Siegwart Lindenberg

University of Groningen and Tilburg University

Organizations involve joint production where members engage in purposive coordination and cooperation with others. Scholars have often noted the importance of “moral factors” in facilitating such collaboration but previous research has not adequately explained the nature of these moral factors, how they are embodied within joint production, or why...

The norm conformity of peers influences one’s own conformity to norms and legitimate rules and this is generally explained by contagion of conformity and deviance through descriptive norm effects and conditional cooperation. However, the opposite may also occur: bad example may increase rather than decrease conformity to norms and legitimate rules....

This entry gives a short overview of goal-framing theory, including the dynamics of overarching goals. It is the English original version, a translation of which appeared a French DictIonary of Environmental Psychology in 2022. An almost identical version was by now published as: Lindenberg, S. (2023). Goal framing theory. In D. Marchand, K. Weiss...

Status and affection are both goals related to social needs. The imbalanced needs theory of aggression proposes that although aggression can be used to realize status, this strategy is detrimental for realizing affection in the same social context. Thus, to the degree that the social circles overlap in which status and affection needs are realized,...

Emotions, like regret, have been heralded as instruments of self-regulation, by instigating reflection, learning and feedback for betterment and thus increasing well-being. Yet, this view neglects taking the frequency of regret into consideration. Frequently experiencing regret may instead be a sign of repeatedly failing to achieve betterment. Prev...

Emotions, like regret, have been heralded as instruments of self-regulation, by instigating reflection, learning and feedback for betterment and thus increasing well-being. Yet, this view neglects taking the frequency of regret into consideration. Frequently experiencing regret may instead be a sign of repeatedly failing to achieve betterment. Prev...

Rule compliance (in organizations or society at large) may be strengthened or weakened by social contagion processes. Observing others’ (non-)compliance with rules influences one’s own likelihood of compliance. Extant literature shows two social contagion theories that can explain this phenomenon. First, the theory of normative conduct (TNC) (Ciald...

Reputation effects are crucial for social life. There has been important work done in the social sciences on this topic and Raub's contribution has been widely recognized. It builds on Granovetter's seminal work on embeddedness. However, Raub's contribution is unnecessarily limited by the fact that he copied Granovetter's error by assuming that all...

Previous studies have shown that status goals motivate direct forms of interpersonal aggression. However, status goals have been studied mostly in isolation from affection goals. It is theorized that the means by which status and affection goals are satisfied change during adolescence, which can affect aggression. This is tested in a pooled sample...

The fulfilment of social needs is essential for human beings to function well and thrive, but little is known about how social needs are differentially associated with types of well-functioning. This study investigates how the three social needs as proposed by Social Production Function theory—the needs for affection, behavioral confirmation, and s...

Attachment theory was built around the idea that infants rely on others to survive, and it is often forgotten that survival hinged on coping with environmental demands. Adult attachment reports have instead been organized around people’s subjective experience of safety and security in relationships. To resolve the gap between infant’s physical need...

It is always an honor when, after one publishes a study, somebody takes the time and effort to figure out how it could have been done better (Lindenberg et al., 2018; Przepiorka, 2019). It is a public service, and we are grateful for the effort. Although we are and remain quite proud of our studies and their results, there is, as in any study, alwa...

In the Human Penguin Project (N = 1755), 15 research groups from 12 countries collected body temperature, demographic variables, social network indices, seven widely-used psychological scales and two newly developed questionnaires (the Social Thermoregulation and Risk Avoidance Questionnaire (STRAQ-1) and the Kama Muta Frequency Scale (KAMF)). They...

Wieso lernt man von einem Professor soviel mehr als von einem anderen? Da mag es ganz verschiedene Gründe geben, aber ein Grund ist sicherlich die ganz persönliche Schiene: die reine intellektuelle Ansteckung. Hans Albert war so ein Professor: man konnte sich der Ansteckung gar nicht entziehen.

In the Human Penguin Project (N = 1755), 15 research groups from 12 countries collected body temperature, demographic variables, social network indices, seven widely-used psychological scales and two newly developed questionnaires (the Social Thermoregulation and Risk Avoidance Questionnaire (STRAQ-1) and the Kama Muta Frequency Scale (KAMF)). They...

One important way in which environments influence behaviour is through cues. This chapter focuses on the power environmental cues have on normative behaviour. According to goal‐framing theory, the most important mechanism behind the effect of environmental cues on norm conformity is a shift in the relative strength of overarching goals. Cues that s...

Social thermoregulation theory posits that modern human relationships are pleisiomorphically organized around body temperature regulation. In two studies (N = 1755) designed to test the principles from this theory, we used supervised machine learning to identify social and non-social factors that relate to core body temperature. This data-driven an...

