depending upon how it is expressed and received. Future research could examine chronic ostracism as a form of psychological trauma.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":"166 1","pages":"116-124"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145851201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Silenced and Seen: the Black Experience.","authors":"Eboni S Bradley","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572666","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572666","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The experiences of invisibility and hypervisibility have a strong presence in communities that are systematically oppressed and marginalized. Invisibility is viewed as a synonym for oblivious ostracism, implying that a person is deemed \"unworthy of attention\" within their social environment. In contrast, hypervisibility is being focused on more than is normative in that environment. Past research has found that both the experience of invisibility and hypervisibility threaten Black individuals' fundamental needs and lead to worse mood, with invisibility being more need-threatening. Additional research indicates that individuals who experience invisibility tend to use it strategically. Future research should continue to explore the nuances and potential overlaps of invisibility and hypervisibility across the stages of the Temporal Need-Threat Model. Additionally, future researchers should utilize diverse populations and technological advancements to understand the psychological and behavioral effects of invisibility and hypervisibility in other racial and ethnic groups.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"125-135"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145304009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ambivalent sexism and opposition toward public breastfeeding.","authors":"Alexander Jedinger, Miriam Feldhausen","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2523279","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2523279","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The study examines the impact of hostile and benevolent sexism on attitudes toward public versus private breastfeeding. According to ambivalent sexism theory, we hypothesized that hostile sexism would result in disapproval of public breastfeeding, while benevolent sexism would be linked to approval of private breastfeeding. A sample of 4,143 German adults completed questionnaires about their attitudes toward public breastfeeding, including general approval, acceptance of breastfeeding in different settings, and evaluative reactions to mothers breastfeeding in public. The results showed that the view of public breastfeeding was generally positive. Hostile sexism was consistently associated with opposition to breastfeeding, regardless of location. Contrary to expectations, benevolent sexism was negatively related to breastfeeding in private and public settings. These results emphasize the importance of addressing sexist beliefs to reduce prejudice and stigmatization of breastfeeding women.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"601-613"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Liking gap(s) in getting-acquainted interactions.","authors":"Susan Sprecher","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2576765","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2576765","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In first interactions, people often think about how much they like the other and how much the other likes them in return. Recently, a liking gap has been identified, which is the tendency for people to underestimate how much a new acquaintance likes them. With data from a compiled sample of pairs of strangers interacting for the first time, this investigation contributes to knowledge on how common it is to experience this perceived liking gap (versus no gap or an overestimation of how much one is liked). Also examined is an actual liking gap, the difference between how much people think they are liked by their interaction partner and how much the partner actually reports liking them in return. The liking gaps were found in the compiled sample and were robust across the individual studies and different conditions within the studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"650-655"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145349388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohamed Ismail Abdul Kader, Edward Morrison, Ana Gheorghiu
{"title":"I like to move it move it - static and dynamic cues in social perception.","authors":"Mohamed Ismail Abdul Kader, Edward Morrison, Ana Gheorghiu","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2580295","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2580295","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates the influence of static (BMI and anthropometric measures such as waist-to-hip ratio and shoulder-to-waist ratio) and dynamic cues (walking and dancing) on social perceptions of attractiveness, competence, and warmth. Using stimuli from 100 participants using motion-capture technology, including pictures (static), raw and motion-captured videos (dynamic), the research evaluates how these cues contribute to social judgments. Results indicate that both static and dynamic cues significantly influence perceptions, with dynamic cues (especially dancing) enhancing the ecological validity of judgments. Furthermore, the interplay between BMI and dynamic movement provides a richer context for understanding attractiveness and competence, highlighting the need to integrate both static and dynamic elements in social perception research.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"656-679"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145507598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}