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Relation of agency and communion to well-being: Evidence and potential exploration
Abstract
There are pervasive sex differences in psychological and physical well-being, many of which can be linked to the differential socialization of men and women. Numerous studies have linked psychological masculinity and femininity to well-being. In the present article, this literature is explained by focusing on the specific personality traits captured by conventional measures of masculinity and femininity: agency (focus on self and forming separations) and communion (focus on others and forming connections), respectively. Both agency and communion are required for optimal well-being (D. Bakan, 1966); when one exists in the absence of the other (unmitigated communion or unmitigated agency), however, negative health outcomes occur. Research that is consistent with this idea is presented, and the processes by which unmitigated agency and unmitigated communion affect well-being are explored. These processes involve control, social support, and health behavior.
... We were interested in this set of demographic factors, as they may inform differences in communion among US emerging adults. Differences in communion could then have implications for adjustment (e.g., Helgeson, 1994). The second focus of this project was to address the ties between emerging adults' narrated communion and their psychosocial adjustment. ...
... Having positive relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners is critical for early adult mental health and adjustment (Booker et al., 2021b;Dunlop et al., 2019;Helgelson, 1994;Wesley & Booker, 2021). Relatedly, incorporating more communion into one's life stories-focusing on building intimate relationships, showing care toward others, empathizing, and expressing love-is related to forms of psychosocial adjustment and functioning (e.g., Helgeson, 1994). The current project aimed to replicate findings from the bulk of research involving narrative communion, which shows that communion informs psychosocial adjustment concurrently (i.e., McLean et al., 2020). ...
... Life satisfaction is positively associated with relationship successes (Diener, 1984); hence, it's relevance to a project on communion. Life satisfaction is also worth studying given its broader connection to emerging adults' mental health and psychological diagnoses (Helgeson, 1994). Psychological well-being (PWB) involves a set of related dimensions concerning meaning and fulfillment (i.e., personal growth, sense of purpose; Ryff & Keyes, 1995). ...
Communion reflects motivations for social connectivity and intimacy in life stories. We tested the ways communion may differ among emerging adults and may inform psychosocial adjustment. We rated 300 US adults' (M age = 24.3 years; 60% women) high point and low point narratives for communion, testing a) differences in communion by demographics (i.e., gender, ethnicity), b) direct associations between communion with psychosocial adjustment (i.e., life satisfaction, stress), and c) moderation of communion's ties with adjustment by demographic factors. Women expressed more high point communion. European Americans expressed more communion across narratives. Low point communion had direct ties with psychosocial adjustment. The effects of communion on adjustment differed by ethnicity and event valence: African Americans showed larger benefits with high point communion; and Asian Americans showed larger benefits with low point communion. Findings reinforce the importance of communal values and emphasize research needs in accounting for cultural upbringing. COMMUNION IN EMERGING ADULTHOOD 3 Communion among Community-Recruited Emerging Adults: Testing Descriptive and Inferential Questions Humans are social creatures. Our relationships are important for how we understand ourselves and feel about our lives. As such, it is important to consider the ways people focus on their relationships, even as they are reflecting on themselves. This study considers the ways communion was incorporated into emerging adults' life stories. Communion involves motivations for care, intimacy, and harmony (Frimer et al., 2011; McAdams et al., 1996).
... Com relação à dimensão community, aponta-se para a sua relação com foco nos outros, nas relações e na formação de conexões (HELGESON, 1994). Essa dimensão inclui a participação em grupos e a cooperação, bem como enfatiza a criação de uniões. ...
... Para dar maior consistência ao comparativo, as características da amostra participante do estudo encontram-se na Tabela 1, a mesma utilizada por Segala (2013 Os dados obtidos evidenciam que, na IES A o modelo predominante é o community, com 95,06%. Com base nesses dados, parece correto afirmar que as duas instituições apontam para uma tendência alta de seus gestores em compartilhar uma relação tipo community alta, ou seja, com foco nos outros, nas relações e na formação de conexões (HELGESON, 1994). Essa dimensão inclui a participação em grupos e enfatiza a criação de uniões. ...
... Quanto ao modelo community, os dados mostram, novamente, uma tendência alta dos entrevistados em transitarem por essa noção: a IES A com 95,06% e a IES B com 65,67% dos entrevistados, onde se destacam os que possuem nível superior na IES A (97,56%) e os que têm o 2º grau na IES B (80,00%). Apesar da diferença de escolaridade, a dimensão community revelada, em ambas as instituições, aponta para a sua relação com foco nos outros, nas relações e na formação de conexões (HELGESON, 1994). ...
Este estudo tem por objetivo analisar a percepção dos técnico-administrativos em educação acerca dos modelos de gestão de pessoas agency-community. A revisão bibliográfica, apoiou-se nas perspectivas teóricas do modelo de gestão de pessoa agency-community, propostos por Rousseau e Arthur (1999). Para tal, realizou-se um estudo de caso, de natureza descritiva, com emprego de abordagem metodológica quantitativa, em duas Instituições Federais de Ensino Superior, uma localizada no Estado do Maranhão (IES A) e outra no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (IES B). Por se tratar de um estudo comparativo, os dados referentes a IES B foram retirados de Segala (2013). Com base na análise dos resultados, identificou-se o predomínio de uma noção community, de natureza alta, entre os técnicoadministrativos da IES A. Comparando com os resultados da IES B, em relação à noção community, observa-se uma similaridade absoluta entre os resultados encontrados na IES A. A noção agency apresentou média nas duas instituições, com uma peque
... Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields are commonly perceived as offering opportunities to fulfill agentic more than communal goals (Diekman et al., 2011Morgan et al., 2001): Agentic motives focus on promoting the self, and communal motives focus on attending to others. Yet both agency and communality are fundamental motives that contribute to optimal human functioning (Bakan, 1966;Helgeson, 1994). In the current work, we investigate whether local STEM cultures differ in how they structure and signal agentic and communal opportunities, and whether students in different STEM domains report values reflecting the stereotypic pattern (focus on agency) or a balanced pattern (focus on both agency and communality). ...
... A similar pattern of alignment between the environment and students' cognitions and motives would occur within life sciences (reflecting greater balance between agency and communality). Yet, it also possible that communal values will continue to be strongly held, regardless of environmental emphasis, because both agency and communality are fundamental motives that contribute to optimal functioning (Helgeson, 1994). Whether student values align with their perceptions of opportunity and with environmental structural and signals is important to document because incongruity can be an obstacle to persistence. ...
The current research examined whether life sciences vs. engineering/physical sciences vary in the visibility and value of communality and agency. Overall, we find an emphasis on agency in engineering/physical sciences and a greater balance between communality and agency in the life sciences. We examine motivational culture as represented in environmental structures (Study 1), in signals sent and received in academic displays (Studies 2A-B), and in individual-level motives and cognitions (Studies 3-4). Study 1 analyzed archival course data to find that courses (N=11,222) in engineering/physical sciences included fewer collaborative assignments than courses in life sciences. Study 2A's content analysis documented that bulletin boards (N=68) in engineering/physical sciences academic buildings conveyed less communal purpose, and Study 2B found that participants (N=44) perceived greater communal purpose when viewing novel bulletin boards experimentally manipulated to include the cues identified in Study 2A. In Studies 3 (N=326) and 4 (N=110), engineering/physical science majors reported a strong agentic focus, compared to life science majors' more balanced focus. Further, the strong agentic focus of engineering/physical science students waned over time. This investigation of motivational cultures highlights the daily practices and institutional contexts that can shape individual-level motives and cognition related to engagement in STEM, both within and across different STEM pathways.
... This sense of being in charge of one's life, rather than at the mercy of circumstances, imparts meaning to life and satisfies the basic human need for autonomy, which is closely related to well-being (Adler, 2012;Ryan & Deci, 2017). Indeed, many studies have found that agency, regardless of whether it is assessed by selfreported measures (for a review, see Helgeson, 1994) or narratives (for a review, see Adler et al., 2016), is consistently related to mental health and well-being. ...
... In the present study, we chose to code narratives in terms of agency, as it has received significant attention regarding mental health and well-being. Many studies have documented a positive link, regardless of whether agency was assessed by self-reports or narratives (Adler et al., 2016;Helgeson, 1994;Kim et al., 2016). However, it is difficult to determine the causal direction between the two. ...
