Joshua A Hicks
Biographic Data
| ID | 156238 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Joshua A Hicks |
| GIVEN NAMES | Joshua A |
| FAMILY NAME | Hicks |
| SIGNATURE | HICKS J A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Texas A&M University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6237-4935 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 50 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 399 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 50 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2006 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Exploring the Link Between Identity Avoidance and Perceived Self-Knowledge
Individuals with concealable stigmatized identities (CSIs) may employ avoidance strategies to hide their identities. While seemingly protective, identity avoidance may negatively impact perceived self-knowledge (i.e., self-concept clarity and self-alienation). Across six studies ( N = 1,945) with U.S. and Chinese university samples, we found that those with CSIs consistently reported lower levels of perceived self-knowledge than those without (St…
Nature and the Experience of Meaning in Life: The Role of Experiential Appreciation
A growing body of research suggests that nature experiences and feeling connected to nature are positively associated with the experience of meaning in life. However, meaning in life is multifaceted, and it is unclear which facets explain this relationship. We examined this question across five studies ( N = 1,864): three cross-sectional surveys, a quasi-experimental field study, and an experimental video immersion study. In Studies 1a–1c, trait …
Liking Predicts Judgments of Authenticity in Real-Time Interactions More Robustly Than Personality States or Affect
We conducted three studies involving small group interactions ( N = 622) that examined whether Big Five personality states, affect, and/or liking predict judgments of others’ authenticity. Study 1 ( n = 119) revealed that neither self -rated personality states nor affect predicted other-rated authenticity. Instead, other-rated liking was the only predictor of other-rated authenticity. Study 2 ( n = 281) revealed that other -rated personality stat…
Free will and scientific determinism beliefs and the support for physician-assisted death
Public attitudes surrounding support for or opposition to physician-assisted death (PAD) have largely been examined through broad factors such as religiosity. While religious beliefs undoubtedly play a role, we contend that existential lay beliefs, such as free will and scientific determinism, offer additional explanatory value. Across four studies ( N = 1,548), utilizing both university and Prolific samples, we found mostly consistent evidence t…
Being present: Witnessing landmark historical events boosts meaning in life
Although not everyone shapes history, everyone is present as it unfolds. Recognizing oneself as a witness to history may become especially important in an era marked by frequent landmark events. In this research, we locate individuals in the ongoing process of history and examine its existential benefits. Specifically, we hypothesize that witnessing history (i.e., the subjective sense of witnessing or being present as history unfolds) enhances me…
When meaning in life protects against fear of death: The moderating role of self‐alienation
OBJECTIVE: A sense of meaning in life (MIL) is thought to help protect people against experiencing explicit anxiety about death. However, the experience of meaning is complex and subjective and may relate to death anxiety in nuanced ways. We examine how self-alienation-a feeling of not knowing/being disconnected from one's self-might moderate the relationship between MIL and death anxiety. METHOD: Across five studies, we tested the hypothesis tha…
Virtue and authenticity in civic life
A robust literature indicates that when people feel that they are expressing and aware of their true selves, they show enhanced psychological health and well-being. This feeling, commonly referred to as authenticity, is therefore a consequential experience. In this paper, we review a program of research focused on the relevance of authenticity for civic engagement. We describe how a virtuous orientation to civic engagement might make civic action…
Authentic for Thee But Not for Me: Perceived Authenticity in Self-Control Conflicts
Is self-control authentic? Across several hypothetical scenarios, participants perceived impulsive actions as more authentic for others (Study 1a) but self-control as more authentic for themselves (Study 1b). Study 2 partially replicated this asymmetry. Study 3 accounted for behavior positivity because self-control was typically the more positive action in the previous studies. Study 4 minimized the influence of positivity by framing the same beh…
Civic Hope and the Perceived Authenticity of Democratic Participation
In two studies, we tested how the expression of civic hope in narratives and the perceived authenticity of civic/political actions relate to civic/political engagement. In a cross-sectional study of undergraduates ( N = 230), the expression of civic hope predicted the perceived authenticity of civic actions (e.g., voting), which in turn predicted the motivation to engage in them. In a longitudinal on-line study that began 8 weeks prior to the 202…
Experiential appreciation as a pathway to meaning in life
The Science of Meaning in Life
Meaning in life has long been a mystery of human existence. In this review, we seek to demystify this construct. Focusing on the subjective experience of meaning in life, we review how it has been measured and briefly describe its correlates. Then we review evidence that meaning in life, for all its mystery, is a rather commonplace experience. We then define the construct and review its constituent facets: comprehension/coherence, purpose, and ex…
