Papers by Özge Savas
Journal of sex research, 2021
Previous researchers have noted the domination of Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and De... more Previous researchers have noted the domination of Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) samples in fields like psychology. In this study we asked: how WEIRD and androcentric is contemporary sex research? We focused on two historically underrepresented groups in research, namely non-WEIRD and women/gender non-conforming samples. We analyzed 2,223 articles drawn from five leading journals in scientific sexuality research (Archives of Sexual Behavior, Journal of Sex Research, Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, Journal of Sexual Medicine, and International Journal of Sexual Health). We coded the national context and gender of sampled populations for articles published between 2015 and 2019 in these journals. Results indicated that WEIRD populations dominate the published findings in sex research (ranging from 68% to 88%). Two journals had a higher number of studies that only included men as participants, and one a higher number of samples that consisted of onl...
All Immigrants Are Not Alike: Intersectionality Matters in Views of Immigrant Groups, 2021
In two studies, we investigated how intersecting social categories shape views of immigrants in t... more In two studies, we investigated how intersecting social categories shape views of immigrants in the United States. In Study 1, we analyzed 310 attributes generated by 92 participants for the category of immigrant and 30 additional immigrant groups with intersecting social categories (e.g. "undocumented immigrant") reflecting various levels of social status. Using the Meaning Extraction Method (MEM) and factor analysis to examine shared meanings, we identified five factors; further comparative analyses of immigrant groups focused on the first two factors (Vulnerable vs. Hardworking, Drain vs. Asset). The importance of legal status for judgments on these two factors was evident in comparisons of the generic immigrant with four specific legal intersections. An examination of all 31 groups of immigrants showed that higher status groups were perceived as Hardworking (less Vulnerable) and high national Assets (low Drain), while lower status groups varied in Vulnerability perceptions but were generally thought to be Drains on the nation rather than Assets. In Study 2, 270 participants evaluated intersectional immigrant social categories that differed in combinations of higher status (privileged) and lower status (marginalized) social group memberships, using scales based on the terms identified by the factors in Study 1. Participants rated immigrant groups with two privileged statuses as less vulnerable and more likely to be an asset to the nation than immigrant groups with two marginalized or mixed statuses. The utility of a bottom-up intersectional approach to assess stereotype content of immigrant groups is discussed.
Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 2018
In the wake of the 2016 election, which surprised pundits and voters on both the left and the rig... more In the wake of the 2016 election, which surprised pundits and voters on both the left and the right, there has been renewed interest in understanding what predicts American voters’ choices. In this article, we investigate the roles of personality and issue importance in how people voted in the 2016 U.S. election. In this longitudinal study of 403 MTurk workers who voted in the election, we assessed the relations between personality (openness, social dominance orientation, and national identity importance) and issue importance (group rights and social justice, economic rights, and individual and national rights), and voting for Clinton or Trump. Our results indicate that both individual differences and issue importance as measured in July 2016 predicted votes in November. We also found that the links between personality and voting were mediated by issue importance. Implications for political psychology and the study of personality, campaign issues, and voting behavior are discussed.
