Anthony D. Hermann

Harnessing the Undiscovered Resource of Student Research Projects

This article suggests that undergraduate research can help advance the science of psychology. We introduce a hypothetical “question-list paradigm” as a mechanism to do this. Each year, thousands of undergraduate projects are completed as part of the educational experience. Although many of these studies may not contain sufficient contributions for publication, they provide a good test of the replicability of established findings across populations at different institutions and geographic locations. Thus, these projects could meet the needs of recent calls for increased replications of psychological studies while simultaneously benefiting the student researchers, their instructors, and the field in general.

Individual differences in perceived esteem across cultures

A study was conducted to investigate individual differences in perceived esteem (perceptions of how positively one is viewed by others) and the relationship between perceived esteem, self-esteem, self-monitoring, and life satisfaction across cultures. A study with Japanese and American college students (and a pilot study with Caucasian and Asian American participants), indicated that a 10-item measure of perceived esteem, assessing such perceptions across a variety of target others, was internally consistent and had a unitary factor structure across cultural groups. Among Japanese participants, perceived esteem predicted unique variance in other-directed self-monitoring and life satisfaction beyond that of self-esteem, while self-esteem accounted for perceived esteems effect on both variables for Americans. These findings suggest that perceived esteem, independent of self-worth, is particularly important to social functioning and life satisfaction for those in collectivistic cultures.

Does the First Week of Class Matter? A Quasi-Experimental Investigation of Student Satisfaction.

Teaching experts suggest that establishing clear expectations and a supportive environment at the beginning of a college course has a lasting impact on student attitudes. However, minimal empirical evidence exists to support these suggestions. Consequently, we randomly assigned instructors to either begin their course with a reciprocal interview activity aimed at these goals or in their typical fashion. At terms end, students experiencing the activity (n = 187) reported greater clarity regarding their course responsibilities, more support from their instructor, and greater course satisfaction on both official evaluations and experimenter-administered measures, compared to students who had not (n = 190). These results contribute to a converging body of evidence regarding the effectiveness of reciprocal interviews and similar activities generally.

Inoculating against the aversive effects of ostracism with acceptance: The role of attachment styles

Ostracisms immediate impact is painful. We investigated whether affirming an accepting relationship prior to being ostracized can inoculate against this pain, and whether this approach would only be effective for those with a secure attachment style. Participants completed an attachment style measure and wrote about an unconditionally accepting or neutral relationship prior to being either ostracized or included in Cyberball, a virtual ball-toss game. Unconditional acceptance buffered the basic needs and the mood of participants with a secure attachment style, but provided no relief for those with an insecure style. Findings suggest that reminders of acceptance prior to social exclusion can be beneficial, but only for some.

Individual Difference Predictors of the Experience of Emerging Adulthood

The current study examined the dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (EA) and specific self and social processes that influence the experience of this important transitional developmental period, with a particular focus on identity exploration. A large sample collected from a multi-institution collaboration was examined. Results indicated that Arnett’s EA key dimensions (identity exploration, feeling in-between, self-orientedness, negativity/instability, and experimentation), plus an exploratory dimension, other orientedness, shift as a function of age and analyses of quadratic effects suggest that some dimensions may characterize EA better than others. In addition, perceptions of others’ regard (and not self-esteem) moderated the relationship between age and identity exploration. Findings support Arnett’s theory, but also suggest that interpersonal factors are more influential than intrapsychic in prompting identity exploration during EA.

Linking the First Week of Class to End-of-Term Satisfaction: Using a Reciprocal Interview Activity to Create an Active and Comfortable Classroom

We present a reciprocal student-instructor interview activity as a means for establishing a positive classroom environment on the first day of class. This activity allows the instructor to clearly and concisely communicate the course practicalities to students while simultaneously providing students with the opportunity to share their course-related goals and concerns in an open and supportive environment. Previous research suggests that this activity is associated with many positive short-term outcomes, including initial changes in student comfort in the classroom. This article provides instructors with detailed information for conducting the activity and explores the degree to which changes in comfort are related to end-of-term student satisfaction. Data were collected from 77 students before and after they participated in the reciprocal interview activity during the initial class sessions and at the end of the term. Changes in student comfort were positively correlated with student satisfaction with the instructor and course. These findings support the use of this reciprocal interview activity in creating and maintaining an effective learning environment.

Trait Narcissism and Contemporary Religious Trends

In a large sample of adult Americans, we examined trait narcissism among those who identify as nonreligious, traditionally religious, or “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR). Our study reveals that: 1) those who identify as traditionally religious and those who identify as SBNR exhibit fairly similar levels of narcissism; 2) contrary to conventional wisdom, nonreligious Americans are lower in narcissism than religious/spiritual Americans (with nonreligious individuals particularly lower in the NPI subscales of self-absorption/self-admiration); and 3) higher levels of church attendance are not associated with lower NPI scores, though higher levels of church attendance are associated with higher NPI scores in SBNR individuals.

Grandiose Narcissism and Religiosity

This chapter reviews the modest literature on the relationship between grandiose narcissism and various aspects of religiosity. Current evidence suggests that grandiose narcissists tend to be less humble, less forgiving, less apologetic, and less empathetic but report similar levels of religiosity, including frequency of church attendance and prayer, as non-narcissists (contrary to conventional wisdom that religiosity should inhibit narcissism). Grandiose narcissism is associated with extrinsic rather than intrinsic motivation toward religion, with more conflict and anger in one’s spiritual life, and with more self-serving spiritual beliefs. Moreover, compared to those low in grandiose narcissism, they are less moved by their own wrongdoing to seek God and may not be as positively affected by certain spiritual practices (e.g., meditation). We suggest future directions for research and conclude that future research will benefit from examining different forms of narcissism, as well as the individual facets that underlying this multidimensional personality trait.