bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Earthquake Preparedness: Predictors in a Community Survey1
Authors: Dooley David , Catalano Ralph , Mishra Shiraz , Serxner Seth
Published: August 2006

We measured the relationship between earthquake concern and preparation in a community with high seismic risk. Five samples of approximately 800 people were interviewed by telephone about their earthquake concern, but this study focuses on the last two samples in which respondents reported their preparatory behaviors. The findings were consistent in showing greater likelihood of concern for those who had experienced an earthquake, were female, younger, and non‐Anglo and a greater likelihood of preparation for those who had more concern, were married, and had lived longer at their present address. In a nonrecursive causal model, no evidence was found for a reciprocal effect of preparation on concern. These results were discussed in terms of health belief models including the self‐efficacy and “stages of change” perspectives. Implications were drawn for interventions to increase preparation in ready‐to‐change groups and compensate for the resistance of those less willing or able to prepare.
Individual Difference Correlates of the Experience of Sexual Harassment Among Female University Students1
Authors: Barak Azy , Fisher William A. , Houston Sandra
Published: August 2006

Individuals often report experiences that conform to objective definitions of sexual harassment, but rarely report the subjective perception that they have been sexually harassed. The present research proposed that individual difference factors may mediate this commonly observed discrepancy. It was hypothesized that erotophobia, sexual inexperience, youth, sex role traditionality, repressing defensive style, and need for social approval have a weak inhibitory effect on reports of objectively defined experiences of sexual harassment, but a strong inhibitory effect on subjective perceptions that one has been sexually harassed. Results showed that individual difference factors including erotophobia, repressing defenses, and need for social approval were associated with fewer reported objective experiences of sexual harassment, while the base rate of subjective perception that one had been sexually harassed was very low, and this subjective perception was generally unassociated with individual difference factors. Discussion focuses on individual difference characteristics and motivation to ignore or to fail to report objective experiences of sexual harassment, and on suggestions for further research into the very high base rate of objectively defined experiences of sexual harassment and the very low base rate of perceived sexual harassment.
The Discrediting Effect in Eyewitness Testimony1
Authors: Kennedy Thomas D. , Haygood Robert C.
Published: August 2006

Loftus (1974) had subjects read summaries of criminal trials that contained the testimony of either credible or discredited prosecution eyewitnesses, and found no effect of discrediting an eyewitness. Instead, almost as many subjects voted guilty with a discredited eyewitness as with a credible eyewitness; this led Loftus to the conclusion that jurors tend to overbelieve eyewitness testimony. Loftus's conclusion was subsequently challenged by others who reported a strong discrediting effect. A series of three experiments using college students was conducted to explore the characteristics of trial summaries that might account for the discrepancy in results, such as inclusion of judicial instructions concerning proof beyond a reasonable doubt, or an eyewitness's reaffirmation of his testimony following discrediting. In all cases, a strong discrediting effect was found. Apparently the discrediting effect appears regardless of wide variation in content of trial summaries. The present data do not support the overbelief claim.
Aggression as One Response to Conflict1
Authors: Hammock Georgina S. , Richardson Deborah R.
Published: August 2006

This paper presents two studies that explore the link between self‐reported conflict management strategies and aggression. It was predicted that conflict strategies involving concern for the needs of the other would be inconsistent with aggressive behavior. On the other hand, conflict strategies that involve coercion and domination were predicted to be positively related to aggressive behavior. Studies using self‐report and behavioral measures of aggression provide support for these predictions.
Multiple Deescalating Requests, Statistical Information, and Compliance: A Field Experiment1
Authors: Comer James M. , Kardes Frank R. , Sullivan Amy K.
Published: August 2006

Although prior research on influence has identified numerous techniques for increasing donation rates (see e. g., Cialdini, 1988), the problem of increasing donation sizes has been neglected. We conducted a field experiment in a telemarketing fundraising context to examine the effectiveness of three influence techniques for increasing the size of donations. The results indicate that the multiple‐deescalating‐requests technique was effective for increasing donation sizes. However, statistical information‐based techniques were ineffective. Theoretical and applied implications of the results are discussed.
The Effect of Provocation, Race, and Injury Description on Men's and Women's Perceptions of a Wife‐Battering Incident1
Authors: Pierce Maureen C. , Harris Richard Jackson
Published: August 2006

College student subjects read a fictitious newspaper report about a wife‐battering incident. After reading the scenario, subjects completed a series of rating scales about attributes of the two protagonists and the incident in general. Results showed that if the victim had verbally provoked the abuser, male subjects, and sometimes females as well, discounted the seriousness of the incident in numerous ways. An explicit description of the injuries to the victim led subjects to evaluate the incident more seriously. Some higher‐order interactions of the race of the assailant with other factors reflected a subtle and complex racism from the white subjects. Results were interpreted in light of theory in social psychology, consciousness raising about battering, and the behavioral and attitudinal implications for reporting such incidents in the media.
Two Important Distinctions in Social Support: Kind of Support and Perceived Versus Received1
Authors: Helgeson Vicki S.
Published: August 2006

