Social Theory
Is there anyone else out there? A measure of psychological solipsism
Timothy Wilson & Shelly Tsang
Personality and Individual Differences, January 2026
Abstract:
For centuries philosophers have debated solipsism, the idea that people cannot prove that anything exists outside of their own minds. However, there have been few investigations of psychological solipsism, which is doubt, experienced by people in their everyday lives, that others exist outside of their own minds. We suggest that psychological solipsism is a problem experienced by a nontrivial number of people with negative personal and interpersonal consequences. To test this hypothesis, we developed a new self-report measure of psychological solipsism (MSol). In seven studies (five pre-registered, N = 2633) we found that the MSol had acceptable internal consistency, test-retest reliability, discriminant validity, and predictive validity. Psychological solipsism was associated with loneliness and a lack of social connection, as well as problematic video game playing. The results were also consistent with the hypothesis that psychological solipsism predicts aggressive tendencies. We point to several avenues of further research, such as pursuing the relationships between psychological solipsism, problematic video game playing, and aggression.
Ignorance may be bliss: How the ability to perceive emotions influences attitudes and behavior
Jigyashu Shukla et al.
Journal of Applied Psychology, forthcoming
Abstract:
The ability to perceive emotion is traditionally associated with desirable work outcomes. In the present study, we challenge this assumption by examining whether all emotion perception abilities are created equal. Although the ability to perceive positive emotion may be a “blessing” because it allows one to see positive emotions in one’s environment, the empathic accuracy model suggests that the ability to perceive negative emotion may be a “curse” because it allows one to see negative emotions in one’s environment and, as such, may adversely affect one’s attitudes and behaviors at work. Across an experimental design (Study 1), a sample of employed coworker dyads (Study 2), and an experience sampling study (Study 3), we found no support for “the blessing” of the ability to perceive positive emotion, but we did find evidence of the curse of the ability to perceive negative emotion and its harmful effects on how one perceives their coworkers, how one perceives their job, and the extent to which one withdraws from their job. Our findings suggest that emotional contagion is a potential mechanism through which the ability to perceive negative emotion is detrimental to attitudes and behaviors; the more one observes and subsequently feels negative emotions at work, the greater the personal consequences for this ability. To mitigate the adverse effects of this ability, we test and find support for an intervention that instructs employees to focus on positive emotions in their work environment. Implications for future theory and research on emotion perception ability are discussed.
Smartphone use in a large US adult population: Temporal associations between objective measures of usage and mental well-being
Ari Winbush et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 28 October 2025
Abstract:
Smartphones are essential tools in daily life yet concerns persist about their potential effects on mental health and well-being. Research on these relationships often relies on subjective measures of smartphone use, which can lack validity. These studies are also often limited by small, homogenous samples and the inability to differentiate between types of smartphone activities (e.g., social media vs. other applications). In this study, we analyzed 250,000 d of smartphone usage data from 10,099 adults, using objective measures of smartphone usage collected over 4 wk. We examined normative usage patterns and the temporal relationships between smartphone use and mood. Our findings reveal weak or null associations between smartphone use and mood, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and at both individual and group levels. Demographic factors, such as age and gender, were stronger predictors of mood than smartphone use. Statistically significant results that were observed showed that younger adults demonstrated a stronger association between social media use and lower mood cross-sectionally, but not longitudinally. Non-social app use was linked to lower mood in between-subjects analyses, but better mood in within-subjects analyses. However, all effects were small (or null), indicating minimal practical significance. These findings suggest that smartphone use has a limited or negligible impact on mood and well-being over a 4-wk period and do not support claims of a strong or causal relationship between smartphone use and mental well-being across this timeframe.
Bridging the empathy perception gap fosters social connection
Rui Pei et al.
Nature Human Behaviour, October 2025, Pages 2121-2134
Abstract:
Young adults face a rising tide of mental illness and loneliness. We propose that an overlooked barrier for social connection is how people perceive each other’s empathy. Here, our longitudinal study of an undergraduate student community (N = 5,192) reveals that undergraduates who perceive their peers as empathic report better current and future well-being. Yet we document an ‘empathy perception gap’: people systematically see others as less empathic than others see themselves. Students who perceived their peers as less empathic were less willing to take social risks and grew more isolated over time. To disrupt this cycle, we conducted two field experiments that presented students with data on their peers’ self-reported empathy and behavioural nudges to encourage social risk taking. These interventions reduced the empathy perception gap, increased social behaviours and expanded social networks months later. This work offers a promising, scalable strategy to cultivate social well-being, simply by presenting people with data about each other.
Goals Out Loud: Telling Others About a Goal Increases Support Received and Facilitates Goal Pursuit
Johanna Peetz, Roger Buehler & Tayler Wells
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, forthcoming
Abstract:
Four longitudinal studies (N = 1,035) examined whether telling others about personal goals enhances goal support received, goal pursuit effort, and goal progress. In Study 1, participants nominated a personal goal and 1 week later reported whether they had shared this goal during the week. Goal disclosure predicted more support received from others and greater goal pursuit effort. In Studies 2 and 3, participants assigned to share a goal in the coming week later reported receiving more support from others, which in turn was linked to greater goal pursuit effort and progress. In Study 4, participants were assigned either to share a goal with a person accompanying them at that moment or to keep it private; goal disclosure was again linked to goal pursuit effort, though not to support received. Together, these studies reveal the benefits of sharing goals and highlight the importance of considering the audience and manner of goal disclosure.
Vocal pitch as an acoustic marker of social support efficacy in women friendships
Razia Sahi et al.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, forthcoming
Abstract:
Vocal communication (e.g., pitch) can shape inferences about speakers and the content of their messages. Yet, it is unknown how such communication impacts the effectiveness of social support. We examined the role of support givers’ vocal pitch in three dyadic data sets (N₁ = 39; N₂ = 39; N₃ = 59; friend pairs) where participants recorded scripted reappraisals (i.e., reinterpretations) of aversive stimuli to support a friend with regulating emotion. Using Bayesian statistics, we found cumulative evidence that when support givers used higher pitch in delivering these reappraisals, targets of support experienced less negative affect. Targets of support also reported greater relationship satisfaction with support givers who used higher pitch during reappraisal. These data consisted primarily of women friend pairs, with preliminary results indicating that these associations may not hold in men friendships. These results highlight acoustic features of verbal communication as a promising mechanism for strengthening social ties and emotional well-being.