Psychological Needs and Values Underlying Left-Right Political Orientation: Cross-National Evidence from Eastern and Western Europe

According to previous research conducted mainly in the UnitedStates, psychological needs pertaining to the management ofuncertainty and threat predict right-wing conservatism, operationallydefined in terms of resistance to change and acceptance of inequality.In this study, we analyze data from 19 countries included inthe European Social Survey (ESS) to assess two sets of hypotheses:(1) that traditionalism (an aspect of resistance to change)and acceptance of inequality would be positively associatedwith right (versus left) orientation, and (2) that rule-following(an aspect of the need for order), high need for security, andlow need for openness to experience would be associated withright (versus left) orientation, adjusting for quadratic effectsassociated with ideological extremity. In addition, we determinethe extent to which the pattern of relations among needs, values,and political orientation was similar in Eastern and WesternEuropean contexts. Results from regression and structural equationmodels indicate that traditionalism and, to a lesser extent,rule-following predict right-wing conservatism in both regions,whereas acceptance of inequality predicts right-wing orientationin the West only. Although openness to experience was associatedwith preferences for greater equality in both regions, it wasassociated with left-wing orientation in Western Europe andright-wing orientation in Eastern Europe. Needs for security,conversely, were associated with right-wing orientation in WesternEurope and left-wing orientation in Eastern Europe. Thus, wefind evidence of both universal and context-specific effectsin our analysis of the cognitive and motivational antecedentsof left-right political orientation.     

The Medium Prizes Paradox: Evidence From a Simulated Casino

Mainstream explanations to gambling specify conditions under which human agents are locally risk loving. Such theories, however, fail to explain the typically observed prize distribution of a few large prizes and a large number of medium ones—hence the medium prizes paradox. In the current study we show that adaptive learning models recently proposed in the literature offer a solution. Simulations of such models predict that multiple medium prizes will slow down the decrease (over time) in agents' inclination to gamble. We run a laboratory experiment that supports this explanation and shows that the positive effect of medium prizes on the inclination to gamble increases with time.     

“I Swear I Will Never Betray You”: Factors Reported by Spouses as Helping Them Resist Extramarital Sex in Relation to Gender,Marriage Length,and Religiosity

Studies suggest that married people frequently engage in intimate relationships with people other than their spouses, and the literature has extensively examined motives for doing so. However, less is known about what factors prevent spouses from engaging in extramarital sex. While investment theory, interdependence theory, and moral theories offer insights into this question, they have not been subject to much empirical research. We examine these theories in relation to several characteristics of individuals and couples: gender, length of the marriage, and religiosity. In two studies, 423 participants completed a questionnaire on the perceived importance of 29 reasons to resist the temptation for extramarital sex. Participants also reported the likelihood that they would engage in extramarital sex if the opportunity presented itself. Results show that being female, more religious, and married for less time were associated with greater expectations of refraining from extramarital sex when presented with a hypothetical scenario. Multiple hierarchical regression showed that among factors relevant to conscious decision making, moral standards and fundamental anxieties (fear of remaining alone) predict expectations of refraining from extramarital sex better than concerns about effects on the children or the other participant.     

Return to work still possible after several years as a disability pensioner due to musculoskeletal disorders: a population-based study after new legislation in Sweden permitting "resting disability pension"

Different strategies have been used to stimulate a return to work (RTW) among individuals suffering from long-term ailments. In Sweden a new law on "resting disability pension" permits disability pensioners to go back to work without jeopardising their benefits. In this study different variables related to RTW during 2000 by means of this legislation were identified among disability pensioners with musculoskeletal disorders. Individuals in the study group, when compared to a control group, had more often been disability pensioners for several years, had additional education, estimated their previous job to have been physically strenuous to a lesser degree, were more satisfied with the treatment at the social insurance office and had a more positive self-image. This study shows that it may be meaningful to continue/resume rehabilitation efforts and to try to motivate an individual suffering from musculoskeletal disorders to return to work even after several years as a disability pensioner.