The emotion of nostalgia, defined as ¡§a sentimental longing for the past¡¨. Studies have indicated that nostalgia, as a positive and social emotion, have the potential to reduce the negative impact of social exclusion on empathy. This research mainly proposes two types of nostalgia (historical vs. personal) and examines the effects of product type and type of self-construal on nostalgia advertising. The present study uses experimental design with a 3 (nostalgia advertising:non-nostalgia vs. historical-nostalgia vs. personal nostalgia) x 2 (product type: publicly consumed product vs. privately consumed product) x 2 (self-construal: independent self vs. interdependent self) factorial design. Twelve different scenarios are established through fictitious product ads, and the ad effects are measured by attitudes toward the ad, attitudes toward the brand, and purchase intentions to observe the response under different scenarios. The results indicate that the nostalgia advertising is more effective than the non-nostalgia advertising, which is consistent with previous studies. There is an interaction effect between the type of nostalgia and product type. The personal nostalgia is more effective than the historical nostalgia in promoting a privately consumed product. Finally, when the interdependent self is activated, consumers show more favorable attitudes toward a privately consumed product promoted with personal nostalgia. In contrast, when the independent self is activated, no difference of advertising effects between historical and personal nostalgia in public or private product consumption contexts.

Past research has demonstrated that people prefer donating to a single identified donation recipient rather than abstractly presented donation recipients (i.e., the identifiable victim effect). The current study applies this conventional wisdom to cause-related marketing (CRM) advertising campaigns. The results show that the identifiable victim effect might not always be powerful within CRM advertising campaigns. Specifically, an advertisement with message evidence having statistical information about donation recipients is more effective for the people who possess an independent self-construal level. In contrast, a CRM ad with anecdotal message evidence about an identifiable donation recipient is effective for the people with an interdependent self-construal level. Theoretical and practical implications and directions for future research are discussed. / text

Past research on construal level theory (CLT) has shown that adopting a temporally distant (vs. temporally close) orientation facilitates a more abstract, “bigger picture” representation of events. Furthermore, research on other forms of psychological distance (e.g., self-distance) has linked abstract representations of past interpersonal negative events to positive psychological benefits, such as reduced negative affect. Despite this connection, little work has been done looking at how temporal distance, a form of psychological distance, may also result in positive psychological outcomes. Moreover, few have explored the effects of temporal distance on reasoning within an interpersonal context. Provided the past literature on psychological distance, I hypothesize that a distant temporal orientation when reasoning over a recent romantic relationship conflict will result in greater abstract representations of the past conflict. Given that the context is in an interpersonal domain, I predict that the abstract representation will manifest itself through a more inclusive reasoning strategy, which will lead to beneficial reasoning strategies for the relationship. I test these hypotheses by randomly assigning participants to a present-oriented mindset, or a future-oriented mindset when reflecting on their past conflict. Results from two experiments (Study 1: College students; Study 2: Age-heterogeneous community sample) indicate that taking a future-orientation leads to an inclusive reasoning strategy (i.e., greater non-self centered word use) and also leads to reasoning that is considered conducive to positive relationship outcomes (e.g., lower partner blame and greater expression of growth). Implications for research on psychological distance and reasoning are discussed.

This study was an effort to uncover four major facts: (a) the predictive power ofthe proposed integrated model, which posits the influence of attitudes (ATT), subjectivenorms (SN), perceived behavior control (PBC), altruism, self-construal, and paperrecyclingknowledge on behavioral intentions; (b) the moderating effects ofindividualism-collectivism (I-C) on the attitudes-intentions relationship and thesubjective norms-intentions relationship; (c) the comparison of the predictive power ofthe TPB model and the proposed integrated model; and (d) the relationship between twointentions measures: behavioral intentions and implementation intentions.This cross-sectional research consisted of two phases: the TPB elicitation researchand the main study. Participants were undergraduate students recruited from two majorpublic universities in Thailand and the U.S. The sample size used in the main analysiscomprised 417 respondents from Thailand (representing a collectivistic society) and 432respondents from the U.S. (representing an individualistic society). Structural equationmodeling (SEM) was employed to investigate the predictability of the TPB model and theintegrated model. Multi-group SEM was implemented to examine the moderating effectsof I-C. Correlation analysis was conducted to detect the relationship between the twointentions measures.The results yielded some significant findings enhancing our understanding ofpaper-recycling intentions of college students in the two countries. First, TPBdeterminants, especially PBC and SN, were potential predictors of paper recycling.Although ATT was not a successful antecedent of intentions in Thailand, it predictedintentions of U.S. participants. Second, altruism was a significant factor explaining ATTand PBC for both samples; it also directly influenced intentions. Third, two types of selfconstrualsignificantly and distinctively affected ATT and SN. Fourth, paper-recyclingknowledge failed to predict either attitudes or intentions in either country. Fifth, althoughthe ratio difference of the model X2 and the R2 showed the TPB model to be slightly morepowerful than the integrated model, and TPB was more parsimonious, the integratedmodel advances our understanding of additional psychosocial and cultural factors withregard to paper recycling. Finally, the significant correlation between the behavioralintentionsand the implementation-intentions measures were positive and relatively high.Findings can benefit communication campaigns targeting audiences in different cultures.

