Alexander Stefaniak
Biographic Data
| ID | 1124170 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alexander Stefaniak |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alexander |
| FAMILY NAME | Stefaniak |
| SIGNATURE | STEFANIAK A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Carleton University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1706-7784 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 33 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 156 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 33 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
A Dual Route to Distrust of Atheists: Perceiving Atheists to Lack Individualizing Moral Foundations and an External Moralizing Agent Heightens Christians’ Distrust
In the last decade, the percentage of Americans who identify as atheists has almost doubled from 2% to 4%. Still, prejudice against this ever-growing group persists. Across four studies, we explored two distinct yet related correlates of antiatheist prejudice amongst American Christians: (a) the perception that atheists lack a moral compass and (b) the belief that faith in God is necessary to living a moral life. Grounded in moral foundations the…
When memory meets anxiety: Collective nostalgia (civic- and homogeneity-focused) and collective angst shape strong leader support and voting behaviour
Elections are moments when nations confront uncertainty about their future and re-examine their past. The present research investigated how two temporal, group-based emotions jointly shape political preferences and behaviour: collective nostalgia (longing for the group’s past) and collective angst (concern for the group’s future). We focused on the 2024 United States federal election, examining how civic-focused nostalgia (longing for civility an…
Strong Leaders, Not Strongmen: How Concern for Polarization and Collective Nostalgia Shape Leader Preference
Political polarization is widely seen as a growing threat to democratic cohesion, yet little is known about how concern about polarization shapes citizens’ preferences for political leadership. Across four studies in the United States and Canada, we examined whether concern about polarization predicts support for strong leaders, and whether this association is mediated by the content of collective nostalgia (i.e., what aspect of the national past…
Double standards in the treatment of refugees: Why are people more likely to help Ukrainian compared to Syrian refugees? / Dobles estándares en el trato a los refugiados: ¿Por qué se tiende más a ayud…
We tested whether residents of Germany are more willing to help refugees from Ukraine compared to Syria and examined underlying psychological factors (perceptions of similarity, intergroup threat and the association with Islam). Across three experiments (total N = 3,119), a significant pro-Ukrainian preference emerged: Ukrainian refugees (vs. Syrian refugees) were perceived as less threatening (both realistically and symbolically), elicited less …
Pro- and anti-LGBT activism as the case of system-challenging and system-supporting collective action
Perceptions of Gender Role Discontinuity and Collective Nostalgia for Traditional Gender Relations Shape Men’s Support for Gender Equality
Men’s gender roles have changed dramatically over the past few decades. We examined whether the evaluation of this discontinuity in men’s gender roles predicts cis men's attitudes toward gender equality, and whether nostalgic reverie for traditional gender relations mediates this association. Support was found for our hypothesized mediation model across three studies (and an internal meta-analysis of the main effects) conducted in two different c…
The different effects of collective narcissism and secure ingroup identity on collective action and life satisfaction among LGBTQ+ individuals
For LGBTQ+ community members, one way to cope with the discrimination they experience is through a stronger ingroup identity. However, not all types of ingroup identity may be equally beneficial to LGBTQ+ individuals. A longitudinal ( N = 1,044) and a cross-sectional ( N = 8,464) study among LGBTQ+ people in Poland demonstrated that collective narcissism was a positive predictor of group-based anger (Study 2) and had a positive reciprocal relatio…
Group identification moderates the effect of historical trauma availability on historical trauma symptoms and conspiracy beliefs
Historical trauma may cast a shadow over the lives of subsequent generations of victimised groups. We examine the buffering role of victimised group identification on the association between the cognitive availability of historical trauma, historical trauma symptoms, and conspiracy beliefs. Two studies conducted in Poland (Study 1: Ukrainian minority, N = 92; Study 2: ethnic Poles; N = 227) revealed that among highly identified group members (com…
Refugees at the gates. Vicarious contact and collective action for a disadvantaged group
Liszt in Context Joanne Cormac
Journal Article Liszt in ContextJoanne Cormac Get access Liszt in Context. Ed. by Joanne Cormac. Pp. 400. Composers in Context. ( Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York, 2021. ISBN 978-1-108-422184-3, £84.99.) Alexander Stefaniak Alexander Stefaniak Washington University in St. Louis Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Music and Letters, Volume 104, Issue 3, August 2023, Pages 503–505, https://doi.…