Developing a Quadripartite Existential Meaning Scale and Exploring the Internal Structure of Meaning in Life
Is the Illusion of Authenticity Beneficial? Merely Perceiving Decisions as Guided by the True Self Enhances Decision Satisfaction
Many people endorse a “true-self-as-guide” (TSAG) lay theory of decision-making that suggests following one’s true self is an optimal strategy for making decisions. Across five studies ( N = 1,320), we test whether perceived use of the true self enhances decision satisfaction. Study 1 provides correlational evidence. Studies 2 and 3 provide experimental evidence that participants felt more satisfied with choices made under TSAG instructions, comp…
Meaning-Making, Psychological Distress, and the Experience of Meaning in Life Following a Natural Disaster
The purpose of this study was to examine the role of meaning-making in response to collective trauma. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, we recruited participants ( N = 570) to test the hypothesis that searching for meaning (vs. finding meaning) in the event would be associated with greater (vs. lower) levels of acute and post-traumatic stress symptoms. We further hypothesized that searching for (and finding) meaning in the event would predict…
The Illusion of Time: Testing the Bidirectional Relationship Between Belief in Free Will and Temporal Horizons
The current research examined the bidirectional relationship between belief in free will and perceptions of time. Studies 1 and 2 explored the association between free will beliefs (FWB) and future time perspective (FTP) in correlational and longitudinal studies, respectively. Results indicated a positive relationship between the two constructs. Study 3 manipulated FTP and assessed FWB. Study 4 manipulated FWB and assessed FTP about current goal-…
Mental health inequalities increase as a function of Covid-19 pandemic severity levels
The Role of Perceived Authenticity in Psychological Recovery from Collective Trauma
Introduction: Previous research demonstrates that perceived authenticity is positively associated with psychological health and security in the face of threats. The current research extends this work by testing whether perceived authenticity promotes recovery from the negative mental health consequences of collective trauma (e.g., a natural disaster). Methods: We recruited a sample of undergraduates (N = 570), many of whom reported direct or indi…
Awe and meaning: Elucidating complex effects of awe experiences on meaning in life
Research on the experience of awe suggests that awe has positive impacts on outcomes like life satisfaction and belongingness. No published work, however, has reported effects of awe on the experience of meaning in life. We reasoned that awe might have complicated effects on meaning. On the one hand, many awe experiences likely contain a positive flavor that contributes to both awe and general positive affectivity (happiness). Positive affectivit…
Understanding the Relationship Between Perceived Authenticity and Well-Being
A central tenet of many prominent philosophical and psychological traditions is that personal authenticity facilitates psychological well-being. This idea, however, is at odds with numerous perspectives arguing that it is difficult, if not impossible, to really know one's self, or the true self may not even exist. Moreover, empirical findings suggest that reports of authenticity are often contaminated by positively valenced behavior, further pote…
Accessing Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): Perceptions of Current and Potential PrEP Users in Birmingham, Alabama
Approaching the true self: Promotion focus predicts the experience of authenticity
Daily mental lapses and the subjective experience of true self-alienation
Existential Ennui: Examining the Reciprocal Relationship Between Self-Alienation and Academic Amotivation
Two studies ( N = 649) examined the association between self-alienation (SA; i.e., feelings of detachment from one’s true self) and academic amotivation (AA; i.e., lack of motivation in the academic domain). Based on classical and contemporary theories, a strong link between alienation and amotivation was predicted. A cross-sectional correlation study (Study 1) found that SA significantly predicted AA controlling for relevant variables (e.g., sel…
Many Labs 2: Investigating Variation in Replicability Across Samples and Settings
We conducted preregistered replications of 28 classic and contemporary published findings, with protocols that were peer reviewed in advance, to examine variation in effect magnitudes across samples and settings. Each protocol was administered to approximately half of 125 samples that comprised 15,305 participants from 36 countries and territories. Using the conventional criterion of statistical significance ( p < .05), we found that 15 (54%) of …
Thinking about a new decade in life increases personal self-reflection: A replication and reinterpretation of Alter and Hershfield’s (2014) findings
Alter and Hershfield (2014) recently published a set of studies suggesting that people often search for existential meaning as they approach a new decade in chronological age. The purpose of the current research was to replicate their experimental study (Study 2 in their article) and extend their findings using additional operational measures of search for meaning. Study 1 was a replication comparing the two conditions used in the original study …
