Collective nostalgia as a balm for the distressed social identity.

Group history provides the experiential building blocks that shape social identity. When contemporary events are perceived as having created (or creating) a discontinuity with that history, collective nostalgia is likely to be elicited. Importantly, collective nostalgia is functional-it consolidates social identity, motivating group members to support a return to the group's "true" state of existence. However, no group is a monolith. Factions within a group may have differing opinions on what aspects of the past best represent core features of the ingroup. Variations in the content of the collective nostalgia can cleavage members' responses. Herein, we review research demonstrating the powerful role collective nostalgia and its contents play in intra- and intergroup relations, especially in the socio-political domain.

Understanding Lower-Risk Cannabis Consumption from the Consumers' Perspective: A Rapid Evidence Assessment.

Background: In the current rapid evidence assessment, we summarize the existing research on lower-risk cannabis consumption as understood by those who consume cannabis. Methods: We identified 7111 unique articles published between 1900 and 2021 using search terms related to a) cannabis consumption, b) beliefs and behaviors, and c) positive outcomes. Results: Twelve articles met our inclusion criteria. Three themes emerged that reflect lower-risk cannabis beliefs and behaviors (informed self-regulation, protective behavioral strategies, and the normalization of cannabis consumption) and one theme reflected motivations that undermine lower-risk cannabis consumption (e.g., using cannabis to cope). Conclusions: Results suggest a need for targeted lower-risk cannabis consumption research-research focused on how those who consume cannabis do so in a positive, non-problematic manner. Such research would help to inform policy and practice and, ultimately, help promote lower-risk cannabis consumption strategies.

In time, we will simply disappear: Racial demographic shift undermines privileged group members' support for marginalized social groups via collective angst.

The racial demographic shift occurring in many Western countries provides a unique context to study the reactions of a high-power group (White people) to the potential loss of their privileged position in society. Three experiments (N = 77, N = 302, N = 555) conducted in Canada, the US, and the UK showed that White people who are reminded about the ongoing demographic changes and who see race relations as a zero-sum game whereby any gains by minorities must come at the expense of the majority, experience stronger collective angst and, to a lesser extent, fear (but not anger). In turn, collective angst, but not the other negative group-based emotions, fuels their motivation to protect the existing intergroup hierarchy by withdrawing support for progressive social movements and increases anti-immigration sentiments. Downregulating the existential threat experienced by White majorities in the face of a racial demographic shift may be one way to reduce acrimonious behavioral intentions aimed at preserving their place in the social hierarchy.

Commentary on "Different roles of interpersonal trust and institutional trust in COVID-19 pandemic control".

An increasing number of epidemiologic studies have identified trust as a social determinant of COVID-19 mortality. Trust influences public compliance with policies aimed at containing the pandemic through physical distancing, wearing masks, and vaccine uptake. However, whilst some forms of trust are public assets (e.g., trust in government), others might be liabilities (e.g., trust in close friends and family members). Contributing to this body of work, Lou et al. (2022) examined associations of trust with COVID-19 fatality rates and willingness to get tested for COVID-19. Using correlation analyses, behavioral experiments, and agent-based modeling, they found institutional trust predicted lower COVID-19 fatality rates and greater willingness to get tested. In contrast, interpersonal trust predicted the speed with which COVID-19 was controlled in the early stages of the pandemic and people's willingness to obey norms preventing the spread of the virus (e.g., decreased nonessential outdoor activity). Investigations such as this offer useful knowledge to public health officials on ways to mitigate a pandemic. This commentary examines the pivotal role of social science in pandemic control, which up to now has been underfunded and overshadowed by the race to develop vaccines. We also highlight the importance of theory, particularly in research on trust, to producing evidence that is replicable and meaningful for policy application.

Group identification attenuates the effect of historical trauma on mental health: A study of Iraqi Kurds.

Kurds have a long history of victimization and struggle for even the most basic rights. This is reflected in a widely shared belief, according to which they have "no friends but the mountains." Such difficult history may have ongoing negative impact on mental health of present-day Kurds. This article investigates the relations between cognitive availability of historical trauma, historical trauma symptoms, and negative mental health outcomes in a sample of young Kurds who live in the Region of Kurdistan in Iraq. We also examined the potential protective role of strong identification as members of a national minority (Iraqi Kurds) and as members of an ethnic group (Kurdish people in general). The results showed that tragic group history is significantly related to negative mental health outcomes among young Iraqi Kurds. However, strong identification with other Iraqi Kurds (but not with Kurds in general) had an attenuating effect on the link between historical trauma and present-day negative mental health outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Response to Lindström (2020) on "The trouble with trust: Time-series analysis of social capital, income inequality, and COVID-19 deaths in 84 countries".