Resistance to rectifying local injustice and methods of addressing such resistance are often studied in terms of motivational barriers (e.g., system justification, Jost & Banaji, 2004). I propose that a cognitive mechanism called construal level may also play an important role. Construal level refers to whether people are thinking concretely or abstractly. For example, if considering the act of locking a door, one might construe the behavior as putting a key in a lock (a concrete construal) or as securing a house (an abstract construal). Construal level theory (Liberman & Trope, 1998) states that people think concretely about near events and thinking concretely makes people more concerned about feasibility (e.g., “Is it affordable?”), whereas thinking abstractly makes people more concerned about morality (Eyal, Liberman, & Trope, 2008). Thus, inducing abstract thinking might increase support for addressing local injustice. I assessed this novel proposal in two experimental studies that focused on the lack of adequate water services in First Nations and included measures of social action as dependent variables. In Study 1 (n = 151 White Canadian undergraduates; 44% women), participants thought about either a local or distant injustice. I hypothesized participants would support the local injustice less as they would think more concretely and thus be more concerned with feasibility and less concerned with morality; no differences emerged (p’s > .36, d’s < .15). In Study 2 (n = 166 White Canadian undergraduates; 66% women), I directly manipulated construal level and had all participants consider a local injustice. People led to think abstractly (vs. concretely) were more supportive of addressing injustice because they were more morally outraged, experienced more empathy, and thought the problem was easier to solve, 95% CI = [0.22, 0.98]. Thus, the results suggest that induced abstract thinking may be an effective tool for achieving local social change.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The present work is a project in social psychology that looks at four different types of ingroup identification and investigates their possible variations as a function of defining personal characteristics and group-related phenomena. Five studies provide evidence for the validity of a qualitative distinction between centrality, social, communal, and interdependent identification and examine the way in which culture, gender, group status, relationship attachment style, and group type predicted each type of identification with groups. The research employs a multi-sample approach and combines correlational, experimental, and quasi-experimental designs. Research data was collected using purpose-built questionnaires that included a newly constructed Centrality, Social, Communal and Interdependent Identification Scale (CSCIIS) together with previously validated measures. Participants from Western and non-Western cultural backgrounds showed dispositional differences in their preferred type of identification, and differed in the extent to which their identification was focused on the group as a whole or on the individual group members. The studies integrate social identity theory, self-construal, and behavioural interdependence ideas, suggesting that there are some types of ingroup identification that are primarily based on interpersonal processes and relationships between group members. The leading themes are those of the conceptual complexity in assessing individuals’ identification with various social groups and the possibilities for deepening our understanding of the phenomenon by considering the key aspects that separate one type of ingroup identification from another. The results help bring clarity to a confusing literature dealing with ingroup identification and illustrate the value of a different level approach in the area.

In the course of figuring out one’s identity, the proactive manner in which an individual defines one’s self or builds one’s character is an important aspect of the venture. Markus and Kitayama (1991) described and contrasted interdependent self-construal and independent self-construal, two forms of self-construction. This paper presents the theoretical link between interdependent self-construal and psychological resilience. Identity development is viewed through the interdependent self-construal perspective and it is explained how interdependence provides an individual with more and better opportunities for identity development. Through a conceptual tie to self-compassion, interdependent self-construal may be a key component to experiencing psychological resilience.

