J Loes Pouwels
Biographic Data
| ID | 2747988 |
|---|---|
| NAME | J Loes Pouwels |
| GIVEN NAMES | J Loes |
| FAMILY NAME | Pouwels |
| SIGNATURE | POUWELS J L |
| AFFILIATIONS | Radboud University Nijmegen |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9586-392X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 93 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 20 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2013 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
An Analysis of Studies Testing Digital Interventions to Inoculate Against Misinformation
The proliferation of misinformation has stimulated research into games and videos to reduce susceptibility to misinformation via psychological inoculation. This research field applies several recent extensions of inoculation theory in novel ways, posing the question of whether such interventions are indeed producing inoculation effects. We conducted a systematic review ( k = 72) to establish the strength of the links between inoculation theory an…
Co‐Transitioning Peers Impact the Continuation of Victimization Across the Transition From Primary to Secondary School
The present two‐wave longitudinal study examined the stability of self‐ and peer‐reported victimization across the transition from primary to secondary school and the role of children's peer group in this stability. A total of 193 students from 36 primary school classrooms in the Netherlands (60% boys; M age T1 = 12.16 years) were followed as they transitioned into 37 secondary school classrooms. Their level of victimization before and after the …
Changing or stable? The effects of adolescents' social media use on psychosocial functioning
To better understand the effects of social media use on adolescents' psychosocial functioning, this study examined the temporal stability of social media effects across two separate 3-week experience sampling methodology (ESM) studies conducted 6 months apart in 2019 and 2020. Participants were 297 adolescents (M age = 14.1 years, SD = 0.7, 58.9% girls; 41.1% boys; 0.1% other; 97% Dutch) who completed 126 momentary questionnaires on social media …
Social Media Use and Adolescents’ Well-Being
This study investigated the effects of active private, passive private, and passive public social media use on adolescents’ affective well-being. Intensive longitudinal data (34,930 assessments in total) were collected through a preregistered three-week experience sampling method study among 387 adolescents. N = 1 time series were investigated, using Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling. Findings showed that different types of social media use ve…
Feeling better now? Being defended diminishes daily mood problems and self‐blame in victims of bullying
BACKGROUND: School bullying is a group phenomenon in which being defended by peer bystanders may buffer against the development of psychological problems in victims. AIMS: This registered report examines whether being defended diminished victims' daily mood problems and self-blame, both from a within- and between-person perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Daily diary data were collected from n = 1669 Finnish 7th-9th grade students (M age = 14.45;…
Explaining variation in adolescents’ social media-related distraction
Social media are often believed to distract adolescents’ attention. While existing research has shown that some adolescents experience more social media-related distraction than others, the explanations for these differences remain largely unknown. Based on Self-Determination Theory, this preregistered study investigated two social connectivity factors (fear of missing out [FoMO] and friendship accessibility expectations) and two disconnectivity …
Integrating Communication Science and Computational Methods to Study Content-Based Social Media Effects
A pressing societal and scientific question is how social media use affects our cognitions, emotions, and behaviors. To answer this question, fine-grained insight into the content of individuals' social media use is needed. It is difficult to study content-based social media effects with traditional survey methods because such methods are incapable of capturing the extreme volume and variety of social media content that is shared and received. Th…
Habitual social media and smartphone use are linked to task delay for some, but not all, adolescents
There is a popular concern that adolescents’ social media use, especially via smartphones, leads to the delay of intended, potentially more important tasks. Automatic social media use and frequent phone checking may especially contribute to task delay. Prior research has investigated this hypothesis through between-person associations. We advance the literature by additionally examining within-person and person-specific associations of automatic …
Social Media and Distraction
A widespread concern in society is that adolescents experience an increased inability to concentrate and sustain attention because they are continuously distracted by social media. The current experience sampling method (ESM) study examined whether adolescents who use more social media than their peers experience more distraction (between-person association), whether social media use (SMU) and distraction co-fluctuate within adolescents (momentar…
Just a Joke? Adolescents’ Preferences for Humor in Media Entertainment and Real-Life Aggression
Humorous media entertainment frequently punctuates the everyday lives of adolescents. Theorists have suggested that this exposure may impact behavior, particularly real-life aggression. Specifically, exposure to prosocial (coping) humor in media entertainment is posited to decrease aggression, whereas the reverse has been argued for exposure to antisocial (disparaging and slapstick) humor. Despite these suppositions, little empirical evidence abo…
Changes in adolescent loneliness and concomitant changes in fear of negative evaluation and self-esteem
