{"title":"If I cannot bounce back easily, can I handle the truth? Satisfaction in romantic relationships, resilience and preference towards prosocial lies.","authors":"Sebastian Wnęk, Katarzyna Cantarero","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2607672","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2607672","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although honesty is vital for trust and stability, individuals in romantic relationships may sometimes favor deception over harsh truths. This study examines the relationship between relationship satisfaction, resilience, and the preference for hearing prosocial lies from a romantic partner. We hypothesized that prosocial lies may be positively linked to relationship satisfaction, especially for less resilient individuals who rely on positive feedback to manage stress. First, we piloted scenarios depicting prosocial and egoistic lies in romantic relationships. Next, individuals (<i>N</i> = 672) chose whether they preferred their partner to lie or tell the truth. Results showed that lower relationship satisfaction was associated with a greater preference for hearing prosocial lies. This association was mediated by perceiving truth as harmful at mean and high levels of emotional resilience, indicating that prosocial lies are less desired in satisfying relationships but preferred in strained ones.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"680-694"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145949419","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":"The effects of fear and hope appeals on climate change risk perception.","authors":"Ivana Vrselja, Mario Pandžić, Lana Batinić","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2026.2613250","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2026.2613250","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Some researchers suggest that fear can motivate climate protection measures by increasing risk perception. Others argue that fear-based messages can lead to avoidance or denial, making positive messages such as appeals to hope a more effective strategy. This study aimed to investigate whether textual appeals to fear are more effective than appeals to hope or neutral stimuli in increasing climate change risk perceptions and whether there is a difference between appeals to hope and neutral messages. This experimental study involved 233 university students (48.5% women) aged 18 to 33. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (fear, hope, and neutral), after which their risk perceptions of climate change were measured. A one-way ANOVA showed that there were no significant differences in risk perception between the three groups, suggesting that neither fear nor hope appeals were more effective than neutral stimuli in increasing risk perception of climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"815-827"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145946410","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}
Annika M Hansson, Stefanie Condello, Ardavan Khamisi, Daniel Talbot
{"title":"Tall orders online: social media engagement is associated with height dissatisfaction.","authors":"Annika M Hansson, Stefanie Condello, Ardavan Khamisi, Daniel Talbot","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2608305","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2608305","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Body dissatisfaction is a widespread concern linked to negative psychological outcomes. While much research has focused on dissatisfaction with weight and muscularity, dissatisfaction with height - an unchangeable trait - remains underexplored. We examined whether social media engagement and related cognitive factors predict height dissatisfaction. A sample of 332 Australian adults (72.89% female; <i>M</i><sub><i>age</i></sub> = 24.42) completed measures assessing height dissatisfaction, social media use, awareness of appearance-related social media content, internalization of appearance ideals, and sociocultural pressures.We found that shorter height, greater awareness of appearance-related content, stronger internalization of ideals, and higher sociocultural pressure were each associated with increased height dissatisfaction. Additionally, sociocultural pressure (<i>β</i>= .28, <i>p</i>< .001) and social media awareness (<i>β</i> = .15, <i>p</i> = .012) were unique predictors of height dissatisfaction. Last, an exploratory analysis of sex differences indicated that the link between social media awareness and height dissatisfaction was stronger among males. Findings highlight the role of sociocultural and digital influences in height-related body image concerns.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"789-798"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145946438","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}
Paolo Riva, Marco Marinucci, Alessia Telari, Luca Pancani
{"title":"Updating the temporal need-threat model of ostracism: challenges and future directions.","authors":"Paolo Riva, Marco Marinucci, Alessia Telari, Luca Pancani","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572648","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572648","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The temporal need-threat model of ostracism, developed by Kipling Williams, provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how ostracism - being ignored and excluded - impacts fundamental human needs over time. This manuscript critically examines the temporal dimension of this model by addressing three key questions. First, does chronic ostracism inevitably lead to resignation? This section explores the inevitability of resignation outcomes and the potential role of moderating factors. Second, do individual differences influence reactions across the model's three stages? This section investigates how personal traits may shape responses to ostracism, from reflexive reactions to long-term resignation. Third, how can the model be adapted to capture the specific features of digital ostracism? This section discusses the challenges and opportunities involved in applying the model to technology-mediated interactions. Ultimately, the manuscript advances theoretical and empirical understanding by refining the temporal structure of the model to account for both in-person and digital forms of ostracism.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"26-38"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145281426","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}
Dongning Ren, Olga Stavrova, Ilja van Beest, Eric van Dijk, Wen Wei Loh