There is substantial cross-national variation in the damage caused by COVID-19 and scant evidence on social and cultural factors that contribute to this variation. Our ecologic study of country differences in COVID-19 mortality found that deaths have increased faster in societies that had less confidence in state institutions and less civic engagement, more social trust and group affiliations, and higher income inequality (Elgar et al., 2020). Here, we respond to three criticisms of the study raised by Lindström (2020) regarding (1) socioeconomic patterns in influenza pandemics and the current COVID-19 pandemic, (2) data gaps in cross-national studies of wealth inequality and (3) the robustness of our findings across previous survey cycles of the World Values Survey. We stand by our results and encourage further investigation using larger samples, longer time periods and different approaches and measures. It is vital for social science to contribute to policy decisions that can mitigate the enormous human toll of the pandemic.

An Experiencer, An Animal or An Object? Erection Salience Decreases Men's Perceived Agency.

Three experiments investigated the influence of penile erection on ascriptions of mental capabilities to men. Drawing on sexual objectification literature and the distinction between agency and experience in mind perception, three competing predictions were formulated. The mind redistribution hypothesis assumed that penile erection would lower agency and heighten experience attributions, the animalistic dehumanization hypothesis predicted the decrease in agency, but not experience, and the literal objectification hypothesis implied the simultaneous decrease in both agency and experience. In Experiment 1 (N = 219; 128 females), erection salience lowered agency, but not experience capabilities ascribed to male targets. Experiment 2 (N = 201, 113 females) replicated the negative effect of erection salience on perceived agency (but not experience) and revealed that erection salience lowered intentions to hire a male target. This effect was explained with the loss of perceived agency. Experiment 3 (N = 203, 98 females) verified the causal relationship between penile erection, agency and hiring intentions. Taken together, these results supported the animalistic dehumanization hypothesis.

The trouble with trust: Time-series analysis of social capital, income inequality, and COVID-19 deaths in 84 countries.

Can social contextual factors explain international differences in the spread of COVID-19? It is widely assumed that social cohesion, public confidence in government sources of health information and general concern for the welfare of others support health advisories during a pandemic and save lives. We tested this assumption through a time-series analysis of cross-national differences in COVID-19 mortality during an early phase of the pandemic. Country data on income inequality and four dimensions of social capital (trust, group affiliations, civic responsibility and confidence in public institutions) were linked to data on COVID-19 deaths in 84 countries. Associations with deaths were examined using Poisson regression with population-averaged estimators. During a 30-day period after recording their tenth death, mortality was positively related to income inequality, trust and group affiliations and negatively related to social capital from civic engagement and confidence in state institutions. These associations held in bivariate and mutually controlled regression models with controls for population size, age and wealth. The results indicate that societies that are more economically unequal and lack capacity in some dimensions of social capital experienced more COVID-19 deaths. Social trust and belonging to groups were associated with more deaths, possibly due to behavioural contagion and incongruence with physical distancing policy. Some countries require a more robust public health response to contain the spread and impact of COVID-19 due to economic and social divisions within them.

Identification of the metabolic fingerprints in women with polycystic ovary syndrome using the multiplatform metabolomics technique.

In addition to chronic anovulation and clinical signs of hyperandrogenism women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are insulin resistant and therefore, develop central obesity with its long term consequences such as dyslipidaemia, hypertension, atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which all lead to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Due to the polysymptomatic nature of this syndrome and lack of consensus on its diagnostic criteria there is a strong need of finding a reliable biochemical or molecular marker, which would facilitate making the accurate diagnosis of PCOS. Therefore, the aim of our study was to perform a metabolomics analysis with the use of two complementary techniques: gas chromatography and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, of the serum samples from women with PCOS (n = 30) and to compare them with healthy age and BMI matched controls (n = 30). Obtained results were subjected to one-dimensional statistical analysis (student's t-test or its non-parametric equivalent U Mann-Whitney test) and multivariate statistical analysis (the principal component analysis [PCA], variable importance into projection [VIP] and selectivity ratio [SR]). The results of our study showed that women with PCOS are characterised by metabolic disorders of the amino acids, carbohydrates, steroid hormones, lipids and purines. Compared to control subjects, women with PCOS had increased serum levels of phospholipids, aromatic amino acids, organic acids, hormones and sphinganine and decreased total cholesterol. Among the identified compounds, total cholesterol, phenylalanine and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, uric and lactic acid were the compounds with the strongest discriminating power.