Social Relations Lab

01/27/2023

PAID research opportunity:

Researchers at Mississippi State University's Social Relations Collaborative are seeking individuals currently in a romantic relationship.

The study will be conducted through an online survey and can be completed from any location.

Some participants may be selected to complete a brief follow-up survey 8-10 weeks after the initial survey. The initial survey is estimated to take 15 minutes. All participants will receive $10 in compensation for completing the initial survey. The follow-up survey is estimated to take 5 minutes. Participants will be provided an additional $5 for completion of the follow-up survey.

Individuals may be eligible to participate if they are:
- 18+ years old
- Native English speakers
- And, if their romantic partner and a close friend they go to for romantic relationship advice are also willing to participate in the study.

The friend in the relationship, the close friend, and the romantic partner must consent to participate. The triad must be made up of three separate individuals.

For more information, contact:
Social Relations Collaborative
[email protected]

01/10/2023

Bring new life to your romance with the ABCs of chemistry

Breadcrumb Home News Character & Context Blog Better Living Through Chemistry Better Living Through Chemistry May 26, 2022 BY Harry T. Reis and Sonja Lyubomirsky Share Two users of an online-dating service, meeting in person for the first time, feel an instant spark of connection. Members of a strin...

12/19/2022

Think you know your type? Read the following article to learn how times of uncertainty (like a pandemic or financial insecurity) may change who you're attracted to and why.

Breadcrumb Home News Character & Context Blog Unpredictable Love Unpredictable Love Dec 9, 2022 BY Femke van Horen Share Are you single? Do you use dating apps when looking for a new partner? When using dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, many think they know they find a particular "type" attractive...

09/17/2020

Have you ever read about the Holocaust and thought to yourself, "How could those people have let that happen?"

A whistleblower has come forward to report cases of forced sterilization at ICE camps in Georgia. Throughout history, the bystander effect has explained why it can be easy for us to turn a blind eye to tragedies and human rights violations-- But there are also ways to combat the bystander effect.

On bystanders and border camps.

08/14/2020

It matters when POTUS shares disinformation. Here's why.

Written by Dr. Colleen Sinclair of the Social Relations Collaborative

Why it matters when Trump, in particular, shares misinformation

08/14/2020

Our fearless leader Dr. Colleen Sinclair has been featured on Psychology Today over the last month for a series on the spread of disinformation!

If you are curious about the psychological factors that have contributed to why misinformation has been so rampant during the Covid-19 crisis, she breaks down the confluence of factors here in the wake of Facebook removing over 7 million misinformation posts this quarter.

Psychological factors affect the spread of misinformation during crises.

07/16/2020

When the self is introduced in cognitive dissonance, humans will go to great lengths to quell the discomfort between their beliefs and their actions. Social psychologists Elliot Aronson and Carol Tavris explain how cognitive dissonance is problematic during the Pandemic, which has become politically charged.

The minute we make any decision—I think COVID-19 is serious; no, I’m sure it is a hoax—we begin to justify the wisdom of our choice and find reasons to dismiss the alternative.

07/08/2020

A throwback to happier, less anxiety-inducing times: The at a Facebook function at in
MSU Social Science Research Center Mississippi State University

07/06/2020

Mayer (1993) identified the three following criteria that toxic leaders throughout history have in common. They are:
1) indifference toward people's suffering, along with devaluation of people or groups of people, often to justify indifference or to legitimize the manipulation, exploitation, or abuse/killing of individuals and groups.
2) intolerance of criticism, and s/he will often take steps to suppress dissent often starting with devaluing and discrediting sources of criticism but can proceed to harassment, banishment, imprisonment, and killing.
3) a grandiose sense of national entitlement, such that that they accomplish their selfish goals under the pretense of patriotism convincing followers that what they are doing - which ultimately serves the leader - is really in the best interest of the nation at large.

Of course, these leaders do not exist in a vacuum, but come to power thanks to susceptible followers and conducive environments. Further, psychological assessments provide further insight into personality characteristics indicative of toxic leadership (for instance, low empathy and narcissism are already hinted at in the above criteria). But these are the basic three warning signs.
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1993-21395-001

-- Dr. Colleen Sinclair

Argues that there exists a symptom pattern that uniquely identifies a type of intentionally violent and dangerous national leader. Characteristics of the author's proposed dangerous leader disorder (DLD) include (1) indifference toward people's suffering and devaluation of others, (2) intolerance of...

06/30/2020

New research published in the American Academy of Political & Social Science outlines several of the contributors to fatal police shootings:

-Currently, a lack of psychiatric resources across the country force law enforcement agencies to be the sole response to mental health crises, as well as individuals with substance use disorders in crisis. Expanding community psychiatric services is one solution. However, time, distance, and cover training for police officers can also lead to better outcomes, as can better mental health services for officers (Pollack & Humphreys, 2020).

-New research from Zhao & Papachristos (2020) indicates that officers who have more complaints lodged against them than others are more likely to shoot than others, and that when those officers are transferred to new stations, the risk of officer-involved shootings will spread.

-'Scoop and Run' policies, where injured individuals are transferred to hospitals by officers when emergency medical response is delayed or would take too long, may increase the likelihood of survival for victims of police-involved shootings. As a bonus, institution of these policies can also help to improve trust between the police and the communities they serve (Jacoby, Reeping, & Branas, 2020).

-Red flag laws, which allow police to confiscate fi****ms from dangerous individuals, may also prevent these deaths (Sherman, 2020).

-"Practical drift," the practice of slowly drifting away from police training while on the job, can also contribute to fatal police shootings (Klinger, 2020).

For the rest of the issue:

Table of contents for The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 687, 1, Jan 01, 2020

06/24/2020

The Social Relations Collaborative urges Mississippi state legislators to dig deep, be courageous, and change the Mississippi state flag.
Kylin Hill deserves to play for a state that values his voice and experience.

11/21/2019

With the holiday season being right around the corner, today’s article discusses the relationship between gender self-concepts and gift-giving. The study used the Bem S*x Role Inventory to measure gender schemas in individuals as well as expressiveness—emphasis on harmony and emotions—and instrumentality, or emphasis on tasks and goals. The findings suggested that men and women, when imagining themselves in various gift-giving scenarios, differ in perceptions of their own gender-related personality traits and these self-perceptions changed in response to situational gender cues. Read further findings on men and women in gift-giving role interactions with those of same-s*x vs. opposite s*x here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225854365_Gift-giving_roles_and_gender_self-concepts