Investigating Variation in Replicability: A “Many Labs” Replication Project
Although replication is a central tenet of science, direct replications are rare in psychology. This research tested variation in the replicability of 13 classic and contemporary effects across 36 independent samples totaling 6,344 participants. In the aggregate, 10 effects replicated consistently. One effect – imagined contact reducing prejudice – showed weak support for replicability. And two effects – flag priming influencing conservatism and …
Positive affect and the experience of meaning in life
Six studies examined the role of positive affect (PA) in the experience of meaning in life (MIL). Study 1 showed strong relations between measures of mood, goal appraisals, and MIL. In multivariate analyses, PA was a stronger predictor of MIL than goal appraisals. In Study 2, the most consistent predictor of the experience of meaning in a day was the PA experienced that day. Later, global MIL was predicted by average daily PA, rather than average…
Many Labs 2: Investigating Variation in Replicability Across Samples and Settings
We conducted preregistered replications of 28 classic and contemporary published findings, with protocols that were peer reviewed in advance, to examine variation in effect magnitudes across samples and settings. Each protocol was administered to approximately half of 125 samples that comprised 15,305 participants from 36 countries and territories. Using the conventional criterion of statistical significance ( p < .05), we found that 15 (54%) of …
Many Labs 3: Evaluating participant pool quality across the academic semester via replication
Thine own self: True self-concept accessibility and meaning in life
A number of philosophical and psychological theories suggest the true self is an important contributor to well-being. The present research examined whether the cognitive accessibility of the true self-concept would predict the experience of meaning in life. To ensure that any observed effects were due to the true self-concept rather than to the self-concept more generally, the authors used actual self-concept accessibility as a control variable i…
Commentaries and Rejoinder on
While direct replications such as the “Many Labs” project are extremely valuable in testing the reliability of published findings across laboratories, they reflect the common reliance in psychology on single vignettes or stimuli, which limits the scope of the conclusions that can be reached. New experimental tools and statistical techniques make it easier to routinely sample stimuli, and to appropriately treat them as random factors. We encourage…
Ghosts, UFOs, and magic: Positive affect and the experiential system
Three studies examined the potential interactions of the experiential system and positive affect (PA) in predicting superstitious beliefs and sympathetic magic. In Study 1, experientiality and induced positive mood interacted to predict the emergence of belief in videos purporting to show unidentified flying objects or ghosts. In Study 2, naturally occurring PA interacted with experientiality to predict susceptibility to sympathetic magic, specif…
Mental health inequalities increase as a function of Covid-19 pandemic severity levels
The dynamic interplay between perceived true self-knowledge and decision satisfaction
The present research used multiple methods to examine the hypothesis that perceived true self-knowledge and decision satisfaction are inextricably linked together by a widely held "true-self-as-guide" lay theory of decision making. Consistent with this proposition, Study 1 found that participants rated using the true self as a guide as more important for achieving personal satisfaction than a variety of other potential decision-making strategies.…
Awe and meaning: Elucidating complex effects of awe experiences on meaning in life
Research on the experience of awe suggests that awe has positive impacts on outcomes like life satisfaction and belongingness. No published work, however, has reported effects of awe on the experience of meaning in life. We reasoned that awe might have complicated effects on meaning. On the one hand, many awe experiences likely contain a positive flavor that contributes to both awe and general positive affectivity (happiness). Positive affectivit…
Religious commitment and positive mood as information about meaning in life
Experiential appreciation as a pathway to meaning in life
Does expertise matter in replication? An examination of the reproducibility project: Psychology
Positive affect, intuition, and feelings of meaning
Subjective rationality, or the feeling of meaning, was identified by William James (1893) as a central aspect of the non-sensory fringe of consciousness. Three studies examined the interaction of positive affect (PA) and individual differences in intuitive information processing in predicting feelings of meaning for various stimuli and life events. In Study 1 (N = 352), PA and intuition interacted to predict understanding for ambiguous quotes and…
Approaching the true self: Promotion focus predicts the experience of authenticity
Following one's true self and the sacredness of cultural values
Positive affect and the experience of meaning in life
Six studies examined the role of positive affect (PA) in the experience of meaning in life (MIL). Study 1 showed strong relations between measures of mood, goal appraisals, and MIL. In multivariate analyses, PA was a stronger predictor of MIL than goal appraisals. In Study 2, the most consistent predictor of the experience of meaning in a day was the PA experienced that day. Later, global MIL was predicted by average daily PA, rather than average…
