bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity in the Unemployment Experience: A Cluster Analytic Investigation1
Authors: Wanberg Connie R. , Marchese Marc C.
Published: August 2006

Two hundred forty‐seven unemployed individuals completed a battery of scales assessing constructs relevant to the unemployment situation. These constructs included: financial situation, employment commitment, job‐seeking confidence, time structure, mental health, cognitive impairment, physical symptoms, and unemployment negativity (how upset an individual is about being unemployed). The results on a subset of these variables were cluster analyzed to assess whether the unemployed individuals in this sample formed meaningful subtypes. The cluster analysis revealed four distinct subtypes of unemployed individuals. The subtypes that were identified can help us to understand the heterogeneity inherent in the unemployment experience. The differences among the subtypes also have implications for designing outplacement and intervention workshops for the unemployed.
The Long‐Term Effects of Military Service on Quality of Life: The Vietnam Experience1
Authors: Bookwala Jamila , Frieze Irene , Grote Nancy
Published: August 2006

In this study, we examined the effects of military service during the Vietnam War on the quality of life in middle adulthood for a cohort of men characterized by a privileged socioeconomic status. The final sample included 374 men who, upon graduating from an Ivy League college in 1966, performed military service in Vietnam, engaged in military service during this time in regions other than Vietnam, or did not serve in the military. As indices of quality of life in the middle years, we used a set of health‐related behaviors, a series of life transitions experienced after the age of 40, and satisfaction with various components of life, as well as life as a whole. Multivariate analyses of variance and chi‐square analyses revealed significant differences among the sample subgroups on several quality‐of‐life indices. The subgroup of Vietnam veterans reported more frequent alcohol use than the nonveterans. In terms of midlife transitions, the Vietnam veterans were most likely to have changed careers and to have moved residence, and the least likely to feel lonely in middle adulthood. Compared to the Vietnam veterans and the Vietnam‐era veterans, the nonveteran group was least likely to have questioned their values, experienced depression, or to have moved to a new home. Finally, the Vietnam veterans were significantly less satisfied with their careers, finances, and with life in general, compared to their nonveteran counterparts; however, they reported more satisfaction with their male friendships than did Vietnam‐era veterans. These findings suggest that the Vietnam War experience is associated with lower quality of life during middle adulthood in certain domains, even among a select group of individuals, of high socioeconomic status, whose privileged background could have presumably protected them from the adversities of the Vietnam War.
A Relational Obligations Approach to the Foot‐In‐The‐Mouth Effect
Authors: Aunel R. Kelly , Basil Michael D.
Published: August 2006

An earlier study by Howard (1990) employed a “foot‐in‐the‐mouth” approach (FITM) to increase the frequency of compliance with charitable requests. This effect was explained through consistency theory: People are more likely to comply with a request for a charitable donation if the person making the request first asks the potential donor how he or she is feeling, and then acknowledges the donor's response. The potential donor was expected to behave in accordance with his or her publicly stated feeling‐state. However, some of the compliance in Howard's study may be attributable to an increased perception of relationship between the requester and donor (Roloff, 1987). Not only was the donor required to be consistent with his or her publicly stated feeling‐state, but the donor had to behave in a manner consistent with the relationship implied by the requester. Two studies examined this possibility. The first study found a FITM approach that manipulated only relational obligations consistency resulted in higher rates of compliance than both the standard and feeling‐state FITM approach. A second study examined the mechanism for this increased compliance. Results show that although both FITM approaches produced more positive relational perceptions between the requester and donor than the standard approach, the relational obligations approach produced more positive relational perceptions than did the other FITM approach.
Disentangling Discrimination: Victim Characteristics as Determinants of the Perception of Behavior as Racist or Sexist
Authors: Hartman Catharina A. , Hoogstraten Johan , Spruijt‐Metz Donna
Published: August 2006

The present experiment examined the impact of victim characteristics on the judgment of behavior as being sexist or racist. Freshmen from the University of Amsterdam read eight scenarios describing instances of everyday discrimination. The race, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) of the victims in the scenarios were varied systematically. Each scenario was followed by three consecutive questionnaires designed to assess the degree to which research participants perceived the behavior of the agent as racist, sexist, or otherwise. The asymmetry hypothesis for blacks of high and low SES was confirmed Blacks of low SES were more often considered to be victims of racism than blacks of high SES. However, contrary to the asymmetry hypothesis, we found that women of high rather than low SES were more likely to be considered victims of sexism. This finding is inconsistent with other results, and demonstrates that it is not always the less empowered group that is judged as being the most discriminated against. Further, this study demonstrates the relevancy of victim's SES in discrimination research. Finally, the importance of disentangling sexist and racist elements of discrimination is stressed, especially in research involving black women.
Predicting Repeated Behavior from Intention: The Issue of Scale Correspondence
Authors: Courneya Kerry S.
Published: August 2006

