CAREER: The Social Ecology of Relational Mobility

College Of William And Mary, Williamsburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

Cultures around the world show remarkable variation in their social behaviors and cognition. People vary in their willingness to trust others, to cooperate across group boundaries, and how they enforce pro-social behaviors in their communities. These cultural differences have major implications for important social outcomes, from individual well-being to the economic prosperity of nations. To develop policies that promote beneficial social outcomes, it is important to understand the mechanisms that drive such differences. This project addresses this challenge by focusing on the nature of social environments, or social ecologies, that vary from culture to culture. One way in which social ecologies vary is in relational mobility, which refers to the opportunities people have to voluntarily enter into and exit from social relationships. Variations in relational mobility are expected to have predictable and important influences on behavior and cognition, helping to account for differences in social behaviors often observed across cultures. By understanding the origin of such cultural differences, societies will be better informed to promote positive and beneficial policies and to reduce harmful and counterproductive social behaviors. The research component of this project has two major parts: The first examines patterns of social interactions in a large-scale study of daily social interactions across cultures. The goal is to determine the extent to which patterns of relational mobility and social interactions coincide with historical and environmental factors, and lead to psychological and behavioral outcomes. The second part of the research component uses experimental approaches to examine whether changes in relational mobility can lead to changes in social behavior within and across cultures. The goal is to uncover the mechanisms by which social ecological factors impact individual behavior. The project also includes an educational component, providing international research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students in the United States, and helping to establish long-lasting collaborative networks for the next generation of scientists. Contributions of the research and educational components of the project will promote the integration of international and interdisciplinary perspectives, and provide opportunities for social impact by developing tools to promote socially beneficial behavior. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.