Attachment theory was built around the idea that infants rely on others to survive, and often, forgotten, that survival hinged on coping with environmental demands. Adult attachment reports have instead been organized around people’s subjective experience of safety and security in relationships. To resolve the gap between infant’s physical needs an...

General remark about shifting the salience (i.e. changing the activation) of goals in our two studies. Goal-framing theory predicts that cues in the instruction and the procedure can inadvertently influence the activation of the overarching goals, so that great care was taken with regard to instructions and procedure. Related to this point is the f...

The most investigated form of moral hypocrisy is pragmatic hypocrisy in which people fake moral commitment for their own advantage. Yet there is also a different form of hypocrisy in which people take a moral stance with regard to norms they endorse without thereby also expressing a commitment to act morally. Rather they do it in order to feel good...

In adolescence, peer influences are important in the development of antisocial behavior. Previous empirical work has often focused on peer similarity to make claims about peer influence. However, peer similarity can be the result of both peer selection and influence, or general social network processes, such as reciprocity (preference for mutual fr...

The psychological literature has shown that sharing one’s emotions with loved ones does not alleviate distress. We challenge this notion. In four studies (N=2581), participants were asked to recall an emotional episode (Studies 1a-2: sadness, fear, affection, joy, anger) and write about this episode. Not replicating prior work, participants shared...

In their target article Kalisch et al. provide an appraisal-based model to explain resilience from stress. Three cognitive classes shape their posited individual’s appraisal style: Positive situation classification, reappraisal, and interference inhibition. They posit that a positive appraisal style is “the primary pathway to resilience” and that t...

Beyond breathing, the regulation of body temperature—thermoregulation—is one of the most pressing concerns for many animals. A dysregulated body temperature has dire consequences for survival and development. Despite the high frequency of social thermoregulation occurring across many species, little is known about the role of social thermoregulatio...

We comment on the proposition “that lower temperatures and especially greater seasonal variation in temperature calls for individuals and societies to adopt...a greater degree of self- control”, for which we cannot find empirical support in a large dataset with data-driven analyses. After providing more nuance in our theoretical review, we suggest...

Lets forget the armchair approach to preferences that assumes for convenience sake that preferences represent a complete and transitive ordering and that conflicting preferences must belong to different types of people. This armchair approach makes economists miss out on the probably most important source of human flexibility: shifting salience eff...

How do institutional systems affect behavior? I suggest that these systems do not simply affect behavior via incentives or habits, but have an important impact on the cognitive and motivational processes that are vital for social coordination and cooperation. More specifically, I argue that institutional systems affect overarching goals that “set t...

We comment on the proposition “that lower temperatures and especially greater seasonal variation in temperature call for individuals and societies to adopt … a greater degree of self-control” (Van Lange et al., sect. 3, para. 4) for which we cannot find empirical support in a large data set with data-driven analyses. After providing greater nuance...

Social thermoregulation theory posits that modern human relationships are pleisiomorphically organized around body temperature regulation. In two studies (N=1747) designed to test this theory, we used supervised machine learning to identify social and non-social factors that relate to core body temperature. This data-driven analysis found that comp...

The understanding, prediction, and encouragement of pro-environmental behaviour (i.e., behaviour that impacts the environment as little as possible) depend to a large extent on understanding the motivational dynamics of pro-environmental behaviour. In this review paper, we discuss the state of the art with regard to these dynamics. We explain the i...

Social order is a phenomenon that is constantly produced and reproduced by processes that prominently include evolved capacities of human beings. This view sharply contrasts with a view in which social order is the result of a Leviathan or the result of shared values produced by the socialization of children. From the perspective suggested here, th...

This study investigates the types and behavioral associations of peer status in school-bound young adults in the Netherlands. We argue that adolescent peer popularity and its link with aggressive and norm-breaking behavior result from adolescents' desire to create an image of maturity among their peers. We expect that in young adults who are approa...

There are not two, but three speeds of transmission or of transformations of sensory inputs into behavioral outputs: first, genome encoding; second, learning; and third, flexible situational activation of mental constructs, especially overarching goals. Gintis and Helbing focus on the first two, and surely these two are important. However, by compl...

There are not two, but three speeds of transmission or of transformations of sensory inputs into behavioral outputs: first, genome encoding; second, learning; and third, flexible situational activation of mental constructs, especially overarching goals. Gintis and Helbing focus on the first two, and surely these two are important. However, by compl...

