Need for Closure and Political Orientation Among German University Students

1997 ◽  
Vol 137 (6) ◽  
pp. 787-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Kemmelmeier
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Need For Closure

scholarly journals Fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as predictors of worldview defense: Comparing terror management and uncertainty theories

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Rubin
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Need For Closure ◽  
Control Stimulus ◽  
Worldview Defense ◽  
Cultural Worldviews ◽  
Threat Stimulus ◽  
Existential Uncertainty

Terror management theory (TMT) proposes that thoughts of death trigger a concern about self-annihilation that motivates the defense of cultural worldviews. In contrast, uncertainty theorists propose that thoughts of death trigger feelings of uncertainty that motivate worldview defense. University students (N = 414) completed measures of the chronic fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as well as the need for closure. They then evaluated either a meaning threat stimulus or a control stimulus. Consistent with TMT, participants with a high fear of self-annihilation and a high need for closure showed the greatest dislike of the meaning threat stimulus, even after controlling for their existential uncertainty. Contrary to the uncertainty perspective, fear of existential uncertainty showed no significant effects.

The Effects of Mortality Salience and Social Dominance Orientation on Attitudes Toward Illegal Immigrants

2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan F. Bassett
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
University Students ◽  
Social Dominance ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Illegal Immigrants ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Political Conservatism

The paper examines the hypothesis that the effects of mortality salience on attitudes toward illegal immigrants are moderated by individual differences predisposing participants toward prejudice or intolerance. A total of 122 university students completed measures of political orientation, authoritarianism, and social dominance orientation prior to being randomly assigned to a mortality salience or control condition. Political conservatism, authoritarianism, and social dominance orientation were all associated with more negative attitudes toward illegal immigrants. Although there was no main effect for mortality salience, there was an interaction between mortality salience and social dominance orientation. Higher social dominance orientation was associated with more negative attitudes toward illegal immigrants, albeit only in the mortality salience condition.

scholarly journals Cognitive Flexibility, Procrastination, and Need for Closure Predict Online Self-Directed Learning Among Pakistani Virtual University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-41
Author(s):  
Itbar Khan ◽  
Marlene Schommer-Aikins ◽  
Nazia Saeed
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
University Students ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Need For Closure ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Virtual University ◽  
Directed Learning ◽  
The Relationship

This study investigated the relationship between students’ self-directed online learning and their everyday psychological factors often associated with learning in general.Total 140 Virtual University students in Pakistan completed measures of online self-directed learning and psychological factors, including cognitive flexibility, procrastination, and need for closure.  Regression analyses indicated that the less students procrastinate in general, the more students embraced cognitive flexibility, and the less they impulsively sought quick solutions, the more likely they reported effective online self-directed learning.  In contrast, younger students, had a need for quick answers, procrastinate in general, and who embraced cognitive flexibility, were more likely to report ineffective online self-directed learning.The results suggest that students may be given training on how to avoid procrastination. Students need for closure can be eased by quizzes throughout the semester and students may be taught alternatives for encouraging cognitive flexibility.

scholarly journals Social Psychological Predictors of Belief in Fake News in the Run-Up to the 2019 Hungarian Elections: The Importance of Conspiracy Mentality Supports the Notion of Ideological Symmetry in Fake News Belief

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zea Szebeni ◽  
Jan-Erik Lönnqvist ◽  
Inga Jasinskaja-Lahti
Keyword(s):  
Political Identity ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Need For Closure ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
False Information ◽  
Political News ◽  
The Government ◽  
Group Memberships

Accessing information online is now easier than ever. However, also false information is circulated in increasing quantities. We sought to identify social psychological factors that could explain why some people are more susceptible to false information. Specifically, we investigated whether psychological predispositions (social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, system justification beliefs (SJB), openness, need for closure, conspiracy mentality), competencies (scientific and political knowledge, interest in politics) or motivated reasoning based on social identity (political orientation) could help explain who believes fake news. Hungarian participants (N = 295) judged political (anti- and pro-government) and non-political news. The Hungarian context—characterized by low trust in media, populist communication by the government and increasing polarization—should be fertile ground for the proliferation of fake news. The context in making this case particularly interesting is that the major political fault line in Hungary runs between pro- and anti-government supporter groups and not, for instance, between conservative and liberal ideology or partisanship. We found clear support for the motivational reasoning explanation as political orientation consistently predicted belief in both fake and real political news when their contents aligned with one’s political identity. The belief in pro-government news was also associated with higher SJB among pro-government supporters. Those interested in politics showed better capacity to distinguish real political news from the fake ones. Most importantly, the only psychological predisposition that consistently explained belief in all types of fake news was a conspiracy mentality. This supports the notion of ideological symmetry in fake news belief—where a conspiracy mentality can be found across the political spectrum, and it can make people susceptible to disinformation regardless of group-memberships and other individual differences.

A Shared Past and a Common Future: The Portuguese Colonial War and the Dynamics of Group-Based Guilt

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Figueiredo ◽  
Joaquim Valentim ◽  
Bertjan Doosje
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Intergroup Relations ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
Behavioural Intentions ◽  
National Group ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Ingroup Outgroup ◽  
Common Future

In the present study we examine feelings of group-based guilt among Portuguese people in relation to the Portuguese colonial war, and their consequences for social behaviour. Specifically, we focus on the way Portuguese university students identify with their national group and the outgroup and their feelings of group-based guilt regarding their group's past misdeeds during the colonial period. The consequences of group-based guilt are also analyzed. 130 Portuguese university students answered a questionnaire and results show that students feel low levels of group-based guilt in relation to this period. Our results show that ingroup glorification is positively related with the use of cognitions to justify the ingroup's behaviour, presumably to avoid responsibility for the harm committed by the ingroup. Outgroup identification correlates with compensatory behavioural intentions and openness to negative information about the colonial war. As expected, feelings of group-based guilt show a significant correlation with compensatory behavioural intentions. Links between political orientation, ingroup attachment and glorification, exonerating cognitions and group-based guilt are analyzed and their implications for intergroup relations are discussed.

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