The present study was conducted to examine the effects of social support on adjustment to a first cardiac event. There were two goals: (a) to determine which function of support best facilitated adjustment and (b) to determine whether perceived or received support had a greater impact on psychological health. Sixty‐four patients and their spouses were interviewed shortly before hospital discharge and 3 months following discharge. The results indicated that perceived support has a greater impact on adjustment than received support and that received support does not necessarily indicate that needs are being met. The most helpful form of support was best understood by considering the stressor phase, patient and spouse needs, and the adjustment outcome. Consistent with previous research, however, the negative aspects of social relationships were more robust predictors of well‐being than the positive aspects of social relationships.
Accuracy in Detecting Potential Underage Drinkers: The Role of Contextual Effects in Proofing1
Authors: Mccall Michael
Published: August 2006

Three studies investigated the prevalence and influence of contextual effects in social judgments of age as they concern the purchase of alcohol. In Experiment 1, prior to rating a target individual, college students rated a series of photographs of persons considerably older or younger than the legal drinking age. Contrary to previous research on contrast effects, a cognitive assimilation effect was obtained for perceptions of age. Subjects rated a target person older when the prior stimuli were older, and younger when exposed to youthful stimuli. In Experiment 2, subjects again were exposed to older or younger stimuli or control stimuli (pictures of a university campus) and asked to rate a target individual. In an attempt to make salient the relevant perceptual category, subjects were asked specifically to make age ratings of the priming stimuli. Results again indicated an assimilation effect for age and the decision to proof. Attraction and liking data tended to demonstrate a contrast effect. Experiment 3 replicated the assimilation effects found in Experiments 1 and 2 using actual store clerks. These data are considered in light of the social factors that affect judgments in policies that seek to restrict access to alcohol among minors.
Diabetes Knowledge as a Moderator of Reactions to Illness by Patients With Insulin‐Dependent Diabetes Mellitus1
Authors: Strube Michael J , Yost John H. , Haire‐Joshu Debra
Published: August 2006

We examined patient knowledge as a moderator of psychological reactions to illness among patients with insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus. We reasoned that knowledgeable patients would have the most severe reactions to their illness because the causal implications of good or poor metabolic control would be most apparent. Accordingly, we expected that more knowledgeable patients would react more negatively than less knowledgeable patients to poor metabolic control but would react more positively to good metabolic control. Results from a sample of 46 patients with insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus supported this hypothesis. These findings suggest that increased patient knowledge may not produce uniformly positive results. Patient education programs must consider the psychological implications of patient knowledge in addition to the physiological consequences.
Sexual Attitudes of Males and Females as Predictors of Interpersonal Attraction and Marital Compatibility1
Authors: Smith Eleanor R. , Becker Michael A. , Byrne Donn , Przybyla David P. J.
Published: August 2006

Two investigations examine the effect of similarity of sexual attitudes on (a) attraction to a stranger and (b) marital sexual satisfaction. In an experiment using undergraduates, manipulation of subject‐stranger similarity in general affective orientation to sexuality affected attraction and other evaluative dependent variables. In the second investigation, married couples revealed sexual attitudes and sexual satisfaction. Husbands and wives were similar (r= 0.58, p < 0.001) in their affective orientations to sexuality. Discrepancy between the partners’ scores predicted sexual dissatisfaction in both partners. In addition, the wife's affective orientation to sexuality predicted more indices of sexual satisfaction and adjustment in both the wife and the husband than did the husband's affective orientation to sexuality. Finally, spouses with a positive affective orientation to sexuality were more accurate when judging their partner's sexual enjoyment, compared to spouses with a negative orientation. The findings have implications for the effects of similarity of attitudes on interpersonal attraction and on relationship quality.
Ingroup Versus Outgroup Perceptions of the Characteristics of High‐Risk Youth: Negative Stereotyping1
Authors: Fishkin Stephanie A. , Sussman Steve , Stacy Alan W. , Dent Clyde W. , Burton Dee , Flay Brian R.
Published: August 2006

