Feelings matter

Today, I present two studies that indicate that how people feel about their circumstances matter. First, Gómez, Vázquez, Alba, Blanco, Chinchilla, Chiclana & Swann (2024) published “Feeling Understood Fosters Identity Fusion” in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.  Here’s the edited abstract:

If the consequences of identity fusion are well established, its psychological antecedents are not. To address this shortcoming, eight studies tested the hypothesis that self-verification (receiving evaluations that confirm one’s self-views) increases fusion (a synergistic union with a group, individual, or cause), which, in turn, increases behavioral support for the target of fusion. Correlational studies showed that perceived self-verification was positively associated with fusion, which was positively associated with willingness to fight and die for a group (Study 1a), a value (Study 1b), and a leader (Study 1c). Study 2 revealed that increasing perceived self-verification fostered greater willingness to fight and die for the group but only indirectly through increases in fusion. Study 3 showed that 4 months after indicating the degree of fusion with a group, increasing perceived self-verification augmented endorsement of fighting and dying for the group indirectly through elevations in fusion. In Study 4, relational ties mediated the relationship between perceived self-verification and fusion. Finally, face-to-face interviews with incarcerated members of street gangs and organized crime gangs (Studies 5a–5b) showed that perceived self-verification was positively associated with fusion, which was positively associated with sacrifices for the gang (replicating Studies 1a–1c). No evidence emerged supporting a rival causal path in which fusion caused willingness to fight and die through perceived self-verification. Implications for related theoretical approaches and for conceptualizing the relationship between personal identities, social identities, and group processes are discussed. 

I thought it interesting that feeling that others verify who you think you are increases sense of solid identity which, in turn, increases the likelihood of identifying something you would fight or die for. While the next study looks at a very different phenomenon, it helps explain other important behaviors. Murphy, van Meer, van Dillen, van Steenbergen & Hofmann (2024) published “Underwhelming Pleasures: Toward a self-regulatory account of hedonic compensation and overconsumption” in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Again, the edited abstract:

Hedonic overconsumption (e.g., overconsumption of gratifying behaviors, e.g., eating, gaming) is common in daily life and often problematic, pointing to the need for adequate behavioral models. In this article, we develop a self-regulatory framework proposing that when an actual consumption experience falls short of hedonic expectations—such as when being distracted—people will want to consume more to compensate for the shortfall. In a preliminary meta-analysis, a small-scale field experiment on distraction during lunch and subsequent afternoon snacking (Study 1), and a preregistered experience sampling study (Study 2) involving more than 6,000 consumption episodes in everyday life across multiple consumption domains, we investigated the predictions from our hedonic compensation model. There was clear and consistent evidence across studies and analyses for the prediction that distraction during consumption compromises the actual enjoyment of a given consumption experience. Both empirical studies yielded consistent evidence for a positive association between actual enjoyment and consumption satisfaction but inconsistent and weaker evidence for the expected role of actual-expected enjoyment discrepancies for this part of the model. There was also consistent evidence for the expected negative association between consumption satisfaction and the need for further gratification. Finally, there was moderate and inconsistent support linking the need for further gratification to subsequent consumption across Study 1 (amount and frequency of snacking in the afternoon) and Study 2 (shorter duration to subsequent consumption). Taken together, the present framework provides initial support for the proposed link among compromising consumption contexts, consumption enjoyment, and subsequent hedonic compensation. 

I thought this was interesting in a world in which many people find it very hard to turn off or ignore their phones and we hear constantly of people complaining that they or people they care for simply cannot pay attention. This makes a lot of sense to me in that feeling satisfied may require paying attention to what you intended to enjoy.