| 1. |
- Andrén, Victoria, et al.
(författare)
-
Gender and arson : psychosocial, psychological, and somatic offender characteristics at the time of the crime
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1478-9949 .- 1478-9957. ; 34:1, s. 113-130
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Deliberate fire-setting, such as the crime of arson, can have devastating, even lethal, consequences. This study compared factors at the time of arson by female and male offenders in Sweden between 2000–2010. The women (n = 100), and men (n = 100) included in this study were randomly chosen from among all individuals who had been convicted for arson during this period and who underwent forensic psychiatric investigations. Information regarding psychiatric and somatic characteristics, their psychosocial situation, and whether they were in contact with health or social services before the arsons were examined. The results showed that both women and men have complex psychiatric and somatic characteristics, as well as psychosocial situations. Women showed more self-destructive behaviour, lower Global Assessment of Functioning scores, and had been in contact with psychiatric health services to a greater extent than men. More women than men had children. These findings suggest that specific actions may be needed for preventing and treating women compared with men at risk for committing arson.
|
|
| 2. |
- Cancino-Montecinos, Sebastian, et al.
(författare)
-
A General Model of Dissonance Reduction : Unifying Past Accounts via an Emotion Regulation Perspective
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-1078. ; 11
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cognitive dissonance has been studied for more than 60 years and many insightful findings have come from this research. However, some important theoretical and methodological issues are yet to be resolved, particularly regarding dissonance reduction. In this paper, we place dissonance theory in the larger framework of appraisal theories of emotion, emotion regulation, and coping. The basic premise of dissonance theory is that people experience negative affect (to varying degrees) following the detection of cognitive conflict. The individual will be motivated to alleviate these emotional reactions and could do so by reducing dissonance in some manner. We argue that detection of dissonance will follow the same principles as when people interpret any other stimuli as emotionally significant. Thus, appraisal theory of emotion, which argues that emotions are generated via the cognitive evaluation of surrounding stimuli, should be applicable to the dissonance-detection process. In short, we argue that dissonance-reduction strategies (attitude change, trivialization, denial of responsibility, etc.) can be understood as emotion-regulation strategies. We further argue that this perspective contributes to reconciling fragmented (and sometimes contrary) viewpoints present in the literature on dissonance reduction. In addition to proposing the general model of dissonance reduction, we illustrate at the hand of empirical data how research on dissonance reduction can be performed without relying on experimental paradigms that focus on a specific reduction strategy.
|
|
| 3. |
- Cancino Montecinos, Sebastian, 1983-
(författare)
-
New perspectives on cognitive dissonance theory
- 2020
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Cognitive consistency is generally considered a fundamental aspect of the human mind, and cognitive dissonance theory is the most famous and studies theory within this framework. Dissonance theory holds that when related cognitions are in conflict (e.g. when behaving counter to one’s attitudes), people will experience negative affect. This affective reaction motivates people to engage in various dissonance-reduction strategies (e.g. attitude change). The aim of this thesis was to investigate some novel, and unanswered questions within dissonance research, and to relate dissonance theory to neighboring theories.In Study I, it was predicted (and supported) that cognitive dissonance (writing a counter-attitudinal essay in the induced-compliance paradigm) would lead to people exhibiting an abstract mindset. The rationale for this prediction (based on action-identification theory) was that unfamiliar and difficult situations, were action is usually impeded (much like dissonant situations), lead to individuals adopting more concrete representations of the situation – for the sake action execution. However, since people usually want to find meaning in their actions, they will quickly, after the action is executed, adopt an abstract representation of the situation – which might also lead to spillover effects were people’s mental representation of their actions in general become more abstract.In Study II, the aim was to investigate to what extent, and how, emotions relate to the attitude-change effect in the induced-compliance paradigm. Past researchers usually predict that negative emotions should be positively related to this effect. Based on the notion of emotion regulation, however, attitude change (a form of reappraisal) implies that people are positively (and less negatively) tuned to the situation – and should therefore feel more positive (and less negative) emotions towards the situation. Thus, contrary to past research, it was predicted that negative emotions would be inversely related to attitude change, and positive emotions would be positively related to attitude change. Result across two experiments supported these predictions.Lastly, in Study III, the aim was to provide a general theoretical model of dissonance reduction. Based on a cognitive-emotion perspective (including appraisal theories of emotion, emotion regulation, and coping), it was suggested that reduction processes are influenced by the intensity of the initial affective reaction. This affective reaction is in turn influenced by the magnitude of the dissonance and the novelty-familiarity dimension of the situation. When the dissonance magnitude is too big, and the situation novel, people might disengage rather quickly (leaving the situation or distracting themselves). If, however, people have enough motivation and cognitive capacity, they might engage more in the reduction processes. The advantage of this model is that it can be applied to any dissonant situation.Taken together, these studies suggest that there is still much to discover in dissonance research, and much can be gained by conceptualizing dissonance processes within a cognitive-emotion framework. Future research should focus more on how the social context (e.g. influence of other people) might affect these dissonance processes. More emphasis should also be put on the prevalence of different dissonant situations, and the accompanied reduction attempts, in real-life settings.
|
|
| 4. |
- Cederborg, Ann-Christin, 1952-, et al.