National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic
Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during …
Understanding Lower-Risk Cannabis Consumption from the Consumers’ Perspective: A Rapid Evidence Assessment
Background: In the current rapid evidence assessment, we summarize the existing research on lower-risk cannabis consumption as understood by those who consume cannabis. Methods: We identified 7111 unique articles published between 1900 and 2021 using search terms related to a) cannabis consumption, b) beliefs and behaviors, and c) positive outcomes. Results: Twelve articles met our inclusion criteria. Three themes emerged that reflect lower-risk …
The Cannabis Lower-Risk Scale: Psychometric Validation of a Multidimensional Measure of Lower-Risk Cannabis Beliefs and Behaviors
Commentary on “Different roles of interpersonal trust and institutional trust in Covid-19 pandemic control”
Differentiating between direct and indirect hate crime: Results from Poland
Inspired by individual-level research on direct and indirect as well as reactive and proactive aggression, this article proposes to differentiate direct and indirect types of hate crime. We use the largest hate crime database in Poland (N = 3,153 incidents) to analyze: (1) temporal trends in the relative prevalence of two types of hate crime; (2) the involvement of hate group-affiliated and non-hate group-affiliated perpetrators; and (3) the targ…
Leveraging knowledge about historical diversity: A meta-analysis of findings from the school of dialogue intergroup intervention
Are societies in conflict more susceptible to believe in Covid-19 conspiracy theories? A 66 nation study
The societal relevance of communities in the Covid ‐19 era
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented and truly global social threat in recent human history. Understanding the impacts of the pandemic on our communities, as well as investigating and fostering effective responses, represents a genuinely interdisciplinary challenge, which deeply involves psychology. Social and community psychologists are working to understand the psychological processes characterizing individual, familial, institutio…
Refugees unwelcome: Narcissistic and secure national commitment differentially predict collective action against immigrants and refugees
Authoritarians Go with the Flow: Social Norms Moderate the Link between Right‐Wing Authoritarianism and Outgroup‐Directed Attitudes
This research aimed to provide a more nuanced understanding of the relations between social norms, right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA), outgroup‐directed prejudice, and hostile behavioral intentions toward outgroups. Three correlational studies, conducted in two countries and three different intergroup contexts (n1 = 997; n2 = 1011; n3 = 1992), investigated the moderating role of social norms (both positive and negative) on the relation between RWA…
Different Pasts for Different Political Folk: Political Orientation Predicts Collective Nostalgia Content
Collective nostalgia is a bittersweet emotion that reflects sentimental longing for valued aspects of the past of one’s group. Given that conservatism is typically associated with a general desire to preserve the societal status quo or return society to its traditional way of being, nostalgia has been theorized to be characteristic of those on the political right (i.e., conservatives). In the current work, we proposed and tested the hypothesis th…
Social and economic determinants of support for a strong non-democratic leader in democracies differ from non-democracies
A growing body of evidence suggests that support for a strong non-democratic leader is driven, in part, by low economic development and economic inequality at the country level, and low income and interpersonal trust at the individual level. In the current research, we tested the hypothesis that although such a pattern predicts support for a strong non-democratic leader in democracies, it should produce decreased support for a strong non-democrat…
In time, we will simply disappear: Racial demographic shift undermines privileged group members’ support for marginalized social groups via collective angst
The racial demographic shift occurring in many Western countries provides a unique context to study the reactions of a high-power group (White people) to the potential loss of their privileged position in society. Three experiments ( N = 77, N = 302, N = 555) conducted in Canada, the US, and the UK showed that White people who are reminded about the ongoing demographic changes and who see race relations as a zero-sum game whereby any gains by min…
Group identification attenuates the effect of historical trauma on mental health: A study of Iraqi Kurds
Kurds have a long history of victimization and struggle for even the most basic rights. This is reflected in a widely shared belief, according to which they have "no friends but the mountains." Such difficult history may have ongoing negative impact on mental health of present-day Kurds. This article investigates the relations between cognitive availability of historical trauma, historical trauma symptoms, and negative mental health outcomes in a…
Response to Lindström (2020) on “The trouble with trust: Time-series analysis of social capital, income inequality, and Covid-19 deaths in 84 countries”
The trouble with trust: Time-series analysis of social capital, income inequality, and Covid-19 deaths in 84 countries