Whatever happened to "What might have been"? Regrets, happiness, and maturity
Although lost opportunities and mistaken expectations are unpleasant to think and talk about, these experiences may have a role to play in personality development. Drawing on research using narratives of lost possible selves, the authors review the relations of regrettable experiences to 2 important and independent aspects of maturity, happiness and complexity. Thinking about a lost possible self is related to concurrent regrets, distress, and lo…
Ghosts, UFOs, and magic: Positive affect and the experiential system
Three studies examined the potential interactions of the experiential system and positive affect (PA) in predicting superstitious beliefs and sympathetic magic. In Study 1, experientiality and induced positive mood interacted to predict the emergence of belief in videos purporting to show unidentified flying objects or ghosts. In Study 2, naturally occurring PA interacted with experientiality to predict susceptibility to sympathetic magic, specif…
Religious commitment and positive mood as information about meaning in life
Thine own self: True self-concept accessibility and meaning in life
A number of philosophical and psychological theories suggest the true self is an important contributor to well-being. The present research examined whether the cognitive accessibility of the true self-concept would predict the experience of meaning in life. To ensure that any observed effects were due to the true self-concept rather than to the self-concept more generally, the authors used actual self-concept accessibility as a control variable i…
Family as a salient source of meaning in young adulthood
Five studies demonstrated the role of family relationships as an important source of perceived meaning in life. In Study 1 (n = 50), 68% participants reported that their families were the single most significant contributor to personal meaning. Study 2 (n = 231) participants ranked family above 12 likely sources of meaning. Studies 3 (n = 87) and 4 (n = 130) demonstrated that participants’ reports of their closeness to family (Study 3) and suppor…
Positive affect, intuition, and feelings of meaning
Subjective rationality, or the feeling of meaning, was identified by William James (1893) as a central aspect of the non-sensory fringe of consciousness. Three studies examined the interaction of positive affect (PA) and individual differences in intuitive information processing in predicting feelings of meaning for various stimuli and life events. In Study 1 (N = 352), PA and intuition interacted to predict understanding for ambiguous quotes and…
Feeling Like You Know Who You Are: Perceived True Self-Knowledge and Meaning in Life
The essence of who a person really is has been labeled the “true self,” and an emerging area of research suggests that this self-concept plays an important role in the creation of a fulfilling existence. Three studies investigate the role of the subjective feeling that one possesses knowledge of one’s true self in meaning in life judgments. Consistently, the perception of availability of true self-knowledge (operationalized as the metacognitive e…
To Belong Is to Matter: Sense of Belonging Enhances Meaning in Life
In four methodologically diverse studies ( N = 644), we found correlational (Study 1), longitudinal (Study 2), and experimental (Studies 3 and 4) evidence that a sense of belonging predicts how meaningful life is perceived to be. In Study 1 ( n = 126), we found a strong positive correlation between sense of belonging and meaningfulness. In Study 2 ( n = 248), we found that initial levels of sense of belonging predicted perceived meaningfulness of…
The dynamic interplay between perceived true self-knowledge and decision satisfaction
The present research used multiple methods to examine the hypothesis that perceived true self-knowledge and decision satisfaction are inextricably linked together by a widely held "true-self-as-guide" lay theory of decision making. Consistent with this proposition, Study 1 found that participants rated using the true self as a guide as more important for achieving personal satisfaction than a variety of other potential decision-making strategies.…
Guilty, But Not Ashamed: “True” Self‐Conceptions Influence Affective Responses to Personal Shortcomings
The current research examined how true self‐conceptions (who a person believes he or she truly is) influence negative self‐relevant emotions in response to shortcomings. In S tudy 1 ( N = 83), an I nternet sample of adults completed a measure of authenticity, reflected on a shortcoming or positive life event, and completed state shame and guilt measures. In S tudy 2 ( N = 49), undergraduates focused on true versus other determined self‐attributes…
Rational Versus Experiential Processing of Negative Feedback Reduces Defensiveness but Induces Ego Depletion
Three experiments compared the effects of engaging a more rational versus more experiential processing mode following self-relevant negative feedback. Participants in each experiment were encouraged to process negative feedback about their social skills in a more rational versus more experiential mode before completing a mood measure (Experiment 1), a disguised measure of self-enhancement tendencies (Experiment 2), and a behavioral test of self-c…
Investigating Variation in Replicability: A “Many Labs” Replication Project
Although replication is a central tenet of science, direct replications are rare in psychology. This research tested variation in the replicability of 13 classic and contemporary effects across 36 independent samples totaling 6,344 participants. In the aggregate, 10 effects replicated consistently. One effect – imagined contact reducing prejudice – showed weak support for replicability. And two effects – flag priming influencing conservatism and …
