SPSP April 2012 Tipsheet

Story ideas and experts on psychology of religion, life satisfaction, personality and health, procrastination (taxtime) and more....

In this tipsheet:

Online: Was Jesus Happy?
Journals: The Link Between Religion and Self-Control
Journals: We Expect More Compassion from Victimized Groups
Journals:  Life Satisfaction Predicts Life Events
Journals: The Role in Personality and Managing Teen Diabetes
Experts: Religion and Happiness
Experts: Why Not to Procrastinate at Taxtime

Online-

Was Jesus happy?

With Easter fast approaching, Shige Oishi (soishi[at]virginia.edu) and Casey Eggleston discuss a recent study that looks at Americans' and Koreans' views of Jesus and shows that cultural differences play a large role in people's images of him. "The image of Jesus might be culturally constructed (to fit the existing ideal in a given culture), or it could be the reflection of individuals’ self-image,” they write.

In the Journals-

The Link Between Religion and Self-Control

People who are more religious tend to monitor themselves more, according to a new study. And that self-monitoring translates to greater self-control. Moreover, those who believe a higher power is watching them have greater self-monitoring and in turn self-control. "The Mediating Role of Monitoring in the Association of Religion with Self-Control,” Evan Carter et al., Social Psychological and Personality Science, March 2, 2012, online – forthcoming in print.

We Expect More Compassion from Victimized Groups

On Holocaust Remembrance Day this month, people may be more likely to expect that Jewish people have greater moral responsibility toward others because of their past victimization, according to a new study. In one experiment, Americans who were reminded of the Holocaust and of the Israelis' link to it, perceived Israelis as obligated to help Sudanese genocide victims. Other experiments showed a similar effect with a different victimized group, Cambodians, who suffered under the Khmer Rogue regime. "Observer Perceptions of Moral Obligations in Groups With a History of Victimization,” Ruth H. Warner (rwarner3[at]slu.edu) and Nyla R. Branscombe, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, March 16, 2012,online – forthcoming in print, July 2012.

The Role of Personality in Managing Teen Diabetes

Teenagers suffering from Type 1 diabetes who are overly involved in others' lives do so at the expense of their own health, according to a study that followed 263 teenagers over five years. Vicki Helgeson of Carnegie Melon and colleagues found that such teens have problematic relationships with parents and friends, more depression, and poor glycemic control. This study shows that personality traits can be predictive of health outcomes in the face of an illness that requires regular attention to the self on a daily basis. "Agentic and Communal Traits and Health Adolescents With and Without Diabetes,” Vicki S. Helgeson (vh2e[at]andrew.cmu.edu) and Dianne K. Palladino, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, April 2012.

Life Satisfaction Today Predicts Life Events in Five Years

Life satisfaction is an important predictor of major events that will occur in our lives, according to a new study. Researchers found that people satisfied with their lives are more likely to get married or become parents and less likely to separate from their spouse, lose their job, start a new job, or relocate in the next five years. These effects held even after controlling for gender, age, socioeconomic status, and personality. The Prospective Effect of Life Satisfaction on Life Events, Maike Luhmann (luhmann[at]uchicago.edu) et al., Social Psychological and Personality Science, March 22, 2012, online – forthcoming print.

Experts-

On religion and happiness

David Myers of Hope College studies the psychology of faith and its relationship to happiness and health. Reach him at dmyers[at]hope.edu or 616-395-7730.

On why not to procrastinate at tax time

Kathleen Vohs of the University of Minnesota has done research showing that procrastination is a common failure in self-control that can lead to worse outcomes than if people had started earlier - contrary to their belief. Reach her at vohsx005[at]umn.edu.