The present study examined the issue of scale correspondence (Courneya & McAuley, 1993), using the repeated behavior of regular physical activity. Scale correspondence refers to the consistency of the scales between intention and behavior assessments when examining repeated behaviors. Eighty‐five undergraduate students completed five different self‐report scales that have been used for intention and repeated behaviors. The time period between intention assessment and reported behavior was one month. The results indicated that violating scale correspondence, particularly the continuous/dichotomous distinction, resulted in attenuated correlations. Moreover, not all forms of scale correspondence were equally satisfactory, with the continuous‐open form being the most effective. Discussion focused on: (a) implications for the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior, (b) the conceptual basis of the intention construct, (c) the prevalence of single‐item assessments of intention, and (d) the possible contribution of shared method variance to the improved correlations.
Hey Buddy, Can You Spare Seventeen Cents? Mindful Persuasion and the Pique Technique1
Authors: Santos Michael D. , Leve Craig , Pratkanis Anthony R.
Published: August 2006

According to the pique technique, a target is more likely to comply if mindless refusal is disrupted by a strange or unusual request. We demonstrated the use of this technique in two experiments. In Experiment 1, passersby on a local municipal wharf were approached by a confederate panhandler who made either one of two strange requests: “Can you spare 17¢ (or 37¢)?” or made either one of two typical requests “Can you spare a quarter (or any change)?” Subjects in the strange conditions were almost 60% more likely to give money than those receiving the typical plea. In addition, a strange request piqued interest as evidenced by increased verbal inquiries about the request. Experiment 2 replicated the first experiment in a laboratory setting and provides additional evidence (via a cognitive response analysis) that strange requests piqued subjects' interest in the appeal as well as increased liking for the panhandler.
A Whiff of Reality: Empirical Evidence Concerning the Effects of Pleasant Fragrances on Work‐Related Behavior1
Authors: Baron Robert A. , Bronfen Marna I.
Published: August 2006

Two studies were conducted to investigate the potential effects on workrelated behavior of one environmental variable: pleasant fragrances. In Study 1, participants performed a word construction task under low or high stress while in the presence or absence of pleasant fragrances. Performance was significantly enhanced by fragrance in both stress conditions. In addition, exposure to pleasant fragrances significantly increased performance on an additional task (decoding written messages) completed by participants following exposure to stress. In Study 2, both exposure to pleasant fragrances and receipt of a small gift increased performance on the same word construction task used in Study 1. In addition, fragrance and a gift increased participants' willingness to engage in both immediate and delayed helping. Together, the results of these studies offer support for the view that pleasant fragrances can influence work‐related behavior, and that such effects may be mediated, at least in part, by increments in positive affect.
The Effects of Physical Attractiveness, Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender of Defendants and Victims on Judgments of Mock Jurors: A Meta‐Analysis1
Authors: Mazzella Ronald , Feingold Alan
Published: August 2006

A meta‐analysis of experimental research on mock juror judgments was conducted to assess the effects of physical attractiveness, race, socioeconomic status (SES), and gender of both defendants and victims to test the theory that jurors use characteristics that are correlated with criminal behavior as cues to infer guilt and to recommend punishment. In general, it was advantageous for defendants to be physically attractive, female, and of high SES, although these advantages were nil for some crimes. There were no overall effects of race on mock jurors' judgments, but the effect of defendant race on punishment was strongly moderated by type of crime. Effects of victim characteristics on jurors' judgments were generally inconsequential, although defendants were at a disadvantage when the victim was female.
Social Values, Conformity, and Dress
Authors: Rose Gregory M. , Shoham Aviv , Kahle Lynn R. , Batra Rajeev
Published: August 2006

This study examined the influence of social values on the importance of various clothing features. A model is hypothesized in which social values lead to differing needs for group identification, affiliation, and conformity, which influence clothing feature importance. In general, social values are associated with a high need for affiliation and group identification, conformity, and a greater emphasis on both the utilitarian and the display aspects of clothing (style and brand name).
Correlational and Known‐Group Comparison Validation of a Workplace Prejudice/Discrimination Inventory
Authors: James Keith , Lovato Chris , Cropanzano Russell
Published: August 2006

A new inventory designed to assess perceptions of prejudice and discrimination experiences on the job was developed. Three approaches to validating it were employed. First, factor analysis was done for responses from one set of workers then replicated with responses from a second sample. These analyses indicated that a single significant factor accounted for a large proportion of the variance in responses to 15 of the 16 items on the inventory. Second, to begin to develop its place in a nomological network, a study was done in which the prejudice/discrimination inventory scores were correlated with other theoretically relevant constructs. Finally, a known‐group comparison approach was taken in which scores on the inventory were contrasted from three groups of respondents known to differ in perceptions of workplace prejudice/discrimination levels. Both the correlational and the comparative data generally supported the validity of the instrument
Decision Theory and the Sale of Alcohol1
Authors: McCall Michael
Published: August 2006