The goal of the present study was to replicate and extend previous research that demonstrated the incremental validity of narrative identity in predicting psychological well-being among Korean adults. We recruited 147 Korean adults living in South Korea who completed a battery of questionnaires that assessed the Big Five traits, extrinsic value orientation, self-concept clarity, and psychological well-being. Participants then wrote a story about how they had become the persons they were, which was subsequently coded in terms of agency. We found that psychological well-being was positively related to extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and self-concept clarity, but negatively to neuroticism and extrinsic value orientation. The positive relation between agency, coded from narratives, and psychological well-being was significant both with and without controlling for the other variables. These results showed that narrative identity has incremental validity in predicting well-being among individuals who live in a culture where collectivism and individualism coexist.
... Still, gender and age were not only selected for convenience purposes. A recent meta-analysis of 42 studies of basic psychological needs conducted among samples of working adults (Van den Broeck et al., 2016) showed women tend to present significantly higher levels of satisfaction of their need for relatedness relative to men, which is aligned with the fact that women generally tend to value social relationships more than men (Cross & Madson, 1997;Helgeson, 1994;Hyde, 2014). No differences were observed as a function of gender in regards to the satisfaction of the needs for autonomy and competence. ...
... In addition, these results revealed meaningful gender-and age-related differences on the BPNSFS latent factors, and also found that the effects of age on the BPNSFS factors generalized to male and female participants. Interestingly, observed gender-based differences were well-aligned with our expectations (e.g., Cross & Madson, 1997;Helgeson, 1994;Hyde, 2014;Van den Broeck et al., 2016), and revealed that females tended to present higher levels of relatedness satisfaction. It is also interesting to note that females did not show higher levels of competence frustration relative to males, which could possibly be attributed to the fact that females are nowadays encouraged to study and work, so that they now have greater opportunities to choose between career opportunities (OECD, 2014). ...
Book chapter (written in Hungarian) about the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale.
... In het denken over psychische gezondheid delen de vier theoretische modellen het uitgangspunt dat eenzijdige gerichtheid op zichzelf ten koste kan gaan van de relatie met anderen en andersom (Van Geel, 2007;Helgeson, 1994;Blatt, 2004 In hoofdstuk 4 volgt de discussie van de resultaten met ten slotte een verkennend betoog voor praktijkintegratie. ...
... Dit wordt geacht een weerspiegeling te zijn van het tot wasdom hebben gebracht van zowel autonome als verbondenheidbehoeften én van het beschikken over het vermogen soepel over te schakelen van de ene naar de andere basale streving (Bakan, 1966;Guisinger & Blatt, 1994;Helgeson, 1994). In termen van de waarderingstheorie: een systeem dat een weerspiegeling is van iemands vermogen flexibel te navigeren tussen verschillende types van waarderingen en dat tevens verwijst naar een flexibel geordende verhaallijn. ...
In valuationtheory human beings are defined as motivated storytellers. Connected with valuationtheory is
the Self-Confrontation Method (SCM) used by respondents to express their life-story in short sentences, called
valuations. Valuations refer to meaningfull experiences which refer to the past, present and future. By means
of an affectypology emotional colour is connected with each valuation. This typology is organized around ‘self’
and ‘other’- dimensions which refer to two fundamental motives: autonomy and connectedness or ‘agency’ and
‘communion’. Valuation theory belongs to a bigger group of theoretical models that assume a basic duality in
human existence. The meta-concepts ‘agency’ and ‘communion’ are viewed as the connecting concepts. The
theoretical models are in essence theories about human relations: how do I relate to myself and how do I relate
to others. Attachmenttheory, interpersonal theory and Blatt’s depressiontheory can also be seen as belonging to
this group of theoretical models. According to attachmenttheory the first self-other-orientations are formed in
the first internal workingmodel for self and other. According to interpersonal theory interpersonal behavior is
assumed to be organized along two dimensions: affiliation (belonging) and status (dominance, autonomy). Blatt
assumes two lines of personal development: an introjective (autonomous) line and an anaclitic (interpersonal)
line. Overinvestment in one line, when it is at the cost of the other line, can lead to vulnerability to introjective/
selfcritical or anaclitic/dependant depression.
The first aim of this research is to realize, in study 1, a global exploration of relations between the four
theoretical models in function of constructvalidation of the SCM. Five researchers interviewed a total of 100
participants with usage of the SCM. The participants gave emotional meaning to their valuations with the help
of a list of 30 affectterms. They also filled in three questionnaires measuring attachmentstyle, interpersonal style
and vulnerability for two types of depression. Several hypotheses, concerning relations between valuationtheory
on the one side and attachmenttheory, interpersonal theory and depressiontheory on the other side could
be accepted. The more contrasts (positive-negative) of emotional meaning between so called positive and
negative stories the more differences were found on attachmentstyle, interpersonal style and vulnerability for
depression. Overall, repondents with the more negative life-stories were connected stronger with three variants
of insecure attachmentstyle (anxious, avoidant, preoccupated). They also could be connected with a more
reservation-distancing ánd uncertain-submissive, and a less selfconfidant-powerfull ánd vividly-enthousiastic
interpersonal style. These respondents also experience more vulnerability for depression. The conclusion is that
we may assume constructvalidity of valuationtheory on one side with attachmenttheory, interpersonal theory
and Blatt’s depressiontheory on the other side. In a qualitative second study several SCM-typical stories are
illustrated visually and with individual valuations. Also relations which were found in study 1 are made visible
on an individual level. The main conclusion is that the quantative and the qualitative study enrich each other.
Also the SCM can be tentatively qualified as an instrument with potential for idiografic narrative assessment of
attachmentstyle, interpersonal style and vulnerability for depression.
Finally the aim of this research was to make a connection with psychotherapeutic practice. What can theory
and research do for practice? For this purpose a short elaboration for psychotherapy-integration is presented in
which is referred to relevant information which is described in the theoretical first part.
... Specifically, we concentrate on agency-communion orientation, which determines the extent to which people have a focus on self or others in terms of achievements of goals and values (Abele & Wojciszke, 2007;Helgeson, 1994;Kurt, Inman, & Argo, 2011). ...
... According to previous research (Bakan, 1966), agency and communion are two motivational themes, reflecting two fundamental modalities of human existence in one's social world. Agency orientation refers to a person's tendency to focus on self-interest and seeks individuality and separateness from others, whereas communion orientation reflects one's tendency to merge himself/herself into a larger social network and be interconnected with others (Abele & Wojciszke, 2007;Helgeson, 1994). ...
This study examines the effect of distraction after being exposed to information on low‐fit brand extension evaluation. We show that when consumers are distracted (vs. engaging in deliberate thinking) after encoding extension information they evaluate low‐fit brand extensions more favorably. Findings suggest that distraction can help establish connections of remotely associated information between a parent brand and a low‐fit extension. We also find that the effect of distraction is contingent on the individual characteristic of consumers' agency–communion orientation. The core effect holds strongly for consumers high in communion orientation, but not for those with an agency orientation. Finally, we examine how marketing communication strategies (i.e., manipulating product message construal level) interact with distraction to influence consumer perceptions of low‐fit brand extensions. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
... This pattern of agency being associated with healthy emotional adjustment and self-esteem has been supported by multiple studies. [16][17][18] Korelat et al., 13 also reported three attributes were best used to measure communion: emotional, sympathetic, and empathetic. In this study, communion was predictive of socially responsible behavior. ...
The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath that have swept across the world from 2020 through the present has provided an abundance of often conflicting ideas about how to protect the self and others, including issues related to misinformation and conspiracy theories. This study sought to investigate how belief in conspiracy theories interacted with the personality traits of agency, communion, unmitigated agency (UA), and unmitigated communion (UC) to predict the extent to which participants felt that COVID-19 presented a real threat to society and the extent to which mitigation efforts such as masking and social distancing could help stop the spread of the disease. Participants (n = 105) were recruited via social media posts and represented a diverse sample in terms of age, ethnicity, and gender. Results generally indicate that conspiracy beliefs are associated with not believing that COVID-19 poses a threat to well-being and that mitigation efforts are not efficacious, however higher levels of agency and communion are protective against these beliefs whereas higher levels of UA exacerbate them. UC was not significant in these analyses. Implication will be discussed.
