bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decision-Making Utility of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale in Identifying At-Risk Preschoolers
Authors: Stebbins Molly S. , McIntosh David E.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale (BBCS) to differentiate between atrisk and normal preschoolers. The sample consisted of 79 children (45 males, 34 females) ranging in age from 3 years, 6 months to 5 years, 11 months. The results supported the use of the BBCS when attempting to discriminate between at-risk and normal preschoolers. More specifically, the BBCS School Readiness Composite (SRC) was a better predictor of at-risk children than the BBCS Total Test score supporting the administration of the briefer SRC. The SRC, alone, was approximately 84 percent accurate in correctly classifying at-risk from normal preschoolers compared to the BBCS Total Test score that was approximately 75 percent accurate. A SRC scaled score of seven or below was established for recommending that preschoolers be further evaluated for possible developmental delays.
Risk Factors for Adolescent Violence
Authors: Kingery Paul M. , Clayton Richard , McCoy-Simandle Lynn
Published: March 2007

Violence as a function of vulnerability and delinquency was examined in a sample of 2066 ninth-graders. Vulnerability was examined by several proxy measures (being hit, attacked, or touched inappropriately at school; being exposed to weapons at school; the absence of the father from the home; and mother's educational attainment). Violence was a composite measure of the frequency of hitting a student, hitting or shoving a teacher, carrying a weapon at school, group fighting, and armed robbery. Vulnerability indicators explained 48% of the variance in violence in the first step of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Delinquency measures (crime involvement, punishment at school, and drug involvement) and attitudes toward school increased the explained variance to 74%. Vulnerability is posited as a potential central mechanism for the development of violent behavior. Prospective study of this mechanism is recommended.
A Scale for the Counseling Needs of Families with Handicapped Children in Arab Countries
Authors: Smadi Ahmad A. , Sartawi Abdel Aziz
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure the counseling and educational needs of Arab families with handicapped children. One hundred and forty-three parents participated in this study to establish the construct, content and discriminant validity of the scale, together with its internal consistency and the contribution of each item to the total score.
The Changing Roles of Educational Psychologists in Hong Kong
Authors: Lam Shui-Fong , Mak Yung-Sung
Published: March 2007

This is a study of the roles and functions of educational psychologists in Hong Kong. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 21 Hong Kong educational psychologists in spring 1997. The purposes of the survey were to investigate how much time Hong Kong educational psychologists use in various services and with various clients, what difficulties they encountered in their work, what skills and knowledge they perceived as important to their practices, and how frequently they work with other professionals. The results of the survey indicated that Hong Kong educational psychologists have gone beyond the traditional role of psychometricians or gatekeepers of special education. Their services ranged from remediation to prevention, case work to systems work, and direct services to indirect services. Reflecting a universal trend, Hong Kong educational psychologists function in an advanced model of service delivery which is proactive and systemsoriented. However, they are still faced with many difficulties in their work. These difficulties include lack of government planning, a poor ratio between educational psychologists and students, and poor promotion prospects in their careers. On the basis of the survey findings, implications for training and the future development of the profession are discussed.
The Decline of Worker Solidarity and the End of Collectivism?
Authors: D'Art Daryl , Turner Thomas
Published: March 2007

Developments in industrialized societies since the end of the 1970s, it is sometimes claimed, have resulted in the erosion of traditional working-class communities and a decline in union membership. This has raised questions regarding the continuing relevance of collectivism and solidarity. Using a survey of an Irish general union, the authors examine the level and types of solidarity among the membership. The results provide little evidence that levels of solidarity in this particular union have been eroded. The authors find that the policies and practices of the union leadership are an important determinant of union activism and activism is strongly associated with solidarity.
New Technology, Union Strategies and Worker Participation
Authors: Deutsch Steven
Published: March 2007

American unions are undergoing a new set of challenges, to initiate strategic planning on technological change within a context of cooperative and hostile labor relations and new economic constraints. Amidst major difficulties, there are some encouraging developments which have taken place.
From Solidanstic Wages to Solidaristic Work: A Post-Fordist Historic Compromise for Sweden?
Authors: Mahon Rianne
Published: March 2007

Post-Fordist scenarios have excited the attention of many scholars and practitioners in advanced capitalist economies. What is less often considered is the kind of power resources required to institutionalize a progressive post-Fordist compromise. The question of power is explored first in general terms and then through an analysis of the Swedish unions' new strategy centred on the notion of solidaristic work. Solidaristic work is analysed as a formal strategy (does it meet the criteria of historical progressiveness?) and its prospects for success are considered against the backdrop of the crisis of representation that erupted in 1990.
Do Union Voice and Worker Participation Coincide? A Study of Australian Managers' Perceptions
Authors: Drago Robert , Wooden Mark
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the relationship between employee, union delegate and union official influence over managerial decision-making, using survey responses from 249 workplace managers from large Australian firms. By applying indicators of influence at different levels of aggregation, a strong positive linkage between voice and participation is located. Further, it is found that employee participation is more closely linked to voice exerted by workplace union delegates as opposed to full-time union officials, and the areas where delegates and officials maintain influence are generally identical to the areas where employees exert influence.
Trade Union Strategy in Contemporary Capitalism: The Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Implications of Political Unionism
Authors: Boreham Paul , Hall Richard
Published: March 2007