Adolescents tend to categorize themselves and their peers into discrete ingroups and outgroups. A comparison of ingroup versus outgroup perceptions of the characteristics of high‐risk youth was investigated. Based on current stereotype research, we examined the perspective that outgroup members would hold a more extreme stereotype of high‐risk youth compared to the perceptions of ingroup members. A total of 955 7th‐ and 10th‐grade southern California adolescents completed a questionnaire regarding the characteristics of their own peer group and a high‐risk group. Support was obtained for an extremity of judgement effect. Outgroup youth perceived that their high‐risk peers engaged in fewer school and nonschool low‐risk activities, more high‐risk activities, and greater drug use than did ingroup members. Outgroup members also held perceptions of high‐risk youth as less likely to hold a white‐collar job than did the ingroup members. The perceptions that adolescents have of these groups may play major roles in their own social behavior. The implications of these results for future tobacco use prevention programs are considered.
Dispositional Optimism/Pessimism and Coping Strategies: Predictors of Psychosocial Adjustment of Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis Patients1
Authors: Long Bonita C. , Sangster Joanna I.
Published: August 2006

Because rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has a more unpredictable course than osteoarthritis (OA), we hypothesized that generalized expectancies (optimistic/ pessimistic) influence the psychosocial adjustment of RA patients, whereas disease severity influences the adjustment of OA patients. Path analysis (LISREL VI) revealed that pessimistic RA patients (N= 107) and the more physically disabled OA patients (N= 108) reported poorer adjustment. The hypothesized mediating role of coping was supported for the RA but not the OA sample; that is, pessimism was associated with poor adjustment through greater use of wishful thinking coping. Unexpectedly, problem‐solving coping was not found to mediate the optimism adjustment relationship.
Attenuating the Attribution of Responsibility: The Lay Perception of Jealousy as a Motive for Wife Battery1
Authors: Delgado A. R. , Bond R. A.
Published: August 2006

Jealousy can consist of a broad range of experiences, from an everyday feeling to a pathology that causes abuse and crime. Although historically jealousy has been positively valued, century has seen an antijealousy crusade the effects of which can be noticed everywhere–with the exception of the legal system. Using Weiner's attributional model as theoretical background, a questionnaire research survey was conducted to determine if lay perception considers jealousy to be a justification of wife battery. Results show that current views of jealousy are negative and do not justify a mitigation in responsibility. Additionally differences by age and education can be found in the victim's attributed responsibility independently of the motivation. Implications for the legal system as well as for defensive attribution theory are discussed.
The Influences of Performance Cues and Observational Focus on Performance Rating Accuracy1
Authors: Murphy Michael R. , Jones Allan P.
Published: August 2006

The present study examined the effects of observational focus and performance cues on rating accuracy. It was hypothesized that these two factors would affect ratings independently: a) subjects given a good performance cue would rate the target more positively than subjects given a poor performance cue and, b) subjects using an event focus would rate the target person more accurately than subjects using a person focus. One hundred twenty undergraduates viewed the same videotape and subsequently stated which of a set of 48 behaviors were exhibited by the target person. The results supported the hypothesized performance cue effect. Observational focus did not have the hypothesized main effect on rating accuracy but was involved in a four‐way interaction. The interaction indicated that, as the focus of the subject's attention broadened to the entire event, the errors associated with the performance cue effect were lessened. The subjects using an event focus were likely to generate ratings characterized by a positivity bias, whereas those using a person focus were more likely to generate ratings biased by performance cues.
Blaming Drunk Victims: Is It Just World or Sex Role Violation?
Authors: Hammock Georgina S. , Richardson Deborah R.
Published: August 2006

Richardson and Campbell (1980, 1982), in studying attributions of blame and responsibility for violent interactions, found that intoxicated victims were blamed more and held more responsible for their victimization than their sober counterparts. Two alternative explanations were proposed to account for this finding: the just world hypothesis and the effects of sex role violation. The present study was designed to test these explanations. One hundred twenty‐nine males and 93 females read scenarios that varied the sex of the victim and the level of intoxication of the victim and the aggressor. Participants rated the responsibility of the aggressor, victim, and situation for the action and evaluated the aggressor and victim. Although strong support for neither of the hypotheses was demonstrated, more support was found for the effect of sex role violation than for the just world hypothesis.
Perceptions of Overprotection in III Adults1
Authors: Thompson Suzanne C. , Sobolew‐Shubin Alexandria
Published: August 2006

Several studies have suggested that chronically ill adults who receive overprotective care are more depressed and less motivated in rehabilitation therapy. However, for this area of research to proceed, a standard definition and measurement of perceptions of overprotection are needed. In the present study, long and short forms of a scale (the OPSA) to assess perceptions of being overprotected in chronically ill adults were developed. The scale's psychometric properties were tested with a sample of 161 community‐dwelling older adults. It was found to have good internal reliability, to correlate highly with an established retrospective measure of overprotection in adults, and to be distinct from ratings of quantity and quality of social support. As expected, overprotection was associated with poorer adjustment: Respondents who felt overprotected were more depressed.
Perceived Invasiveness and Fairness of Drug‐Testing Procedures for Current Employees
Authors: Raciot Bernadette M. , Williams Kevin J.
Published: August 2006

