Journal of Applied Social Psychology

doi: 10.1111/jasp.12395pmid: N/A

Tagler, Michael J.; Stanko, Kathleen A.; Forbey, Johnathan D.

doi: 10.1111/jasp.12411pmid: N/A

Poor and insufficient sleep causes physical, cognitive, emotional, and social impairments. Unfortunately, little is known about the social‐cognitive predictors of daily sleep habits. The current study examined if sleep hygiene could be predicted using the Reasoned Action Model (Fishbein & Ajzen, ). Across four studies, the model performed well for the prediction of intentions (R2s = .63–.75), and also significantly predicted both self‐reported (R2 = .15) and actigraphy‐recorded sleep duration (R2 = .11). The results from these studies support the further use of the model toward the goal of designing effective sleep hygiene interventions.

Wormwood, Jolie Baumann; Neumann, Anna E.; Barrett, Lisa Feldman; Quigley, Karen S.

doi: 10.1111/jasp.12412pmid: N/A

Three studies examine the impact of an anger manipulation on threat perception among Northeastern University students after the Boston Marathon bombings. Data collection for one experiment began within 24 hours of the bombings. Results suggest that the impact of anger on threat perception differed during the week of the bombings compared to 1 and 5 months later. During the week of the bombings only, participants experiencing anger were less sensitive to the distinction between threats and nonthreats, and more biased toward perceiving all stimuli as threatening relative to control participants. We discuss potential mechanisms for these effects and the need for more rapid response research in the wake of incidents of mass violence.

Guarino, Sarah N.; Whitaker, Victoria L.; Jundt, Dustin K.

doi: 10.1111/jasp.12414pmid: N/A

To conserve resources, organizations are increasingly turning to learner‐guided training methods in which workers are given control over when, how, and what they cover in the learning process. However, the impact of individual differences such as goal orientation and cognitive ability has not been adequately addressed in learner‐guided training. This study seeks to advance our knowledge of how these differences affect performance through previously unexplored pathways. Specifically, we examined the indirect effects of mastery goal orientation and cognitive ability on post‐training performance in a learner‐directed training context. Findings indicate that off‐task thoughts mediate the positive effect of mastery goal orientation on post‐training performance, while declarative knowledge mediates the positive effect of cognitive ability on post‐training performance.

Bathish, Ramez; Best, David; Savic, Michael; Beckwith, Melinda; Mackenzie, Jock; Lubman, Dan I.

doi: 10.1111/jasp.12420pmid: N/A

This study explored the role of social network and social identity factors in recovery from addiction. The sample consisted of 537 individuals who completed a survey about their experiences of recovery. Results indicated that the transition from addiction to recovery was characterized by an increase in social connectedness and changes in social network composition coupled with the emergence of a “recovery” identity. These factors accounted for 14% of the variance in quality of life when controlling for known predictors, accounting for a greater proportion of variance than substance use variables. Results suggest that recovery from addiction can be understood as a socially mediated transition characterized by social network and social identity change, which drive broader improvements in quality of life.

Kende, Anna; Tropp, Linda; Lantos, Nóra Anna

doi: 10.1111/jasp.12422pmid: N/A

Although intergroup friendships have been shown to reduce prejudice, little research has considered whether interventions fostering intergroup friendship would be effective in highly prejudicial contexts. We conducted a quasi‐experiment (N = 61) to test whether a contact‐based intervention based on intergroup friendship could reduce bias against Roma people among non‐Roma Hungarians. Participants in the contact condition engaged in a face‐to‐face interaction with a Roma person, and responded to questions involving mutual self‐disclosure. Through pre‐ and post‐test questionnaires, we observed significant positive change in attitudes and contact intentions among participants in the contact condition, while these effects were not observed among participants in the control condition. Positive change was moderated by perceived institutional norms, which corroborates the potential of contact‐based interventions.