James Shepperd - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by James Shepperd

Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, 2018

Objective: We examined whether gun-ownership, and more importantly, the reason for owning a gun, ... more Objective: We examined whether gun-ownership, and more importantly, the reason for owning a gun, is linked to expectations about what will happen if legislation allows guns on one's college campus. Methods: We sent a web-based survey to students, faculty, and staff at a single southeastern United States university in March 2016. We queried respondents about gun ownership and the potential effects of campus carry laws on personal safety and the educational environment. We grouped respondents (N = 11,390) into gun owners who own guns for protection (protection owners), gun owners who own guns for non-protection reasons (e.g., sport, collecting; non-protection owners), and non-owners. Results: Non-protection owners and nonowners responded similarly and were generally distinct from protection owners. However, all three groups reported that legalizing guns on campus would harm the academic atmosphere and diminish feelings of safety when having heated exchanges or evaluating student outcomes. Ironically, protection owners acknowledge these harms yet support legislation allowing guns on campus. Conclusions: Regardless of group, our participants anticipated that allowing guns on campus would largely produce undesirable downstream academic consequences. Lawmakers must find ways to mitigate the possible harmful effects on personal safety and the academic environment, and find solutions that satisfy the safety needs of groups who see guns as source versus a threat to safety.

Journal of Health Psychology

Commonsense epidemiology—how lay people think about diseases and their causes and consequences—ca... more Commonsense epidemiology—how lay people think about diseases and their causes and consequences—can influence how people respond. We examined three lay epidemiological beliefs about 20 triggers and 19 symptoms among 349 caregivers of children with asthma. Our findings contradicted the prevalence-seriousness hypothesis (perceived prevalence and seriousness correlate negatively). The data partially supported the prevalence-control hypothesis (perceived prevalence and asthma control correlate negatively). We found weak support for the seriousness-control hypothesis (perceived seriousness and asthma control correlate negatively). These findings suggest boundary conditions on the application of commonsense epidemiological beliefs.

Supplemental Material, Supplementary_Appendix_A for Avoiding information about one's romantic... more Supplemental Material, Supplementary_Appendix_A for Avoiding information about one's romantic partner by Maryam Hussain, Devon M. Price, Amanda N. Gesselman, James A. Shepperd and Jennifer L. Howell in Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology, 2020

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2020

Research links open communication and self-disclosure to a host of beneficial outcomes in romanti... more Research links open communication and self-disclosure to a host of beneficial outcomes in romantic relationships, including better relationship quality, relationship satisfaction, feelings of closeness and commitment, and relationship longevity. However, learning some information about a partner may evoke negative consequences. In two studies, we examined the types of information people may wish to avoid learning about their past or current romantic partners (Study 1), and individual differences in avoidance of information about a current romantic partner (Study 2). Content-coding of data from Study 1 revealed that a majority (51%) of respondents wished to avoid information related to their partner’s history of sexual behavior and/or infidelity. In Study 2, participants who were older and who scored higher on measures of anxious and avoidant attachment were more likely to want to avoid information about their partner. Furthermore, replicating and extending Study 1, participants most...

Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2019

Research links intrinsic religiousness to less prejudice toward Black people and greater prejudic... more Research links intrinsic religiousness to less prejudice toward Black people and greater prejudice toward gay people. We examined longitudinally in a sample of 865 adolescents three variables that might serve as a mediator of attitudes toward Black people yet produce a suppression effect in attitudes toward gay people: (a) humanitarian values, (b) favorable evaluations of social groups, and (c) socially desirable responding. In light of evidence that Black people on average are more religious than are White people, we also examined whether self-identifying as Black helped explain racial prejudice. Our mediation analyses provided strong evidence that humanitarian values and the tendency to view all social groups favorably accounted for the relationship between intrinsic religiousness and positive attitudes toward Black people. We found no support that socially desirable responding or identifying as Black accounted for our effects. Consistent with a suppression effect, controlling statistically for the agreeable aspects of religiousness strengthened the relationship between intrinsic religiousness and prejudice toward gay people. These findings illustrate mechanisms through which intrinsic religiousness can correspond both positively and negatively with attitudes toward marginalized groups.