Trade union movements in advanced capitalist economies pursue different strategies and draw on different organizational resources at both macropolitical and micropolitical levels. While the theoretical implications of industrial and political strategies have been extensively debated, the actual outcomes of political unionism have rarely been subjected to rigorous empirical investigation. Utilizing data drawn from three different surveys of union strategies and measures of industrial and economic democracy in seven capitalist economies since the mid-1970s, this paper examines the microeconomic and macroeconomic implications of political unionism. The evidence suggests that while political unionism results in both macroeconomic and microeconomic outcomes favourable to labour, at the level of the labour process these achievements are registered in the empowerment of collective actors (unions and works councils) rather than individual actors (workers).
Trade Unions and Networking in the Context of Change: Evaluating the Outcomes of Decentralization in Industrial Relations
Authors: Lucio Miguel Martinez , Weston Syd
Published: March 2007

This article addresses the fatalistic approach to trade unions in an era of supposedly decentralized production methods and in the context of the new wave of managerial practices in the workplace. An alternative thesis is presented, portraying the responses trade unions are making with regard to these developments in the form of networking. The authors argue that the evolution of these formal and informal networks within the labour movement, and in particular the political orientations of the actors involved in such networks, will ultimately condition managerial initiatives and the eventual outcomes of contemporary developments in the structure of production. The article points to the need to study such points of cooperation in such a way that their organizational dynamics, their political context and their contradictory developments are appreciated.
The Roots of Consensus: Bargaining Attitudes and Political Commitment among Swedish and British Workers c. 1920-1950
Authors: Johansson Alf O. , Melling Joseph
Published: March 2007

Recent literature in economics and political science has drawn attention to the impact of institutions on the development of advanced capitalist economies and revived interest in the spread of corporatism in postwar Europe. The slowdown in productivity growth during the past two decades has sharpened the debate on the effects of market regulation in countries such as Britain and Sweden. There is a formidable body of writing which attributes low growth to the interference of collective organizations, and to trade unions in particular. This paper surveys the arguments on the comparative growth of bargaining institutions in the two countries and offers a critical review of the definitions of 'corporatism' and 'institutional sclerosis' which have figured so prominently in the discussions of the performance of modern industrial economies. In contrast to much recent scholarship in economic history and industrial relations, the paper argues that any assessment of the origins and impact of bargaining institutions must be framed by an analysis of the wider political and cultural forces which have shaped the 'rational' expectations and behaviour of economic actors in the two societies during the middle decades of the 20th century. The divergence in behaviour and the effects of this behaviour on productivity growth must be explained, to a large extent, in terms of the distinctive values and political economy devised by the labour movements in Britain and Sweden. Models which assume standard, common motivations are invariably flawed.
Participatory Democracy May Go a Long Way: Comparative Growth Performance of Employee Ownership Firms in New York and Washington States
Authors: Winther Gorm , Marens Richard
Published: March 2007

This article presents results from two studies implemented in the USA from 1990 to 1993. A main finding of the studies was that participatory decision-making in employee ownership firms seems to be a key explanatory variable to relatively faster growth rates than in conventional firms. Other indicative findings on participatory employee ownership firms outperforming conventional participatory firms lead us to hypothesize whether employee ownership and participatory decision-making may have a synergistic performance effect. A longitudinal approach mainly suggests that employee ownership firms perform worse than conventional firms before the inception of an employee ownership programme, but better afterwards. The findings are discussed in relation to economic theories on profit sharing and on participatory and labour-managed firms.
Work Diversity and Negotiation: The Case of Singapore
Authors: Yun Hing Ai
Published: March 2007

Although much has been written about the effects of industrial restructuring on the advanced industrialized economies of the West, little research has been conducted on the impact of restructuring on newly industrializing economies such as Singapore. This exploratory study of 224 Singaporean workers reveals that while there did not appear to be a sense of generalized alienation, many were dissatisfied with work intensification and bureaucratic constraints in their workplaces. The article suggests reforms which could help to achieve happier and more productive workplaces.
New Unionism and the Transformation of the Korean Industrial Relations System
Authors: Lee Chang-Hee
Published: March 2007

This article explores the impact of new unionism on the transformation of the Korean industrial relations (IR) system at both national and enterprise level. It is argued that the presence of a strong union movement added a unique dimension to the structural shift of Korea from low-cost export-oriented industrialization (EOI) to higher value-added EOI, different from other Asian newly industrialized countries (NICs). Employees' new found strength brought on a development of internal labour markets in large companies, forcing management to adopt new IR/HRM (human resource management) policies. The author notes two different orientations, solidarity-oriented industrial unionism and micro- corporatistic enterprise unionism, within the Korean labour movement. The article attempts to make a comparison of IR between Japan and Korea, highlighting differences as well as similarities.
Interpersonal Competency in Sex Offenders
Authors: Hudson Stephen M. , Ward Tony
Published: March 2007

