Publications by category
Journal articles
Postmes, T. Morton, T. (In Press). Time Perspective and Attitude-Behavior Consistency in Intertemporal Choice.
Birney M, Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Heath H, Ashcroft S (In Press). When speaking English is not enough: the consequences of language-based stigma for non-native speakers.
Journal of Language and Social Psychology Full text.
Wynants M, Kelly C, Mtei K, Munishi L, Patrick A, Rabinovich A, Nasseri M, Gilvear D, Roberts N, Boeckx P, et al (2019). Drivers of increased soil erosion in East Africa’s agro-pastoral systems: changing interactions between the social, economic and natural domains.
Regional Environmental Change Full text.
Rabinovich A, Kelly C, Wilson G, Nasseri M, Ngondya I, Patrick A, Blake WH, Mtei K, Munishi L, Ndakidemi P, et al (2019). “We will change whether we want it or not”: Soil erosion in Maasai land as a social dilemma and a challenge to community resilience.
Journal of Environmental PsychologyAbstract:
“We will change whether we want it or not”: Soil erosion in Maasai land as a social dilemma and a challenge to community resilience
Soil erosion is a major environmental challenge that undermines economic development in many regions of the world. While much previous work explored physical processes behind this problem, less attention has been paid to social, cultural, and psychological parameters that make a significant impact on soil erosion through the land use practices that they support. The present paper addresses this gap by conducting a qualitative exploration of agro-pastoralist stakeholders’ experiences of soil erosion in northern Tanzania, using the community resilience framework and the social dilemmas approach as theoretical lenses. Interview data suggests that the factors that make communities vulnerable to soil erosion challenges include the centrality of cattle keeping practice to pastoralists’ cultural identity, lack of social cohesion, lack of alternative livelihood opportunities, and weak governance structures. We argue that the ways towards resolving the dilemma lie in addressing relevant cultural norms, building cohesive and open communities, and strengthening local governance.
Abstract.
Blake WH, Rabinovich A, Wynants M, Kelly C, Nasseri M, Ngondya I, Patrick A, Mtei K, Munishi L, Boeckx P, et al (2018). Soil erosion in East Africa: an interdisciplinary approach to realising pastoral land management change.
Environmental Research Letters,
13(12).
Abstract:
Soil erosion in East Africa: an interdisciplinary approach to realising pastoral land management change
© 2018 the Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd. Implementation of socially acceptable and environmentally desirable solutions to soil erosion challenges is often limited by (1) fundamental gaps between the evidence bases of different disciplines and (2) an implementation gap between science-based recommendations, policy makers and practitioners. We present an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to support co-design of land management policy tailored to the needs of specific communities and places in degraded pastoral land in the East African Rift System. In a northern Tanzanian case study site, hydrological and sedimentary evidence shows that, over the past two decades, severe drought and increased livestock have reduced grass cover, leading to surface crusting, loss of soil aggregate stability, and lower infiltration capacity. Infiltration excess overland flow has driven (a) sheet wash erosion, (b) incision along convergence pathways and livestock tracks, and (c) gully development, leading to increased hydrological connectivity. Stakeholder interviews in associated sedenterising Maasai communities identified significant barriers to adoption of soil conservation measures, despite local awareness of problems. Barriers were rooted in specific pathways of vulnerability, such as a strong cattle-based cultural identity, weak governance structures, and a lack of resources and motivation for community action to protect shared land. At the same time, opportunities for overcoming such barriers exist, through openness to change and appetite for education and participatory decision-making. Guided by specialist knowledge from natural and social sciences, we used a participatory approach that enabled practitioners to start co-designing potential solutions, increasing their sense of efficacy and willingness to change practice. This approach, tested in East Africa, provides a valuable conceptual model around which other soil erosion challenges in the Global South might be addressed.
Abstract.
Full text.
Rabinovich A, Morton T (2017). Paradoxes of praise: Identity-inconsistent praise results in praise-inconsistent responses.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
47, 628-644.
Full text.