A study was conducted with 225 college students to examine the effects of three organizational and policy variables on the perceived fairness and invasiveness of drug‐testing practices. Specifically, the effects of warning type (no warning vs. advance warning), consequence of a positive drug test (termination vs. rehabilitation), and safety sensitivity of the job (safety sensitive vs. safety nonsensitive) were examined. Results suggested that specific features of the policy, as well as type of job under consideration, affected perceived invasiveness and fairness of drug testing. In general, testing was seen as more appropriate for safety‐sensitive jobs, that is, those in which drug‐impaired performance presented a high degree of danger for individuals. Although rehabilitation was perceived as more fair than termination, when safety was an issue, termination was viewed as a justifiable response by the company. Implications for organizational drug‐testing policies are discussed.
An Examination of the Effects of Information Consistency and Distinctiveness in a Reference‐Price Advertisement Context
Authors: Burton Scot , Lichtenstein Donald R. , Herr Paul M.
Published: August 2006

Drawing from theories of social cognition and perception, the effects of information consistency and distinctiveness implied by semantic cues in reference price ads are examined in a 2 (Levels of Distinctiveness) × 2 (Levels of Consistency) × 3 (Levels of Reference Price) between‐subjects experimental design. Both the reference‐price level and the perceived distinctiveness of information implied by the semantic cue had significant effects on internal price standard and attitudinal and perceptual dependent variables. Consistency information had no effect. Competing rationales drawn from assimilation‐contrast theory and anchoring and adjustment effects on judgment are offered as bases for reference‐price predictions. Results reveal that reference‐price level had a monotonic effect on most dependent variables, and thus are more consistent with effects predicted by anchoring and adjustment rationales.
The Structure and Phenomenon of Sexual Harassment: Impact of Category of Sexually Harassing Behavior, Gender, and Hierarchical Level
Authors: TATA JASMINE
Published: August 2006

Several researchers (Fitzgerald & Hesson‐Mclnnes, 1989; Padgitt & Padgitt, 1986; Till, 1980) have suggested that the construct of sexual harassment is multidimensional and consists of five categories of behavior: gender harassment, seductive behavior, sexual bribery, sexual coercion, and sexual assault. Unfortunately, these categories have not been considered in studies investigating the nature and correlates of perceptions of sexual harassment. This paper presents a study that examined the impact of three factors–categories of sexually harassing behavior, gender of subjects, and hierarchical level of the initiator relative to the recipient–on subjects’ perceptions of sexual harassment. The results indicated that gender and hierarchical level influenced the perceptions of two categories of sexual harassment–gender harassment and seductive behavior–but did not influence perceptions of sexual bribery, sexual coercion, and sexual assault. Implications for future research and organizational policies are discussed.
Differences in Task Performance as a Function of Type of Feedback: Learning‐Oriented Versus Performance‐Oriented Feedback1
Authors: Johnson Debra Steele , Perlow Richard , Pieper Kalen F.
Published: August 2006

A laboratory study was conducted to examine the effects of learning‐oriented versus performance‐oriented feedback of task performance. The research also examined the role of self‐efficacy as a moderator. Subjects were college students participating for course credit. The task involved using a computerized simulation of the Space Shuttle's Remote Manipulation System (RMS). Results provided evidence of the beneficial effects of learning‐oriented feedback on performance for the performance dimension addressed in the feedback. Results also provided evidence that self‐efficacy moderates the effects of feedback type (learning‐oriented versus performance‐oriented) on the performance dimension addressed in the feedback. Results are discussed in terms of the cuing and directional functions of feedback and the processes through which feedback influences performance.
The Effects of Computer Monitoring, Standards, and Rewards on Work Performance, Job Satisfaction, and Stress1
Authors: Nebeker Delbert M. , Tatum B. Charles
Published: August 2006

