Stanley O. Gaines

Terror threat perception and its consequences in contemporary Britain

The terrorist attacks of 9/11, and subsequent terrorist acts around the world, have alerted social psychologists to the need to examine the antecedents and consequences of terrorist threat perception. In these two studies, we examined the predictive power of demographic factors (age, gender, location), individual values and normative influences on threat perception and the consequences of this perception for behavioural change and close relationships. In Study 1 (N = 100), gender, benevolence values and normative influences were all correlates of threat perception, whilst sense of personal threat was correlated with increased contact with friends and family. In Study 2 (N = 240) age, gender, location, and the values of openness to change and hedonism, all predicted threat perception, which, in turn, predicted behavioural change and relationship contact. Such findings point to the important role social psychologists should play in understanding responses to these new terrorist threats.

Heroes and villains of world history across cultures

Emergent properties of global political culture were examined using data from the World History Survey (WHS) involving 6,902 university students in 37 countries evaluating 40 figures from world history. Multidimensional scaling and factor analysis techniques found only limited forms of universality in evaluations across Western, Catholic/Orthodox, Muslim, and Asian country clusters. The highest consensus across cultures involved scientific innovators, with Einstein having the most positive evaluation overall. Peaceful humanitarians like Mother Theresa and Gandhi followed. There was much less cross-cultural consistency in the evaluation of negative figures, led by Hitler, Osama bin Laden, and Saddam Hussein. After more traditional empirical methods (e.g., factor analysis) failed to identify meaningful cross-cultural patterns, Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was used to identify four global representational profiles: Secular and Religious Idealists were overwhelmingly prevalent in Christian countries, and Political Realists were common in Muslim and Asian countries. We discuss possible consequences and interpretations of these different representational profiles.

Depression, anxiety, and within-person variability in adults aged 18 to 85 years.

Mild depression and anxiety were investigated in relation to measures of within-person (WP) variability and mean reaction time from psychomotor, executive function, visual search, and word recognition tasks in a continuous age range (18-85 years, M=50.33, SD=20.37) of 300 community-dwelling adults. Structural equation modeling identified a significant Age x Depression interaction in relation to visual search for measures of WP variability but not for mean reaction time. Older more depressed adults exhibited greater variability. WP variability in executive function and other cognitive constructs covaried, and the significant Age x Depression interaction with visual search was accounted for by WP variability in executive control. The findings suggest that age- and depression-related reductions in attentional resources may contribute to increased variability in visual search and that variability in executive control may be the mechanism underlying these effects.

Patterns of Attachment and Responses to Accommodative Dilemmas among Interethnic/Interracial Couples:

In the present study, partners from 103 heterosexual inter-ethnic/interracial couples (103 men and 103 women) completed categorical measures of attachment style and continuous measures of responses to accommodative dilemmas. Consistent with hypotheses, there was a significantly higher proportion of secure over insecure individuals among both sexes. Further, the difference between secure and insecure individuals’ accommodative tendencies was greater for destructive responses than for constructive responses (significant among men, marginally significant among women). However, contrary to hypotheses, attachment style per sewas not a significant predictor of accommodation responses among either sex. Implications for the study of interethnic/interracial romantic relationships are discussed.

Impact of attachment style on responses to accommodative dilemmas among same‐sex couples

Drawing upon Goffman (1963), we examined the impact of attachment style on responses to accommodative dilemmas among couples with “discredited” identities (i.e., lesbian and gay male couples). Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that individuals in same-sex romantic relationships involving two securely attached partners would be more likely to engage in accommodation (i.e., in response to a partner’s anger or criticism, would behave constructively) than would individuals in same-sex romantic relationships involving at least one insecurely attached partner. As expected, results from 58 gay male couples yielded a significant main effect for attachment style pairing on responses to accommodative dilemmas. However, results from 53 lesbian couples yielded a marginal interaction effect involving partner (i.e., Partner 1 versus Partner 2) and attachment style pairing on responses to accommodative dilemmas. Implications for the study of personality characteristics and interpersonal behavior among lesbian and gay male couples are discussed.

Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) within the United Kingdom

In the present study, we examined the psychometric properties of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) (Phinney, 1992; Phinney & Alipuria, 1990) among an ethnically diverse sample within the United Kingdom. In initial analyses, we evaluated the goodness-of-fit of a one-factor model (i.e., global ethnic identity) and the goodness-of-fit of a two-factor model (i.e., correlated but distinct Exploration and Commitment components). Results of initial confirmatory factor analyses led us to reject both the one-factor and two-factor models. Results of subsequent exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a three-factor structure (i.e., correlated but distinct Behavioral, Cognitive, and Affective components of ethnic identity) among the sample as a whole (n = 234) and among Asian Indian persons (n = 88) in particular, though results were mixed among White U.K./Irish persons (n = 54) in particular. Implications for the study of ethnicity-related concepts in the increasingly multi-cultural U.K. are discussed.