Heath S, Rabinovich A, Barreto M (2017). Putting Identity into the Community: Exploring the Social Dynamics of Urban Regeneration.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
47, 855-866.
Full text.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2016). Coping with identity conflict: Perceptions of self as flexible versus fixed moderate the effect of identity conflict on well-being.
Self and Identity,
15(2), 224-244.
Abstract:
Coping with identity conflict: Perceptions of self as flexible versus fixed moderate the effect of identity conflict on well-being
In four experimental studies we explored the moderating role of perceptions of one’s self as flexible versus fixed on the relationship between identity conflict, well-being, and self-esteem. Across different contexts, it was demonstrated that representations of self as stable versus changeable moderated the effect of conflicting identities on well-being and self-esteem. Specifically, the activation of conflicting identities led to a decrease in well-being and self-esteem among those who construed their self as stable, but not among those who adopted flexible representations of self. This effect was mediated by self-concept clarity. The results suggest that the net effect of multiple identities depends not only on their compatibility and importance, but also on the way in which one’s self-concept is construed.
Abstract.
Full text.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2015). Things we (don’t) want to hear: Exploring responses to group-based feedback.
European Review of Social Psychology,
26(1), 126-126.
Abstract:
Things we (don’t) want to hear: Exploring responses to group-based feedback
We review a programme of research on responses to group-based feedback—specifically, on how the source, content, and context of feedback intersect to produce individual willingness to accept both criticism and praise and to change one’s actions accordingly. We first explore the conditions under which group-directed criticism is most effective in terms of stimulating willingness to amend group practices. This is followed by the investigation of the effectiveness of different types of group-based praise, and an analysis of the identity-verifying properties of positive feedback. Finally, we consider the effects of feedback delivered simultaneously at group and individual levels, and explore the reciprocal implications of feedback content for source categorization. Throughout, we focus on the role of identity concerns and group image management in responses to feedback. We discuss how this approach fits with other areas of literature, including research on self-verification and strategic behaviour in intergroup contexts.
Abstract.
Full text.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Landon E, Neill C, Mason-Brown S, Burdett L (2014). The password is praise: Content of feedback affects categorization of feedback sources.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
53, 484-500.
Full text.
Gleibs IH, Morton TA, Rabinovich A, Haslam SA, Helliwell HF (2013). Unpacking the hedonic paradox: a dynamic analysis of the relationships between financial capital, social capital and life satisfaction. British Journal of Social Psychology, 52, 25-43.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Postmes T, Verplanken B (2012). Collective Self and Individual Choice: the Effects of Intergroup Comparative Context on Environmental Values and Behaviour. British Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4), 551-569.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Postmes T, Verplanken B (2012). Collective self and individual choice: the effect of intergroup comparative context on environmental values and behaviour. British Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4), 551-569.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Birney ME (2012). Communicating climate science: the role of perceived communicator's motives. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 32, 11-18.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2012). Ghosts of the past and dreams of the future: the impact of temporal focus on responses to contextual ingroup devaluation.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
38(3), 397-410.
Full text.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Crook M, Travers C (2012). Let another praise you? the effects of source and attributional content on responses to group-directed praise. British Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4), 753-761.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2012). Sizing fish and ponds: the joint effects of individual- and group-based feedback.
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,
48, 244-249.
Full text.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2012). Unquestioned answers or unanswered questions: Beliefs about science guide responses to uncertainty in climate change risk communication. Risk Analysis, 32, 992-1002.
Morton TA, Rabinovich A, Postmes T (2012). Who we were and who we will be: the temporal context of women’s ingroup stereotype content.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
51, 346-362.
Abstract:
Who we were and who we will be: the temporal context of women’s ingroup stereotype content.
Research has elaborated considerably on the dimensions of outgroup stereotype content and on the origins and functions of different content combinations. Less attention has been given to the origins and functions of ingroup stereotype content. We argue that ingroup stereotypes are likely to serve different social identity functions, and thus attract different content, dependent on individual differences in ingroup identification and on the temporal perspective of the perceiver. Two studies (Ns = 43 & 93) found that women’s ingroup stereotype content varied as a function of gender group identification and temporal perspective. When the past was primed, highly identified women generated stereotypes that emphasised the warmth (but not competence) of their group. When the future was primed, highly identified women generated stereotypes that emphasised the competence (as well as warmth) of their group. These results are discussed in terms of the use of stereotypes for social creativity versus social change.