abstract: Integrating research from life history theory with investigations of construal-level theory, the researcher proposes a novel relationship between life history strategy and construal-level. Slow life history strategies arise in safe, predictable environments where individuals give up current reproductive effort in favor of future reproductive effort. Correspondingly, high-level construals allow individuals to transcend the current context and act according to global concerns, such as the type of future planning necessary to enact slow life history strategies. Meanwhile, fast life history strategies arise in harsh, unpredictable environments where the future is uncertain and individuals need to pay close attention to the current context to survive. Correspondingly, low-level construals immerse individuals in the immediate situation, enabling them the flexibility needed to respond to local concerns. Given the correspondence between aspects of life history and construal-level, it seems possible that individuals adopting slow life history strategies should more frequently use high-level construals to assist in transcending the current situation to plan for the future, while individuals adopting fast life history strategies should more frequently use low-level construals to assist in monitoring the details of their harsh, unpredictable environment. To test the relationship between life history and construal, the researcher investigated whether or not a childhood cue of environmental harshness and unpredictability, childhood SES, and a current cue of environmental harshness and unpredictability, local mortality rate, influenced construal-level. In line with past research, the researcher predicted that childhood SES would interact with current cues of local mortality rate to influence construal-level. For individuals growing up in high SES households, a high local mortality rate will lead to an increase in high-level construals. For individuals growing up in low SES households, a high local mortality rate will lead to an increase in low-level construals. Overall, results did not support the hypotheses. Childhood SES did not interact with prime condition to influence either categorization or trend predictions. Examining how the prime interacted with another measure of life history strategy, the Mini-K, yielded mixed results. However, there are several ways in which the current study could be altered to reexamine the relationship between life history strategy and construal. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Psychology 2011

La connaissance est une ressource critique de l’entreprise moderne. Les processus d’apprentissage, de partage et d’utilisation de la connaissance déterminent l’efficacité et la capacité d’innovation des organisations. Dans ma thèse, je m’appuie sur la théorie des niveaux de représentation mentale (construal level theory) pour explorer la relation entre les responsabilités des employés et le type de connaissance qu’ils créent et partagent. Plus précisément, j’étudie les effets de deux attributs de l’entreprise moderne (l’utilisation croissante de technologie et le changement des structures hiérarchiques) sur les représentations mentales du travail et les comportements liés à l’innovation. J’utilise diverses méthodes de recherche pour tester cette hypothèse, dont deux études fondées sur des données d’archive, quatre expériences en laboratoire et deux études longitudinales sur questionnaire. / Knowledge is increasingly recognized as one of the most critical resources in the modern workplace, because the way knowledge is learned, shared and used determines organizational innovation and effectiveness. In my dissertation, I build on construal level theory to explore the relationship between workers’ roles and the types of knowledge that workers create and share. In particular, I draw upon two features of the modern workplace that are evolving dramatically – the increasing use of technology and changing hierarchical structures – to explore how the level of abstraction at which employees mentally represent their work roles mediates the relationship between these structural features of the work context and the practically-relevant and important employee behaviors underlying innovation. I leverage methodological diversity to test the hypotheses in eight studies, including two studies based on archival data, four laboratory experiments and two longitudinal studies based on survey data.

Previous research has looked at how two dominant approaches to pursuing the good life – eudaimonia (pursuit of growth, excellence, authenticity) and hedonia (pursuit of pleasure, comfort) relate to benefits for the self. This thesis looked beyond personal well-being and investigated how eudaimonic and hedonic orientations relate to benefits beyond the self and broader scope of concern. Manuscript 1 assessed the link between eudaimonic and hedonic orientations and self-reported and observational prosocial behaviour, self-focused and other focused values, as well as time perspectives and abstract thinking. Manuscript 2 explored the association between eudaimonic and hedonic orientations and hindering social behaviours, and helping under various circumstances. Next, Manuscript 3 examined reasons for engaging in prosocial behaviours, including self-focused and other-focused motives. Lastly, Manuscript 4 went beyond self-report measures by studying the distinction between eudaimonic and hedonic orientations on reactions to pictures depicting human/animal/nature happiness/health and suffering/degradation based on self-report affect and empathy, facial expressions, and psychophysiological measures (skin conductance and heart rate). Manuscript 1 showed that eudaimonic orientation related to a broader focus, including scope of concern (i.e., a wider variety of prosocial behaviours, prosocial values), a balanced time perspective (present and future focus) and abstract mindset (i.e., high-level construal), while hedonic orientation tended to be more narrowly focused on the self and present moment. Manuscript 2 revealed that eudaimonic orientation related positively to helping under abstract and costly situations, and negatively with hindering social behaviours; hedonic orientation was related to negative impacts beyond the self. Manuscript 3 showed that eudaimonic orientation was a balance of helping to benefit both the self and others, while hedonic orientation was primarily related to helping for personal benefits. Manuscript 4 showed that eudaimonic orientation related to greater self-report joy and suffering beyond the self (relative to hedonia), while findings for facial expressions and psychophysiological responses were inconclusive. This research provides a unique contribution to the well-being literature by investigating the impacts that eudaimonic and hedonic orientations have on society using a comprehensive array of self-report questionnaires and a novel picture paradigm. Limitations of the present research include that most studies were based on self-report which can produce social desirability bias, and that the studies were correlational which limits casual inferences about the findings. Future research would benefit from experimental studies assessing the link between eudaimonia and hedonia and broad scope of concern.