Two studies examined the role of representativeness in determining the legal age of customers seeking to purchase alcohol. In Study 1, subjects were presented with a series of common grocery products along with an alcoholic beverage and a shopper. Results indicated that products which cued an older consumer produced higher age estimates of the shopper and decreased the likelihood that they would be asked to provide proof of legal age. Study 2 extended these findings in two important ways: (a) The target was presented as either a college student or parent and (b) individual differences in self‐consciousness were related to susceptibility to manipulations of representativeness. Results indicated that the parent/student manipulation affected both the decision to request identification and age estimates of the target. Age estimations were positively related to individual differences in public self‐consciousness, whereas the decision to request identification depended upon individual levels of social anxiety and private self‐consciousness. Implications of these data for restricting access to alcohol among minors are considered.
The Formation of Attitudes Toward New Immigrant Groups1
Authors: Maio Gregory R. , Esses Victoria M. , Bell David W.
Published: August 2006

People often receive information about new immigrant groups prior to any direct contact with group members. However, it is not clear how this information shapes attitudes toward the groups. To explore this issue, 204 subjects were told about an unknown immigrant group that was presented as high or low in personal relevance. Subjects were then given positive or negative consensus information about the emotions that group members elicit from others, group members' personality traits, and group members' values. As expected, results indicated that the presentation of positive information about emotional reactions, personality traits, and values caused attitudes to be more favorable than did the presentation of negative information. Importantly, however, the combined impact of the emotion and personality trait information depended on whether the group was perceived to be of high or low personal relevance. Specifically, when the information about emotions and personality traits was similarly valanced (i.e., both were positive or both were negative), attitudes toward the group tended to be less favorable in the high personal relevance condition than in the low personal relevance condition. In contrast, when mixed information was presented (i.e., positive emotions and negative personality traits or negative emotions and positive personality traits), attitudes tended to be more favorable in the high personal relevance condition. In addition, attitudes, once formed, predicted further perceptions of the group and behavioral intentions toward group members. The implications of the findings for the reduction of prejudice toward new immigrant groups are discussed.
Psychosocial Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening: Concerns With Self‐presentation and Social Evaluation1
Authors: Kowalski Robin M. , Brown Kelly J.
Published: August 2006

The incidence of cervical cancer has decreased over 70% in the last several decades due in large part to the Papanicolaou (Pap) test. Despite the acknowledged efficacy of this test, however, many women do not receive cervical screening. The present study investigated the contributions of individual differences in concerns with self‐presentation and social evaluation to the prediction of intentions and behavior involving cervical screening. Eighty‐two Caucasian women completed measures of social anxiety, physique anxiety, public and private self‐consciousness, fear of negative evaluation, and self‐esteem, in addition to questions assessing their knowledge and behavior regarding cervical screening. Social anxiety significantly predicted intention to receive cervical screening for a medical reason, as well as the frequency with which the women actually received gynecological examinations. Physique anxiety accounted for a significant percentage of the variance in women's likelihood of receiving cervical screening within the next year. Interpersonal aspects of the gynecological exam, as well as implications of the findings for gynecological practice are discussed.
The Effects of Marital Interaction, Depression and Self‐Esteem on Dietary Self‐Efficacy Among Married Couples1
Authors: Schafer Robert B. , Keith Pat M. , Schafer Elisabeth
Published: August 2006

This investigation defines the construct of dietary self‐efficacy and examines the personal and interactional factors that predict efficacy in food behavior. Dietary self‐efficacy is the belief that one is capable of behavior necessary to produce a nutritionally healthful diet. A path model was tested that located dietary self‐efficacy as a consequence of the character of marital interaction (role disagreement, equity/inequity, and family food interaction), personal conditions of depression and low self‐esteem, age, and education. One hundred fifty‐five married couples were randomly selected and interviewed. The path model predicted a direct causal effect of role disagreement and inequity on depression and an indirect effect on dietary self‐efficacy mediated by depression and self‐esteem. The findings supported the proposed model for wives but not for husbands, suggesting that dietary self‐efficacy is a female construct. Wives continue to take major responsibility for food selection and preparation, including the nutrition of children. Therefore, dietary self‐efficacy gains a position of centrality for wives that is not independent of the effect of everyday interaction.
Causal Attributions, Depression, and Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder in Victims of Crime
Authors: Falsetti Sherry A. , Resick Patricia A.
Published: August 2006