... As a matter of fact, agency and communion do have important consequences for a person's subjective well--being. Helgeson (1994) argued that both agency and communion are required for optimal well--being. In numerous studies, she could show that when one exits in the absence of the other (unmitigated communion or unmitigated agency) negative health outcomes occur with detrimental consequences for subjective well--being (e.g. ...
None of the major basic questions social sciences are concerned with can satisfyingly be answered from the perspective of one discipline alone. Each of them proposes theories and perspectives that make unique and important contributions. At the same time theoretical perspectives in general inevitably do have their blind spots. This fundamental insight was the reason for us to choose as the motto for the 19th IACCP congress held in Bremen in 2008 “Crossing borders – (Cross-) Cultural Psychology as an Interdisciplinary, Multi-Method Endeavor”. In this chapter we first want to illustrate this motto and our reasons for choosing it by reviewing recent research on one exemplary basic question of the social sciences: Can happiness change? We will cover findings across the social science disciplines in order to illustrate the benefits of interdisciplinary, multi-method investigations. This review will also reveal that the recent evidence violates traditional mono-disciplinary views on the respective question. After that, we will briefly introduce the contributions of this volume.
... Based on these findings, a detailed examination of individual body parts would be appropriate. For women, in addition to those mentioned above, characteristics related to appearance (dress, long hair, attractiveness, make-up, manicure), traditional values and pleasant demeanor (good manners, family orientation, friendly, traditional, smiles), interest in culture (likes music, books), and general positive qualities (confident, intelligent) were also reported (Helgeson, 1994(Helgeson, , 2011. Little is also known about the influence of fathers on body image, but it is confirmed that fathers influence their daughters' body image but not their eating habits. ...
Body image just during adolescence is influenced not only by the media, but also by family and friends, and related to this, the adolescent must learn to cope with society's demands on body image. This study examines the relationships between facially attractive adolescents' body image dissatisfaction and personality characteristics. The research population consisted of 185 face-attractive students from different types of high schools, including 89 girls and 96 boys with an average age of 18 years. We used the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire EPQ-R and Stunkard Silhouettes and questions designed by us regarding satisfaction/dissatisfaction with different body parts to collect data. We found that there was no significant relationship between body image dissatisfaction and neuroticism, psychoticism. A significant negative relationship was found between body image dissatisfaction and extroversion.
... 20 Agency, increasingly recognized for its role in mental health and CVD management, is closely tied to psychological well-being, autonomy, and perceived control over the disease. 71,72 Research underscores the importance of exploring beliefs about control, in relation to the risk of mortality and major cardiovascular events. 73,74 Perceived control is a strong independent predictor of CVD mortality and may be considered a CVD risk factor. ...
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women globally, emphasizing the need for a healthcare approach that empowers women through agency. This review focuses on the critical role of women’s agency in navigating CVD, integrating insights from various fields, including medicine, education, psychology, and sociology. The review highlights the shift toward patient-centred care, a framework in which women are recognized as key decision-makers, a crucial change given the historical underemphasis on women’s health issues in medical practice. The diagnosis of CVD in women often involves emotional and psychological challenges. Unexpected diagnoses significantly disrupt perceived well-being, and prolonged diagnostic processes lead to professional skepticism and neglect of symptoms, resulting in delayed or inaccurate diagnoses and strained healthcare relationships. Effective management of CVD necessitates continuous self-management and a holistic approach to care, particularly for those with trauma who are at increased risk of cardiac incidents. Empowerment for women with CVD involves promoting self-confidence, autonomy, and active patient participation in healthcare. Implementing comprehensive care models is crucial for improving chronic CVD management, highlighting the need for healthcare systems that prioritize patient agency and empowerment. From the perspective of a woman with lived experience, this article examines the impact of CVD on women’s agency throughout the diagnostic journey. By highlighting women’s agency rather than particular behavioural changes, this review offers a comprehensive analysis that can shape policy, stimulate new research, and foster a more equitable, efficient, and empathetic healthcare system for women with CVD.
... To further elaborate this position, we classified both motives and goals in terms of Bakan's (1966) distinction between agency and communion as two fundamental modalities of human existence. Bakan introduced the concept of agency to characterize people whose behavior is primarily oriented toward the achievement of independence, self-assertion, and mastery experiences in contrast to communion-oriented people, who are concerned primarily with forming friendly and warm connections with others (see also Helgeson, 1994). On the basis of this distinction, we differentiated both between agentic and communal motives and between agentic and communal goals in our present research. ...
Two studies examined the importance of motive dispositions in determining the extent to which the pursuit of personal goals accounts for interindividual differences in emotional well-being. Within the domains of agency and communion, motives were assessed with a picture–story test, whereas self-report measures were used to assess goal attributes. Study 1 found that progress toward motive-congruent goals, in contrast to progress toward motive-incongruent goals, accounted for students’ daily experiences of emotional well-being. Study 2 found that the combination of high commitment to and high attainability of motive-congruent goals predicted an increase in students’ emotional well-being over 1 semester. In contrast, high commitment to motive-incongruent goals predicted a decline in emotional well-being. Results are discussed with reference to a 2-system approach to human motivation.
... The predominant influence of work-related problems on negative mood found here also requires further study. Perhaps the pattern was the result of employing an all male sample; males have been characterized traditionally as more work oriented (e.g., Helgeson, 1994). ...
Top-down and bottom-up approaches were combined to assess the relative impact of extraversion, neuroticism, and daily events on daily mood. Ninety-six community-residing men completed diaries for 8 consecutive nights. Extraversion predicted positive mood, whereas neuroticism predicted positive and negative mood. Undesirable events predicted negative mood and, more modestly, positive mood. Desirable events predicted positive mood. Negative dispositional and situational factors play a larger role in daily positive affect than positive factors do in daily negative affect.
... More recent studies include an analysis of women's lower physical and psychological well-being (Helgeson, 1994), women's greater emotional sensitivity and responsiveness (Grossman & Wood,t 993), and a recta-analysis of sex differences in personality (Feingold, 1994). In each case, the findings can be explained in terms of the agencycommunion distinction identified by social role theory. ...
The competing claims of two explanations of sex differences in social behavior, social role theory, and evolutionary psychology are examined. The origin and scope of research on sex differences in social behavior are outlined, and the application of social role theory is discussed. Research that is based on modern sexual selection theory is described, and whether its findings can be explained by social role theory is considered. Findings associated with social role theory are weighed against evolutionary explanations. It is concluded that evolutionary theory accounts much better for the overall pattern of sex differences and for their origins. A coevolutionary approach is proposed to explain cross-cultural consistency in socialization patterns.
... It is not difficult to appreciate that autonomy and competence are closely related to the sense of control provided by the concept of agency, while relatedness is directly connected with communion. Agency and communion have been studied in relation to well-being [12] and to depressive styles [13]. Individuals with depressive symptoms reported a reduced sense of control [14]. ...
p>Depression has long been studied in the NLP field, with most works focusing on individuals' negative emotions. People with depression also experience happiness, but this was not extensively studied.Previous works have shown that approaches relying on sentiment or emotion classification are unsuitable for extracting the expressions of feelings that bring happiness to an individual because they may not be expressed in positive words only. In this work, we conduct a large-scale study of happy moments from social media texts of depressed and non-depressed individuals. We develop an extensive deep learning-based framework to extract happy moments from text, and annotate them with semantic topics, gender labels, and agency and sociality measures. We analyze over 400,000 happy moments and show significant differences in topics, agency, and sociality of depressed and not-depressed users, varying by gender. Both male and female users with depression expressed less sociality in their happy moments than control users. Male users' agency was not impaired in depression, while female users with depression expressed fewer happy moments with agency than the control group. Our research can inform psychology interventions, which can foster feelings of longer-lasting happiness and represent a promising path of collaboration between computational linguistics and psychology.</p
... It is not difficult to appreciate that autonomy and competence are closely related to the sense of control provided by the concept of agency, while relatedness is directly connected with communion. Agency and communion have been studied in relation to well-being [12] and to depressive styles [13]. Individuals with depressive symptoms reported a reduced sense of control [14]. ...
p>Depression has long been studied in the NLP field, with most works focusing on individuals' negative emotions. People with depression also experience happiness, but this was not extensively studied.Previous works have shown that approaches relying on sentiment or emotion classification are unsuitable for extracting the expressions of feelings that bring happiness to an individual because they may not be expressed in positive words only. In this work, we conduct a large-scale study of happy moments from social media texts of depressed and non-depressed individuals. We develop an extensive deep learning-based framework to extract happy moments from text, and annotate them with semantic topics, gender labels, and agency and sociality measures. We analyze over 400,000 happy moments and show significant differences in topics, agency, and sociality of depressed and not-depressed users, varying by gender. Both male and female users with depression expressed less sociality in their happy moments than control users. Male users' agency was not impaired in depression, while female users with depression expressed fewer happy moments with agency than the control group. Our research can inform psychology interventions, which can foster feelings of longer-lasting happiness and represent a promising path of collaboration between computational linguistics and psychology.</p
... Similarly, it would be fruitful for future research to investigate how the distinction of intrinsic and instrumental traits relates to other categorizations from previous literature. For example, previous literature has documented a distinction between instrumental and expressive traits (Bozionelos & Bozionelos, 2003) that are often used to explain sex differences in personality traits (Helgeson, 1994). However, the present results did not completely replicate this difference (we did not see the same sex differences in the importance of intrinsic and instrumental traits as documented in previous research). ...