Current theories of loneliness posit that biases in social information processing play a key role in the development and maintenance of loneliness. However, this assumption has rarely been tested in longitudinal research in adolescence. The current study concentrated on two constructs associated with such biases, that is, fear of negative evaluation and self-esteem. More specifically, we examined whether changes in loneliness were associated with…
Promises and Pitfalls of Social Media Data Donations
Studies assessing the effects of social media use are largely based on measures of time spent on social media. In recent years, scholars increasingly ask for more insights in social media activities and content people engage with. Data Download Packages (DDPs), the archives of social media platforms that each European user has the right to download, provide a new and promising method to collect timestamped and content-based information about soci…
Social Media Browsing and Adolescent Well-Being
A recurring hypothesis in the literature is that “passive” social media use (browsing) leads to negative effects on well-being. This preregistered study investigated a rival hypothesis, which states that the effects of browsing on well-being depend on person-specific susceptibilities to envy, inspiration, and enjoyment. We conducted a three-week experience sampling study among 353 adolescents (13–15 years, 126 assessments per adolescent). Using a…
Social media use and friendship closeness in adolescents’ daily lives
The formation and maintenance of friendship closeness is an important developmental task in adolescence. To obtain insight in real-time processes that may underly the development of friendship closeness in middle adolescence, this preregistered experience sampling study [ESM] investigated the effects of social media use on friendship closeness. The study was conducted among 387 adolescents (54% girls; M age = 14.11 years; 96% Dutch) from differen…
Defending victims of bullying in the classroom
The participant roles of bullying in different grades
This study examined grade differences in the social status profiles and prevalence of bullying participant roles. Participants were 598 primary school students (grades 4–6), 545 students in the lower‐grades of secondary school (grades 7–8), and 1491 students in the upper‐grades of secondary school (grades 9–11). Students' participant roles, popularity, and social preference were measured with peer nominations. Bullies, assistants, and reinforcers…
Stability of peer victimization
Participant roles of bullying in adolescence
This study had three goals. First, we examined the prevalence of the participant roles of bullying in middle adolescence and possible gender differences therein. Second, we examined the behavioral and status characteristics associated with the participant roles in middle adolescence. Third, we compared two sets of criteria for assigning students to the participant roles of bullying. Participants were 1,638 adolescents (50.9% boys, M(age) = 16.38 …
Interpretations of bullying by bullies, victims, and bully‐victims in interactions at different levels of abstraction
According to the Social Information Processing Model of children's adjustment, children develop general interpretation styles for future social events based on past social experiences. Previous research has shown associations between interpretations of social situations and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. This study investigated whether bullies, victims, bully-victims, and uninvolved children interpreted ambiguous human interactions dif…
Correlates and Outcomes Associated with Aggression and Victimization Among Elementary-School Children in a Low-Income Urban Context
Social media use and friendship closeness in adolescents’ daily lives
The formation and maintenance of friendship closeness is an important developmental task in adolescence. To obtain insight in real-time processes that may underly the development of friendship closeness in middle adolescence, this preregistered experience sampling study [ESM] investigated the effects of social media use on friendship closeness. The study was conducted among 387 adolescents (54% girls; M age = 14.11 years; 96% Dutch) from differen…
Defending victims of bullying in the classroom
Participant roles of bullying in adolescence
This study had three goals. First, we examined the prevalence of the participant roles of bullying in middle adolescence and possible gender differences therein. Second, we examined the behavioral and status characteristics associated with the participant roles in middle adolescence. Third, we compared two sets of criteria for assigning students to the participant roles of bullying. Participants were 1,638 adolescents (50.9% boys, M(age) = 16.38 …
Promises and Pitfalls of Social Media Data Donations
Studies assessing the effects of social media use are largely based on measures of time spent on social media. In recent years, scholars increasingly ask for more insights in social media activities and content people engage with. Data Download Packages (DDPs), the archives of social media platforms that each European user has the right to download, provide a new and promising method to collect timestamped and content-based information about soci…
Social Media Browsing and Adolescent Well-Being
A recurring hypothesis in the literature is that “passive” social media use (browsing) leads to negative effects on well-being. This preregistered study investigated a rival hypothesis, which states that the effects of browsing on well-being depend on person-specific susceptibilities to envy, inspiration, and enjoyment. We conducted a three-week experience sampling study among 353 adolescents (13–15 years, 126 assessments per adolescent). Using a…
The participant roles of bullying in different grades
