Research snapshot

Trust was found to be a significant moderator of the relationship between control over work life and psychological safety.

‘Psychological safety’ in the workplace – the capacity to work and express oneself without fear of negative consequences – is paramount to employee wellbeing. Past research has shown external work locus of control (WLOC) – a perceived lack of personal control over one’s work life – to be closely associated with poorer sense of workplace psychological safety. Researchers at the Edith Cowan University in Western Australia examined the role of trust in the relationship between psychological safety in the workplace and WLOC.

Surveys from 131 adult employees across four different organisations in Western Australia were collected. Trust was measured by items tapping information-sharing within the team and perceptions of team members’ consideration, friendliness, and reliability. The researchers found trust to be a significant moderator of the relationship between WLOC and psychological safety. The study’s authors suggest that workplaces could focus on building trust between team members to improve psychological safety, and enhanced productivity and employee wellbeing.

dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12168

Belief that homosexuality stems from social conditioning may mean less support for same-sex marriage.

Researchers at Central Queensland University have discovered that those who believe homosexuality to be a result of a person’s social environment are less likely to support same-sex marriage (SSM), than those who see homosexuality as having a biological basis. More than 500 people were surveyed and after controlling for other predictors (gender, religiosity and age), nature versus nurture remained the significant predictor of SSM attitudes. Shedding new light on influences on attitude, the researchers found that over half the respondents reported same-sex-attracted acquaintances as their sources for their etiological beliefs, followed by a quarter stating that scientific research was their influencer.

DOI: 10.1007/s13178-017-0276-y 

For young adults, alcohol warning labels may be less than effective.

In Australia, young adults are the most likely demographic to drink alcohol at harmful levels. DrinkWise, an education initiative headed by the alcohol industry, has introduced voluntary health warnings on alcohol product labels. Deakin University researchers investigated the impressions of 18 to 25 year olds regarding the perceived effectiveness of DrinkWise product warning messages. Thematic analyses revealed these product warning labels to be unconvincing and ineffective in the minds of young people, with labels considered vague, inconspicuous and uninformative. In addition, most participants believed it was a government initiative rather than an industry-led initiative, raising concerns by the researchers for the potential for conflict of interest and for consequent mixed messages that might be inherent in a health campaign led by the alcohol industry.

DOI:10.1111/ajpy.12177

Forgiveness not avoidance may be the key to managing bullying scenarios.

Researchers at Macquarie University discovered that students who were provided advice to forgive a bully rather than avoid the bully or seek revenge responded with less anger to bullying scenarios. One hundred and eighty-four children aged 11 to 15 were presented with hypothetical physical and verbal bullying scenarios, followed by advice from a friend within the scenario to either respond with forgiveness, avoidance or revenge. In this study, avoidance, a commonly promoted strategy to cope with bullying, appeared not only to engender empathy for the bully, but to exaggerate the perceived seriousness of the bullying, which the researchers believe may contribute to decreased self-esteem and the cycle of victimisation. Advice to avoid or seek revenge also resulted in greater anger, also thought to contribute to the cycle of victims becoming bullies themselves. The researchers surmise that forgiveness as a strategic response to bullying may lead to reduced anger, better self-esteem, and a more moderate perspective on the seriousness of bullying, and that this may lead to victims adopting a more constructive role in 
bullying scenarios.

DOI: 10.1177/0886260515589931

Parents with a gambling problem may increase the chances for children.

Australian researchers have found that participants with a problem-gambling parent were 2.9 times more likely to experience problem gambling themselves. Motivations and expectancies around gambling contributed to this relationship however; gambling to improve mood or to reduce or avoid negative emotions were the largest mediators. Interestingly, expectations of negative outcomes (such as over-involvement in gambling, or feelings of guilt and shame) rather than decreasing risk, also contributed. The researchers suggest that more immediate rewards potentially outweigh concerns for future negative outcomes. The team recommend that treatment of problem gambling target emotion regulation, coping, and the individual’s underlying desire for improved mood.

DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.09.003

Beliefs can be hard to alter when it comes to conspiracy and anti-vaccination.

Researchers in the UK have investigated the relative influence of ‘conspiracy’ (anti-vaccination) versus ‘anti-conspiracy’ (evidence-based) information on intention to vaccinate a child. Participants were presented with arguments based on accepted research either before, or after reading arguments based on popular conspiracy theories concerning vaccination. Whilst anti-conspiracy arguments increased intention to vaccinate a fictional child, this was the case only when presented prior to conspiracy theories. Participants’ own prior beliefs around vaccination were also mediating factors. The researchers suggest that while people can be inoculated against anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, once a person’s beliefs are established, they are hard to shift.

DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12453