Exploring the adaptive role of core social motives in perceived societal threats

Kashima, E.S. and Ochoa, D.P and Nicolas, G. and Getrude C. Ah Gang @Grace and Du, H. and Klackl, J. and Plusnin, N. and Miriyagalla, U.P. and Kashima, Y. and Fiske, S.T. (2021) Exploring the adaptive role of core social motives in perceived societal threats. Asian Journal of Social Psychology. ISSN 1367-2223

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Abstract

Societal threats that face the world today seem overpowering, especially for young generations who will need to develop creative solutions. The present study examined the relationships between societal threats and social motives. Social motives function to orient individuals toward the social world and prepare them to engage socially. This adaptive function of social motives may be particularly useful when threats are looming in the environment. We thus expected that perceived societal threats would correlate positively with activation of social motives, especially among individuals with lower self-esteem, who tend to show higher interdependency when threatened. Our cross-cultural samples from Australia, the United States, New Zealand, the Philippines, China (Macao), Malaysia (Sabah), and Austria (N = 1,269) showed evidence to support these expectations. Perceived societal threats correlated positively with all social motives (Belong, Understand, Control, Esteem, and Trust); however, the link was most vital for the Control motive, and especially in the United States and China. In line with our expectations, higher perceived societal threats were associated with more robust social motives, especially among those with low self-esteem. Potential mechanisms through which social motives assist adaptation to societal threats and country-specific contents of threats are discussed.

Item Type:	Article
Keyword:	Control motive , Cultural differences , Self-esteem , Social motives , Societal threats
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology (General) > HM(1)-1281 Sociology > HM1001-1281 Social psychology H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races > HT51-1595 Communities. Classes. Races
Department:	FACULTY > Faculty of Psychology and Education
Depositing User:	DG MASNIAH AHMAD -
Date Deposited:	26 Oct 2021 15:15
Last Modified:	26 Oct 2021 15:15
URI:	https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/30707

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