Friendships are valuable relationships that can bestow many benefits. How can humans ensure they receive the maximum benefits with minimal potential costs? One possible solution is to have preferences for traits, expectations, and rules in friendship. This could, for example, help people pursue beneficial friendships and jettison costly friendships. Previous research robustly documented that such preferences for traits, expectations, and rules exist, though they are often combined, and indicates that they may be sex-specific. Across two studies (N = 853), our factor analyses documented that preferences for desired traits in friendship are organized into two broad categories with women rating intrinsic traits as more important in their friendship come pared to men’s ratings. Similarly, factor analyses showed that preferences for rules in friendship are organized into four broad categories with women rating all rule categories as more important in their friendships compared to men’s ratings.
... The term communion was coined alongside agency more than 50 years ago (Bakan, 1966), each reflecting fundamental modes of human existence corresponding to "getting along" or "getting ahead" (Helgeson, 1994;Able & Wojciszke, 2018). Communion (warmth, being focused on others) is a trait-like construct where individual fulfilment is experienced through close relationships and a sense of belonging by forming bonds (Guisinger & Blatt, Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/advance-article/doi/10.1093/geront/gnac190/6991319 by NSTL Non-Subscriber Member Admin Center user on 19 January 2023 A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 1994; Able & Wojciszke, 2018). ...
Background and Objectives
A multifaceted construct called Occupational Communion (OC), defined as a sense of belonging based on social interaction at work, has been proposed to understand why care workers were positively engaged in their jobs over time, even though they were very demanding. Rich qualitative data on the multiple aspects of OC in care work exist, but a valid measure does not.
Research Design and Methods
We applied a mixed-method systematic scale development process to measure OC. Aged and dementia care workers in Australia (76%) and other countries participated in a focus group and online surveys (N=2,451). We also used interview data from our prior study. The study involved three components; 1) scale development and design; 2) pilot test validation with exploratory factor analysis; and 3) confirmatory validation via confirmatory factor analysis. The third component assessed convergent and discriminant validity using measures of communion, self-efficacy, work engagement, job and life satisfaction, intention to leave, positive and negative affect, and mood.
Results
We developed a 28 item Occupational Communion Scale (OCS) with good internal consistency (Composite Reliability = .75 to .91) across six factors: 1) ‘natural’ carer, 2) psychological need to care, 3) connection with clients, 4) connection with co-workers, 5) desire for more connection, and 6) blurred boundaries. All validity measures correlated with OC and work engagement, self-efficacy, and positive affect showed strongest associations.
Discussion/Implications
The OCS can be used to design and evaluate interventions addressing aged care workforce engagement, social connections, and well-being, and care outcomes.
... This view of agency is typically studied alongside communion, a relationship variable focused on social connection and pro-social behaviours such as considering and helping others (Abele & Wojciszke, 2007). Both crosssectional (Buchanan & Bardi, 2015) and longitudinal (e.g., Sheldon & Cooper, 2008) evidence suggest that agency and communion associate positively with wellbeing and, like the hope conception of agency, these studies position agency as an antecedent to well-being (Helgeson, 1994;Saragovi et al., 1997). ...
Social connection and agency are typically conceptualized as antecedents of well-being, yet the relative contributions of each for well-being are not yet well known. Moreover, whether or not well-being can lead to social connection and agency has not received sufficient research attention. In the present study, we test longitudinal effects of social connection, agency, and emotional well-being over a time span encompassing 13-years and four quadrennial measurement waves (total N = 22,980). Controlling for age and gender, random-intercept cross-lagged structural equation modelling suggested that earlier emotional well-being significantly predicted future agency and social connection. Similarly, earlier agency predicted future emotional well-being and social connection. However, contrary to previous findings, earlier social connection did not significantly predict emotional well-being or agency in the future. These results suggest that building emotional well-being, in addition to agency, may lead to the best social, emotional and cognitive well-being outcomes.
... Another in uential conceptualization of agency is based on gender differences, with females considered to be relatively communal while males are agentic (Bakan, 1966). The theory evolved from biological-gender based concepts into socialgender based concepts, with communion focusing on others and forming connections, while agency focuses on the self and forming separations (Helgeson, 1994). The initial focus of communion and agency was their interaction for the well-being of humans, but other applications have emerged such as their relationship with morality (Frimer et al., 2011) and impact on effective leadership (Abele & Wojciszke, 2014). ...
This chapter first provides an outline of the assumptions behind psychological research, especially the assumptions behind psychological constructs and their measurement. Next, the psychological research on the concept of agency is selectively reviewed, with a special focus on agency in the context of behavior enactment and change, and the definition provided for the purpose of the psychological chapters in this volume is posited as the ability and capacity to self-determinedly act towards the goal(s) of improving the environment and/or circumstances. Finally, the chapter argues that posit that autonomous motivation as defined by self-determination theory (SDT) is a central mechanism of agency and is the concept that is best suited for its research.
... The knowledge that another person is communal, for example that he or she is warm and moral, allows the observer to infer his or her good intentions. On the other hand, agentic traits [e.g., a high level of self-efficacy in coping with stress (Bandura, 1977;Bandura and Adams, 1977)] are beneficial for the person pursuing the goal because they allow their holder to achieve it (Helgeson, 1994;Abele and Wojciszke, 2014). DPM-AC has three main predictions, but we will only refer to the two predictions which are crucial for the article. ...
... According to Helgeson (1994) an interpersonal orientation leads women to develop strong social support networks that can buffer them against adversity. Some women cross a line from an interpersonal orientation to an excessive concern about their relationships with others, which leads them to silence their own wants and needs in favor of maintaining a positive emotional tone in the relationships, and to feel too responsible for the quality of the relationship. ...
Depression is a common yet a serious mental illness that certainly affects the way the person feels, thinks and behaves. Depression affects our thought, feelings and actions. However, it is treatable. Depression causes not only feelings of melancholy but also accompanied with a loss of interest in those activities which were ones enjoyed by the same individual. It also leads to functional decline in an individual. In this study, the counselor examined the application of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
for a single depressed client. This was planned in the presence of the client and the counsellor. After explaining about CBT he was readily cooperating with the counsellor to execute the steps so that he will overcome his depression. It also helped the counselors to examine the efficacy of CBT. Initial assessment included interviews and administration of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck, Steer and Brown, 1996) and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS; Becket al,1974). The client was also
assigned with some homework assignments of what was discussed during the therapeutic sessions.
From initial sessions till termination, the client had undergone a total of ten sessions. But the follow-up sessions continued for a year. Homework was emphasized to get hundred percent involvements from the client. BDI and BHS were completed in each session, after the completion of every counseling session. Daily Thought Record (DTR)also taken into consideration to determine what things or events or people triggers the client‟s thought process. The results indicated that cognitive behavioral therapy, was effective in reducing depression.
... According to Helgeson (1994) an interpersonal orientation leads women to develop strong social support networks that can buffer them against adversity. Some women cross a line from an interpersonal orientation to an excessive concern about their relationships with others, which leads them to silence their own wants and needs in favor of maintaining a positive emotional tone in the relationships, and to feel too responsible for the quality of the relationship. ...
