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Two studies addressed whether playing video games cooperatively in a team would increase emphatic concern toward others in need. Study 1 showed that cooperative team-play ameliorates the negative effects of violent video game play on empathy. Both those participants who had played a violent video game cooperatively in a team and participants who had played a neutral video game on their own reported more empathy than participants who had played a violent video game on their own. Study 2 showed that cooperative teamplay does not only ameliorate negative effects of violent video games, but may also foster consideration for others. In fact, playing a neutral video game cooperatively in a team (relative to single-play) increased empathy.

"Previous research has shown that exposure to violent media increased aggression-related affect and thoughts, physiological arousal, and aggressive behavior as well as decreased prosocial tendencies. The present research examined the hypothesis that exposure to prosocial media promotes prosocial outcomes. Three studies revealed that listening to songs with prosocial (relative to neutral) lyrics increased the accessibility of prosocial thoughts, led to more interpersonal empathy, and fostered helping behavior. These results provide first evidence for the predictive validity of the General Learning Model [Buckley, K. E., & Anderson, C. A. (2006). A theoretical model of the effects and consequences of playing video games. In P. Vorderer, & J. Bryant, (Eds.), Playing video games: Motives responses and consequences (pp. 363–378). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates] for the effects of media with prosocial content on prosocial thought, feeling, and behavior." [author's abstract]

AbstractDespite the moral condemnation of infidelity in romantic relationships, its prevalence remains widespread. This might be partly explained by moral disengagement (MD), the ability to decouple one's actions from internalized moral standards. While social influences are an inherent part of the conceptualization of MD, they have not been studied in romantic couples. We investigated connections between MD and relationship satisfaction, cheating definitions, and cheating in a sample of 236 dating and married couples. Partners' levels of MD were positively correlated. Actor‐Partner‐Interdependence Models (APIMs) revealed negative actor and partner effects of MD on relationship satisfaction. MD was not connected to which behaviors are seen as cheating, but there were positive actor and partner effects on committed self‐defined cheating. Additionally, individuals high in MD suspected their partners to cheat more. These results indicate a gap between moral beliefs and moral actions. Individuals high in MD do not necessarily deny cheating on their partner but rather choose not to follow their inner moral compass.

As the use of some psychoactive substances continues to be a global health risk, it is important to understand why people use them. We compared the predictive power of psychopathy and masochism with regard to lifetime recreational drug use and tested the underlying motives in a sample of 415 US-based adults. Psychopathy predicted use of illicit drugs, cannabis, and nicotine, while masochism predicted cannabis, alcohol, and caffeine use. Both traits were related to most motives, but the motives differentially predicted substance use. Expansion motivation was the sole motive for illicit drug use, whereas cannabis was predicted mainly by expansion and enhancement. Alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine were used to escape daily worries, and alcohol was further used for social reasons. Benign masochism is a newly identified predictor of popular drug use. Future research could investigate masochism and expansion motivation as predictors of potentially harmful substance use.

Abstract. Previous research has shown that people of low subjective socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to experience compassion and provide help to others than people of high SES. However, low subjective SES also appears to be related to more hostile and aggressive responding. Given that prosociality is typically an antagonist of aggression, we examined whether low subjective SES individuals could be indeed more prosocial and antisocial. Five studies – two correlational, three experimental – found that low subjective SES was related to increased aggression. In contrast, subjective SES was not negatively related to trait and state measures of prosociality.

Previous research on personality and political attitudes has been conducted in countries where political parties from the center dominate the political system. In the present research (N = 675), we focus on the relationship between the dark side of human personality and political orientation and extremism, respectively, in the course of a presidential election where the two candidates represent either left-wing or right-wing political policies. Narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and everyday sadism were associated with right-wing political orientation, whereas narcissism and psychopathy were associated with political extremism. Moreover, the relationships between personality and right-wing political orientation and extremism, respectively, were relatively independent from each other.