Toward a social psychology of cynicism

Neumann, Eric; Zaki, Jamil

doi:10.1016/j.tics.2022.09.009

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…We speculate that these miscalibrated forecasts might originate from an overestimation of the public’s self-interest: According to the well-documented “myth of self-interest,” people tend to believe that others are more selfish than they actually are and, in turn, expect them to behave more selfishly than they actually do (Miller & Ratner, 1998; Neumann & Zaki, 2023). This hypothesis could account for the overestimation of trust in nationalistic leaders in Studies 3 and 4.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vaccine Nationalism Counterintuitively Erodes Public Trust in Leaders

Colombatto,

Everett,

Senn

et al. 2023

Psychol Sci

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Global access to resources like vaccines is key for containing the spread of infectious diseases. However, wealthy countries often pursue nationalistic policies, stockpiling doses rather than redistributing them globally. One possible motivation behind vaccine nationalism is a belief among policymakers that citizens will mistrust leaders who prioritize global needs over domestic protection. In seven experiments (total N = 4,215 adults), we demonstrate that such concerns are misplaced: Nationally representative samples across multiple countries with large vaccine surpluses (Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, and United States) trusted redistributive leaders more than nationalistic leaders—even the more nationalistic participants. This preference generalized across different diseases and manifested in both self-reported and behavioral measures of trust. Professional civil servants, however, had the opposite intuition and predicted higher trust in nationalistic leaders, and a nonexpert sample also failed to predict higher trust in redistributive leaders. We discuss how policymakers’ inaccurate intuitions might originate from overestimating others’ self-interest.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vaccine Nationalism Counterintuitively Erodes Public Trust in Leaders

Colombatto,

Everett,

Senn

et al. 2023

Psychol Sci

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“…Trait cynicism is an entrenched stable belief that others cannot be trusted, take advantage of others and are inherently selfish (Costa Jr et al, 1986; Hochwarter et al, 2004; Mohr et al, 1998; Pfrombeck et al, 2020). Cynics believe people or firms are motivated purely by self‐interest (Neumann & Zaki, 2023; Vice, 2011).…”

Section: Conceptual Model and Hypotheses Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moral disengagement and neutralization techniques as explanations of unethical behavior

McCormack,

Chowdhury

2024

Journal of Consumer Affairs

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Ethical consumption is important for both consumers and social welfare. However, many consumers avoid or ignore ethical consumption practices. An explanation of the psychological processes that impede ethical behavior is important research. A survey of 436 American consumers reveals that various types of moral disengagement (behavior and victim loci) and neutralization techniques sequentially explain unethical consumer behavior. From a theoretical perspective, both these constructs are relevant in this context, yet prior research utilizes these constructs separately or conflates them. Moreover, findings show that a particular type of moral disengagement, the agency locus, paradoxically promotes ethical consumer behavior. This research also examines locus of control (chance) and trait cynicism as antecedents of unethical consumer behavior. Locus of control (chance), not trait cynicism, leads to less ethical consumer behavior through moral disengagement and neutralization techniques. Insights benefit consumers, marketers, and policymakers in promoting ethical consumption that enhances consumer well‐being.

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“…The present work thus focuses on exploring the possibility that cynicism has positive reputational consequences and answers a call for more research into why cynicism continues to proliferate despite its otherwise negative outcomes (Neumann & Zaki, 2023). Furthermore, we extend the framework of rational choice theory to the prediction of lay beliefs about behavior, rather than behavior itself.…”

Section: Perceptions Of Cynical Leadersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cynical, But Useful?

Spiridonova,

Stavrova,

Evans

et al. 2023

Social Psychology

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Cynicism – the belief that people are driven primarily by self-interest – has been predominantly associated with detrimental consequences for individuals and organizations. Less is known about its potentially positive implications. We investigated whether lay people consider cynicism helpful in preventing antisocial behavior and therefore see value in cynical leaders. We found that people viewed cynical (vs. trusting) leaders as better at detecting antisocial behavior and more punitive, and therefore, as better at preventing employees’ antisocial behavior (Study 1). Despite this, cynical (vs. trusting) leaders were less likely to be hired, were offered lower salaries, and were seen as less effective (Study 2). This aversion to cynical leaders was attenuated for jobs that emphasized the importance of preventing antisocial behavior (Study 3).

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Toward a social psychology of cynicism

Cited by 6 publications

References 12 publications

Vaccine Nationalism Counterintuitively Erodes Public Trust in Leaders

Vaccine Nationalism Counterintuitively Erodes Public Trust in Leaders

Moral disengagement and neutralization techniques as explanations of unethical behavior

Cynical, But Useful?

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