Abstract.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2011). Subgroup identities as a key to cooperation within large social groups.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
50(1), 36-51.
Abstract:
Subgroup identities as a key to cooperation within large social groups
We experimentally investigated the effect of superordinate (i.e. British) versus
subordinate (i.e. English) identity salience on willingness to contribute to a resource
shared at the superordinate level (the British coast). Contrary to what would be
expected from straightforward application of self-categorization theory, two studies
demonstrated that willingness to contribute to this shared resource was higher when
subordinate (rather than superordinate) identity was activated. To explain this effect,
we suggest that subordinate identities sometimes provide a more meaningful basis for
self-definition and, when this is the case, activating subordinate level of identity might lay
the foundation for enhanced co-operation within higher-order identities. Indeed,
consistent with this argument, Study 2 showed that increased meaningfulness and
coherence of the self-concept mediated the effect of subordinate identity salience on
contributions to the shared (superordinate) resource. The results are discussed with
respect to the role of meaning in determining categorization effects.
Abstract.
Morton TA, Rabinovich A, Marshall D, Bretschneider P (2011). The future that may (or may not) come: How framing changes responses to uncertainty in climate change communications.
Global Environmental Change,
21(1), 103-109.
Abstract:
The future that may (or may not) come: How framing changes responses to uncertainty in climate change communications.
Communicating possible effects of climate change inevitably involves uncertainty. Because people are generally averse to uncertainty, this activity has the potential to undermine effective action more than stimulate it. The present research considered how framing climate change predictions differently might moderate the tendency for uncertainty to undermine individual action. Two studies (Ns = 88 & 120) show that higher uncertainty combined with a negative frame (highlighting possible losses) decreased individual intentions to behave environmentally. However when higher uncertainty was combined with a positive frame (highlighting the possibility of losses not materializing) this produced stronger intentions to act. Study 2 revealed that these effects of uncertainty were mediated through feelings of efficacy. These results suggest that uncertainty is not an inevitable barrier to action, provided communicators frame climate change messages in ways that trigger caution in the face of uncertainty.
Abstract.
Rabinovich A, Morton T, Postmes T (2010). Time perspective and attitude-behaviour consistency in future-oriented behaviours.
Br J Soc Psychol,
49(Pt 1), 69-89.
Abstract:
Time perspective and attitude-behaviour consistency in future-oriented behaviours.
The authors propose that the salience of a distant-future time perspective, compared to a near-future time perspective, should increase attitude-behaviour and attitude-intention consistency for future-oriented behaviours. To test this prediction, time perspective was experimentally manipulated in three studies. Across studies, participants in the distant-future time perspective condition demonstrated a strong positive relationship between attitudes towards future-oriented behaviours (saving and environmental protection) and corresponding intentions, as well as between attitudes and behaviour. In the near-future time perspective condition, the relationship between attitudes and intentions and attitudes and behaviour was significantly weaker than in the distant-future time perspective condition. The theoretical implications of these results and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2010). Who says we are bad people? the impact of criticism source and attributional content on responses to group-based criticism.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
4(36), 524-536.
Abstract:
Who says we are bad people? the impact of criticism source and attributional content on responses to group-based criticism.
We investigated the interplay between the source of criticism and the attributional content of their message on behavioral responses to group-based criticism. Studies 1 and 2 revealed that outgroup critics were more effective when their criticism included internal attributions (to the ingroup’s character) rather than external attributions (the ingroup’s circumstances), whereas there was no effect of attributional content for ingroup critics (a significant Source × Content interaction). Study 3 explored the role of audiences in responses to outgroup criticism. The results indicated that the positive effects of internal versus external attributions were only evident when an outgroup audience was witness to participants’ responses. Furthermore, these effects were mediated through concerns about the ingroup’s image. Together, these patterns suggest that responses to criticism depend not just on the identity of the critic but also on what the critic says and who is watching. People may be surprisingly responsive to outgroup criticism—particularly when inaction might lead others to perceive them
as “bad people.”