The effects of automated computer monitoring under different conditions of performance standards and reward were examined in two studies conducted in a simulated organization. In the first study, 37 computer operators were divided into six groups who worked for a 2‐week period under different levels of performance standards. Individual keystrokes per hour and productive time was monitored by the computers for all of the groups (one group was a control group which was monitored but was unaware of the monitoring). Four of the six groups were assigned work standards, and performance against standards was also monitored for these four groups. Feedback reports on the monitored performance were available on demand at the individual consoles for those groups which were informed of the monitoring. The results showed that computer monitoring and feedback led to increased key rate compared to the control group which was not aware of monitoring. There was little effect of monitoring on work quality, satisfaction, and stress. In the second study, 24 operators worked for a 9‐week period under various performance standards and rewards. Individual keystrokes per hour, productive time, and performance against standards were monitored by the computers for all workers. Feedback reports on performance against standards and rewards earned were available on demand at the individual consoles. The results revealed that the feedback from different combinations of standards and rewards had varying effects on performance, satisfaction, and stress. These effects, and the results from the first study, are discussed in terms of goal setting and expectancy theory.
Videotaped Versus In‐Court Witness Testimony: Does Protecting the Child Witness Jeopardize Due Process?1
Authors: Swim Janet K. , Borgida Eugene , Mcoy Kathy
Published: August 2006

Videotaping depositions may protect a child witness from the stress of testifying in court but also may influence jurors’ perceptions of the child and the defendant, and jurors’ verdicts in systematic ways. The present study examines several psychological hypotheses that emerge from the controversy over the use of videotaped depositions of child witnesses in child sexual abuse trials. We predicted that student jurors viewing a videotaped deposition would be more proprosecution and less prodefense than those who did not receive testimony in such a form. Thus, it was predicted that jurors viewing a videotaped deposition would perceive the prosecution witnesses and their testimonies more favorably, the defense witnesses and their testimonies less favorably, and give more guilty verdicts than jurors who viewed identical testimony during the course of a trial. We also predicted that females would be more proprosecution and less prodefense than males and that this gender difference would be accentuated by the medium of presentation. The medium of presentation had only a few effects on jurors’ responses. However, when differences emerged, they generally provided support for the predicted main effects. The implications of these findings for the use of videotaped depositions of child sexual abuse victims are discussed.
The Landslide Victory That Wasn't: The Bias Toward Consistency in Recall of Election Support1
Authors: Beggan James K. , Allison Scott T.
Published: August 2006

Experiments that test for the judgmental bias that results from a preference for cognitive consistency often contain two threats to their internal validity. First, the subjects are asked to make judgments about themselves. Thus, the biases that result may be explained in terms of cognitive consistency or the motivation to see oneself in a positive light. Second, the decision subjects are asked to make is often difficult to verify objectively. The present research sought evidence in support of cognitive consistency using a methodology that avoided these two confounds. The context chosen was the tendency of perceivers to use the outcome of a group decision to make inferences about the magnitude of group members’ support for the outcome. The present experiment examined whether people in Richmond, Virginia, would use the outcome of a gubernatorial election to make decisions regarding the percentage of people in favor of the winning candidate. Although the winner won by less than one‐half of one percent of the popular vote, we found that the subjects significantly overestimated the degree of voter support he received and underestimated the degree of support his opponent received. Moreover, this tendency was exacerbated over time.
Storytelling and Coping With Stressful Events1
Authors: Taylor Shelley E. , Aspinwall Lisa G. , Giuliano Traci A. , Dakof Gayle A. , Reardon Kathleen K.
Published: August 2006

Three studies explored the coping benefits and limitations of stories people hear about others undergoing similar stressful events. In Study One, cancer patients reported that positive stories about other patients were preferable to and more helpful than negative stories, yet negative stories were more commonly told. Study Two manipulated the valence and source of stories told to college students facing midterm exams. Stories with positive endings and those relayed by expert sources were regarded more positively than negative stories and those told by nonexperts. Study Three manipulated the valence and informativeness of stories in a similar college sample. Positive and informative stories were rated more favorably, although these effects were independent of each other. Implications for social comparison and social support are discussed.
Gender Differences in the Dimensionality of Social Support1
Authors: Olson Deborah A. , Shultz Kenneth S.
Published: August 2006

Although theoretical frameworks have been developed and research has been conducted in the area of social support, little attention has been given to the influence of gender on the dimensionality of social support. In addition, much of the research on social support has been conducted solely with student samples. In the present study, two samples (students, N = 304, and working adults, N = 301) completed a social support questionnaire. The survey instrument measured four types of social support (appraisal, instrumental, informational, and emotional) from four different sources (supervisor, coworker, spouse, and friends). For the student sample, women reported higher levels of social support than men on most dimensions (i.e., 11 of 16 dimensions), with 5 yielding statistically significant differences. For the sample of working adults, men reported higher levels of social support on most of the dimensions (i.e., 10 of 16), with 5 representing statistically significant differences. Differences in results between the two samples are discussed.
Responsibility Attributions for Drunken Behavior: The Role of Expectancy Violation1
Authors: Leigh Barbara C. , Aramburu Beatriz
Published: August 2006

