https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Society for Personality and Social Psychology New research examines how social approval from different sources predicts relationship quality for intercultural couples. Researchers found that having supportive friends can be a powerful protective factor, especially when they face disapproval from family or society more broadly. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-friends-intercultural-couples.html Social Sciences Mon, 17 Nov 2025 09:00:02 EST news682332241 A new study from the University of Georgia and Brigham Young University demonstrates how attending live events can help combat loneliness and build social connections. The research, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, pinpoints specific characteristics of events that most effectively foster feelings of connectedness. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-events-foster-social.html Social Sciences Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:00:01 EDT news675069704 New research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science shows that awareness of economic disparity affects happiness, meaning, harmony and spiritual well-being. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-highlights-economic-inequality-undermines-individual.html Social Sciences Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:00:07 EDT news671699391 A new study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science examines how expressions of moral outrage on social media are linked to online activism, specifically petition-signing behavior. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-relationship-moral-outrage-social-media.html Social Sciences Fri, 09 May 2025 12:50:04 EDT news666012363 New research from the University of Rochester suggests that experiencing feelings of pride and awe toward one's children can significantly enhance parental well-being. The study, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, found that these positive emotions contribute to greater life satisfaction and stronger parent-child bonds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-awe-child-parenting-joyful-fulfilling.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 21 Apr 2025 09:00:01 EDT news664185661 New research in Social Psychological and Personality Science shows that white Americans living in counties with higher Black poverty rates are more likely to believe racial equality of opportunity exists, while attributing racial disparities to lack of effort. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-white-americans-areas-higher-black.html Social Sciences Thu, 03 Apr 2025 09:00:03 EDT news662888941 Abortion is murder—the emotive rallying cry popular with pro-life campaigners keen to convert others to their cause. But what if opposition to abortion isn't all about sanctity-of-life concerns, and instead at least partly about discouraging casual sex? https://phys.org/news/2025-03-pro-life-stance-driven-desire.html Social Sciences Mon, 17 Mar 2025 10:45:56 EDT news661427153 New research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science shows that when people understand how income inequality creates disparities in health care and education access, they become more likely to support policies addressing economic inequality. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-income-inequality-link-health-disparities.html Social Sciences Thu, 06 Feb 2025 09:00:01 EST news657972901 Research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science illuminates why liberals and conservatives often support different types of leaders. The study shows that these preferences stem from differences in moral priorities rather than mere partisan bias. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-links-moral-beliefs-leadership-political.html Social Sciences Thu, 16 Jan 2025 09:17:01 EST news656241417 Research appearing in Social Psychological and Personality Science identifies a widespread stereotype linking wealth to perceived trustworthiness across diverse cultures. The research, led by Mélusine Boon-Falleur from the Center for Research on Social Inequalities at Sciences Po in Paris, shows that individuals with fewer material resources are consistently viewed as less trustworthy. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-people-resources-trustworthy-cultures.html Social Sciences Mon, 11 Nov 2024 15:03:03 EST news650559781 Engaging in meaningful social interactions with peers is associated with lower loneliness and greater affective well-being, new research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science finds. Researchers followed three cohorts of university students over three years, collecting data on their social interactions and momentary well-being. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-meaningful-social-interactions-boost-context.html Social Sciences Fri, 28 Jun 2024 09:00:01 EDT news638772031 In a new study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, researchers share evidence that people's attitudes are deeply woven into language and culture across the globe and centuries. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-biases-encoded-language-cultures-history.html Social Sciences Fri, 14 Jun 2024 09:00:01 EDT news637507801 A study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science investigated the factors influencing orgasm rates for women across sexual orientations. The researchers report that partner gender plays a significant role in how women approach sex. and their likelihood of reaching orgasm. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-link-partner-gender-orgasm-women.html Social Sciences Thu, 04 Apr 2024 09:00:01 EDT news631438981 People have a tendency to leave their wealth to family members and other loved ones. However, Andrew Carnegie, a famously wealthy industrialist, once said "I would as soon leave to my son a curse as the almighty dollar." Indeed, Carnegie donated over 90% of his fortune to charity. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-legacy-philanthropic.html Social Sciences Tue, 23 Jan 2024 11:54:03 EST news625233241 Intimate partner violence is widespread and can have severe physical and psychological health repercussions, but there is a shortage of research on reliable predictors of abuse before it occurs. New research, published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, identifies several warning signs that preceded and predicted intimate partner violence. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-12-intimate-partner-violence.