Abstract.
Full text.
Rabinovich A, Morton, T. Postmes, T. Verplanken, B. (2009). Think Global, Act Local: the Effect of Goal and Mindset Specificity on Willingness to Donate to an Environmental Organization. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 4(29), 391-399.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Postmes T, Verplanken B (2009). Think global, act local: the effect of goal and mindset specificity on willingness to donate to an environmental organization. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29, 391-399.
Wilson-Kovacs D, Ryan MK, Haslam SA, Rabinovich A (2008). Just because you can get a wheelchair in the building doesn't necessarily mean that you can still participate: barriers to the career advancement of disabled professionals. Disability and Society, 23(7), 705-717.
Ryan, M. Haslam, A. Rabinovich, A. (2008). Just because you can get a wheelchair in the building doesn’t mean that you can still participate: Barriers to the career advancement of disabled professionals. Disability and Society
Rabinovich A, Webley P (2007). Filling the gap between planning and doing: Psychological factors involved in the successful implementation of saving intention.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC PSYCHOLOGY,
28(4), 444-461.
Author URL.
Webley, P. (2007). Filling the gap between planning and doing: psychological factors involved in the successful implementation of saving intention. Journal of Economic Psychology, 28, 444-461.
Chapters
Postmes T, Rabinovich A, Morton TA, van Zomeren M (2012). Toward Sustainable Social Identities: Including Our Collective Future into the Self-Concept. In Van Trijp H (Ed) Encouraging Sustainable Behavior, Psychology Press, 191-207.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Duke CC (2010). Collective self and individual choice: the role of social comparisons in promoting public engagement with climate change. In Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S (Eds.) Engaging the public with climate change: Communication and behaviour change, Earthscan, 66-83.
Publications by year
In Press
Postmes, T. Morton, T. (In Press). Time Perspective and Attitude-Behavior Consistency in Intertemporal Choice.
Birney M, Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Heath H, Ashcroft S (In Press). When speaking English is not enough: the consequences of language-based stigma for non-native speakers.
Journal of Language and Social Psychology Full text.
2019
Wynants M, Kelly C, Mtei K, Munishi L, Patrick A, Rabinovich A, Nasseri M, Gilvear D, Roberts N, Boeckx P, et al (2019). Drivers of increased soil erosion in East Africa’s agro-pastoral systems: changing interactions between the social, economic and natural domains.
Regional Environmental Change Full text.
Rabinovich A, Kelly C, Wilson G, Nasseri M, Ngondya I, Patrick A, Blake WH, Mtei K, Munishi L, Ndakidemi P, et al (2019). “We will change whether we want it or not”: Soil erosion in Maasai land as a social dilemma and a challenge to community resilience.
Journal of Environmental PsychologyAbstract:
“We will change whether we want it or not”: Soil erosion in Maasai land as a social dilemma and a challenge to community resilience
Soil erosion is a major environmental challenge that undermines economic development in many regions of the world. While much previous work explored physical processes behind this problem, less attention has been paid to social, cultural, and psychological parameters that make a significant impact on soil erosion through the land use practices that they support. The present paper addresses this gap by conducting a qualitative exploration of agro-pastoralist stakeholders’ experiences of soil erosion in northern Tanzania, using the community resilience framework and the social dilemmas approach as theoretical lenses. Interview data suggests that the factors that make communities vulnerable to soil erosion challenges include the centrality of cattle keeping practice to pastoralists’ cultural identity, lack of social cohesion, lack of alternative livelihood opportunities, and weak governance structures. We argue that the ways towards resolving the dilemma lie in addressing relevant cultural norms, building cohesive and open communities, and strengthening local governance.
Abstract.
2018
Blake WH, Rabinovich A, Wynants M, Kelly C, Nasseri M, Ngondya I, Patrick A, Mtei K, Munishi L, Boeckx P, et al (2018). Soil erosion in East Africa: an interdisciplinary approach to realising pastoral land management change.