Qualitative Psychology, 2018
We examined pathways to activism, focusing on the narratives of women’s rights activists who grew... more We examined pathways to activism, focusing on the narratives of women’s rights activists who grew up in different places and times, using interview transcripts from the Global Feminisms Project archive. The findings reveal that experiencing a socially or personally disruptive event (e.g., a war or loss of a daughter due to domestic violence, respectively) facilitated activism at different stages of life in unique ways; and there were specific catalysts for activism for each stage. Those who grew up under oppressive regimes thought activism was the most “natural” response to what was going on sociopolitically; for them, feelings of freedom and strength were the catalyst. Those who experienced a disruptive event in their adolescence viewed their activism as intertwined with their personal identity; for them, love, support and togetherness were the catalyst. Finally, those who experienced disruption in their adulthood viewed their activism not as identity, but simply as action. They made sense of these actions by tracing the continuity in their lives; and for them, small political acts and accomplishments were the catalyst. The relationship between politicized identity and personal identity, as well as the bidirectional relationship between activist involvement and politicized identity is discussed in light of these findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)
Analysis of Social Issues and Public Policy, 2017
In two studies, we examine how different processes might underlie the political mobilization of i... more In two studies, we examine how different processes might underlie the political mobilization of individuals with marginalized versus privileged identities for left-wing activism (LWA) versus right-wing activism (RWA). In the first study, with a sample of 244 midlife women, we tested the hypotheses that endorsement of system justification beliefs and social identities were direct predictors of political activism, and that system justification beliefs moderated the mobilization of social identities for activism on both the left and the right. We found that system justification predicted RWA only among those who felt close to privileged groups; the parallel reverse effect did not hold for LWA, though rejection of system-justifying beliefs was an important direct predictor. In Study 2, we replicated many of these findings with a sample of 113 college students. In addition , we tested and confirmed the hypothesis that LWA is predicted by openness to experience and is unrelated to RWA, but not that openness plays a stronger role among those with marginalized identities. These two studies together support our overall hypothesis that different personality processes are involved with
White Papers by Özge Savas
Executive Summary Rationale. The visibility of qualitative research methods (QRM) in American psy... more Executive Summary Rationale. The visibility of qualitative research methods (QRM) in American psychology has increased with the dissemination of qualitative research in journals and books, through formation of professional and scientific organizations, and through gaining recognition in educational institutions. In this sense, we have witnessed a significant era in the history of the field. The question remains, however, what the current state of training in qualitative methods s in U.S. psychology programs. Are graduate students being trained in qualitative methods? If so, to what extent, and what are the overall attitudes of faculty towards QRM? These questions remain less understood as the field of qualitative research in psychology begins its next chapter. Methods. In March-April 2015, an online survey was sent to 487 individuals associated with U.S. graduate psychology programs (dept. chair, graduate program directors, and dept. administrators). The survey consisted of 20 items and took 2-3 minutes to fill out. A total of 125 surveys (26% response rate) were received from 76 universities. Of the 20 survey questions, three were open-ended and inquired about respondents' perceptions of qualitative research methods. The open-ended questions were analyzed for thematic content; the remaining 17 questions were analyzed for overall frequencies. In addition, we examined four departmental and faculty characteristics collected in the survey questions (departments were seen to valued/not value QRM; departments that had/had not offered QRM courses in the last five years; respondents who reported wanting more/less attention to QRM; and departments where a low/moderate/high number of graduate students used QRM in their dissertations) to see how these aspects might influence the reception and teaching of QRM in psychology programs. Survey Findings. On average, 39% of the respondents reported that their department offered a QRM course in the last five years (n=36). Of those, most had offered a semester-long course (69%) with just over nine weeks being the average amount of time dedicated to teaching QRM. A little under half of graduate students (46%) took QRM courses in departments outside of psychology. One third (29%) of the respondents rated their departments as viewing QRM as important, while nearly the same amount (26%) reported QRM were seen as unimportant, but nearly half (46%) reported that QRM were seen as neither important nor unimportant.
Conference Poster Presentations by Özge Savas
Collective identities and personality characteristics such as openness and system justification h... more Collective identities and personality characteristics such as openness and system justification have been linked to left and right-wing activism respectively (McCrae, 1996). System justification is the motive to vindicate the status quo as favorable, natural, or even inevitable, and relates to conservative ideologies (Jost, Banaji, &Nosek, 2004). Openness includes readiness to engage varied experiences, ideas, and beliefs, and relates to left-wing ideologies (McCrae, 1996). We investigated how these personality variables interact with marginalized identities and both relate to activism. Our sample included 113 college students in introductory psychology at a Midwestern university. Participants completed an online survey including measures of openness, system justification, political orientation, identity, and left and right-wing activism.Marginalized identities included: female, LGB, low SES, person of color, or disabled. As predicted, both openness and marginalized identity were correlated with left-wing activism,while system justification was correlated with right-wing activism.In fact openness mediated the relationship of marginalized identity with activism. In addition, those high in system justification without a marginalized identity reported the most right-wing activism. These results indicate that personality and identity are both important predictors of left and right-wing activism.
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Papers by Özge Savas
White Papers by Özge Savas
Conference Poster Presentations by Özge Savas