The major purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between causal attributions and symptomatology in victims of crime. Fifty‐one subjects who had not been crime victims and 120 subjects who had been crime victims participated in the study and were assessed for symptoms of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Subjects also completed two attributional questionnaires. The potential differences in symptomatology among victims of a single crime, multiple crimes, and nonvictims were investigated. Results did not indicate differences in depression and PTSD based on single vs. multiple victimization, although differences between victims and nonvictims were found. Results using the Causal Dimension Scale (CDS; Peterson et al., 1982) indicated significant differences in the causal attributions of victims and nonvictims. On the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ; Russell, 1982), group comparisons among nonvictims, PTSD victims, depression victims, both depression and PTSD victims, and victims with low symptoms did not yield significant results. However, regression analyses indicated that several subscales of both the CDS and ASQ were found to be moderate predictors of symptomatology. Implications for future research are discussed.
Factors Influencing Managerial Disclosure of AIDS Health Information to Coworkers
Authors: Vest Jusanne M. , Vest Michael J. , Perry Sandra J. , O'Brien Fabius P.
Published: August 2006

This research investigates the importance of legal concerns over lawsuits, fear of AIDS in the workplace, and gender as factors influencing a manager's decision to disclose AIDS health information to coworkers. Data was obtained from questionnaires administered to managers employed in service, manufacturing, and government organizations. Findings indicate that both fear of AIDS in the workplace and concern over lawsuits exhibited a significant relationship with the likelihood of sharing AIDS health information and gender was found to moderate the relationship between likelihood of sharing AIDS health information, and fear of AIDS in the workplace. Male managers exhibited a higher level of fear of AIDS than female managers and did female managers, were found to be somewhat less likely than male managers to share AIDS health information with coworkers. Study findings, suggestions for future research, and implications are discussed.
Evaluating the Impact of a National AIDS Prevention Radio Campaign in St. Vincent and the Grenadines1
Authors: Middlestadt Susan E. , Fishbein Martin , Albarracin Dolores , Francis Claudette , Eustace M. Ann , Helquist Michael , Schneider Anton
Published: August 2006

Based on extensive formative research in the three Eastern Caribbean countries of St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada (Fishbein, Middlestadt, & Trafimow, 1993; Fishbein, Trafimow, et al., 1993), a three‐nation, mass media, condom use campaign was developed. In order to assess the impact of the campaign, a follow‐up survey was conducted in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This paper examines the effectiveness of the campaign by comparing responses on this survey by respondents who were or were not exposed to the campaign. A statistically significant impact of exposure to the campaign was obtained, indicating that a well‐designed, empirically based, mass media campaign can be an effective tool in the battle to prevent the spread of AIDS.
Subordinate Performance, Leader‐Subordinate Compatibility, and Exchange Quality in Leader‐Member Dyads: A Field Study
Authors: Basu Raja , Green Stephen G.
Published: August 2006

A model examining factors related to quality of exchange in leader‐member dyads was developed and tested. Subordinates and supervisors in 223 dyads in a manufacturing setting provided demographic data and completed measures of performance and attitude towards work. Results found organization citizenship behaviors, leader‐member attitude similarity, and similarity of education to be related to quality of leader‐member exchange.
The Claim for Moral Maturity, Consistency, and Integrity Among Objecting Israeli Soldiers
Authors: Linn Ruth
Published: August 2006

The paper presents two groups of objecting Israeli reserve soldiers who chose to resolve their dilemmas with the morally controversial war in Lebanon (1982–1985) in line with two different morally preferred actions. These soldiers either refused to join their unit on its assigned mission in Lebanon and paid the price of court martial and imprisonment, or chose to continue their military service but made extra sacrifices to preserve their moral principles on the battlefield, as well as voiced their objection via a protest group. The relationship between the objectors' hypothetical and actual moral knowledge is discussed.
The Relationship Between Experience and Attitudes Concerning Epilepsy1
Authors: Lampman Claudia
Published: August 2006

Research indicates that epilepsy is a misunderstood and stigmatizing disorder. The present study examined whether various levels and types of experience with epilepsy are related to attitudes about the disorder. It was hypothesized that certain types of direct experience with epilepsy (e.g., knowing people with epilepsy) are related to positive attitudes about the disorder, whereas other types of direct experience (e.g., witnessing seizures) are related to negative beliefs. As predicted, data from telephone interviews with 271 subjects indicate that individuals knowing someone with epilepsy held significantly more accepting attitudes than respondents who had never known an epileptic. The findings also suggest that witnessing epileptic seizures is an emotionally charged event, and, in the absence of other types of experience, this emotional impact might have a negative effect on attitudes toward people with epilepsy. The findings from this study have implications for the development of educational programs aimed at the general public, medical personnel, and people with epilepsy.
Group Learning Curves: The Effects of Turnover and Task Complexity on Group Performance1
Authors: Argote Linda , Insko Chester A. , Yovetich Nancy , Romero Anna A.
Published: August 2006