Environmental Research Letters,
13(12).
Abstract:
Soil erosion in East Africa: an interdisciplinary approach to realising pastoral land management change
© 2018 the Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd. Implementation of socially acceptable and environmentally desirable solutions to soil erosion challenges is often limited by (1) fundamental gaps between the evidence bases of different disciplines and (2) an implementation gap between science-based recommendations, policy makers and practitioners. We present an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to support co-design of land management policy tailored to the needs of specific communities and places in degraded pastoral land in the East African Rift System. In a northern Tanzanian case study site, hydrological and sedimentary evidence shows that, over the past two decades, severe drought and increased livestock have reduced grass cover, leading to surface crusting, loss of soil aggregate stability, and lower infiltration capacity. Infiltration excess overland flow has driven (a) sheet wash erosion, (b) incision along convergence pathways and livestock tracks, and (c) gully development, leading to increased hydrological connectivity. Stakeholder interviews in associated sedenterising Maasai communities identified significant barriers to adoption of soil conservation measures, despite local awareness of problems. Barriers were rooted in specific pathways of vulnerability, such as a strong cattle-based cultural identity, weak governance structures, and a lack of resources and motivation for community action to protect shared land. At the same time, opportunities for overcoming such barriers exist, through openness to change and appetite for education and participatory decision-making. Guided by specialist knowledge from natural and social sciences, we used a participatory approach that enabled practitioners to start co-designing potential solutions, increasing their sense of efficacy and willingness to change practice. This approach, tested in East Africa, provides a valuable conceptual model around which other soil erosion challenges in the Global South might be addressed.
Abstract.
Full text.
2017
Rabinovich A, Morton T (2017). Paradoxes of praise: Identity-inconsistent praise results in praise-inconsistent responses.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
47, 628-644.
Full text.
Heath S, Rabinovich A, Barreto M (2017). Putting Identity into the Community: Exploring the Social Dynamics of Urban Regeneration.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
47, 855-866.
Full text.
2016
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2016). Coping with identity conflict: Perceptions of self as flexible versus fixed moderate the effect of identity conflict on well-being.
Self and Identity,
15(2), 224-244.
Abstract:
Coping with identity conflict: Perceptions of self as flexible versus fixed moderate the effect of identity conflict on well-being
In four experimental studies we explored the moderating role of perceptions of one’s self as flexible versus fixed on the relationship between identity conflict, well-being, and self-esteem. Across different contexts, it was demonstrated that representations of self as stable versus changeable moderated the effect of conflicting identities on well-being and self-esteem. Specifically, the activation of conflicting identities led to a decrease in well-being and self-esteem among those who construed their self as stable, but not among those who adopted flexible representations of self. This effect was mediated by self-concept clarity. The results suggest that the net effect of multiple identities depends not only on their compatibility and importance, but also on the way in which one’s self-concept is construed.
Abstract.
Full text.
2015
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2015). Things we (don’t) want to hear: Exploring responses to group-based feedback.
European Review of Social Psychology,
26(1), 126-126.
Abstract:
Things we (don’t) want to hear: Exploring responses to group-based feedback
We review a programme of research on responses to group-based feedback—specifically, on how the source, content, and context of feedback intersect to produce individual willingness to accept both criticism and praise and to change one’s actions accordingly. We first explore the conditions under which group-directed criticism is most effective in terms of stimulating willingness to amend group practices. This is followed by the investigation of the effectiveness of different types of group-based praise, and an analysis of the identity-verifying properties of positive feedback. Finally, we consider the effects of feedback delivered simultaneously at group and individual levels, and explore the reciprocal implications of feedback content for source categorization. Throughout, we focus on the role of identity concerns and group image management in responses to feedback. We discuss how this approach fits with other areas of literature, including research on self-verification and strategic behaviour in intergroup contexts.
Abstract.
Full text.