Research on attributions about drunken aggression has suggested that intoxication serves to excuse the aggressor while increasing blame to the victim. In this study, we examined subjects' responses to a scenario depicting a violent interaction in which intoxication of aggressor and victim, victim's behavior, and aggressor's previous violent background were varied. We predicted that to the extent that the violent act violated the expectations of the observer, alcohol intoxication would serve to decrease dispositional and responsibility attributions to the aggressor. Instead, the findings showed that alcohol use led to increased attributions of causality, blame, and responsibility for both aggressor and victim. The results are discussed in terms of both attribution theory and societal factors influencing the acceptability of excuses involving alcohol.
Traffic Citations in Relation to Gender
Authors: Koehler Scot P. , Willis Frank N.
Published: August 2006

The present study was designed to examine the possibility that traffic officers are more lenient in issuing citations to other gender drivers. Statistics on the traffic citations issued for a year were obtained from the highway patrols of two states. The information was classified by violation, officers' gender, and drivers' gender. For most categories of violation, men issued a greater percent of their citations to male drivers than women did and women issued a greater percent of their citations to female drivers than men did. The differences could have been due to leniency on the part of one gender or both genders of officers. Leniency on the part of both genders is more consistent with the literature on helping in situations with low cost and low threat to the helper. A possible interpretation is that gender identity includes norms for positive treatment of other gender persons.
Early Retirement of Civil Servants in the Netherlands1
Authors: Henkens Kéne , Tazelaar Frits
Published: August 2006

The Netherlands is aging, the labor force participation of older men and women is low, particularly seen in an international perspective. At the same time the massive departure of elderly from the labor force seems to be becoming more and more difficult to afford. In addition, the question arises whether sufficient financial support will be available in the future for maintaining the current level of old age facilities. Despite the popularity of early retirement schemes in the Netherlands, little attention has been paid to the factors underlying this phenomenon. This article takes an initial step towards a multivariate modelling of the older employees' decision to retire early. Compared with other countries, the situation in the Netherlands is special to the extent that there is relatively little variation in the situational context of rules and regulations on voluntary early retirement. This does not imply that the opportunity structure is the same for every older employee: There is variation in the household context, state of health, the organizational context, and the normative context. Furthermore, within a given opportunity structure, there is variation in the older employee's disposition towards early retirement. Using a method of decreasing abstraction, data have been analyzed from a survey conducted among civil servants eligible for early retirement. In the case of the Netherlands, we conclude that mainly the organizational context, the normative context, and the employee's disposition towards retirement play a major role in explaining the early retirement decision. In comparison to former studies in the U.S., we find surprisingly no effect of the financial‐economic variables on the decision to retire.
The Role of Auditory Cues in the Detection of State Anxiety 1
Authors: Harrigan Jinni A. , Larson Mary Ann , Pflum Catherine J.
Published: August 2006

Detecting anxiety is essential in both help‐giving settings and in everyday social relationships. The studies reported here represent a follow‐up to an earlier set of studies in which observers (raters) accurately identified others' (expressers') state anxiety using either video‐only cues or audio‐video cues. The earlier studies had included expressers who were repressors and nonrepressors, while the present studies included only nonrepressors. Observers viewedheard selected segments of previously videotaped expressers' self‐reported high and low state anxiety experiences. Surprisingly, unlike the earlier studies, state anxiety was significantly inaccurately evaluated when video‐only cues were used, but when audio cues were available, state anxiety was correctly identified. Information in video‐only cues seemed to mislead observers since low compared with high state anxiety was rated as more anxious. These studies, and the significant comparison between studies with audio cues present and with audio cues absent, indicate the impact of auditory cues in detecting state anxiety in others.
Women's Attitudes Toward Affirmative Action: Putting Actions in Context1
Authors: Matheson Kimberly , Echenberg Alan , Taylor Donald M. , Rivers Darlene , Chow Ivy
Published: August 2006

Although women typically favor affirmative action, they do exhibit a range of reactions to affirmative action programs. To understand the diversity of reactions, the present study proposed an examination of various forms of affirmative action in the context of the discrimination problem such actions were designed to address. In Study 1, 60 female university students were presented with one of six scenarios describing a situation of discrimination against women, followed by a series of potential affirmative action response options which participants rated in terms of their level of endorsement. Analyses of variance showed that, despite the range of discrimination scenarios, some of which presented extreme cases of discrimination against women, respondents consistently endorsed nondiscrimination measures, and opposed affirmative action strategies involving preferential treatment. Study 2, which preselected 43 women who valued social equality, replicated this finding and found that these results were not due to women not perceiving the presence of collective discrimination. Study 3 examined the attitudes of women in a law and security police training stream (n = 19), whose vulnerability to employment discrimination, both as a group and personally, would be salient. The women in this study endorsed all forms of affirmative action, including explicit preferential treatment in the hiring of women police officers. The implications of these results for the consideration and implementation of affirmative action programs are discussed.
Predicting the Outcomes of Disputes: Consequences for Disputant Reactions to Procedures and Outcomes1
Authors: Heue Larry , Penrod Steven
Published: August 2006