This study examined grade differences in the social status profiles and prevalence of bullying participant roles. Participants were 598 primary school students (grades 4–6), 545 students in the lower‐grades of secondary school (grades 7–8), and 1491 students in the upper‐grades of secondary school (grades 9–11). Students' participant roles, popularity, and social preference were measured with peer nominations. Bullies, assistants, and reinforcers…
Interpretations of bullying by bullies, victims, and bully‐victims in interactions at different levels of abstraction
According to the Social Information Processing Model of children's adjustment, children develop general interpretation styles for future social events based on past social experiences. Previous research has shown associations between interpretations of social situations and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. This study investigated whether bullies, victims, bully-victims, and uninvolved children interpreted ambiguous human interactions dif…
Habitual social media and smartphone use are linked to task delay for some, but not all, adolescents
There is a popular concern that adolescents’ social media use, especially via smartphones, leads to the delay of intended, potentially more important tasks. Automatic social media use and frequent phone checking may especially contribute to task delay. Prior research has investigated this hypothesis through between-person associations. We advance the literature by additionally examining within-person and person-specific associations of automatic …
Correlates and Outcomes Associated with Aggression and Victimization Among Elementary-School Children in a Low-Income Urban Context
Feeling better now? Being defended diminishes daily mood problems and self‐blame in victims of bullying
BACKGROUND: School bullying is a group phenomenon in which being defended by peer bystanders may buffer against the development of psychological problems in victims. AIMS: This registered report examines whether being defended diminished victims' daily mood problems and self-blame, both from a within- and between-person perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Daily diary data were collected from n = 1669 Finnish 7th-9th grade students (M age = 14.45;…
Correlates and Outcomes Associated with Aggression and Victimization Among Elementary-School Children in a Low-Income Urban Context
Stability of peer victimization
Participant roles of bullying in adolescence
This study had three goals. First, we examined the prevalence of the participant roles of bullying in middle adolescence and possible gender differences therein. Second, we examined the behavioral and status characteristics associated with the participant roles in middle adolescence. Third, we compared two sets of criteria for assigning students to the participant roles of bullying. Participants were 1,638 adolescents (50.9% boys, M(age) = 16.38 …
Interpretations of bullying by bullies, victims, and bully‐victims in interactions at different levels of abstraction
According to the Social Information Processing Model of children's adjustment, children develop general interpretation styles for future social events based on past social experiences. Previous research has shown associations between interpretations of social situations and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. This study investigated whether bullies, victims, bully-victims, and uninvolved children interpreted ambiguous human interactions dif…
The participant roles of bullying in different grades
This study examined grade differences in the social status profiles and prevalence of bullying participant roles. Participants were 598 primary school students (grades 4–6), 545 students in the lower‐grades of secondary school (grades 7–8), and 1491 students in the upper‐grades of secondary school (grades 9–11). Students' participant roles, popularity, and social preference were measured with peer nominations. Bullies, assistants, and reinforcers…
Defending victims of bullying in the classroom
Social Media Browsing and Adolescent Well-Being
A recurring hypothesis in the literature is that “passive” social media use (browsing) leads to negative effects on well-being. This preregistered study investigated a rival hypothesis, which states that the effects of browsing on well-being depend on person-specific susceptibilities to envy, inspiration, and enjoyment. We conducted a three-week experience sampling study among 353 adolescents (13–15 years, 126 assessments per adolescent). Using a…
Social media use and friendship closeness in adolescents’ daily lives
The formation and maintenance of friendship closeness is an important developmental task in adolescence. To obtain insight in real-time processes that may underly the development of friendship closeness in middle adolescence, this preregistered experience sampling study [ESM] investigated the effects of social media use on friendship closeness. The study was conducted among 387 adolescents (54% girls; M age = 14.11 years; 96% Dutch) from differen…
Social Media and Distraction
A widespread concern in society is that adolescents experience an increased inability to concentrate and sustain attention because they are continuously distracted by social media. The current experience sampling method (ESM) study examined whether adolescents who use more social media than their peers experience more distraction (between-person association), whether social media use (SMU) and distraction co-fluctuate within adolescents (momentar…
Just a Joke? Adolescents’ Preferences for Humor in Media Entertainment and Real-Life Aggression
Humorous media entertainment frequently punctuates the everyday lives of adolescents. Theorists have suggested that this exposure may impact behavior, particularly real-life aggression. Specifically, exposure to prosocial (coping) humor in media entertainment is posited to decrease aggression, whereas the reverse has been argued for exposure to antisocial (disparaging and slapstick) humor. Despite these suppositions, little empirical evidence abo…