Youth experiences are more turbulent in nature; they undergo rapid physical, psychological and social changes; they are forced to make important decisions etc. Among youth – college students from Single Parent Family experiences both the turbulence of the age and family. Among different schools of psychology, Positive Psychology brings out and also develops the positive side of the individual; makes him/her to focus on it rather on the negative issues and stabilizes the self. The
objective is to find out the significant difference among college Students from Single Parent family in enhancing Psychological well-being, Grit, Resilience, and Mindfulness through Psycho Education. 20 college students (17 to 21 years) from single parent family attended the study and the inclusion criteria is Single parent – either one of the parents are dead, separated or divorced. Purposive sampling, before and after without control design were used. Grit Scale, Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, Brief Resilience Scale and Psychological well- being scale were the tools used to collect the data.Techniques to enhance Resilience, Mindfulness and Grit are formulated into the Psycho education program. Each session constitutes 2 hours and 20 sessions
were conducted. Paired T test and Descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS package. There was a significant difference in the enhancement of Mindfulness, Resilience and Grit, proving the efficacy of Psycho education among the single parent child.
... Second, it is possible that women who take on leader roles suppress their communal behavior with others because communality may conflict with expectations of leadership (Eagly & Karau, 2002). To the extent that communality facilitates relationship satisfaction (Helgeson, 1994), suppressing it should induce more loneliness. However, the experimental design in Study 2 revealed no interactive effect of gender and leader role on communion striving. ...
This article builds from role congruity theory to develop and test a theoretical model about the gender-contingent experiences of loneliness for individuals taking on leadership roles. Across three complementary studies using diverse methods, occupying a leader role was associated with greater loneliness for women, but not for men. This effect was mediated by authenticity such that women experienced less authenticity when they occupied leader roles, but men did not. Study 1 applied a propensity score matching method to a longitudinal, archival data set. Study 2 replicated and extended Study 1 by examining the mediating mechanism of authenticity using a laboratory experiment. Study 3 adopted a two-wave survey design to address the limitations of the previous studies and replicate their results. The findings contribute to theory on how occupying leader roles affects incumbents' affective experiences by shifting the perspective of role congruity theory from observers' perceptions of leaders to leaders' subjective experiences, and accordingly contribute to understanding of the undesirable aspects of leader roles. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
... Ein theoretisches Modell, das das Zusammenspiel von Feminität, Maskulinität und Gesundheit erläutert, wurde 1994 von Helgeson [17] vorgestellt. Gesundheitliche Beschwerden können laut dem Modell auftauchen, wenn eine der Dimensionen extrem und die jeweils andere kaum entwickelt ist. ...
Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund
Die steigende Prävalenz psychischer Erkrankungen in den letzten Jahrzehnten wird u. a. in Verbindung mit erhöhtem beruflichem Stress gesehen. Dabei zeigen Untersuchungen stets höhere Werte für Stress und Burnout bei Frauen als bei Männern, das biologische Geschlecht trägt jedoch nur wenig zur Varianzaufklärung der Werte bei. Die geplante Studie soll einen Beitrag zur Ursachenforschung leisten.
Fragestellung
Es werden die Effekte der Person-Umwelt-Passung in Feminität und Maskulinität auf subjektive Burnout-Werte, psychosomatische Beschwerden, Steroidwerte in Haarproben als biologische Langzeitstress-Marker sowie auf Arbeitsengagement unter Berücksichtigung von Arbeitsplatzbedingungen untersucht. Im Beitrag wird die geplante Untersuchung vorgestellt.
Material und Methoden
Für die Studie werden 411 Beschäftigte eines medizinischen Dienstleistungsunternehmens zur Befragung eingeladen und können Haarproben für eine Steroid-Analyse abgeben. Durch Selbstauskunftsskalen werden individuelle und arbeitsplatzbezogene Feminitäts- und Maskulinitätswerte, Arbeitsplatzbedingungen, Burnout-Symptome, psychosomatische Beschwerden und Arbeitsengagement erfasst. Die Operationalisierung der Person-Umwelt-Passung erfolgt durch die Subtraktion der Feminitäts- und Maskulinitätswerte des Arbeitsumfeldes von den entsprechenden individuellen Werten. In den Haarproben werden mittels Flüssigkeitschromatographie-Massenspektrometrie (LC-MS/MS) die Werte für Cortisol, Cortison, Dehydroepiandrosteron (DHEA), Testosteron und Progesteron ermittelt.
Ziele
Die Effekte der Feminität und Maskulinität als arbeitsplatzbezogene Person-Umwelt-Passung sollen als Prädiktoren für arbeitsbezogenen Stress untersucht werden, um zu überprüfen, ob diese sinnvollere Erklärungen als Geschlechtsgruppen-Erfassung bieten.
... Another model explaining the interdependency of feminity and masculinity is introduced by Helgeson [30,31,32]. ...
Background
Gender differences usually reveal higher occupational stress and burnout levels for women compared to men, especially in male-dominated working environments. In opposition to group differentiation, more specific gender-related dimensions feminity and masculinity were used in the study to describe individual and work environment characteristics and analyze their effects.
Methods
Two Person-Environment fit scores in feminity and masculinity were calculated by subtracting individual from environment values. Both fit scores were proved as predictors in hierarchical linear regression models predicting burnout and work engagement as well as hair steroids cortisol, cortisone, DHEA, testosterone and progesterone detected by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) as stress biomarkers. Age as control variable and workplace characteristics were included in the analysis. Bivariate correlations as well as moderator and mediator analysis were implemented. Data was collected in a German medical services company with 146 employed women age 22–66 years (M = 40.48, SD = 10.38), 58 of them provided hair samples for steroid detection.
Results
After considering age, role clarity, and work organization, Person-Environment fit in feminity still added significant variance explanation (β = .23, ∆ R² = .05, p = .003) for burnout (R² = 0.40, p < .001). Person-Environment fit in feminity also explained poor variance in work engagement (β = − .29, R² = .09, p < .001). Person-Environment fit in masculinity added considerable variance explanation (β = .34, ∆ R² = .12, p = 0.018) to cortisol levels (R² = .19, p = .012) after including quantitative demands to the model.
Conclusions
Person-Environment fit in feminity might be inspected as a predictor for burnout and work engagement. Person-Environment fit in masculinity can be taken into consideration as a predictor for hair cortisol as stress biomarker. Feminity and masculinity can be used as personality traits as well as characteristics of work environment, thus providing a particular gender-role related method of differentiation within gender groups. Also, specific methods could be derived for stress and burnout prevention and promotion of work engagement. Representative population studies with bigger samples and longitudinal surveys are needed to better explore the benefits and limitations of this approach.
... This is because distance creates constraints in communication. Meanwhile, Helgeson (1994) stated that most long-distance marriage couples believe their relationship will not last long. This is because, the difficulty of meeting each other makes it easier for the couple to grow up emotionally and tend to doubt their partner (Le & Agnew, 2001). ...
Long-distance marriages are commonly performed by dual-career couples particularly teachers. This study aimed to measure the relationship between trust and commitment with maintenance of marriage among teachers who living in commuter marriages. This study was conducted on 110 teachers around Kota Kinabalu Sabah from secondary and primary schools. The research design was a quantitative study using a set of questionnaires to get feedback from respondents. The Dyadic Trust Scale (DTS) (Larzelere & Huston, 1981), The Investment Model Scale (IMS) (Rusbult, Martz & Agnew, 1998), Relationship Maintenance Scale (RMS) (Chonody, Killian, Gabb & Dunk-West, 2017) were used to measure the variables involved. The results showed that trust and commitment are positively related to marriage maintenance. The implications of this study are for teachers to acknowledge that trust and commitment play an important role in their marriage.
... They identified higher mean and median of anchoring biases among female participants than in male participants. Kudryavtsev and Cohen explained this difference by quoting Feingold (1994), Helgeson (1994 and, Fritz & Helgeson (1998) who claimed that the difference between men and women can be originated from different thinking patterns. Men's thinking patterns are more assertive and are more independent (in actions and in thoughts) than of women's. ...