Third parties in dispute settings often make predictions to disputants regarding the likely outcome of their dispute at arbitration. However, virtually no research has examined the impact of predictions on disputant satisfaction with dispute resolution procedures and outcomes. One explanation for the lack of attention to this variable may be that current theorizing regarding dispute resolution procedures is too narrowly stated to incorporate this procedural variation. Theories about predictability from nondispute settings are used to generate hypotheses regarding the consequences of such outcome prediction. In a laboratory setting, disputants prepared arguments in anticipation of an arbitration hearing. Prior to the arbitrator's decision, the experimenter read the disputants' arguments and made a prediction regarding the arbitrator's decision. Their arguments were then presented to an arbitrator who imposed a binding decision. Dependent measures include the disputants' anxiety while awaiting the arbitrator's decision, and their postdecision satisfaction with dispute resolution procedures and outcomes. Internal analyses support the hypothesis that outcome prediction has benefits for disputants' predecision coping, ratings of procedural fairness, and satisfaction judgments. Also, as hypothesized, correct predictions produced greater postdecision satisfaction with outcomes and decision‐makers than did incorrect predictions.
The Belief in Equality Inventory and Leadership Behavior: A Construct Validation
Authors: Gray David B. , Connor Sheila , Decatur Michael
Published: August 2006

The belief‐in‐equality construct is defined as the belief that general ability and potential are widely distributed throughout the human population, rather than being limited to an elite minority. Data from a 21‐item belief‐in‐equality inventory and from two construct‐validation tasks were gathered using a liberal‐arts undergraduate sample of 201 students. Of the two validation tasks, one indicated strong construct validity (p < .015), however, the second one produced correctly patterned but insignificant results. The results showed that leaders with a high belief in equality put more funds into training their subordinates and had a tendency to delegate more authority to them than leaders with a weak belief in equality.
In Pursuit of the Perfect Appearance: Discrepancies Among Self‐Ideal Percepts of Multiple Physical Attributes 1
Authors: Jacobi Lora , Cash Thomas F.
Published: August 2006

Testing self‐discrepancy theories of body image, this investigation examined self‐perceived and idealized physical attributes among 66 men and 69 women, who were white, heterosexual college students. Physical attributes included body size, weight, height, muscularity, hair color and length, eye color, and female breast size. Physical ideals included personal ideals, assumptions about the other sex's ideals for one's own sex, and actual other‐sex ideals. Both sexes expressed significant self‐ideal discrepancies on most attributes, whether ideals were assessed from personal or perceived other‐sex standpoints. The sexes' discrepancies were often comparable in magnitude if the direction of discrepancy was ignored. Both sexes frequently exaggerated their assumptions of what the other sex idealized in the subjects' own sex. Particular self‐ideal discrepancies predicted subjects' global body image. The applied and empirical implications of these findings were considered for both social and clinical contexts.
Observer Perceptions of Chronic Low Back Pain1
Authors: Tait Raymond C. , Chibnall John T.
Published: August 2006

This study examined the effects of three variables on perceptions of symptoms associated with chronic low back pain: (a) the presence or absence of supporting medical evidence, (b) the valence (positive/negative) of the relationship of an observer to the person in pain, (c) the degree of control (present/absent) of the person in pain over the circumstances of pain onset. The independent variables were manipulated in a (2 × 2 × 2) within‐subjects design. Forty‐eight undergraduate subjects were asked to estimate levels of pain intensity, emotional distress, and disability for the person in pain described in each of eight vignettes. Significant main effects, a two‐way interaction, and a three‐way interaction emerged, indicating that these contextual variables exerted substantial and complex effects on observer perceptions. The implications of these findings are discussed for matters such as pain assessment and disability determination.
The Effects of Emotional Involvement and Psychological Distance on Integrative Complexity1
Authors: Suedfeld Peter , Bluck Susan , Ballard Elizabeth J.
Published: August 2006