This study examined the effects of turnover and task complexity on group performance. Two hundred and forty subjects arranged into three‐person groups performed a production‐type task for six experimental periods. The design was a 2 (Turnover vs. No Turnover) × 2 (Simple vs. Complex Task) × 2 (Male vs. Female) × 6 (Periods) factorial with repeated measures on the last factor. The analysis revealed that group performance improved markedly as groups gained experience with the task. Groups which did not experience turnover (closed groups) produced significantly more products than did groups which experienced turnover (open groups). The superior performance of closed over open groups was amplified over periods. Groups produced more of the simple than of the complex product, and this difference was also amplified over periods. The gap in the performance of closed versus open groups increased over periods, and the increase in the gap was greater for the simple than for the complex task. The lesser impact of turnover on the complex task is consistent with an innovation hypothesis, according to which increases in the production of complex tasks are due more to innovation than to repetition. Supportive analyses of innovation data are reported.
The Effect of Social‐Comparison Feedback on Aggressive Responses to Erotic and Aggressive Films1
Authors: Sinclair Robert C. , Lee Theresa , Johnson Thomas E.
Published: August 2006

A study assessed the effects of social‐comparison cues and filmed violence on aggression toward women. Under the auspices of validating some film clips for use in future research, males viewed either erotic, violent sexual, or violent nonsexual films. A male confederate provided social comparison feedback by indicating (or not indicating) that the film degraded women. Self‐reports of sexual arousal, affective responses to the films, perceptions of violence, perceptions of pornography, and perceptions of portrayal of women were measured. In a purportedly unrelated learning experiment, males were given the opportunity to aggress toward a female confederate through electric shock. Intensity and duration of shock were measured. Social comparison information caused reductions in self‐reports of sexual arousal, affect, and increased perceptions of violence in the erotic film condition only. Social‐comparison information caused males to rate the depiction of women as more negative in both the erotic and violent nonsexual conditions. Regardless of film type, social comparison information caused a reduction in perceived realism of the films. Only film condition affected perceptions of pornography, with greater sexual content judged as more pornographic. Social‐comparison information reduced the intensity of shocks delivered. Finally, social‐comparison information led to reduced duration of shock in all film conditions; however, this effect appeared to dissipate in the violent sexual condition. Implications are discussed.
Vulnerability Beliefs, Symptom Experiences, and the Processing of Health Threat Information: A Self‐Regulatory Perspective
Authors: Cameron Linda D. , Leventhal Howard
Published: August 2006

This study used a self‐regulation model of health behavior to explore the impact of risk perceptions and disease‐risk symptoms on responses to health messages. Undergraduates with beliefs of high or low vulnerability to heart disease participated in a task that either did or did not induce disease‐risk symptoms. Participants were then given a threatening or reassuring message about heart disease prevention, or no message. Participants with high‐vulnerability beliefs reported higher exercise intentions only after the reassuring message, and then only in the absence of risk symptoms. However, their exercise rates were increased by both messages and by the symptoms. Participants with preexisting beliefs of low vulnerability reported higher risk perceptions after experiencing the symptoms; only the threat message enhanced their exercise rates.
Level of Health Threat as a Moderator of Social Comparison Preferences1
Authors: Sun Yi‐Chun , Croyle Robert T.
Published: August 2006

The effects of level of health threat and level of perceived control on social comparison preferences were examined. Participants were led to believe that they had a cholesterol level that was either in the borderline high‐risk range or in the high‐risk range. Half the participants were told cholesterol was controllable, whereas the others were told it was not. Participants then rated their interest in 4 types of social comparison information. The results indicated an overall preference for upward comparison to gather useful information. Level of threat interacted significantly with direction of comparison. Comparison preferences were not affected by the control manipulation. The implications of the findings for theories of social comparison as a coping strategy are discussed.
Attitudes Toward Affirmative Action Plans Directed at Blacks: Effects of Plan and Individual Differences1
Authors: Kravitz David A.
Published: August 2006

Non‐Black students (N= 178) completed a questionnaire that permitted tests of hypotheses about the bases of attitudes toward affirmative action plans (AAPs) directed at Blacks. Respondents positively evaluated 5 AAPs (race blind, eliminate discrimination, recruitment, training, proportional hiring) and rejected 2 AAPs (weak and strong preferential treatment). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that attitudes toward the specific AAPs were entirely mediated by judgments of AAP fairness, but were only partly mediated by perceived threats to personal and collective self‐interest. Attitudes toward the specific AAPs were more strongly related to details of the AAPs than to individual differences or to attitudes toward affirmative action in general. Attitudes toward affirmative action in general varied with self‐interest and racism, but not with belief in the dominant ideology of opportunity.
Expectancy Accessibility, Alcohol Expectancies, and Intentions to Consume Alcohol
Authors: Earleywine Mitchell
Published: August 2006