Changes in adolescent loneliness and concomitant changes in fear of negative evaluation and self-esteem
Current theories of loneliness posit that biases in social information processing play a key role in the development and maintenance of loneliness. However, this assumption has rarely been tested in longitudinal research in adolescence. The current study concentrated on two constructs associated with such biases, that is, fear of negative evaluation and self-esteem. More specifically, we examined whether changes in loneliness were associated with…
Promises and Pitfalls of Social Media Data Donations
Studies assessing the effects of social media use are largely based on measures of time spent on social media. In recent years, scholars increasingly ask for more insights in social media activities and content people engage with. Data Download Packages (DDPs), the archives of social media platforms that each European user has the right to download, provide a new and promising method to collect timestamped and content-based information about soci…
Explaining variation in adolescents’ social media-related distraction
Social media are often believed to distract adolescents’ attention. While existing research has shown that some adolescents experience more social media-related distraction than others, the explanations for these differences remain largely unknown. Based on Self-Determination Theory, this preregistered study investigated two social connectivity factors (fear of missing out [FoMO] and friendship accessibility expectations) and two disconnectivity …
Integrating Communication Science and Computational Methods to Study Content-Based Social Media Effects
A pressing societal and scientific question is how social media use affects our cognitions, emotions, and behaviors. To answer this question, fine-grained insight into the content of individuals' social media use is needed. It is difficult to study content-based social media effects with traditional survey methods because such methods are incapable of capturing the extreme volume and variety of social media content that is shared and received. Th…
Habitual social media and smartphone use are linked to task delay for some, but not all, adolescents
There is a popular concern that adolescents’ social media use, especially via smartphones, leads to the delay of intended, potentially more important tasks. Automatic social media use and frequent phone checking may especially contribute to task delay. Prior research has investigated this hypothesis through between-person associations. We advance the literature by additionally examining within-person and person-specific associations of automatic …
Social Media Use and Adolescents’ Well-Being
This study investigated the effects of active private, passive private, and passive public social media use on adolescents’ affective well-being. Intensive longitudinal data (34,930 assessments in total) were collected through a preregistered three-week experience sampling method study among 387 adolescents. N = 1 time series were investigated, using Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling. Findings showed that different types of social media use ve…
Feeling better now? Being defended diminishes daily mood problems and self‐blame in victims of bullying
BACKGROUND: School bullying is a group phenomenon in which being defended by peer bystanders may buffer against the development of psychological problems in victims. AIMS: This registered report examines whether being defended diminished victims' daily mood problems and self-blame, both from a within- and between-person perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Daily diary data were collected from n = 1669 Finnish 7th-9th grade students (M age = 14.45;…
Changing or stable? The effects of adolescents' social media use on psychosocial functioning
To better understand the effects of social media use on adolescents' psychosocial functioning, this study examined the temporal stability of social media effects across two separate 3-week experience sampling methodology (ESM) studies conducted 6 months apart in 2019 and 2020. Participants were 297 adolescents (M age = 14.1 years, SD = 0.7, 58.9% girls; 41.1% boys; 0.1% other; 97% Dutch) who completed 126 momentary questionnaires on social media …
An Analysis of Studies Testing Digital Interventions to Inoculate Against Misinformation
The proliferation of misinformation has stimulated research into games and videos to reduce susceptibility to misinformation via psychological inoculation. This research field applies several recent extensions of inoculation theory in novel ways, posing the question of whether such interventions are indeed producing inoculation effects. We conducted a systematic review ( k = 72) to establish the strength of the links between inoculation theory an…
Co‐Transitioning Peers Impact the Continuation of Victimization Across the Transition From Primary to Secondary School
The present two‐wave longitudinal study examined the stability of self‐ and peer‐reported victimization across the transition from primary to secondary school and the role of children's peer group in this stability. A total of 193 students from 36 primary school classrooms in the Netherlands (60% boys; M age T1 = 12.16 years) were followed as they transitioned into 37 secondary school classrooms. Their level of victimization before and after the …
Psychology (17 works) · Developmental psychology (15 works) · Social Psychology (13 works) · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression (9 works) · Social Psychology (8 works) · Clinical Psychology (7 works) · Impact of Technology on Adolescents (7 works) · Experience sampling method (6 works) · Social media (6 works) · Medicine (5 works)