Anchoring, in Behavioral Finance terminology, refers to people's tendency to rely too much on the initial piece of information offered (the "anchor"). Anchoring is widely found in decion making processes, where people make estimates about the likelihood of uncertain events or to predict or recall certain values or outcomes by considering the anchor value and adjusting it upwards or downwards to reach a final estimate. Such adjustments are often insufficient, leaving a cognitive bias in the direction of the initial anchor value (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974). This experimental study was performed in order to detect the presence of anchoring bias in Indonesian setting. Following Kudryavtsev and Cohen (2010)’s procedure, we randomly devided participants into two groups, namely: “control group” (where participants did not receive any anchor value) and “anchoring group” (where participants received some anchoring values). Participants in both groups were instructed to provide their best estimations or answers to questions regarding financial and economic issues. Anchors and the questions were presented with the same order and were expressed in the same scale. Using students of Master of Management Program Universitas Gadjah Mada as respondents, this research was aimed to see whether the answers provided by participants in the anchoring group were affected by the anchor values. Further, we would like to test whether the degree of anchoring biases among female respondents were higher than the biases among male respondents; whether questions related to older topics created higher anchoring biases than the newer ones; and finally, whether anchoring bias among non-finance major students were higher than those among finance students. The results show that anchoring biases were identified among all participants. However, we could not identify higher degree of anchoring bias among female participants than those among male participants. Similarly, we did not identify higher biases in answering questions with older topics than the newer ones. Finally, higher degree of anchoring biases were found among non-finance major students than in finance major students, suggesting the type of knowledge might affect the degree of anchoring bias.
... On the other hand, agentic traits (e.g. a professor's wisdom) are beneficial for the person pursuing his or her goal (e.g. college graduation) [25,94]. ...
Public acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is still questionable. Nevertheless, it can be influenced by proper communication strategy. Therefore, our research focuses on (1) the type of information concerning AVs that consumers seek and (2) how to communicate this technology in order to increase its acceptance. In the first study (N = 711) topic modeling showed that the most sought for information concern the communion and the agency of AVs. In the second, experimental study (N = 303) we measured the participants’ fear and goal-orientation in relation to AVs. Then, after the manipulation of the AV advertisement (imbued with communal vs agentic content), technology acceptance components (perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and behavioral intention) were verified. The comparative analysis of the structural model estimates showed that the both participants’ fear and goal-orientation in relation to AVs were associated much more with the acceptance components of the communal AV rather than the agentic one. Therefore, people want to know both whether AVs are communal and agentic, but they are more prone to accept a communal AV than agentic one.
... 2006). Nasprotno omenjenemu pa nekatere starejše študije (Bakan 1966;Hegelson 1994) kažejo, da se z višjim subjektivnim psihološkim blagostanjem (ter manjšo depresivnostjo in anksioznostjo) povezuje agentnost in ne komunost posameznika. To pomeni, da so o višji stopnji zadovoljstva z življenjem poročali individualizirani posamezniki, ki so delovali neodvisno, samostojno, se odločali avtonomno in sledili svojim lastnim ciljem. ...
Abstract: The aim of the study presented in the paper was to determine the correlation between sutdents’ interpresonal, attitudes toward mutual cooperation and study assistance, the subjective psychological well-being of students and academic achievements. The study included 219 students of University of Primorska. The results show that students perceive relatively high interpersonal orientation, cooperative learning and mutual support in studies as highly important and significantly correlated.
The results also indicate that students with higher academic achievement compared to students with lower academic achievement report a higher level of tendency to participate and self-discloser in group activities. The results point to the importance of the higher education teacher’s role in promoting peer connection between students in terms of supporting their developmental tasks. We also highlight the importance of including group work in higher education teaching in terms of responding to students’
psychological needs and enabling higher level of study efficiency. As a result, we strongly suggest the need to introduce socio-emotional education at the higher education level.
... Agency and communion appear to serve as the basic foundations for conceptualizing interpersonal relationships (e.g., Bakan, 1966;Leary, 1957; see Abele & Wojciszke, 2013, for a review), and healthy interpersonal functioning often requires a blend of agentic and communal orientations (e.g., Helgeson, 1994). An agentic orientation toward relationships indicates a tendency to consider those relationships through the lens of agentic motivations (e.g., the extent to which individuals desire power or influence) or agentic characteristics (e.g., the extent to which interaction partners possess power or influence). ...
Narcissism is associated with a wide array of interpersonal problems. The present studies examined the connections between narcissistic personality features and the experience of friendship. We were interested in the possibility that narcissistic admiration (an agentic form of narcissism characterized by assertive self-enhancement and self-promotion) and narcissistic rivalry (an antagonistic form of narcissism characterized by self-protection and self-defense) may have divergent associations with various aspects of friendship. Study 1 found that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had divergent associations with maximizing selectivity and negative friendship attributions that were mediated by the agentic and communal orientations toward friendship. Study 2 found that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had divergent associations with friendship commitment that were again mediated by agentic and communal orientations toward friendship. These results demonstrate the similarities and differences between narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry in the context of friendship as well as the important roles that agentic and communal orientations toward friendship play in the connections that narcissistic personality features have with outcomes concerning friendship.
... Men, by comparison, tend to be more agentic, which motivates them to distinguish themselves from others and to focus more directly on the self rather than other people (Bakan, 1966). Helgeson (1994) has posited that greater communion-especially "unmitigated communion" (in which communion is high and agency is low)-ought to increase vulnerability to relationship stressors. While many people distance themselves from others when providing support might threaten their own physical or psychological health (Bolger, Foster, Vinokur, & Ng, 1996), individuals high in unmitigated communion-especially women-regard the adversity of others as their own, occasionally leading to self-neglect, heightened distress, and healthrelated problems. ...
... Finally, we expected both healthy selfishness and pathological altruism to show ties to unmitigated communion (Helgeson, 1994;Fritz and Helgeson, 1998;Helgeson and Fritz, 1999). Fritz and Helgeson (1998) demonstrated that unmitigated communion-over-involvement in the problems and suffering of others-is distinct from communion in terms of a negative view of the self, turning to others for self-evaluative information, and psychological distress. ...
Selfishness is often regarded as an undesirable or even immoral characteristic, whereas altruism is typically considered universally desirable and virtuous. However, human history as well as the works of humanistic and psychodynamic psychologists point to a more complex picture: not all selfishness is necessarily bad, and not all altruism is necessarily good. Based on these writings, we introduce new scales for the assessment of individual differences in two paradoxical forms of selfishness that have lacked measurement in the field – healthy selfishness (HS) and pathological altruism (PA). In two studies (N1 = 370, N2 = 891), we constructed and validated the HS and PA scales. The scales showed good internal consistency and a clear two-dimensional structure across both studies. HS was related to higher levels of psychological well-being and adaptive psychological functioning as well as a genuine prosocial orientation. PA was associated with maladaptive psychological outcomes, vulnerable narcissism, and selfish motivations for helping others. These results underpin the paradoxical nature of both constructs. We discuss the implications for future research, including clinical implications.
... Gender differences may stem from highly gendered socialization processes during childhood where the differential emphasis is placed on closeness with others. Sex role theorists contend that girls, but not boys, are socialized to place great emphasis on forming and maintaining close interpersonal ties with others [29,30]. As a result, interpersonal relationships may originate from and cause emotional experiences for girls significantly more than for boys, and this may extend into adulthood [31]. ...
Background
Little is known about life-course factors that explain why some individuals continue smoking despite having smoking-related diseases.
Purpose
We examined (a) the extent to which early-life adversities are associated with the risk of recalcitrant smoking, (b) psychosocial factors that mediate the association, and (c) gender differences in the associations.
Methods
Data were from 4,932 respondents (53% women) who participated in the first and follow-up waves of the Midlife Development in the U.S. National Survey. Early-life adversities include low socioeconomic status (SES), abuse, and family instability. Potential mediators include education, financial strain, purpose in life, mood disorder, family problems/support, and marital status. We used sequential logistic regression models to estimate the effect of early-life adversities on the risk of each of the three stages on the path to recalcitrant smoking (ever-smoking, smoking-related illness, and recalcitrant smoking).
Results
For women, low SES (odds ratio [OR] = 1.29; 1.06–1.55) and family instability (OR = 1.73; 1.14–2.62) are associated with an elevated risk of recalcitrant smoking. Education significantly reduces the effect of childhood SES, yet the effect of family instability remains significant even after accounting for life-course mediators. For men, the effect of low SES on recalcitrant smoking is robust (OR = 1.48; 1.10–2.00) even after controlling for potential mediators. There are noteworthy life-course factors that independently affect recalcitrant smoking: for both genders, not living with a partner; for women, education; and for men, family problems.
Conclusions
The findings can help shape intervention programs that address the underlying factors of recalcitrant smoking.