Drug use tends to correlate more strongly with positive expectancies than with negative expectancies. The expectancy‐accessibility model provides one explanation for this disparity. This model suggests that the association between positive expectancies of a drug's effects and intentions to use the drug are larger because positive expectancies are often more accessible in memory. Previous work supports the model for positive expectancies and intentions to use smokeless tobacco. Positive expectancies correlated significantly with intentions to use smokeless tobacco only when they were primed in memory. The current study attempted to extend these findings to alcohol consumption. Positive expectancies correlated significantly with intentions to drink when they were primed in memory, as the model predicts. Nevertheless, positive expectancies also correlated significantly with intentions when negative expectancies were primed. In addition, negative expectancies were not associated with intentions to drink, regardless of priming condition. These latter results are not consistent with the model. These findings suggest that the expectancy‐accessibility model may be limited.
Goal Setting by Groups Performing an Additive Task: A Comparison With Individual Goal Setting1
Authors: Hinsz Verlin B.
Published: August 2006

This article compares goal levels and task performance of groups and individuals that are assigned or self‐set goals. Groups performed an additive task that allowed for direct comparison with individuals' i]ndependent performance of the task. Consistent with predictions, groups and individuals selected goals that were less difficult than assigned goals which required only a modest increase in performance. Group members and individuals who were assigned goals attained higher levels of performance than self‐set or no goal condition subjects. The prediction that group members and individuals who self‐set their goals would have more positive affective reactions to the goal‐setting situation than participants in assigned condition was supported. The results of this study are consistent with the existing literature on groups and individuals regarding effects of goals, performance, and affective reactions. Analyses also indicate that the group goal decision process involves a compensatory strategy in which an average of group member preferences for the goal was used to reach a group goal decision. Discussion focuses on the similarities and differences between the findings of self‐set and assigned goal‐setting situations for groups and individuals, with particular reference to goal choice strategies, goal expectancies, and efficacy.
Patient Distress Undermines the Credibility of Illness Complaints1
Authors: Skelton J. A.
Published: August 2006

Two studies examined the effects of telling lay perceivers about patients' n]onmedical problems. In Study 1, college students rated a male peer's report of a sore throat as less credible and more psychologically caused when these co‐occurred with non‐medical problems (midterm exams or insomnia), even when diagnostic results for strep throat were positive. In Study 2, perceivers received no diagnostic information, and gender of the stimulus patient was varied systematically. The patient was rated as less credible if insomnia was mentioned in a conversation, regardless of the patient's gender. Nonmedical problems also affected which health advice perceivers gave to the patient. These findings are compared with those of previous research on credibility judgment processes, and implications are traced for lay perceivers' m]ental models of illness.
Predicting Intentions of AIDS‐Preventive Behavior Among Adolescents
Authors: KRAHÉ Barbara , Reiss Corinna
Published: August 2006

The aim was to predict adolescents' i]ntentions of regular condom use on the basis of an extended version of Ajzen and Fishbein's (1980) theory of reasoned action. Attitude and subjective norm concerning regular condom use were measured along with their antecedent beliefs and evaluations, with fear of AIDS and knowledge about AIDS included as additional variables. A mixed‐gender sample comprising both sexually active and sexually inexperienced adolescents was studied. The results strongly support the impact of attitude toward regular condom use as a determinant of a corresponding behavioral intention. Normative pressures failed to predict intentions of regular condom use, as did fear of AIDS and knowledge about AIDS. The findings are discussed with respect to intervention campaigns aimed at promoting condom use among adolescents as an AIDS‐preventive measure.
Adult Children of Alcoholics In and Out of Psychotherapy: Issues of Intimacy and Interpersonal Relationships1
Authors: Newcomb Michael D. , Stollman Gary D. , Vargas Jennifer H.
Published: August 2006

We examined differences between treatment‐seeking and nontreatment‐seeking adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and adult children of nonalcoholics (ACONAs) in regard to numerous aspects of interpersonal and intimate relationships. The subjects were 278 college students, aged 18 to 34. Consistent with many other studies, there were numerous differences between ACOAs in treatment and ACONAs not in treatment, although further analyses confirmed the methodological flaw and confound in such comparisons. There were no significant interactions between ACOA and treatment status, nor between ACOAs and ACONAs, regardless of treatment status, with only one likely chance exception of self‐regard (ACONAs not in treatment reported higher self‐regard than did ACOAs not in treatment). Finally, those seeking treatment reported significantly less affectional expression, lower self‐regard, more depressive traits, and less dating competence and assertiveness compared to those not in treatment regardless of ACOA status. Therefore, treatment‐seeking status and not ACOA status account for intimacy and interpersonal problems in this study and probably many others.
An Attributional (Causal Dimensional) Analysis of Perceptions of Sexual Harassment1
Authors: Williams Christopher W. , Brown Richard S. , Lees‐Haley Paul R. , Price J. Randall
Published: August 2006