Too great to act in solidarity: The negative relationship between collective narcissism and solidarity‐based collective action
Three studies examined the association between narcissistic identification with one’s advantaged in‐group and engagement in solidarity‐based collective action. Drawing on theory and past research, a negative effect of collective narcissism on solidarity‐based collective action was expected. A two‐wave longitudinal study ( N = 162) found that Polish participants’ narcissistic, but not secure, national identification decreased their willingness to …
Longing is in the memory of the beholder: Collective nostalgia content determines the method members will support to make their group great again
Authoritarians Go with the Flow: Social Norms Moderate the Link between Right‐Wing Authoritarianism and Outgroup‐Directed Attitudes
This research aimed to provide a more nuanced understanding of the relations between social norms, right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA), outgroup‐directed prejudice, and hostile behavioral intentions toward outgroups. Three correlational studies, conducted in two countries and three different intergroup contexts (n1 = 997; n2 = 1011; n3 = 1992), investigated the moderating role of social norms (both positive and negative) on the relation between RWA…
The lay historian explains intergroup behavior: Examining the role of identification and cognitive structuring in ethnocentric historical attributions
Both historians and lay people attempt to explain national histories. However, psychological research, to date, focused predominantly on the patterns of those explanations with regard to negative historical behaviors. In this article, we assess ethnocentrism of people’s explanations of both negative and positive historical behavior of ingroup members (own nation) and outgroup members (other nation). Two studies analyze how Poles explain crimes an…
Zero‐sum beliefs shape advantaged allies’ support for collective action
Three studies ( N 1 = 1,019; N 2 = 312; N 3 = 494) tested whether seeing intergroup relations as inherently antagonistic shaped advantaged social groups’ allyship intentions. More specifically, we tested whether endorsing zero‐sum beliefs related to their willingness to support system‐challenging and system‐supporting collective action. Zero‐sum beliefs were negatively correlated with system‐challenging and positively correlated with system‐suppo…
Different Pasts for Different Political Folk: Political Orientation Predicts Collective Nostalgia Content
Collective nostalgia is a bittersweet emotion that reflects sentimental longing for valued aspects of the past of one’s group. Given that conservatism is typically associated with a general desire to preserve the societal status quo or return society to its traditional way of being, nostalgia has been theorized to be characteristic of those on the political right (i.e., conservatives). In the current work, we proposed and tested the hypothesis th…
The different effects of collective narcissism and secure ingroup identity on collective action and life satisfaction among LGBTQ+ individuals
For LGBTQ+ community members, one way to cope with the discrimination they experience is through a stronger ingroup identity. However, not all types of ingroup identity may be equally beneficial to LGBTQ+ individuals. A longitudinal ( N = 1,044) and a cross-sectional ( N = 8,464) study among LGBTQ+ people in Poland demonstrated that collective narcissism was a positive predictor of group-based anger (Study 2) and had a positive reciprocal relatio…
Social and economic determinants of support for a strong non-democratic leader in democracies differ from non-democracies
A growing body of evidence suggests that support for a strong non-democratic leader is driven, in part, by low economic development and economic inequality at the country level, and low income and interpersonal trust at the individual level. In the current research, we tested the hypothesis that although such a pattern predicts support for a strong non-democratic leader in democracies, it should produce decreased support for a strong non-democrat…
Refugees unwelcome: Narcissistic and secure national commitment differentially predict collective action against immigrants and refugees
Contact with a multicultural past: A prejudice-reducing intervention
Are societies in conflict more susceptible to believe in Covid-19 conspiracy theories? A 66 nation study
Refugees at the gates. Vicarious contact and collective action for a disadvantaged group
In time, we will simply disappear: Racial demographic shift undermines privileged group members’ support for marginalized social groups via collective angst
The racial demographic shift occurring in many Western countries provides a unique context to study the reactions of a high-power group (White people) to the potential loss of their privileged position in society. Three experiments ( N = 77, N = 302, N = 555) conducted in Canada, the US, and the UK showed that White people who are reminded about the ongoing demographic changes and who see race relations as a zero-sum game whereby any gains by min…
Perceptions of Gender Role Discontinuity and Collective Nostalgia for Traditional Gender Relations Shape Men’s Support for Gender Equality