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 11 Dec 2023 09:00:03 EST news621507601 Fathers and mothers who believe that men should hold the power and authority in the family exhibit less responsive parenting behavior, according to a new article in Social Psychological and Personality Science. This research provides the first behavioral evidence demonstrating that hostile sexism is linked to less responsive parenting by both fathers and mothers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-10-hostile-sexism-linked-responsive-parenting.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 12 Oct 2023 11:49:03 EDT news616330141 People from diverse religious backgrounds in the United States view curiosity about religion as morally virtuous, according to new research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science. Atheists also view this curiosity as moral, although less moral than a lack of religious curiosity. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-curiosity-religion-viewed-morally-virtuous.html Social Sciences Thu, 21 Sep 2023 13:07:02 EDT news614520421 Roughly six million Black people moved away from the American South during the Great Migration between 1910 and 1970, hoping to escape racial violence and discrimination while pursuing economic and educational opportunities. Now, research has uncovered a link between this historic event with present-day inequalities and implicit biases. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-reveals-historic-migration-link-present-day.html Social Sciences Thu, 27 Jul 2023 11:12:22 EDT news609675138 People with more positive perceptions of their nation's institutions are more likely to show favoritism toward fellow citizens, according to new research in Social Psychological and Personality Science. This research suggests that support for national institutions could pose a challenge for establishing trust across borders. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-factors-bias-societies.html Social Sciences Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:00:02 EDT news609062401 Bribery is among the most recognizable forms of corruption, and new research is shedding light on personality traits that could deter this behavior. Guilt-prone people are less likely to accept bribes, particularly when the act would cause obvious harm to other people. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-prone-guilty-bribe.html Social Sciences Mon, 22 May 2023 13:16:35 EDT news603980192 Imagine you are eating your dream meal and want to commemorate the moment: Should you snap a picture of the food by itself or take a selfie with your partner while you eat? New research suggests that people use first-person photography, taking a photo of the scene from one's own perspective, when they want to document a physical experience, but opt for third-person photos, depicting themselves in the scene (like selfies), to capture the deeper meaning of events. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-selfies-third-person-photos-capture-moments.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 27 Apr 2023 14:09:45 EDT news601823379 Social relationships influence physical health, but questions remain about the nature of this connection. New research in Social Psychological and Personality Science suggests that the way you feel about your close relationships may be affecting the way your body functions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-03-positive-relationships-physical-health.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 27 Mar 2023 09:00:03 EDT news599126401 Despite rising interest in polyamory and open relationships, new research shows that people in consensually non-monogamous (CNM) relationships report experiencing a negative social stigma that takes a toll on their well-being. https://phys.org/news/2022-12-people-consensual-non-monogamy-negative-social.html Social Sciences Mon, 19 Dec 2022 10:28:02 EST news590668081 When a person is facing a life-or-death decision, considering how certain aspects of the situation should affect their choice can make them more likely to save lives—according to new research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-crises-covid-people.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 15 Dec 2022 09:03:59 EST news590317433 White Americans who think that White people are poor are more likely to believe that welfare recipients are hardworking, and to support welfare policies, according to new research in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. https://phys.org/news/2022-12-white-americans-people-poor-welfare.html Social Sciences Thu, 08 Dec 2022 13:51:33 EST news589729891 Stressful life circumstances can affect how married couples interact, but can they affect how partners see each other? A person experiencing stress is more likely to notice their spouse's negative behavior than positive, according to a new study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-life-stresses-people-focus-romantic.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 26 Sep 2022 13:24:38 EDT news583417476 2020 was a uniquely stressful year—with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, and a contentious presidential election in the United States. New research shows that these crises may have harmed the social development of young adults at a critical time in life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-multitude-stressful-events-social-young.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 19 Sep 2022 13:22:03 EDT news582812521 Interpersonal rejection can motivate people who do not normally worry about disease to protect themselves against COVID-19. The experience of feeling interpersonally hurt or rejected, known as social pain, makes people more likely to feel that they need to protect themselves from others, according to new research in Social Psychological and Personality Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-08-social-people-covid-safety-precautions.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 11 Aug 2022 14:32:02 EDT news579447121 People who become wealthy in the United States may tend to boast of their humble beginnings, but new research finds that they may, in fact, be less sympathetic to the difficulties of being poor than those who were born rich. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-rich-people-humble-sensitive-poverty.html Social Sciences Mon, 27 Jun 2022 11:14:29 EDT news575547267 Members of Congress in the United States are less civil on Twitter now than they were at the start of the Obama administration. New research has revealed a 23% increase in online incivility among Congresspeople from 2009-2019, with more inflammatory tweets receiving more likes and retweets. https://phys.org/news/2022-04-american-politicians-civil-twitter.html Social Sciences Thu, 28 Apr 2022 09:00:01 EDT news570349099