Female and male subjects read one of three scenarios depicting a social‐sexual interaction between a man and a woman. The scenarios varied in severity of the stimulus male's behavior according to whether sexual harassment had occurred. Subjects then rated the offensiveness of his behavior and whether it constituted sexual harassment. Subjects also rated the stimulus male's behavior on Weiner's (1986) three basic dimensions of causality: locus of causality, or the perceived cause of the behavior as internal or external; stability, or the likelihood of its recurrence; and controllability, or the amount of volitional influence he exercised during the interaction. Additionally, subjects reported their anger at the target male and sympathy for the target female. Findings generally indicated that for both women and men, as the scenarios increased in severity, these ratings were elevated. Gender comparisons also showed elevations in these ratings for female but not for male subjects, and only in the scenarios of lesser severity. Regression analyses revealed attribution variables—control, stability, and anger—as reliable predictors of perceived offensiveness and harassment in the most severe scenario, whereas affects were the most reliable predictors in scenarios of lesser severity. The implications of these findings for perception of sexual harassment are discussed.
Linkers and Nonlinkers: Goal Beliefs as a Moderator of the Effects of Everyday Hassles on Rumination, Depression, and Physical Complaints1
Authors: McIntosh William D. , Harlow Thomas F. , Martin Leonard L.
Published: August 2006

We blocked subjects on their tendency to link the attainment of lower order goals (e.g., being one's ideal weight) to the attainment of a higher‐order goal (i.e., being happy). We then assessed the number of everyday hassles these subjects experienced, the amount of rumination they reported, their level of depression, and the extent to which they were bothered by a number of physical symptoms. These measures were taken at 2 time periods, 2 weeks apart. In the first session, subjects who tended dispositionally to link lower‐order goals to higher order ones were more likely than were those who did not make this link to ruminate, experience depression, and complain of physical symptoms. At Session 2, linkers who had experienced a high number of hassles in Session 1 reported higher depression and more bother from physical symptoms than did any of the other groups. These results are consistent with the growing body of evidence indicating a relation between rumination and depression and suggest that one factor that determines rumination is the extent to which people link the attainment of lower‐order goals to the attainment of higher‐order goals.
Origins of Ruminative Thought: Trauma, Incompleteness, Nondisclosure, and Suppression
Authors: Gold Daniel B. , Wegner Daniel M.
Published: August 2006

The purpose of this paper is to discuss theories of the origin of ruminative thought. We begin by providing a working definition of rumination, separating rumination from other forms of cognitive activity and distinguishing ruminations from ordinary memories. Then, we review what we believe are the major categories of theory that attempt to account for the existence and nature of rumination. These include theories of traumatization, incompleteness, nondisclosure, and thought suppression. Ruminations may originate for a number of reasons, but it seems they may continue because of our attempts to control them. Evidence from studies on thought suppression suggests that the suppression of unwanted thoughts may in fact fuel the very emotions and thoughts we are trying to avoid. Thought suppression may set up a state in which we not only increase the amount we think about an unwanted thought, but potentially also sharpen our emotional reaction to those thoughts.
Cognitive Processing of Traumas: The Role of Intrusive Thoughts and Reappraisals1
Authors: Greenberg Melanie A.
Published: August 2006

Cognitive processing theories of post‐traumatic adaptation (Horowitz, 1986a; Janoff‐Bulman, 1992) propose that repeated comparisons of trauma content with preexisting cognitive schemas result in trauma reappraisal or schematic revision. Thus, intrusive ruminations should facilitate cognitive integration and resolution of past traumas. However, research has shown that some survivors become stuck in endless, repetitive rumination cycles. This raises the issue of how to differentiate ruminations that promote cognitive integration from those that merely prolong or exacerbate psychological distress. Identifying substantive dimensions for categorizing cognitions about past traumas could enhance prediction of their effects on adjustment and inform clinical treatment interventions. This paper seeks to: (a) Assess the current state of theoretical knowledge concerning cognitive adaptation to trauma, (b) integrate theoretical postulates with empirical research findings, (c) define gaps or inconsistencies in our understanding of the cognitive adaptation process, and (d) identify foci for future theory and research.
Self‐Enhancement and Social Responsibility: On Caring More, but Doing Less, Than Others
Authors: White Jonathan A. , Plous S.
Published: August 2006

