A considerable share of the German population already felt fatigued with the coronavirus issue in April; the results show that perceptions of low news credibility and perceived “victimization” of other topics caused high levels of issue fatigue

When citizens get fed up. Causes and consequences of issue fatigue – Results of a two-wave panel study during the coronavirus crisis. Christina Schumann and Dorothee Arlt. Communications, Jan 14 2023. https://doi.org/10.1515/commun-2021-0014

Abstract: In the context of the long-lasting coronavirus crisis, this study examines the occurrence, causes, and consequences of issue fatigue – a phenomenon that refers to a feeling of annoyance with an issue that is repeated continually in the news. Using data obtained from a representative two-wave panel survey conducted online in April and May 2020 (n = 1,232) in Germany, the study employed a cross-lagged panel model to examine longitudinal relations. First, the results indicate that a considerable share of the German population already felt fatigued with the coronavirus issue in April, and that this proportion increased by May. Second, in terms of causes, the results show that perceptions of low news credibility and perceived “victimization” of other topics caused high levels of issue fatigue. However, effects of the reverse direction were also present, pointing to a mutual reinforcement of issue fatigue and media perceptions. Third, regarding consequences, the results reveal that recipients experiencing issue fatigue increasingly avoided coronavirus news, and also tended to disregard coronavirus hygiene rules.

Keywords: issue fatigue; media perceptions; information avoidance; disregarding coronavirus hygiene rules

We find that there are no statistically significant differences in generosity as a function of social class; however, there are subtle - yet statistically significant - patterns linking SES and dark triad personality traits

Fomina, Daria, Amy Goltermann, Claire E. Berner, Stephen Spivack, Theadora Bulajic, Jennifer Freda, Amelia Karim, et al. 2023. “The Influence of Affluence on Prosocial Behavior.” PsyArXiv. January 13. doi:10.31234/osf.io/grxyj

Abstract: Popular wisdom has it that excessive material wealth leads to decreased prosocial behavior. This notion has empirical support in the literature, but there are open questions about how strong, specific, and general this effect is. Here, we aimed to test the hypothesis that increased SES is associated with decreased prosocial behavior in a high-powered laboratory task. We find that there are no statistically significant differences in generosity as a function of social class. However, there are subtle - yet statistically significant - patterns linking SES and dark triad personality traits. We conclude that the relationship between SES and social behavior is considerably more nuanced than commonly believed.

There was no reliable effect of temperature on the behavioural outcomes measured; & we find little support for either the warmth-primes-prosociality view or the heat- facilitates-aggression view

Lynott, Dermot, Katherine S. Corker, Louise Connell, and Kerry S. O'Brien. 2023. “The Effects of Temperature on Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviour: A Review and Meta- Analysis.” PsyArXiv. January 13. doi:10.31234/osf.io/qup53

Abstract: Research from the social sciences suggests an association between higher temperatures and increases in antisocial behaviours, including aggressive, violent, or sabotaging behaviours, and represents a heat-facilitates-aggression perspective. More recently, studies have shown that higher temperature experiences may also be linked to increases in prosocial behaviours, such as altruistic, sharing, or cooperative behaviours, representing a warmth-primes-prosociality view. However, across both literatures, there have been inconsistent findings and failures to replicate key theoretical predictions, leaving the status of temperature-behaviour links unclear. Here we review the literature and conduct meta-analyses of available empirical studies that have either prosocial (e.g., monetary reward, gift giving, helping behaviour) or antisocial (self-rewarding, retaliation, sabotaging behaviour) behavioural outcome variables, with temperature as an independent variable. In an omnibus multivariate analysis (total N = 4577) with 80 effect sizes, we found that there was no reliable effect of temperature on the behavioural outcomes measured. Further, we find little support for either the warmth-primes-prosociality view or the heat- facilitates-aggression view. There were no reliable effects if we consider separately the type of behavioural outcome (prosocial or antisocial), different types of temperature experience (haptic or ambient), or potential interactions with the experimental social context (positive, neutral or negative). We discuss how these findings affect the status of existing theoretical perspectives, and provide specific suggestions advancing research in this area.