2014
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Landon E, Neill C, Mason-Brown S, Burdett L (2014). The password is praise: Content of feedback affects categorization of feedback sources.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
53, 484-500.
Full text.
2013
Gleibs IH, Morton TA, Rabinovich A, Haslam SA, Helliwell HF (2013). Unpacking the hedonic paradox: a dynamic analysis of the relationships between financial capital, social capital and life satisfaction. British Journal of Social Psychology, 52, 25-43.
2012
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Postmes T, Verplanken B (2012). Collective Self and Individual Choice: the Effects of Intergroup Comparative Context on Environmental Values and Behaviour. British Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4), 551-569.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Postmes T, Verplanken B (2012). Collective self and individual choice: the effect of intergroup comparative context on environmental values and behaviour. British Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4), 551-569.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Birney ME (2012). Communicating climate science: the role of perceived communicator's motives. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 32, 11-18.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2012). Ghosts of the past and dreams of the future: the impact of temporal focus on responses to contextual ingroup devaluation.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
38(3), 397-410.
Full text.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Crook M, Travers C (2012). Let another praise you? the effects of source and attributional content on responses to group-directed praise. British Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4), 753-761.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2012). Sizing fish and ponds: the joint effects of individual- and group-based feedback.
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,
48, 244-249.
Full text.
Postmes T, Rabinovich A, Morton TA, van Zomeren M (2012). Toward Sustainable Social Identities: Including Our Collective Future into the Self-Concept. In Van Trijp H (Ed) Encouraging Sustainable Behavior, Psychology Press, 191-207.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2012). Unquestioned answers or unanswered questions: Beliefs about science guide responses to uncertainty in climate change risk communication. Risk Analysis, 32, 992-1002.
Morton TA, Rabinovich A, Postmes T (2012). Who we were and who we will be: the temporal context of women’s ingroup stereotype content.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
51, 346-362.
Abstract:
Who we were and who we will be: the temporal context of women’s ingroup stereotype content.
Research has elaborated considerably on the dimensions of outgroup stereotype content and on the origins and functions of different content combinations. Less attention has been given to the origins and functions of ingroup stereotype content. We argue that ingroup stereotypes are likely to serve different social identity functions, and thus attract different content, dependent on individual differences in ingroup identification and on the temporal perspective of the perceiver. Two studies (Ns = 43 & 93) found that women’s ingroup stereotype content varied as a function of gender group identification and temporal perspective. When the past was primed, highly identified women generated stereotypes that emphasised the warmth (but not competence) of their group. When the future was primed, highly identified women generated stereotypes that emphasised the competence (as well as warmth) of their group. These results are discussed in terms of the use of stereotypes for social creativity versus social change.
Abstract.
2011
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2011). Subgroup identities as a key to cooperation within large social groups.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
50(1), 36-51.
Abstract:
Subgroup identities as a key to cooperation within large social groups
We experimentally investigated the effect of superordinate (i.e. British) versus
subordinate (i.e. English) identity salience on willingness to contribute to a resource
shared at the superordinate level (the British coast). Contrary to what would be
expected from straightforward application of self-categorization theory, two studies
demonstrated that willingness to contribute to this shared resource was higher when
subordinate (rather than superordinate) identity was activated. To explain this effect,
we suggest that subordinate identities sometimes provide a more meaningful basis for
self-definition and, when this is the case, activating subordinate level of identity might lay
the foundation for enhanced co-operation within higher-order identities. Indeed,
consistent with this argument, Study 2 showed that increased meaningfulness and
coherence of the self-concept mediated the effect of subordinate identity salience on
contributions to the shared (superordinate) resource. The results are discussed with
respect to the role of meaning in determining categorization effects.
Abstract.
Morton TA, Rabinovich A, Marshall D, Bretschneider P (2011). The future that may (or may not) come: How framing changes responses to uncertainty in climate change communications.
Global Environmental Change,
21(1), 103-109.
Abstract:
The future that may (or may not) come: How framing changes responses to uncertainty in climate change communications.