The emerging trend is that we let go of the idea that humans are naturally endowed with “rationality” (especially in the sense of consistency and utility maximization, as in microeconomic) in favor of an evolutionary view in which the brain evolved together with the affordances and problems offered by living in larger groups. Rather than seeing hum...

Beyond breathing, the regulation of body temperature—thermoregulation—is one of the most pressing concerns for many animals. A dysregulated body temperature has dire consequences for survival and development. Despite the high frequency of social thermoregulation occurring across many species, little is known about the role of social thermoregulatio...

The most prominent studies of cooperation in sociology proceed from some kind of rationality assumption. There are basically two groups of studies, one starting from the assumption of rational egoists and the other starting from the assumption of social rationality, in which other regard has a prominent place. The studies based on the assumption of...

A 'group' refers to a bounded collection of interacting individuals who are functionally, cognitively, and structurally interdependent to various degrees. Groups also differ in the degree to which they are task or sentiment oriented and in which the members are unique or substitutable. Thus, friendship groups, clubs, crowd-sourcing groups, and team...

In their target article, Kalisch et al. explicate an appraisal-based model to explain how people bounce back from stress. We posit that for their model, it is crucial to understand the begin-state w (the “self”) – a state that is shaped by early social thermoregulation and through the social network

In order to battle bullying, it can be important for students to have teachers whom they see as taking an active stand against bullying in terms of propagating antibullying norms and having an efficacious approach to decreasing bullying. This expectation was tested using data from the control schools of the Finnish evaluation of the KiVa antibullyi...

Rejection can convey that one is seen as inferior and not worth bothering with. Is it possible for people to feel vicariously rejected in this sense and have reactions that are similar to those following personal rejection, such as feeling humiliated, powerless, and angry? A study on personal rejection was followed by two main studies on vicarious...

This study examined to what extent motives for behavior differentiated between popular, accepted, and rejected adolescents. Based on goal-framing theory, three types of motives were distinguished: hedonic (aimed at shortterm gratification), instrumental (aimed at improvement of one’s situation), and normative (aimed at acting in accordance with wha...

Is it possible for a company to strive for a higher purpose while also delivering solid profits? Some have argued that pursuing goals other than making money means, by definition, spending on things that aren't profit-maximizing. Others have countered that by investing in worthwhile causes the company is doing something intrinsically valuable that...

A sense of purpose that transcends making money can motivate employees. But to sustain both a sense of purpose and a solid level of profitability over time, companies need to pay attention to several fundamental organizing principles that are based on the effects of goal-framing

Many local councils aim to (re)connect citizens to public planning. This article presents the Collaborative Communities through Coproduction (3C) method as a way to establish cooperation between residents and professionals in improving neighborhood livabiliy. The authors describe common challenges to citizen participation and identify the dilemma o...

In their target article Kalisch et al. provide an appraisal-based model to explain resilience from stress. We posit that for their model it is crucial to understand the begin-state φ, a state that is shaped by early social thermoregulation and through the social network.

Contrary to what is often assumed, order is not the strongest context for encouraging normative behavior. The strongest context effect on normative behavior comes from cues that clearly convey other people's respect for norms. Ironically, this show of respect necessitates some contrasting disrespect that is being restored. Using civic virtues (such...

Dataset and description of Study 1. (PDF)

Dataset and description of Study 3. (PDF)

Analyses of potential differences in prosocial behavior between men and women and as a result of gender differences between confederate and participant, in Study 3. (PDF)

Dataset and description of Study 2. (PDF)

Analyses of potential differences in prosocial behavior between groups and individuals and between men and women, in Study 2. (PDF)

Field studies provide much ecological validity but are limited with regard to randomization and control. What can be and what is done about it? Because so few psychologists do field experiments, little is known about it. In our reply to Wicherts and Bakker (in press), we show what goes on behind the scene in doing field research, and we discuss the...

Scholars increasingly seek to proffer microfoundations for macro management theory, notably strategic management theory. These microfoundations naturally revolve around human resources. We argue that proper microfoundations for strategic management theory must recognize that the management of motivation is first and foremost a matter of the managem...

Can we get by with “thin” notions of cognition and motivation as microfoundations for a theory of governance inside firms? This question is considered crucial for the development of the field and the answer given in this chapter is: no, we can not. The paper takes Williamson’s elaboration of an interest alignment approach with private orderings as...

In adolescence, being socially successful depends to a large extent on being popular with peers. Even though some youths have what it takes to be popular, they are not, whereas others seem to have a secret ingredient that just makes the difference. In this study the G-allele of a functional polymorphism in the promotor region of the serotonin recep...

