The Buffer Effect

The mediating nature of communication technologies (e.g., telephone, voice message, or chat) can buffer the experience of conversations by establishing a figurative shield between sender and receiver. From a psychological perspective, this buffer effect may affect senders’ communication channel choices depending on their respective communication goals. Building on the impression management model of strategic channel use ( O’Sullivan, 2000 ), we examine how valence and locus of a message and the interlocutors’ relationship lead to differences in the buffer effect people establish through their channel choices. In two vignette-based, mixed-design studies, participants indicated which channel they would choose to communicate with a receiver in different situations, depending on the valence of the episode (positive vs. negative; Studies 1 and 2), who is at the center of the issue (self vs. other; Studies 1 and 2), and their interpersonal closeness (friend vs. acquaintance; Study 2). In Study 1, people chose channels with a higher buffer effect for negative (vs. positive) issues and episodes that focused on themselves (vs. the receiver). Study 2 supported a moderating effect of relationship. While people still chose channels with higher buffer effects for negative (vs. positive) issues in the acquaintance condition, the opposite was true when people were to communicate with friends. We attribute this to the higher salience of relational compared to self-presentational communication goals under increasing interpersonal closeness. The present studies expand the impression management model by focusing on the subjective buffer effect of communication channels and introducing the decisive role of relationship in its application.

The Relationship Between Facebook Intrusion and Self-Control Dimensions Among Facebook Users

Previous studies have shown the essential role of self-control in the development of behavioral addiction such as gaming, Internet, or gambling addiction. On the one hand, most studies have considered self-control as a homogeneous phenomenon. On the other hand, little evidence has been found on the relationship between the self-control dimensions and Facebook intrusion (FI). Additionally, research on the relationship between the dimensions of self-control and FI has only been conducted on a group of gamers. Consequently, the aim of this study was to test the relationship between FI and the self-control dimensions among young Facebook users who were not gamers. A total of 991 individuals (785 females) took part in the study. The self-control dimensions were assessed with NAS-50 and FI was assessed with the Facebook Intrusion Scale. Taking into account the results of the structural equation analysis, the findings showed a significant relationship between FI and self-control dimensions such as inhibition and adjournment, initiative and persistence, and goal maintenance among young Facebook users. Based on this study, it can be concluded that the behavioral mechanism connected with FI may be primarily associated with a low ability to suppress or delay unwanted or improper actions and that this may contribute to the failure of goal-directed behavior. It can also be assumed that this mechanism is associated with a low ability to focus on goals and a low ability to induce efficient motivation and have persistence to achieve higher-order goals.

Moral Minds in Gaming

Games including meaningful narratives and moral decisions have become increasingly popular. This case study examines (a) the prevalence of morality and moral foundations, (b) player decisions when encountering moral options, and (c) the influence of contextual factors (i.e., time pressure, played avatar, and humanness of nonplayable characters) on moral decision-making in the popular video game Detroit: Become Human. Based on extensive coding of available world statistics we identified 73.21% morally relevant (vs. morally irrelevant) decisions in the game with a high prevalence for harm- and authority-related situations. Although players had an overall tendency to engage in moral behavior, they were more likely to act “good” when under time pressure and if nonhuman characters were involved. Our findings are discussed with regard to common theories of morality. Results support the notion that prior theoretical assumptions may be successfully mapped onto top-selling video games.

Smartphone Use and Well-Being in Two Contexts

Excessive smartphone use is a growing concern in many societies around the world today. To date, attention has primarily been paid to psychological correlates of use, including well-being, with less work concentrating on the role that context plays in smartphone use. This was the goal of the current project. College student smartphone use was measured twice over 1 week in two contexts – a college campus and an outdoor camp – and participant well-being was measured using the SPANE. The findings indicate that daily smartphone use significantly decreased for camp participants and significantly increased for campus participants, and latency to use a phone upon waking significantly increased for camp participants but remained stable for campus participants. Additionally, waiting longer to use a phone upon waking at the end of the week significantly predicted reduced well-being but only for camp participants. Overall, these findings suggest that setting is an important contextual variable to consider when pursuing an understanding of the complex relation between smartphone use and well-being.