Men’s gender roles have changed dramatically over the past few decades. We examined whether the evaluation of this discontinuity in men’s gender roles predicts cis men's attitudes toward gender equality, and whether nostalgic reverie for traditional gender relations mediates this association. Support was found for our hypothesized mediation model across three studies (and an internal meta-analysis of the main effects) conducted in two different c…
Group identification moderates the effect of historical trauma availability on historical trauma symptoms and conspiracy beliefs
Historical trauma may cast a shadow over the lives of subsequent generations of victimised groups. We examine the buffering role of victimised group identification on the association between the cognitive availability of historical trauma, historical trauma symptoms, and conspiracy beliefs. Two studies conducted in Poland (Study 1: Ukrainian minority, N = 92; Study 2: ethnic Poles; N = 227) revealed that among highly identified group members (com…
Contact with a multicultural past: A prejudice-reducing intervention
The lay historian explains intergroup behavior: Examining the role of identification and cognitive structuring in ethnocentric historical attributions
Both historians and lay people attempt to explain national histories. However, psychological research, to date, focused predominantly on the patterns of those explanations with regard to negative historical behaviors. In this article, we assess ethnocentrism of people’s explanations of both negative and positive historical behavior of ingroup members (own nation) and outgroup members (other nation). Two studies analyze how Poles explain crimes an…
Clara Schumann and the Imagined Revelation of Musical Works
Clara Schumann established herself as a pianist who performed the Austro-German, canonical repertory with authority. I use largely unexplored concert reviews and other writings to consider how critics perceived Schumann employing her own faculties and abilities when performing these works. Beginning in the 1840s, Schumann cultivated an image as a pianist who authentically revealed musical works’ inherent essences or composers’ intentions. But how…
Response to Lindström (2020) on “The trouble with trust: Time-series analysis of social capital, income inequality, and Covid-19 deaths in 84 countries”
Too great to act in solidarity: The negative relationship between collective narcissism and solidarity‐based collective action
Three studies examined the association between narcissistic identification with one’s advantaged in‐group and engagement in solidarity‐based collective action. Drawing on theory and past research, a negative effect of collective narcissism on solidarity‐based collective action was expected. A two‐wave longitudinal study ( N = 162) found that Polish participants’ narcissistic, but not secure, national identification decreased their willingness to …
Zero‐sum beliefs shape advantaged allies’ support for collective action
Three studies ( N 1 = 1,019; N 2 = 312; N 3 = 494) tested whether seeing intergroup relations as inherently antagonistic shaped advantaged social groups’ allyship intentions. More specifically, we tested whether endorsing zero‐sum beliefs related to their willingness to support system‐challenging and system‐supporting collective action. Zero‐sum beliefs were negatively correlated with system‐challenging and positively correlated with system‐suppo…
Longing is in the memory of the beholder: Collective nostalgia content determines the method members will support to make their group great again
An Experiencer, An Animal or An Object? Erection Salience Decreases Men’s Perceived Agency
Three experiments investigated the influence of penile erection on ascriptions of mental capabilities to men. Drawing on sexual objectification literature and the distinction between agency and experience in mind perception, three competing predictions were formulated. The mind redistribution hypothesis assumed that penile erection would lower agency and heighten experience attributions, the animalistic dehumanization hypothesis predicted the dec…
The trouble with trust: Time-series analysis of social capital, income inequality, and Covid-19 deaths in 84 countries
Different Pasts for Different Political Folk: Political Orientation Predicts Collective Nostalgia Content
Collective nostalgia is a bittersweet emotion that reflects sentimental longing for valued aspects of the past of one’s group. Given that conservatism is typically associated with a general desire to preserve the societal status quo or return society to its traditional way of being, nostalgia has been theorized to be characteristic of those on the political right (i.e., conservatives). In the current work, we proposed and tested the hypothesis th…
Social and economic determinants of support for a strong non-democratic leader in democracies differ from non-democracies
A growing body of evidence suggests that support for a strong non-democratic leader is driven, in part, by low economic development and economic inequality at the country level, and low income and interpersonal trust at the individual level. In the current research, we tested the hypothesis that although such a pattern predicts support for a strong non-democratic leader in democracies, it should produce decreased support for a strong non-democrat…
In time, we will simply disappear: Racial demographic shift undermines privileged group members’ support for marginalized social groups via collective angst