Commentaries and Rejoinder on
While direct replications such as the “Many Labs” project are extremely valuable in testing the reliability of published findings across laboratories, they reflect the common reliance in psychology on single vignettes or stimuli, which limits the scope of the conclusions that can be reached. New experimental tools and statistical techniques make it easier to routinely sample stimuli, and to appropriately treat them as random factors. We encourage…
Free Will, Counterfactual Reflection, and the Meaningfulness of Life Events
Research has found that counterfactual reflection, the act of mentally undoing past events, imbues major life experiences with meaning. The current studies examined whether individual differences in free will beliefs moderate this relationship. Participants described a significant event in their lives, were randomly assigned to counterfactual or factual reflection about the event, and completed measures of meaning and free will. Two studies found…
Disassociating the Agent From the Self: Undermining Belief in Free Will Diminishes True Self-Knowledge
Undermining the belief in free will influences thoughts and behavior, yet little research has explored its implications for the self and identity. The current studies examined whether lowering free will beliefs reduces perceived true self-knowledge. First, a new free will manipulation was validated. Next, in Study 1, participants were randomly assigned to high belief or low belief in free will conditions and completed measures of true self-knowle…
True self-alienation positively predicts reports of mindwandering
Judgments of Meaning in Life, Religious Beliefs, and the Experience of Cognitive (Dis)Fluency
The primary aim of the current studies was to test whether religiousness interacted with self‐reported levels of meaning in life ( MIL ) to predict the ease or difficulty in judging one's MIL , the search for meaning itself, and religious doubt. Undergraduate students in Study 1 ( N = 111) and adult participants recruited online in Study 2 ( N = 206) completed measures of religious beliefs, MIL , cognitive fluency related to MIL , and related var…
Investing in the real me: Preference for experiential to material purchases driven by the motivation to search for true self-knowledge
One mechanism underlying the hedonic benefits of experiential purchases is that one’s core self is more centrally reflected in experiential purchases. However, little is known about whether people consume experiential purchases as a means of discovering their true self. The present research explored the possibility that people value experiential purchases as a potential tool for understanding their true self. Consistent with the hypothesis, Study…
Many Labs 3: Evaluating participant pool quality across the academic semester via replication
Does expertise matter in replication? An examination of the reproducibility project: Psychology
The Reciprocal Relationship Between Perceptions of Moral Goodness and Knowledge of Others’ True Selves
The idea of true selves is widespread in folk psychology. Most research on this topic has focused on the precursors to and consequences of feeling that one knows or is expressing one’s own true self. As such, little is known about the conditions under which people feel like they know the true selves of others. In five studies (total N = 815), we tested and found support for the hypothesis that moral information is inherently tied to perceived kno…
When being far away is good: Exploring how mortality salience, regulatory mode, and goal progress affect judgments of meaning in life
Research indicates that death‐relevant thoughts (mortality salience) have a nuanced effect on judgments of life's meaningfulness. Thoughts of death diminish meaning in life only among people who lack or do not readily engage psychological structures that confer meaning. Building on this past research, the current research examined how an important source of meaning, long‐term goal progress, affects the ways that death‐relevant cognitions impact j…
Existential Ennui: Examining the Reciprocal Relationship Between Self-Alienation and Academic Amotivation
Two studies ( N = 649) examined the association between self-alienation (SA; i.e., feelings of detachment from one’s true self) and academic amotivation (AA; i.e., lack of motivation in the academic domain). Based on classical and contemporary theories, a strong link between alienation and amotivation was predicted. A cross-sectional correlation study (Study 1) found that SA significantly predicted AA controlling for relevant variables (e.g., sel…
Many Labs 2: Investigating Variation in Replicability Across Samples and Settings
We conducted preregistered replications of 28 classic and contemporary published findings, with protocols that were peer reviewed in advance, to examine variation in effect magnitudes across samples and settings. Each protocol was administered to approximately half of 125 samples that comprised 15,305 participants from 36 countries and territories. Using the conventional criterion of statistical significance ( p < .05), we found that 15 (54%) of …
Psychology (47 works) · Social Psychology (43 works) · Psychotherapist (16 works) · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion (15 works) · Developmental psychology (15 works) · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction (14 works) · Behavioral Health and Interventions (13 works) · Feeling (13 works) · Meaning (existential) (12 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (12 works)