Attitude-Consistent Health Messages About Electronic Cigarettes Increase Processing Time

Online contexts are becoming a widely available space to disseminate health information and target specific populations for health campaigns. Limited evidence for health message engagement in these contexts exists. This study draws on the elaboration likelihood model and construal-level theory to predict processing time and recall when individuals are presented with messages for or against electronic cigarette use from socially close or distant sources. Participants ( N = 159) were shown messages about electronic cigarettes, designed to look like tweets, from socially close and socially distant message senders. Processing times were highest for pro-attitudinal messages while messages from socially close sources were more likely to be recalled, and furthering social distance increased the difference in processing times for pro- and counter-attitudinal messages. We demonstrate the applicability of behavioral measures in online studies, while finding that attitudes, social distance, and their interaction affect measures of message processing. These findings suggest further exploration may be needed to differentiate between processing time and counterarguing. From our findings, we offer applied practitioners guidance on how to develop messages that target audiences will spend more time considering and are more likely to remember.

The Persuasive Effect of Product Placements

Marketers are increasingly relying on covert advertising tactics to persuade consumers. This empirical study selected the context of an emerging market to examine the effectiveness of product placements. Using an experimental design, we captured the affective and behavioral responses of young Indian adults. The results indicated that young adults are positive about product placements. The mediating role of brand attitude change in the relationship between attitude toward product placements and purchase intentions is established. The study provides valuable insights into the impact of execution factors on viewers’ responses. Implications and directions for future research are discussed based on the results of this study.

Can Narratives Increase Compliance?

The current study assessed whether vicariously experiencing story characters granting a small favor can induce similar intentions from its audiences. Acting upon the perspectives of story characters, audiences may agree to a subsequent larger request to the same cause, as in the case of vicarious foot-in-the-door (VFITD). Study 1 found that a VFITD story was more effective in eliciting prosocial intentions than a non-VFITD story and a non-narrative message. That is, the VFITD condition generated greater intentions to volunteer in a series of activities, with attitudes mediating this process. Study 2 replicated this result. It also showed that when a VFITD story can generate sufficient levels of identification, it is more effective than a non-VFITD narrative in eliciting prosocial intentions. Implications of this study are also discussed.

An Explication of Identity Shift Theory

First articulated in 2008, the concept of identity shift refers to the process of self-transformation that is the result of intentional self-presentation in a mediated context. As research into identity shift has become increasingly prevalent, our understanding of the concept’s mechanisms and constraints has become more detailed and in depth. We now have a greater understanding of the process and limitations of identity shift: an understanding sufficient to begin articulating a theory of identity shift that explains and predicts the intrapersonal effects of mediated self-presentations. The present work advances such a theory. We begin by summarizing and synthesizing extant identity shift work – including published articles, presented manuscripts, and unpublished research – to better understand the identity shift process. We then use this synthesis to articulate an initial theory (identity shift theory; IST) that specifies the processes, conditions, constraints, and effects of identity shift based on personal, psychological, and communicative characteristics. Ultimately, the advancement of identity shift theory can inform future research and practice into the implications of online self-presentation for self-effects.

Model of Inspiring Media

Scholars have increasingly explored the ways that media content can touch, move, and inspire audiences, leading to numerous beneficial outcomes including increased feelings of connectedness to and heightened motivations for doing good for others. Although this line of inquiry is relatively new, sufficient evidence and patterns of results have emerged such that a clearer picture of the inspiring media experience is coming into focus. This article has two primary goals. First, we seek to synthesize the existing research into a working and evolving model of inspiring media experiences reflecting five interrelated and symbiotic elements: exposure, message factors, responses, outcomes, and personal/situational factors. The model also identifies theoretical mechanisms underlying the previously observed positive effects. Secondly, the article explores situations in which, and precipitating factors present, when these hoped-for outcomes either fail to materialize or result in negative or maladaptive responses and outcomes. Ultimately, the model is proposed as a heuristic roadmap for future scholarship and as an invitation for critique and collaboration in the emerging field of positive media psychology.