Between Moral and Climate Crisis

This chapter identifies four main themes in the literature on media communication of climate change, which represent an interesting object of analysis for scholars who focus on moral panics' application. The combination of both the processual model and the attributional model to interpret the results of this literature review shows that during its emergence, climate change was polarised between “advocates” and “deniers” of both its existence and anthropogenic causes. This division has progressively shifted towards the consequences of climate change and need for action against it. Two distinct moral panics are identified. One is rooted in sceptical arguments and seems to work “in reverse” by emphasising the “uncertainty” around the phenomenon and its impacts. A second one is triggered by climate change supporters, who emphasise that climate change threatens life on the planet and that the current social practices need regulation and control.

Does “how” firms invest in corporate social responsibility matter? An attributional model of job seekers’ reactions to configurational variation in corporate social responsibility

Although corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices can increase firm attractiveness, this process can be undermined if CSR activities signal the “wrong” motives to job seekers. Yet, how these attributed motives form, and why job seekers are likely to infer favorable or unfavorable causal attributions underlying CSR activity, remain open questions. We draw on Kelley’s covariation model to address this gap. We develop and test an attributional model exploring job seekers’ reactions to distinct CSR attributional configurations derived from job seekers’ perceptions of CSR consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency. Across a multi-trait, multi-method, multi-sample series of four studies, we demonstrate that different CSR attributional configurations are related to discrete causal attributions (i.e. values-driven, strategic-driven, and egoistic-driven), which are associated with distinct perceptions and employment intentions. We address recent calls to open the “black box” of CSR causal attributions, deepening understanding of why job seekers might also respond negatively to CSR, and the (attributional) psychological processes driving these negative reactions.

Emoties en de intentie tot helpen van omstanders bij pesten op het werk: de invloed van waargenomen verantwoordelijkheid en besmettingsdreiging

Emotional and helping responses among bystanders of victims of mobbing: the role of perceived responsibility and threat of contagion Emotional and helping responses among bystanders of victims of mobbing: the role of perceived responsibility and threat of contagion R. Mulder, M. Pouwelse, H. Lodewijkx & C. Bolman, Gedrag & Organisatie, volume 21, March 2008, pp. 19-34 Building upon Weiner's (1995, 1996) attributional model of social behavior, we examined the effects of perceived responsibility and threat of contagion upon bystanders' emotional and helping responses towards the victim (an executive) in a mobbing situation. Hypotheses were examined in a 2 (perceived responsibility: weak/strong) x 2 (perceived threat of contagion): weak/strong) vignette study among government workers (N = 161). SEM path analyses (using Amos 5.0) revealed that weak (versus strong) perceived responsibility led to stronger pity and less anger, which both led to stronger helping intentions. Intriguingly, bystanders further showed stronger helping intentions, when the victim of mobbing was held more responsible for his situation. The perceived threat conditions did not directly influence helping intentions, but weak versus strong perceived threat was related to less anger and anxiety, and less anxiety, in turn, was associated with stronger helping intentions. Discussed are the potential consequences of the power differential between victims (as executives) and bystanders, and the validity of Weiner's model in explaining mobbing at work.

Controllability, information processing, and learning motivation: Moderation of working memory by perceptions of control

This study investigated the effects of perceived controllobility on information processing within the attributional model of learning (Weiner, 1985, 1986). Attributional style was used to identify trait patterns of controllability for 37 university student. Task-relevant feedback was then manipulated to test for differences in working memory function between participants with high versus low levels of trait controllobility. Trait controllability occurred differently for hi-trait and lo-trait types. Results supported the hypothesis that it exerts a moderating effect on the way task-relevant feedback is processed. This selective encoding of information appeared to involve limitations inherent to the working memory system that affect processing efficiency, marking an important consideration for the way in which information is presented during the learning process.

COGNITIVE EMOTIONAL REACTIONS OF CARE STAFF TO DIFFICULT CHILD BEHAVIOUR

The attributions parents make about the problem behaviour of their children have been shown to be important determinants of their emotional and behavioural reactions to such behaviour. However, this relationship has not been studied in carers of children in residential settings. In this paper we apply Weiner's attributional model of helping to the self-predicted behaviour of 47 carers in residential children's homes in the U.K. Participants identified causes for four children's behaviours, made attributions about these behaviours on dimensions of internality, controllability, globality and stability, reported their emotional reactions to the behaviours on the dimensions of anger and sympathy and reported their likelihood of making extra effort to help in working with these behaviours. Results showed that attributions of controllability and globality, and the emotional response of sympathy were important in predicting reported likelihood of helping. The implications of these results for carer training are discussed.