{"title":"Investigating lived ostracism: valid causal inference requires articulating the causal estimand.","authors":"Dongning Ren, Olga Stavrova, Ilja van Beest, Eric van Dijk, Wen Wei Loh","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572657","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572657","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The field of ostracism research is witnessing a growing interest in understanding ostracism - being excluded and ignored - as a lived experience outside of the laboratory context. How do researchers draw valid causal conclusions about naturally occurring experiences of ostracism without relying on experimental designs? In this article, we draw on insights from the well-established causal inference framework to emphasize a critical step for strengthening causal rigor: stating the causal estimand. Using an intuitive example, we illustrate what a causal estimand is, how to define it, and why it matters. With this article, we encourage readers to think clearly about causal estimands before conducting any data analysis. This conceptual step holds the potential for enhancing the rigor and precision of research studying ostracism as a naturally occurring phenomenon.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"83-90"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145349393","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":"A message of gratitude to Dr. Kipling Williams.","authors":"","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572663","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572663","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"136"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145446327","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}
Konrad Bocian, Katarzyna Myslinska Szarek, Katarzyna Miazek
{"title":"Hypocrisy moderates self-interest bias in moral character judgments.","authors":"Konrad Bocian, Katarzyna Myslinska Szarek, Katarzyna Miazek","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2024.2393093","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2024.2393093","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Self-interest bias describes an observer's tendency to judge moral transgression leniently when they benefit from it. However, what factors moderate the self-interest bias is an open empirical question. Here, we investigated to what extent hypocrisy moderates the self-interest bias. Preregistered Study 1a (<i>N</i> = 194) and replication in Study 1b (<i>N</i> = 193) demonstrated that observers' interest impacts moral character judgments of hypocritical transgressors. This effect was explained by observers' goal attainment due to transgression (Study 2, <i>N</i> = 713) and agreement to aid observers' or ingroup interests (Study 3, <i>N</i> = 634). Importantly, transgressors' hypocrisy moderated the impact of observers' interests in moral character judgments (Studies 2 & 3). In summary, when judging hypocritical transgressors, peoples' moral character judgments tend to be biased by their or their group's interests. However, in comparison to non-hypocritical transgressors, this impact is less pronounced.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"279-294"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142113471","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":"Understanding partial ostracism across varied social contexts.","authors":"Maayan Dvir","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572658","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2572658","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Individuals can receive plenty of attention but still feel ignored. This paper expands Williams's work on ostracism - being ignored and excluded - by demonstrating that partial ostracism operates through different paths: inconsistent attention, selective inclusion, or superficial recognition that ignores essential aspects of a person's identity. I trace how partial ostracism research evolved from Cyberball's irregular inclusion to <i>out of the loop</i> informational exclusion. I then demonstrate how sexual objectification represents a form of partial ostracism where women feel ostracized despite receiving focused attention because the recognition centers on their appearance while disregarding their personhood. This challenges the previous assumption that receiving attention is the polar opposite to being ostracized. It also opens the possibility that partial ostracism manifests across diverse contexts, such as: inconsistent caregiving that forms anxious attachment or workplace tokenism that makes minority members hypervisible yet marginalized. These examples reveal the potential pervasiveness of partial ostracism in everyday social interactions, underscoring the importance of systematic investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"91-103"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145276321","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":"When empathy goes wrong: the perceived cost of empathy reduces empathic reactions to a friend.","authors":"Reina Takamatsu, Wenzhen Xu, Akiko Matsuo","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2480742","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2480742","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Empathy is susceptible to contextual cues that alter empathic reactions. When empathy is associated with unbearable discomfort, anticipated emotional pain, or financial burden, people tend to downregulate it. Reduced empathy has destructive consequences, but to date, the contextual antecedents of reduced empathy in close relationships due to perceived costs remain unexplored. In three studies (<i>N</i> = 733), we examined how the perceived cost of empathy influenced empathic responses toward close friends. When empathizing with a friend involved sharing negative emotions or where the friend hindered a valuable opportunity, participants consistently showed reduced empathy for friends. Moreover, they allocated less time to spend with their friends. These findings suggest that the perceived cost undermines empathic experiences in friendship. When people perceive a downside of empathy, their close friends may no longer be within the sphere of empathic concern.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"330-348"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143701787","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":"The fearful mind of artificial intelligence: fear and perceived existential threat of artificial intelligence as a function of its cognitive and emotional capabilities.","authors":"Michael B Kitchens, Brian P Meier","doi":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2503006","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224545.2025.2503006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The purpose of this research was to examine people's fear and perception of threat toward artificial intelligence (AI) as a function of various psychological features attributed to it. To investigate this, participants (Exp. 1, <i>N</i> = 206) read descriptions of AI with high or low cognitive and emotional capabilities. They were most (least) averse to AI described as having the strongest (weakest) of these capabilities (Exp. 1). Similarly, in Experiment 2, a representative U.S. sample (<i>N</i> = 686) was more afraid of and threatened by AI described as having equally strong cognitive and emotional capabilities than AI described as with weaker capabilities (weak cognition, strong emotion), but that pattern was reversed when the faculties were attributed to pharmacologically altered humans. These findings provide evidence for competing predictions about the configuration of these faculties to evoke negateve responses. Furthermore, they provide a novel test of these competing predictions applied to AI.</p>","PeriodicalId":48205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"423-436"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144041151","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}