The Journal of Social Psychology, 2018

All people share a need for safety. Yet, people's pursuit of safety can conflict when it comes to... more All people share a need for safety. Yet, people's pursuit of safety can conflict when it comes to guns, where some people perceive guns as a means to safety and others perceive guns as a threat to safety. We examined this conflict on a United States college campus that prohibits guns. We distinguished between people (N = 11,390) who (a) own a gun for protection, (b) own a gun exclusively for reasons other than protection (e.g., collecting, sports), and (c) do not own a gun. Protection owners felt less safe on campus, supported allowing guns on campus, and reported that they and others would feel safer and that gun violence would decrease if they carried a gun on campus. Non-owners and non-protection owners felt the reverse. The findings suggest that protection concerns, rather than gun-ownership per se, account for diverging perceptions and attitudes about guns and gun control.

Social Science & Medicine, 2019

We examined the extent to which community members avoid medical information that they may very mu... more We examined the extent to which community members avoid medical information that they may very much want, yet fear that others may use to harm them. Methods: In two online studies, we surveyed participants (N = 659) about their experiences with insurer and employer harm, past avoidance of medical information, intentions to avoid medical information, and reasons for avoiding medical information. Study 2 was a conceptual replication of Study 1 with some minor variations. Results: Several key findings emerged. 1) Although reports of past audience harm were relatively rare, reports of past avoidance were common, both for audience reasons and resource reasons. 2) Participants who were younger and who reported avoiding medical tests in the past (for audience or resource reasons) generally reported greater intentions to avoid health information in the future. 3) Participants reported that receiving unfavorable medical test results would elicit more harm from financially powerful audiences (health insurers and employers) than from interpersonally powerful audiences (close friends/family and others). 4) Participants indicated that the prospect of harm from an audience (i.e., negative effects on insurance coverage) rather than the prospect of bad news would dissuade them from seeking a medical test. Finally, 5) Participants reported that they were most inclined to avoid testing for medical conditions that were untreatable, unimportant, embarrassing/stigmatizing, or expensive. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate that people are concerned with audience perceptions of their health and these concerns may adversely affect decision making and behavior.

Consciousness and Cognition, 2017

Of the hundreds of studies published on unrealistic optimism (i.e., expecting a better personal f... more Of the hundreds of studies published on unrealistic optimism (i.e., expecting a better personal future than is reasonably likely), most have focused on demonstrating the phenomenon, examining boundary conditions, or documenting causes. Few studies have examined the consequences of unrealistic optimism. In this article, we provide an overview of the measurement of unrealistic optimism, review possible consequences, and identify numerous challenges confronting investigators attempting to understand the consequences. Assessing the consequences of unrealistic optimism is tricky, and ultimately probably impossible when researchers assess unrealistic optimism at the group level (which reveals if a group of people is displaying unrealistic optimism on average) rather than the individual level (which reveals whether a specific individual displays unrealistic optimism). We offer recommendations to researchers who wish to examine the consequences of unrealistic optimism.

PsycEXTRA Dataset

Researchers face a key problem when they must measure trait or state constructs quickly or effici... more Researchers face a key problem when they must measure trait or state constructs quickly or efficiently-the measures must be brief while maintaining score reliability and validity. Several situations arise that demand efficient self-report measures ranging from daily-diary and experience-sampling studies-where participants complete the same measures repeatedly-to prescreening, mass-testing, and longitudinal studies-where participants complete a large suite of measures, and a premium is placed on the number of items. With the advent of mobile technology and experiencesampling techniques, the past 20 years have witnessed a groundswell of support for brief, efficient versions of extant measures, including the Single-Item Self-Esteem Scale (SISES;

Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged researchers working in physical contact with research partic... more The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged researchers working in physical contact with research participants. Cognitive interviews examine whether study components (most often questionnaire items) are worded or structured in a manner that allows study participants to interpret the items in a way intended by the researcher. We developed guidelines to conduct cognitive interviews virtually to accommodate interviewees who have limited access to the internet. The guidelines describe the essential communication and safety equipment requirements and outline a procedure for collecting responses while maintaining the safety of the participants and researchers. Furthermore, the guidelines provide suggestions regarding training of participants to use the technology, encouraging them to respond aloud (a potential challenge given that the researcher is not physically present with the participant), and testing and deploying the equipment prior to the interview. Finally, the guidelines emphasize the n...

A project page containing supporting materials and documentation for our publications regarding a... more A project page containing supporting materials and documentation for our publications regarding attitudes toward campus carry legislation (i.e., legislation to allow people with a concealed weapons license to carry concealed firearms on college campuses).