Initial Psychological Responses to Swine Flu

BackgroundThe emergence of influenza A (“swine flu”) in early 2009 led to widespread public concern. However, little research has examined the factors that underlie initial worry about infection and subsequent behavioral responses to such worry.PurposeThis study seeks to model some key predictors of worry and behavioral responses in the early stages of the swine flu pandemic (WHO pandemic stage 5).MethodA cross-sectional internet questionnaire study (N = 186).ResultsTwenty-five percent of respondents rated themselves as worried about being a victim of swine flu, 40% that they were worried of a family member contracting the virus. Twenty percent had bought, or intended to buy, preparatory materials (e.g., face masks), 20% intended to delay or cancel air travel. In a structural equation model, conservation values and family or friends perception of risks predicted worry about infection, while worry correlated with the purchase of preparatory materials, a lesser willingness to travel by public transport, and difficulty in focusing on everyday activities.ConclusionWhile previous research on pandemic risk perception has focused on cognitive risk judgments, our data suggests that initial “emotional” concerns about infection are also significant predictors of behavioral responses to pandemic threat. Such worry is likely to be influenced by a variety of individual factors, such as personal values, as well as normative pressures. Practitioners can use and expand on such models of pandemic response when tailoring health campaigns to meet newly emergent threats.

Cultural Values Among African-Descended Persons in the United Kingdom: Comparisons With European-Descended and Asian-Descended Persons

In this study, conducted within the United Kingdom, the authors compared scores on five cultural values—namely, individualism, collectivism, familism, romanticism, and spiritualism—(a) between African-descended persons and European-descended persons and (b) between African-descended persons and Asian-descended persons. We predicted that African-descended persons would score higher than European-descended and Asian-descended persons on collectivism, lower than European-descended persons on individualism, and lower than Asian-descended persons on spiritualism. A total of 227 individuals (92 men, 132 women, and 3 individuals who did not indicate their gender) participated in the present study. Results of a multivariate analysis of variance followed by a series of one way analyses of variance and planned comparisons indicated that African-descended persons scored significantly higher than European-descended persons on collectivism, familism, and romanticism; African-descended persons did not differ from European-descended persons on individualism or spiritualism; and African-descended persons did not differ from Asian-descended persons on any of the cultural values. Implications for the study of ethnicity and cultural values across nations are discussed.

Modelling Psychological Responses to the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Incident

The Great East Japan (Tōhoku/Kanto) earthquake of March 2011was followed by a major tsunami and nuclear incident. Several previous studies have suggested a number of psychological responses to such disasters. However, few previous studies have modelled individual differences in the risk perceptions of major events, or the implications of these perceptions for relevant behaviours. We conducted a survey specifically examining responses to the Great Japan earthquake and nuclear incident, with data collected 11–13 weeks following these events. 844 young respondents completed a questionnaire in three regions of Japan; Miyagi (close to the earthquake and leaking nuclear plants), Tokyo/Chiba (approximately 220 km from the nuclear plants), and Western Japan (Yamaguchi and Nagasaki, some 1000 km from the plants). Results indicated significant regional differences in risk perception, with greater concern over earthquake risks in Tokyo than in Miyagi or Western Japan. Structural equation analyses showed that shared normative concerns about earthquake and nuclear risks, conservation values, lack of trust in governmental advice about the nuclear hazard, and poor personal control over the nuclear incident were positively correlated with perceived earthquake and nuclear risks. These risk perceptions further predicted specific outcomes (e.g. modifying homes, avoiding going outside, contemplating leaving Japan). The strength and significance of these pathways varied by region. Mental health and practical implications of these findings are discussed in the light of the continuing uncertainties in Japan following the March 2011 events.

Terrorism perception and its consequences following the 7 July 2005 London bombings

Recent work on terrorism has identified a number of individual and group level factors that might contribute to terrorism anxiety and its implication for behaviour and cognition. However, few studies have tried to combine these factors into a coherent model. In this study we examined psychological responses to terrorism threats in the immediate aftermath of the London bombings in July 2005. Four‐hundred and twenty‐nine general public participants completed an inventory assessing terrorism anxiety, perceived likelihood of further attacks and their behavioural and cognitive consequences. Age, sex, normative expectations, values and personal control all predicted anxiety or perceived likelihood of attack. Anxiety was a significant predictor of negative coping, workplace distraction and increased interpersonal contacts. Implications of these findings are discussed in the light of continuing terrorist threats.