(författare)
-
Evaluating the Quality of Investigative Interviews Conducted After the Completion of a Training Program
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Investigative Interviewing Research & Practice (II-RP). ; 11:1, s. 40-52
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A previous study conducted in Sweden showed that criminal investigators who participated in a 6‐month course, including a systematic and extensive training program based on a flexible protocol and during which they received extended supervision, were able to reduce their use of option‐posing and suggestive questions and used more open‐ended questions at the end of the training. However, that study did not determine whether the participants continued to employ preferred interview techniques in the months after the course concluded. In the present study, therefore, we evaluated interviews conducted by 66 Swedish criminal investigators who were given the same training as the previous participants. They attended four different courses between the autumn term of 2013 and the spring term of 2015.The present study specifically focused on changes in interview quality from before the course started, to the final interview at the end of the course and interviews subsequently conducted four months after the course was completed. The coding distinguished between open‐questions (invitations, directives) and risky questions (option‐posing and suggestive prompts). We found that, over time, the participants made increased use of recommended types of questions (invitations and directive questions) and reduced use of risky question types (option‐posing and suggestive questions). This suggests that the training program enhanced the investigators’ interview behavior and that they maintained their good practices after completing the course. This is an important finding because inappropriate interviewing can undermine the legal rights of both alleged victims and suspects.
|
|
| 5. |
- Croy, Ilona, et al.
(författare)
-
COVID-19 and Social Distancing : A Cross-Cultural Study of Interpersonal Distance Preferences and Touch Behaviors Before and During the Pandemic
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Cross-Cultural Research. - 1069-3971 .- 1552-3578. ; 58:1, s. 41-69
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the introduction of unprecedented safety measures, one of them being physical distancing recommendations. Here, we assessed whether the pandemic has led to long-term effects on two important physical distancing aspects, namely interpersonal distance preferences and interpersonal touch behaviors. We analyzed nearly 14,000 individual cases from two large, cross-cultural surveys – the first conducted 2 years prior to the pandemic and the second during a relatively stable period of a decreased infection rate in May-June 2021. Preferred interpersonal distances increased by 54% globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase was observable across all types of relationships, all countries, and was more pronounced in individuals with higher self-reported vulnerability to diseases. Unexpectedly, participants reported a higher incidence of interpersonal touch behaviors during than before the pandemic. We discuss our results in the context of prosocial and self-protection motivations that potentially promote different social behaviors.
|
|
| 6. |
- Engelkes, Torbjörn, 1971-
(författare)
-
Loyal until death (?) : The nature, measurement and predictors of loyalty in a military context
- 2024
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis was to broaden the understanding of the concept of loyalty within a military context, by focusing on how the nature of loyalty is experienced, how it can be measured and how it can be predicted. To achieve this, the thesis was structured in three interrelated studies, which initially aimed to examine the content of loyalty within the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF), then to develop and validate a scale to measure loyalty, and finally to examine possible predictors of loyalty.The aim of Study I was to examine how loyalty is experienced within the SAF. To achieve this, Study I examined how high-ranking officers – presumed to have a large influence on professional ethics within the SAF – gave meaning to their experiences of loyalty. The results showed that although the nature of loyalty in the military organization is based on a strong identification with the profession, loyalty is a multifaceted phenomenon which requires the individual to manage competing and sometimes counteracting domains (objects) of loyalty.The aim of Study II was to develop a psychometric scale for measuring loyalty in a military context, based on the findings of Study I. Given the complex and varying nature of loyalty and dealing with different domains of loyalty in the military, the scale was developed to consider several domains for an individual’s loyalty (e.g., workgroup, mission, nation). Additionally, there was a focus on the overall nature of loyalty involving sacrifice and action to protect the domain of loyalty. To achieve this, three independent samples, consisting of military personnel (in training and on overseas mission), were invited to answer a questionnaire based on the results from Study I. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted in a scale measuring loyalty, denoted the Swedish Military Loyalty Scale (SMiLS). The SMiLS was found to consist of a four-dimensional representation of the willingness to act loyally. The dimensions are sectioned in loyal sacrifice and loyal action, further divided into moderate and extreme loyal sacrifice and loyal action, respectively.The aim of Study III was to examine how individuals’ willingness to act loyally to certain domains (the closest workgroup, the unit, and the unit mission) can be predicted by social identity fusion and developmental leadership. To achieve this, a sample consisting of military personnel serving on an overseas mission in Mali, took part in a survey, using the SMiLS as the dependent variable. Demographic factors, such as rank and gender, were also examined, taking the outcome of loyalty into consideration. The results show that social identity mainly predicted the sacrificial dimensions of loyalty, while developmental leadership predicted all dimensions of loyalty for all domains.In conclusion, the present thesis broadens the understanding of loyalty within a military context. It also contributes with a scale for measuring loyalty and identifies two predictors for loyalty. Further research should focus on a deepened understanding of loyalty within the military and in the context of total defense organizations, further validation of the SMiLS and the examination of additional possible predictors for loyalty.
|
|
| 7. |
- Engelkes, Torbjörn, et al.