... The knowledge that another person is communal, for example that he or she is warm and moral, allows the observer to infer his or her good intentions. On the other hand, agentic traits [e.g., a high level of self-efficacy in coping with stress (Bandura, 1977;Bandura and Adams, 1977)] are beneficial for the person pursuing the goal because they allow their holder to achieve it (Helgeson, 1994;Abele and Wojciszke, 2014). DPM-AC has three main predictions, but we will only refer to the two predictions which are crucial for the article. ...
The article expands the knowledge on marketing effectiveness of advertisements containing agentic and communal content with recipients characteristics. Three studies were carried out (N = 398, N = 339, N = 512) where two advertising conditions were manipulated. One contained agentic content and second communal. The research focused on the relation recipients agency and communion with a series of measurements of the advertising effectiveness (self-congruity, purchase intention, the attitude toward the product, advertisement and brand). Results were summarized with a meta-analysis which showed that the increase in the effectiveness containing communal content significantly depended on the increase in the recipient's communion (the self-congruity effect) while the increase in the recipient's agency was related to the weaker and equal increase in the effectiveness containing both agentic and communal content (the lack of the self-congruity effect). The collected data indicates that the higher effectiveness of communal advertising depends on the recipients communion.
... The finding might suggest that, for women, the lack of security in relations may be a factor that unambiguously lowers their self-evaluation as a person, whereas in the case of men it is rather a factor that causes fluctuations in this respect. Potential explanations may be related both to the differences that women and men may show in interpreting rejection signals (women are better at reading emotional expressions, in particular subtle ones; Babchuk, Hames, & Thompson, 1985;Hoffmann, Kessler, Eppel, Rukavina, & Traue, 2010) as well as to the causal/community orientation and the role of interpersonal relations in women's and men's self-concept (Helgeson, 1994;Wojciszke & Szlendak, 2010). Another difference that was revealed by separate gender analyses is the link of the affiliation-independence motive to self-esteem dimensions. ...
The article presents the concept of fundamental social motives, which is novel for Polish readers, and its relations with self-esteem. The studies conducted so far suggest that there may be significant correlations between various dimensions of self-esteem and fundamental motives focused on interpersonal relations (affiliation motives and mate acquisition/retention motives). Data was collected from a sample of N = 363 subjects in order to find predictors for the level and stability of self-esteem. The results include correlations between 11 scales measuring fundamental motives and self-esteem dimensions: its level and instability. Multiple regression analyses with self-esteem measures as explained variables and motives related to sociometer theory as explanatory variables were also conducted. The article presents a detailed discussion of regression analysis results for male and female samples. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.
... Maladaptive forms of self-focus are associated with negative affect and psychological distress (Greenberg & Pyszczynski, 1986;Mor & Winquist, 2002;Watkins, 2004;Wood, Saltzberg, & Goldsamt, 1990;Wood, Saltzberg, Neale, Stone, & Rachmiel, 1990). On the other hand, excessive focus on others is also associated with depressive symptoms, lower well-being and psychosocial adjustment, and more negative social interactions (Helgeson, 1994). ...
... Brewer (1988). Il est fréquent de se référer au groupe social auquel appartient une personne lorsqu'on émet un jugement à son propos (Fiske & Neuberg, 1990) (Bakan, 1966 ;Helgeson, 1994), de la féminité et de la masculinité (Bem, 1974 ;Spence et al., 1974), de l'individualisme et du collectivisme (Sedikides, Gaertner, & Toguchi, 2003), de la moralité et de la compétence (Wojciske, 2005), de la chaleur et de la compétence (Fiske et al., 2002 Abele et al., 2008Abele et al., , (p.1204 The definition of agency reads as follows: "Agency" refers to a person's striving to be independent, to control one's environment, and to assert, protect and expand one's self. ...
Ce travail de thèse questionne la perception de la féminité et sa relation au maquillage. Cette recherche est initiée par l’étude de l’impact du maquillage sur la modification d’une caractéristique du dimorphisme sexuel : le contraste facial (CF) (Russell, 2003, 2009). Nous avons démontré que malgré la pertinence du CF, celui-ci est insuffisant pour rendre compte du lien maquillage/féminité. Ces résultats nous interpellent quant à la seule présence du maquillage pour évaluer la féminité sans se référer aux caractéristiques biologiques. Le maquillage, par sa représentation sociale, est fortement lié à celle de la féminité. Le soin du corps qu’il représente en fait un élément central pour la féminité des femmes. Huguet et al. (2006) démontre l’existence d’un stéréotype « ce dont on a pris soin est bien » pouvant être activé par la présence de maquillage. Nous avons démontré l’existence d’une norme sociale astreignant les femmes à se maquiller pour être féminine, où le maquillage est une condition nécessaire pour obtenir non seulement des jugements de féminité élevés mais également un ensemble de caractéristiques positives. La perception de la féminité intègre dans son processus de réalisation à la fois des indices perceptifs mais fait également appel aux connaissances disponibles en mémoire, les stéréotypes, les représentations et les normes sociales rendues accessibles par le maquillage. Nous pouvons alors conclure que le maquillage n’est pas, par nature, féminin et positif mais qu’il est utilisé comme un élément de référence dans une conception multidimensionnelle de la féminité.
... In adult attachment theory two comparable higher-order personality dimensions are being distinguished: (a) the anxiety about rejection and abandonment, and (b) the avoidance of intimacy and discomfort with closeness Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007;Bartholomew, 1990). These two risk factors for depression and insecure attachment are related to what in the literature is known as 'unmitigated communion' (the tendency to focus on others to the exclusion of self) and 'unmitigated agency' (the tendency to focus on self-development to the exclusion of others) (Helgeson, 1994). These theories consider psychopathology to be the result of a one-sided investment in either the striving for connection or the striving for self-definition, and neglect or defensive avoidance of the other . ...
Within a hybrid framework of attachment and depression theory, we investigated whether introjective and anaclitic vulnerabilities can be detected in a person’s self-narrative as elicited with the Self-Confrontation Method (SCM). One hundred participants held a thorough self-investigation with one of five trainees, in which every person formulated ‘valuations’ (i.e., short sentences about personally relevant concerns) and, subsequently, rated to what degree certain feelings were evoked by every separate text. We extracted several measures from these idiographic data, including scales representing the prominence of certain themes according to the SCM typology (e.g., ‘unfulfilled longing and loss’, ‘anger and opposition’, and ‘powerlessness and isolation’). By analyzing the correlational patterns of the aggregated SCM-based measures and the questionnaire-based measures about attachment orientation and depressive personality vulnerability, we uncovered meaningful relationships. The results of a canonical correlational analysis indicated that an intensified sense of ‘powerlessness and isolation’ is a sign of a general psychopathological vulnerability (related to depression), ‘anger and opposition’ is associated with introjective features (distrust in others and need for control), and ‘unfulfilled longing and loss’ is associated with anaclitic features (pleasing and dependency). In an exploratory qualitative study, we used a cluster-based classification into attachment groups for the exhaustive screening of the content of negative valuations of (a selection of) insecurely attached persons (n = 15). This hermeneutic approach disclosed characteristic themes for each of the preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant and fearful-avoidant attachment styles which are discussed in great detail.
... There was evidence that men benefitted from their own communal coping and women benefitted from their partner's communal coping on the postdiscussion evaluation. Because women are more likely than men to be socialized to be communal and focus on others [43], it is not surprising that women are more likely than men to be affected by their partner's behavior. In fact, this finding is consistent with other research that has shown qualities of husbands are more likely to affect wives than vice versa [44]. ...
Background
Communal coping is one person’s appraisal of a stressor as shared and collaboration with a partner to manage the problem. There is a burgeoning literature demonstrating the link of communal coping to good relationships and health among persons with chronic disease.
Purpose
We examined links of communal coping to relationship and psychological functioning among couples in which one person was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. We distinguished effects of own communal coping from partner communal coping on both patient and spouse relationship and psychological functioning, as well as whether communal coping effects were moderated by role (patient, spouse), sex (male, female), and race (White, Black).
Methods
Participants were 200 couples in which one person had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (46% Black, 45% female) within the last 5 years. Couples completed an in-person interview, participated in a discussion to address diabetes-related problems, and completed a postdiscussion questionnaire.
Results
Own communal coping and partner communal coping were related to good relationship and psychological functioning. Interactions with role, sex, and race suggested: (i) partner communal coping is more beneficial for patients than spouses; (ii) own communal coping is more beneficial for men, whereas partner communal coping is more beneficial for women; and (iii) White patients and Black spouses benefit more from own communal coping than Black patients and White spouses.
