Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Over the past decade, global crises, such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, have posed significant challenges to global governance and resilient societies (Magnan et al., 2021).Cooperative public behavior is essential for addressing these challenges.However, policies that require cooperation might face barriers in fostering support from their population, particularly in a conflicted society.Common findings in the literature on behavioral economics, behavioral policymaking, and social psychology imply that lack of cooperation is causally rooted in people's beliefs, perceptions, and social environment.Zero-sum thinking (i.e., the belief that one party's gain is another party's loss), egocentric bias (i.e., viewing one's gains as unrelated to another's negative outcome), social norms (i.e., expectations for certain conducts), risk perception, political ideologies, and cultural identities are examples of these causes (Fujii, 2006; Johnson et al., 2021).Therefore, an in-depth examination of the social and psychological mechanisms that encourage cooperative behavior and beliefs in the contemporary world is required.Therefore, this dissertation enhances our understanding of these mechanisms through an international, multimethod, and interdisciplinary approach.After conducting rigorous studies, this dissertation provided insights into the pivotal role of social polarization and group conflict in shaping cooperative behavior in an increasingly uncertain global landscape.Furthermore, this study investigated the major impact of a disrupted global society on people's willingness to cooperate and its significant contribution to maintaining social well-being and safety.Consequently, this dissertation is divided into eight chapters that present these impacts and contributions in detail.Chapter 1 provides the background that unifies the subsequent studies of this thesis and the theoretical approach.Accordingly, the science of behavioral public policy (BPP) is presented and how it is related to the context in which I aim to advance contributions to global policymaking in the following chapters (i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change).In addition, this chapter introduces new researchers and stakeholders to the field of BPP applied to global governance.Besides being concerned with ethical issues, such as freedom, well-being, and justice of our communities in a world surrounded by threatening uncertainties, this study provides original evidence-based solutions on how this field can improve security and resilience.Chapter 2 describes how researchers can utilize structural equation modeling (SEM) to build tailored models for different stakeholders, fostering a logical and socially grounded understanding of their challenges.An eight-step framework is proposed for employing SEM in policy prescription to guide researchers in (1) moving beyond simple correlations, (2) complementing piecemeal regression analysis, (3) effectively assessing effect sizes and variable presentations, (4) examining how factors are presented descriptively along with paths and covariates, (5) addressing the need for multigroup analysis and mean differences, (6) selecting appropriate models, (7) exploring unexplained variance in SEM to identify avenues for future research, and (8) communicating findings with a diverse team.This chapter provides a key foundation for the analysis presented in Chapter 3 based on the framework.Chapter 3 presents the first empirical investigation conducted in this thesis, exploring the determinants of cooperative behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the role of political views in an international sample from Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.Accordingly, this study investigates why people cooperate with international public health regulations and the social, political, and psychological mechanisms underpinning them.The behavior of avoiding crowded areas as one of the major protective measures requested by authorities during the pandemic to limit the spread of clusters of infection and risks to citizens with vulnerable conditions is a key focus for understanding.This understanding is crucial in the metropolitan areas studied (i.e., Brasilia, New York, Tokyo, and Taipei) because of the crowdedness and difficulty avoiding social contact in the social and economic life of the cities.However, as highlighted in the literature, the cultural and political norms of countries are essential to understanding the reaction of citizens and governments to the COVID-19 pandemic.No study has addressed the impact of these factors on the psychological determinants that shape people's motivation and efforts.Based on the research background and using a diverse, cross-cultural political sample, this study ascertains that people's beliefs, subjective norms, perception of control of behavior and risk, and feelings of moral obligation predict efforts to avoid crowded areas.These factors predict the protective behavior of avoiding crowded places differently according to cultural settings.In particular, this study highlights that political identity not only predicts the extent to which people avoid crowded areas in polarized countries but also their beliefs, risk perceptions, and feelings of moral obligation.Accordingly, policymakers, governmental actors, and citizens can improve their strategies to encourage cooperation, maximize social cohesion and well-being, and preserve people's freedom.Following our main findings presented in Chapter 3, which state the substantial effect of social polarization on cooperation toward global policies, Chapter 4 verifies the potential effect of social cohesion on maintaining well-being and mental health during the pandemic.This study included data from 896 participants from the United States, Brazil, and Japan between December 31, 2020, and March 3, 2021.These data were employed to conduct a multiple linear regression using depression symptoms as the dependent variable.In contrast, social cohesion and demographic factors, such as age and gender, were the independent variables.The results indicated that social cohesion substantially correlated with depression across the three cultures, whereas other factors varied according to the location.Hence, policymakers should encourage strong social ties within communities and reduce social polarization to manage the high prevalence of depression.After verifying the significance of social division as the primary source of noncooperation and lack of well-being in society, Chapter 5 explores a vital belief influencing noncooperative behavior, especially within social and group conflicts.The rising academic and social interest in zero-sum thinking (i.e., the perception that one's gain is another's loss) was addressed as an essential mechanism for mediating conflict and consensus-building.Therefore, a scoping review of 67 empirical papers containing 192 global studies published in peer-reviewed journals on zero-sum thinking in the past decade was conducted.This review provided state-of-the-art research on the psychology of zerosum thinking and its relevance for addressing contemporary social problems of intergroup conflict, such as wars, climate change mitigation, and prejudice.Furthermore, a comprehensive view of how it is measured, conceptualized, and researched was provided, leading us to build a new research agenda to address the gaps in the literature.Accordingly, our findings support academic advances and policy insights that promote consensus-building in our global society.Chapter 6 presents a study conducted in Japan and Wales, exploring the enduring influence of egocentric bias in negotiation contexts despite fair settings.This chapter explores how individuals navigate the interplay between egocentric bias and justice mechanisms (i.e., procedural and retributive justice) and their impact on zero-sum thinking.These dynamics are explored across four studies involving 947 participants through simulated negotiation scenarios such as car trade deals and international environmental negotiations.Our findings reveal a robust egocentric bias that dominates judgments even when justice mechanisms, including procedural or retributive fairness, are introduced.Consequently, our findings indicate that negotiators view personal gains as independent of losses incurred by others, which hinders collaborative outcomes.In particular, procedural fairness has a moderating effect, fostering perceptions of fairness and reducing zero-sum thinking in specific scenarios (car trade).However, its influence diminishes in complex international contexts.Retributive justice that aims to discourage noncooperative behavior backfires by intensifying punitive sentiments, which may have undesirable effects in some situations.By highlighting these dynamics, this study paves the way for developing more effective negotiation strategies that promote cooperation and foster successful conflict resolution in real-world settings.A general discussion is presented in Chapter 7. The interconnectedness of the research is highlighted through an overview of the findings from previous chapters, emphasizing emerging themes and insights.Subsequently, the academic and social contributions of this dissertation are identified by discussing how the research advances the understanding of cooperative behavior, social cohesion, zero-sum thinking, and justice mechanisms in the context of global crises.In addition, this chapter explores the potential applications of these findings in shaping policies, interventions, and strategies to promote cooperation, resilience, and well-being in the face of global challenges.Finally, potential avenues for future research are outlined based on the gaps, limitations, and unanswered questions identified in the previous chapters by proposing research directions that could explore the complex interplay of psychological, social, and political factors influencing
Author: Matsunaga, Lucas Heiki
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7146323392