Low heart rate (HR) has been linked to antisocial behavior (ASB). However, the effect of low HR may be mediated by affiliation with bullies. We hypothesized that individuals with low HR are more likely to affiliate with bullies and in turn are influenced by these peers. Data come from two waves of a subsample of the TRAILS study (N = 809; 44.0% boy...

organizations will not easily go green without government intervention. Governments will not easily intervene without pressure from voters. Voters vote heavily based on values. Biospheric values need be established via scientific evidence that links behavior and industrial output to biospheric problems. This evidence, in turn, needs wide public dis...

Policy-makers who are confronted with the potential spread of violent extremist ideologies among prison inmates are challenged to design sustainable prison regimes which are suitable to counter prison radicalisation whilst rehabilitating and reintegrating inmates into society. This article outlines a theoretical framework that explains how uncertai...

To examine the relative contribution of weapon carrying of peers, aggression, and victimization to weapon carrying of male and female adolescents over time. Data were derived from a population-based sample of male (N = 224) and female (N = 244) adolescents followed from grade 10 (M age = 15.5) to grade 11 (M age = 16.5). Peer networks were derived...

A concern with teams was central to early attempts to grasp the nature of the firm, but fell out of favor in later work. We encourage a return to the emphasis on teams, but argue that the idea of teams as central to the nature of the firm needs to be grounded in an appreciation of the importance of We frames and group agency. We use converging insi...

This study developed two specifications of the social skills deficit stress generation hypothesis: the "gender-incongruence" hypothesis to predict peer victimization and the "need for autonomy" hypothesis to predict conflict with authorities. These hypotheses were tested in a prospective large population cohort of 2,064 Dutch young adolescents. Soc...

In public places one encounters many prohibition signs, as well as traces of the norm-violating behavior these signs are trying to reduce, like graffiti or litter. Based on goal framing theory and previous research, we argue that signs of (dis)respect of others for norms serve as norm-support cues which can weaken or strengthen the influence of nor...

The role of physical and relational aggression in adolescents' friendship selection was examined in a longitudinal sample of 274 Chilean students from 5th and 6th grade followed over 1 year. Longitudinal social network modeling (SIENA) was used to study selection processes for aggression while influence processes were controlled for. Furthermore, t...

In quality of life research, social aspects have become recognized as important, next to physical aspects such as living conditions and health. However, objective indicators of physical and social aspects often correlate poorly with indicators of subjective well being. We argue that this may be due to buffer and substitution effects People produce...

We contribute to the microfoundations of organizational performance by proffering the construct of joint production motivation. Under such motivational conditions individuals see themselves as part of a joint endeavor, each with his or her own roles and responsibilities; generate shared representations of actions and tasks; cognitively coordinate c...

The goal of this study was to examine whether popularity and likability were related to associating with popular peers in adolescence. Participants were 3,312 adolescents (M age=13.60 years) from 172 classrooms in 32 schools. Four types of peer affiliations of the participants with the popular peers in their classrooms were distinguished: “best fri...

This study examined the associations of popularity, substance use, athletic abilities, physical attractiveness, and physical and relational aggression with likeability by same-gender and cross-gender peers among early adolescents (N = 3,312; M age = 13.60, with 92.7% of the participants in the 12-14 age range). Data collection consisted of peer nom...

Some pupils already show unexcused, illegal, surreptitious absences in elementary education or the first years of secondary education. Are weak social bonds (see also Hirschi, 1969) and a lack of self-control (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990) indicative of truancy at an early age? Of the children in our sample, 5% were persistent truants in late elemen...

The relation between partying and antisocial behavior was investigated using a sample of Dutch early adolescents (T2: N=1,076; M age=13.52). Antisocial behavior was divided into rule-breaking and aggressive behavior. Using a goal-framing approach, it was argued that the relation of partying to antisocial behavior depends on the way the need to belo...

Why is low resting heart rate (HR) associated with antisocial behavior (ASB), i.e., aggression and rule breaking, in adolescence? Theory suggests that personality traits mediate this relationship but differently with age. In the present study this age-effect hypothesis is tested; we expected that the relationship between HR and aggression would be...

In a large sample of early adolescents (T2: N = 1023; M age = 13.51; 55.5% girls), the impact of parental protection and unsupervised wandering on adolescents' antisocial behavior 2.5 years later was tested in this TRAILS study; gender and parental knowledge were controlled for. In addition, the level of biological maturation and having antisocial...

In this study a homophily selection hypothesis was tested against a default selection hypothesis, to answer whether preferred and realized friendships of highly aggressive boys differed. In a large peer-nomination sample, we assessed who highly overt aggressive, low prosocial boys (n = 181) nominated as friends (preferred friendships) and who among...