Conclusion
These findings demonstrate the benefits of communal coping across an array of self-report and observed indices, but suggest there are differential benefits across role, sex, and race.
... For Wilson and Deaney (2010), agency can be considered a combination of intention and action that influences experience. Several studies have investigated the relationship between the teachers' perceived agency and the perception of their well-being within the workplace, highlighting interesting connections (Helgeson, 1994;Buchanan and Bardi, 2015;Hadar and Benish-Weisman, 2019). ...
Various studies focused on educational contexts (0–6 years) point out that early childhood multi-age classrooms provide better learning strategies and socio-emotional competences of children, compared to single-grade classrooms. However, these studies have also shed light on the significant role of teachers. The multi-age classroom in particular is an opportunity for child development, provided that teachers consider problem-solving, flexibility, and co-construction as effective education strategies. Starting from these reflections, this study aimed to verify the efficacy of longitudinal training for the purpose of advancing the perceived well-being of early childhood teachers of multi-age groupings (18–54 months). Eight teachers and one pedagogical coordinator of an Italian Early Childhood Education and Care center took part in the study. All the participants were females. The critical aspect identified by the teachers was the multi-age classroom, which was perceived as making teaching and learning very difficult and ineffective for both themselves and for the children. The training lasted 10 months and implied a methodology focused on observations of some activities and reflective practice in the group that concerned both teachers and the pedagogical coordinator. The training involved the drafting of two types of written protocols: the observational reports of the specific activities observed (20), and the descriptive reports of reflective sessions (6). The content analysis of the reports revealed various and interesting themes regarding the teachers’ perceived well-being, in terms of thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. The qualitative and longitudinal analysis of the themes that emerged in these protocols highlighted different processes of change in the teachers’ perception, in particular with respect to three specific dimensions of well-being: sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and agency. At the end of the training, the teachers experienced a greater sense of belonging to the group of colleagues, a greater sense of self-efficacy, and an idea of themselves as active and meaningful participants. These results supported different reflections regarding the modalities through which to enhance the perceived well-being of teachers.
This study delves into gender stereotypes among young people in Kosovo and Albania, emphasizing cultural differences that are often overlooked in research. The study involved 412 students from Kosovo and 255 students from Albania who were surveyed using the Qualtrics Platform. Students rated the desirability of agentic and communal traits for men, women, and themselves. Results showed that males associated agentic traits with other males, while females associated communal traits with females. Females were still primarily associated with caring and communal roles, while males dominated achievement-oriented, agentic roles. Although some relaxation of gender stereotypes was observed, these findings highlight the need to address deeply ingrained gender stereotypes through transformative programmes that promote a more balanced and inclusive societal framework. Such programmes would encourage the participation of young males and females alike for a more equitable society.
The present study was designed to examine the role of gender traits, body mass index (BMI), and self-concept in predicting levels of problem eating and body dissatisfaction among both girls and boys aged between 8 and 10 (85% were Anglo-Australian Caucasian, 15% were Caucasians from non-English backgrounds). Two hundred and two children completed questionnaires, which examined problem-eating attitudes and behaviors, body dissatisfaction, gender traits, and self-concept. Children's height and weight were measured to determine children's BMI. Gender traits predicted problem eating for boys but not for girls. Self-concept was found to predict problem eating for both boys and girls. BMI was also a predictor of problems for girls. The only predictor of body dissatisfaction for boys and girls was BMI. The findings are discussed in light of previous research, which has been conducted, on adolescents. Further studies are needed to understand more fully the development of problem eating and body dissatisfaction before the onset of puberty and adolescence.
Women experience chronically inferior returns in organizations. One common recommendation is to form instrumental network ties with high-status others in groups. We integrate research on social status, social perceptions, and gender issues in social networks to suggest that, despite the theoretical and empirical appeal of this approach, instrumental ties to high-status network contacts (versus ties to lower-status network contacts) in groups may incur hidden social status costs for women in intragroup status-conferral processes. Instrumental ties to high-status network contacts may be perceived as a sign of agency of the focal person, which violates feminine gender norms. Women with these high-status network contacts in groups may therefore be perceived as less communal, thus subsequently lowering their status in the eyes of other group members compared with women with lower-status network contacts. Studies 1–4, across cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental designs, support our model. Study 5 suggests that signaling a group-oriented goal may mitigate the interpersonal, social perceptual costs of instrumental ties to high-status network contacts for women. The effect of ties with high-status network contacts for men is relatively inconsistent. This research reveals a potential social-network dilemma for women: Instrumental ties to high-status network contacts in groups and organizations are necessary for success and should be encouraged, yet they may also create an extra social perceptual hurdle for women. Organizations need to investigate social and structural solutions that harness the benefits of high-status network contacts for women, while minimizing any potential social perceptual costs.
Funding: Financial support from the Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University, is gratefully acknowledged.
Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2020.14640 .
Como resultado de la pandemia generada por la covid-19, las instituciones educativas pasaron a impartir sus clases de manera remota durante las que el alumnado optó, de forma mayoritaria, por mantener apagada la cámara web, provocando desmotivación e incertidumbre entre el profesorado. Los distintos estudios que investigan este comportamiento presentan motivos atomizados e inconexos, por lo que la presente investigación se propuso ofrecer una visión holística de los motivos que llevaron al alumnado a activar o no la cámara durante dicha pandemia. Los datos obtenidos a través de un cuestionario suministrado a 305 alumnos de distintas universidades españolas revelan una tendencia a seguir la decisión de la mayoría con respecto a conectar o no la cámara durante las clases, así como una reticencia a mostrarse ante compañeros en entornos relajados. Por otra parte, si bien no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre hombres y mujeres acerca de la frecuencia de uso, los participantes de género masculino atribuyeron menor importancia tanto a la imagen personal proyectada como a los recursos de conexión disponibles. Asimismo, se encontró que la importancia atribuida tanto a la generación de presencia social en el aula como a la calificación académica es un predictor de su frecuencia de uso. Estos resultados sugieren el uso de estrategias que incentiven al alumnado de educación superior a conectar la cámara web durante la impartición de docencia por medio de sistemas de videoconferencia.
Judgments of whether an action is morally wrong depend on who is involved and the nature of their relationship. But how, when, and why social relationships shape moral judgments is not well understood. We provide evidence to address these questions, measuring cooperative expectations and moral wrongness judgments in the context of common social relationships such as romantic partners, housemates, and siblings. In a pre-registered study of 423 U.S. participants nationally representative for age, race, and gender, we show that people normatively expect different relationships to serve cooperative functions of care, hierarchy, reciprocity, and mating to varying degrees. In a second pre-registered study of 1,320 U.S. participants, these relationship-specific cooperative expectations (i.e., relational norms) enable highly precise out-of-sample predictions about the perceived moral wrongness of actions in the context of particular relationships. In this work, we show that this ‘relational norms’ model better predicts patterns of moral wrongness judgments across relationships than alternative models based on genetic relatedness, social closeness, or interdependence, demonstrating how the perceived morality of actions depends not only on the actions themselves, but also on the relational context in which those actions occur.
Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory is an evidence-based model of personality, psychopathology, and intervention. In this paper, we review six assumptions of CIIT that distinguish it from other frameworks and suggest five particularly promising and important areas for future research.
Previous work has shown that self-esteem is related to aggression and violence. However, self-esteem is a multidimensional construct, and so we isolated self-esteem related to agency (e.g., competence and assertiveness) and self-esteem related to communion (e.g., warmth and morality) using both explicit and implicit techniques and examined their relationship to two forms of aggression (proactive and reactive aggression) in two samples. In an undergraduate sample ( N = 130), high levels of explicit agency were associated with increased aggression but only for those with low implicit agency. On the other hand, high levels of either explicit or implicit communion showed reduced proactive aggression, while high levels of explicit communion were also associated with low levels of reactive aggression. In a community sample of people with problems due to homelessness ( N = 101), we found that high levels of explicit communion were also associated with lower levels of both forms of aggression. The results show that different aspects of self-esteem, namely agency and communion, have quite different relationships to aggression and that implicit measures of these self-evaluations are also important constructs in the prediction of aggression. Implicit measures of self-esteem could be used by clinicians to understand the motivations behind an individual’s aggression and its management.
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