Integrative complexity is a measure of information processing that is scored either from archival documents or from written material generated for experimental purposes. Low complexity is associated with a lack of attention to diverse dimensions of, or perspectives on, a topic. Moderate complexity is characterized by the differentiation of such dimensions or perspectives. Finally, high complexity is shown by conceptual integration of the differentiated components. A large number of situational variables have been identified as affecting the level of complexity at which decision makers operate; however, emotional factors have been studied only indirectly (e.g., inferred from the individual's being in an apparently stressful situation). The current study presented university students with fictional scenarios describing interpersonal conflict that were designed to vary the psychological distance between the writer and the people involved in the problem. The complexity level of essays in which the students analyzed and described solutions for the conflict was positively related to both increasing psychological distance and to self‐rated emotional involvement, regardless of distance. The distance results may have been due to an unconsidered variable, social perspective. Complexity was significantly and positively correlated with the self‐rated effort expended in writing the essay. The findings partially confirm the cognitive manager model of complexity: The complexity of decision strategies is affected by the balance between the importance of the problem and the resources (cognitive and other) that must be invested to operate at different levels of complexity. The data have implications for understanding the impact of emotional involvement on cognitive complexity.
Perceptions of Children's Credibility in Sexual Assault Cases1
Authors: Bottoms Bette L. , Goodman Gail S.
Published: August 2006

Children's testimony often plays a central role in prosecutions of child sexual abuse. Nevertheless, research on jurors' perceptions of the credibility of child sexual assault victims remains limited. In three experiments, we examined mock jurors' reactions to children's testimony about sexual abuse. Participant jurors were exposed to videotaped or written scenarios of child sexual abuse trials and then rated victim credibility and defendant guilt. Analyses indicated that: (a) victim age was either inversely related or unrelated to perceptions of victim credibility, (b) women were more likely than men to find child victims credible, (c) corroborating testimony from a child victim increased the credibility of another child victim, and (d) exposure of participants to past criminal acts and other negative defendant character evidence heightened perceived victim credibility and defendant guilt. Implications for understanding jurors' reactions to child witnesses are discussed.
An Analysis of the Influence of Work Environment Variables and Moderators on the Burnout Syndrome
Authors: Turnipseed David L.
Published: August 2006

This study investigates the relationship between component factors of the work environment and burnout. Age, time on the job, and the intensity of religious beliefs were hypothesized to moderate the work environment/burnout linkage. The Work Environment Scale (Moos, 1986) was used to assess the work environment, and burnout was measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1986). Results identified peer cohesion, work pressure, supervisor support, job clarity, and autonomy as work environment variables which are linked to burnout. Age, time on the job, and the intensity of religious beliefs moderated the influence of the work environment on burnout. Results are discussed with respect to organizational effectiveness and management.
Bystander Responses to Public Episodes of Child Abuse
Authors: Christy Cathryn A. , Voigt Harrison
Published: August 2006

Bystander responses to public episodes of child abuse were surveyed among 269 self reported witnesses. Respondents completed an 80‐item self‐report questionnaire which inquired into a broad range of events, experiences, and behaviors surrounding naturally occurring incidents of perceived child abuse witnessed in public places. Almost one‐half of the sample reported having witnessed at least one event of child abuse in public, but only one out of four witnesses acted to intervene. Data analyses identified 40 statistically significant variables across four categories: characteristics of the bystander, situation, victim, and perpetrator. Results were generally consistent with predictions and findings from previous research on bystander intervention, but a number of new and significant variables were identified that characterized intervention events. Direct and indirect forms of intervention were also distinguished. Implications of the findings are discussed, and educating people to intervene on behalf of abused children is proposed.
Sources of Resistance to Mergers Between Groups1
Authors: Haunschild Pmela R. , Moreland Richard L. , Murrell Audrey J.
Published: August 2006

Workers involved in a business merger often display strong ingroup/outgroup biases that can threaten the merger's success. Social identity theory helps to explain why and when such problems will occur. Using that theory, strong cohesion and successful performance were identified as two characteristics of a workgroup that should increase its resistance to a merger. An experiment involving mergers between small task groups was conducted to test this claim. Each group's cohesion and performance was used to predict its enthusiasm for a merger before it occurred, and any ingroup/outgroup biases that it displayed afterwards. Cohesion was unrelated to either of these measures, but as we predicted, more successful groups were less enthusiastic and displayed stronger biases. Relative rather than absolute success was an especially good predictor of merger resistance. The results were discussed within the context of social identity theory, which generated several suggestions for further research on business mergers.
Understanding as an Antidote for the Dysfunctional Consequences of Organizational Politics as a Stressor 1
Authors: Ferris Gerald R. , Frink Dwight D. , Gilmore David C. , Kacmar K. Michelle
Published: August 2006

The proposition that organizational politics perceptions are potential stressors with potentially dysfunctional outcomes was set forth based on previous theory. The hypothesis that the dysfunctional outcomes of stress associated with the perceptions of the organizational political climate can be ameliorated by understanding the environment was tested in a field study. Results provided strong support for the hypothesis, demonstrating a significant interaction of politics x understanding on job anxiety, and showing that understanding can serve as an antidote of sorts to the dysfunctional effects of organizational politics.