Communicating possible effects of climate change inevitably involves uncertainty. Because people are generally averse to uncertainty, this activity has the potential to undermine effective action more than stimulate it. The present research considered how framing climate change predictions differently might moderate the tendency for uncertainty to undermine individual action. Two studies (Ns = 88 & 120) show that higher uncertainty combined with a negative frame (highlighting possible losses) decreased individual intentions to behave environmentally. However when higher uncertainty was combined with a positive frame (highlighting the possibility of losses not materializing) this produced stronger intentions to act. Study 2 revealed that these effects of uncertainty were mediated through feelings of efficacy. These results suggest that uncertainty is not an inevitable barrier to action, provided communicators frame climate change messages in ways that trigger caution in the face of uncertainty.
Abstract.
2010
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Duke CC (2010). Collective self and individual choice: the role of social comparisons in promoting public engagement with climate change. In Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S (Eds.) Engaging the public with climate change: Communication and behaviour change, Earthscan, 66-83.
Rabinovich A, Morton T, Postmes T (2010). Time perspective and attitude-behaviour consistency in future-oriented behaviours.
Br J Soc Psychol,
49(Pt 1), 69-89.
Abstract:
Time perspective and attitude-behaviour consistency in future-oriented behaviours.
The authors propose that the salience of a distant-future time perspective, compared to a near-future time perspective, should increase attitude-behaviour and attitude-intention consistency for future-oriented behaviours. To test this prediction, time perspective was experimentally manipulated in three studies. Across studies, participants in the distant-future time perspective condition demonstrated a strong positive relationship between attitudes towards future-oriented behaviours (saving and environmental protection) and corresponding intentions, as well as between attitudes and behaviour. In the near-future time perspective condition, the relationship between attitudes and intentions and attitudes and behaviour was significantly weaker than in the distant-future time perspective condition. The theoretical implications of these results and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA (2010). Who says we are bad people? the impact of criticism source and attributional content on responses to group-based criticism.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
4(36), 524-536.
Abstract:
Who says we are bad people? the impact of criticism source and attributional content on responses to group-based criticism.
We investigated the interplay between the source of criticism and the attributional content of their message on behavioral responses to group-based criticism. Studies 1 and 2 revealed that outgroup critics were more effective when their criticism included internal attributions (to the ingroup’s character) rather than external attributions (the ingroup’s circumstances), whereas there was no effect of attributional content for ingroup critics (a significant Source × Content interaction). Study 3 explored the role of audiences in responses to outgroup criticism. The results indicated that the positive effects of internal versus external attributions were only evident when an outgroup audience was witness to participants’ responses. Furthermore, these effects were mediated through concerns about the ingroup’s image. Together, these patterns suggest that responses to criticism depend not just on the identity of the critic but also on what the critic says and who is watching. People may be surprisingly responsive to outgroup criticism—particularly when inaction might lead others to perceive them
as “bad people.”
Abstract.
Full text.
2009
Rabinovich A, Morton, T. Postmes, T. Verplanken, B. (2009). Think Global, Act Local: the Effect of Goal and Mindset Specificity on Willingness to Donate to an Environmental Organization. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 4(29), 391-399.
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Postmes T, Verplanken B (2009). Think global, act local: the effect of goal and mindset specificity on willingness to donate to an environmental organization. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29, 391-399.
2008
Wilson-Kovacs D, Ryan MK, Haslam SA, Rabinovich A (2008). Just because you can get a wheelchair in the building doesn't necessarily mean that you can still participate: barriers to the career advancement of disabled professionals. Disability and Society, 23(7), 705-717.
Ryan, M. Haslam, A. Rabinovich, A. (2008). Just because you can get a wheelchair in the building doesn’t mean that you can still participate: Barriers to the career advancement of disabled professionals. Disability and Society
2007
Rabinovich A, Webley P (2007). Filling the gap between planning and doing: Psychological factors involved in the successful implementation of saving intention.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC PSYCHOLOGY,
28(4), 444-461.
Author URL.
Webley, P. (2007). Filling the gap between planning and doing: psychological factors involved in the successful implementation of saving intention. Journal of Economic Psychology, 28, 444-461.