The racial demographic shift occurring in many Western countries provides a unique context to study the reactions of a high-power group (White people) to the potential loss of their privileged position in society. Three experiments ( N = 77, N = 302, N = 555) conducted in Canada, the US, and the UK showed that White people who are reminded about the ongoing demographic changes and who see race relations as a zero-sum game whereby any gains by min…
Group identification attenuates the effect of historical trauma on mental health: A study of Iraqi Kurds
Kurds have a long history of victimization and struggle for even the most basic rights. This is reflected in a widely shared belief, according to which they have "no friends but the mountains." Such difficult history may have ongoing negative impact on mental health of present-day Kurds. This article investigates the relations between cognitive availability of historical trauma, historical trauma symptoms, and negative mental health outcomes in a…
National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic
Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during …
Understanding Lower-Risk Cannabis Consumption from the Consumers’ Perspective: A Rapid Evidence Assessment
Background: In the current rapid evidence assessment, we summarize the existing research on lower-risk cannabis consumption as understood by those who consume cannabis. Methods: We identified 7111 unique articles published between 1900 and 2021 using search terms related to a) cannabis consumption, b) beliefs and behaviors, and c) positive outcomes. Results: Twelve articles met our inclusion criteria. Three themes emerged that reflect lower-risk …
The Cannabis Lower-Risk Scale: Psychometric Validation of a Multidimensional Measure of Lower-Risk Cannabis Beliefs and Behaviors
Commentary on “Different roles of interpersonal trust and institutional trust in Covid-19 pandemic control”
Differentiating between direct and indirect hate crime: Results from Poland
Inspired by individual-level research on direct and indirect as well as reactive and proactive aggression, this article proposes to differentiate direct and indirect types of hate crime. We use the largest hate crime database in Poland (N = 3,153 incidents) to analyze: (1) temporal trends in the relative prevalence of two types of hate crime; (2) the involvement of hate group-affiliated and non-hate group-affiliated perpetrators; and (3) the targ…
Leveraging knowledge about historical diversity: A meta-analysis of findings from the school of dialogue intergroup intervention
Are societies in conflict more susceptible to believe in Covid-19 conspiracy theories? A 66 nation study
The societal relevance of communities in the Covid ‐19 era
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented and truly global social threat in recent human history. Understanding the impacts of the pandemic on our communities, as well as investigating and fostering effective responses, represents a genuinely interdisciplinary challenge, which deeply involves psychology. Social and community psychologists are working to understand the psychological processes characterizing individual, familial, institutio…
Refugees unwelcome: Narcissistic and secure national commitment differentially predict collective action against immigrants and refugees
Authoritarians Go with the Flow: Social Norms Moderate the Link between Right‐Wing Authoritarianism and Outgroup‐Directed Attitudes
This research aimed to provide a more nuanced understanding of the relations between social norms, right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA), outgroup‐directed prejudice, and hostile behavioral intentions toward outgroups. Three correlational studies, conducted in two countries and three different intergroup contexts (n1 = 997; n2 = 1011; n3 = 1992), investigated the moderating role of social norms (both positive and negative) on the relation between RWA…
The different effects of collective narcissism and secure ingroup identity on collective action and life satisfaction among LGBTQ+ individuals
For LGBTQ+ community members, one way to cope with the discrimination they experience is through a stronger ingroup identity. However, not all types of ingroup identity may be equally beneficial to LGBTQ+ individuals. A longitudinal ( N = 1,044) and a cross-sectional ( N = 8,464) study among LGBTQ+ people in Poland demonstrated that collective narcissism was a positive predictor of group-based anger (Study 2) and had a positive reciprocal relatio…
Group identification moderates the effect of historical trauma availability on historical trauma symptoms and conspiracy beliefs
Historical trauma may cast a shadow over the lives of subsequent generations of victimised groups. We examine the buffering role of victimised group identification on the association between the cognitive availability of historical trauma, historical trauma symptoms, and conspiracy beliefs. Two studies conducted in Poland (Study 1: Ukrainian minority, N = 92; Study 2: ethnic Poles; N = 227) revealed that among highly identified group members (com…
Psychology (22 works) · Social Psychology (18 works) · Political science (16 works) · Social Psychology (15 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (14 works) · Sociology (12 works) · Medicine (10 works) · Politics (9 works) · Cultural Differences and Values (7 works) · Ingroups and outgroups (7 works)