(författare)
-
Predicting Loyalty : Examining the Role of Social Identity and Leadership in an Extreme Operational Environment – A Swedish Case
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Armed Forces and Society. - 0095-327X .- 1556-0848. ; 50:3, s. 607-627
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Military organizations often emphasize the importance of loyalty. It has been suggested that loyalty enhances motivation to take great risks and strive to accomplish a mission. However, research into what influences loyalty among military personnel is scarce. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine how leadership and social identity fusion relate to loyalty, using data from a sample consisting of a Swedish military unit on a United Nation mission (N = 152) in Mali. Hierarchical multiple regression results generally showed that social identity fusion and leadership were positively related to a willingness to show loyalty to the closest workgroup, one’s own unit, and the mission. The findings indicate that leadership and high levels of social identity fusion may influence the willingness to be loyal to organizational goals. The practical implication of this study is increased knowledge about the importance of leadership and social identity in developing relevant loyalties.
|
|
| 8. |
- Engelkes, Torbjörn, et al.
(författare)
-
Predicting Loyalty : Examining the Role of Social Identity and Leadership in an Extreme Operational Environment—A Swedish Case
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Armed forces and society. - : SAGE Publications. - 0095-327X .- 1556-0848. ; 50:3, s. 607-880
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Military organizations often emphasize the importance of loyalty. It has been suggested that loyalty enhances motivation to take great risks and strive to accomplish a mission. However, research into what influences loyalty among military personnel is scarce. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine how leadership and social identity fusion relate to loyalty, using data from a sample consisting of a Swedish military unit on a United Nation mission (N = 152) in Mali. Hierarchical multiple regression results generally showed that social identity fusion and leadership were positively related to a willingness to show loyalty to the closest workgroup, one’s own unit, and the mission. The findings indicate that leadership and high levels of social identity fusion may influence the willingness to be loyal to organizational goals. The practical implication of this study is increased knowledge about the importance of leadership and social identity in developing relevant loyalties.
|
|
| 9. |
- Groyecka-Bernard, Agata, et al.
(författare)
-
Conservatism Negatively Predicts Creativity : A Study Across 28 Countries
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. - 0022-0221 .- 1552-5422.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Previous studies have found a negative relationship between creativity and conservatism. However, as these studies were mostly conducted on samples of homogeneous nationality, the generalizability of the effect across different cultures is unknown. We addressed this gap by conducting a study in 28 countries. Based on the notion that attitudes can be shaped by both environmental and ecological factors, we hypothesized that parasite stress can also affect creativity and thus, its potential effects should be controlled for. The results of multilevel analyses showed that, as expected, conservatism was a significant predictor of lower creativity, adjusting for economic status, age, sex, education level, subjective susceptibility to disease, and country-level parasite stress. In addition, most of the variability in creativity was due to individual rather than country-level variance. Our study provides evidence for a weak but significant negative link between conservatism and creativity at the individual level (β = −0.08, p < .001) and no such effect when country-level conservatism was considered. We present our hypotheses considering previous findings on the behavioral immune system in humans.
|
|
| 10. |
- Gruneau Brulin, Joel, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
-
In the State We Trust? Attachment-Related Avoidance Is Related to Lower Trust, Both in Other People and in Welfare State Institutions
- 2022
-
Ingår i: The Journal of Social and Political Psychology. - : Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID). - 2195-3325. ; 10:1, s. 158-172
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Social and political trust are crucial for societal well-being and are linked to lower levels of corruption as well as to the size of the welfare state. Interpersonal trust is shaped through attachment-related experiences in close interpersonal relationships. However, previous research has not linked these two strands of research, yielding an important knowledge gap about the potential implications of attachment for social and political trust. Therefore, we investigated whether attachment orientations are related to both social trust and trust in the welfare state. Data were collected in two countries with different organization and size of the welfare state, the United States (n = 284) and Sweden (n = 280). In both countries, attachment-related avoidance (but not anxiety) was negatively related both to social trust and trust in the welfare state, even after controlling for pertinent confounds. Our findings also suggested that social trust may mediate the link between avoidance and trust in the welfare state. These results cohere with an assumption that people’s attachment-related working models may extend to their models of the world at large. We conclude that interpersonal parameters should be considered to fully understand the development of trust in political institutions.
|
|