Self‐enhancement biases have been found in a variety of self‐rated skills, traits, and abilities, yet past research has not examined whether people show such biases in ratings of their social concern and activism. In the present paper, we report the results of two surveys on this question. In the first survey, 549 adults rated their level of concern and activism on one of six different issues (e.g., homelessness). The results showed a general pattern of self‐enhancement in professed concern but self‐deprecation in activism. In the second survey, a random‐digit dialing method was used to contact a representative sample of the general public. A total of 817 respondents rated their level of concern and activism on the issues of environmental protection, animal welfare, and world hunger. The second survey also explored two techniques for debiasing self‐enhancement in concern: one based on a cognitive consistency model, and one based on the salience of others' actions. Findings from the second survey replicated those of the first, and both debiasing techniques failed to reduce self‐ratings of concern. Moreover, a sizable number of respondents said that they would do more if others showed more concern. These results are consistent with a social dilemma in which citizens feel a personal sense of concern, but are reluctant to act until others show greater concern.
A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Substantive and Contextual Mediation Tactics1
Authors: Esser James K. , Marriott Richard G.
Published: August 2006

The effectiveness of three mediation tactics was compared in two laboratory studies. It was hypothesized that a content mediation procedure which involved identifying the priorities of both parties and suggesting a trade‐off of low for high priority issues would be most effective in helping to resolve the dispute, followed by an issue identification mediation procedure in which priorities were identified but no suggestions were made. A positive framing mediation procedure in which the benefits of a negotiated settlement were emphasized was expected to be somewhat less effective. In Study 1, 64 students played the role of company negotiator and interacted with a programmed citizen group negotiator. All three mediation tactics produced more satisfactory outcomes (higher joint payoffs) than did a no‐mediation condition. In Study 2, 46 pairs of students negotiated with one another and received content mediation, issue identification mediation, positive framing mediation, or no mediation. Negotiators receiving content mediation achieved more satisfactory outcomes (higher joint profits) than did negotiators in the other 3 conditions. Results are discussed in terms of a contingency model of mediation effectiveness.
Global Changes and Local Accidents: Consistency in Attributions for Environmental Effects1
Authors: Eiser J. Richard , Reicher Steven D. , Podpadec Tessa J.
Published: August 2006

A questionnaire concerning environmental issues was administered to 462 tourists visiting beaches in southwestern England. One set of items concerned the greenhouse effect, and measured the extent to which global warming was seen as attributable to individual behavior or corporate industrial activity, controllable by changes in behavior and policy, and having an immediate impact on the local climate. Other items concerned a recent shipping accident that had resulted in oil pollution of beaches in the region. Attributing the greenhouse effect to individual or corporate behavior, and interpreting climatic events as signs of this effect, were associated with a belief that the consequences of global warming could be disastrous, but also controllable through international and/or individual action. These responses covaried significantly with those concerning the oil spillage. Thus, greater perceptions of the urgency of dealing with global warming were associated with more negative views of the impact of the oil spillage, and with a greater tendency to attribute the shipping accident as due to bad seamanship, rather than chance. Those who saw individual behavior as contributing to the greenhouse effect were more likely to attribute the accident to bad seamanship, whereas those who felt that ordinary people could do little to stop the effects of global warming regarded the accident as one which could have happened to any tanker. It is suggested that cross‐situational consistencies in attributional style and normative beliefs may contribute to associations between attitudes on distinct environmental issues.
Predicting Adolescent Drinking From Alcohol Expectancy Values: A Comparison of Additive, Interactive, and Nonlinear Models1
Authors: Grube Joel W. , Chen Meng‐Jinn , Madden Patricia , Morgan Mark
Published: August 2006

Additive, interactive, and nonlinear models of alcohol expectancy values were compared using survey data from 1,758 high school students. Expectancies and values independently predicted drinking in the additive model. Expectancies were more important as predictors than were values, and negative expectancies were more important than positive expectancies. Significant expectancy‐value interactions also were found. Drinking was highest when positive consequences were believed to be likely and desirable and was lowest when negative consequences were believed to be likely and undesirable. Significant nonlinearities indicated that beliefs about negative consequences had greater effects at lower levels of likelihood and evaluation whereas beliefs about positive consequences had greater effects at higher levels of likelihood and evaluation. However, the interactive and nonlinear effects were small.
Perceptions of the Onset Controllability of AIDS and Helping Judgments: An Attributional Analysis1
Authors: Dooley Pamela A.
Published: August 2006

Weiner's attributional model of helping behavior is used to examine the relationship between the perceived controllability of the onset of AIDS, the affective reactions of pity and anger, and helping judgments. In this model, the effect of the perceived controllability of another person's need on helping is mediated by pity and anger. In the present study, respondents read one of five scenarios describing a friend who had just been diagnosed with AIDS. The cause of the disease was manipulated in the scenarios. Knowledge about HIV transmission measures and respondent's gender were added as control variables to the original model, which was tested by using path analysis. The findings partially support Weiner's model. The effect of the perceived onset controllability of AIDS on helping judgments was mediated by pity, but not by anger. Respondents' anger toward a friend with AIDS did not inhibit help‐giving.