The major theoretical frameworks all invoke, often implicitly, social competency deficits as part of their causal explanations for sexual aggression. In this article, the authors reviewthe evidence for this general position, noting both that social competency is not best seen as being equivalent to social skill and that domain specificity is likely to be important. They argue that intimacy, empathy, and cognitive distortions are likely to be the most salient domains in the area of sexual aggression. Recent use of attachment theory to conceptualize intimacy suggests that this approach may have more utility in both classification and intervention planning. An information processing view of empathy, together with likelihood of situational constraints on deficits, has usefully advanced this area. The possible relationships between such deficits and cognitive distortions are noted. Current literature on cognitive distortions is also briefly reviewed. Finally, suggestions for a helpful research agenda are made.
Teaching Social Skills to People with Autism
Authors: Weiss Mary Jane , Harris Sandra L.
Published: March 2007

The treatment of social skills deficits remains one of the most challenging areas in meeting the needs of people with autism. Difficulties in understanding social stimuli, in initiating and responding to social bids, and in appreciating the affect that is intrinsic to social interactions can be baffling for people with autism. Researchers and practitioners of applied behavior analysis have tried a variety of strategies for teaching social skills. This article examines a range of useful procedures for teaching social skills to people with autism, including skills that are adult mediated, peer mediated, and child-with-autism mediated. The authors also consider the potential of classwide interventions in inclusive settings, pivotal response training, and the use of scripts to teach social initiations.
Self-Monitoring and Self-Administered Overcorrection
Authors: Ollendick Thomas H.
Published: March 2007

The relative contribution of self-monitoring and competing response practice to the effectiveness of the Azrin and Nunn (1973, 1977) habit-reversal procedure was investigated in two children exhibiting nervous tics. A multiple baseline design across settings was employed for each child and the reliability of self-monitoring was determined. Results indicated that both children were capable of reliable self-monitoring and that self-monitoring alone was sufficient to reduce tics in one of the children. For the other child, who presented a longer history of tics, it was necessary to include competing response practice with the self-monitoring. For both children, change was setting specific. Issues of generalization were discussed.
Cued and Noncued Self-Recording of Attention to Task
Authors: Heins Elizabeth D. , Lloyd John Wills , Hallahan Daniel P.
Published: March 2007

Self-recording of attention-to-task behavior when children were cued to record by an audiotape recorder was compared with self-recording without a cue. Four boys enrolled in a special class for the learning disabled were trained to monitor and record their own attention-to-task behavior under the two conditions. Both conditions resulted in increased attending behavior in comparison with baseline, but the cued condition had greater effects than the noncued condition. Similar but less powerful effects were observed for the rate of correct arithmetic computation. Weekly observations for over two-and-one-half months following the termination of self-recording requirements revealed continuing high levels of attention to task and academic productivity for three of the boys.
Assertive, Empathic Assertive, and Conversational Behavior
Authors: Wildman Beth G. , Clementz Brett
Published: March 2007

The present study examined the impact of assertion, empathic assertion, and conversational behavior on the perception of likability and sex-role orientation of the asserter. Findings suggested that empathic comments mitigated the negative impact of assertion. Perceptions of sex-role indicated that males viewed assertive models as either androgynous or masculine whereas females tended to classify assertive models as masculine. Both males and females rated empathic assertive models as either androgynous or masculine. Possible clinical implications of sex-role-consistent assertive behavior and explanations for lack of assertiveness are discussed.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders
Authors: Thyer Bruce A.
Published: March 2007

The criteria from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental' Disorders (DSM-III-R) for anxiety disorders relevant to children and adolescents are reviewed. Empirically supported behavioral and pharmacological therapies specific to separation anxiety disorder, avoidant disorder, overanxious disorder, simple phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, and sleep terror disorder are discussed. Exposure-based treatments are indicated in most cases in which an anxiety-evoking stimulus can be clearly identified. With respect to the treatment of children and adolescents, pharmacotherapy remains understudied for most disorders. It appears that the behavioral therapies found useful in the treatment of adults with anxiety disorders can be successfully applied to the care of younger persons. Significant lacunae remain in the clinical research literature in these fields, offering many opportunities for both practitioners and scientists.
Severe Problem Behaviors Related to Social Interaction
Authors: Taylor Jill Chapman , Carr Edward G.
Published: March 2007

The effects of problem behavior displayed by two groups of children with developmental disabilities was investigated. One group of children exhibited problembehavior under conditions of low adult attention and was referred to as the attention-seeking or AS behavior profile group. A second group of children exhibited problem behavior under conditions of high adult attention and was referred to as the socially avoidant or SA behavior profile group. A third group of nonproblem children (NP) was examined for comparison purposes. Pairs of children were placed in a teaching situation, and the effects of child problem behavior upon adult instructional behavior were measured. Results indicated that child behavior affected adult behavior and that different child behavior profiles affected adults differentially. Adults responded to the problem behaviors of the AS behavior profile group by increasing attention, providing higher levels of physical contact, and presenting academic tasks that required continuous adult-child interaction. Conversely, the same adults responded to the problem behaviors of the SA behavior profile group by reducing attention, providing lower levels of physical contact, and presenting academic tasks that required little adult-child interaction. The data indicated that these child effects were powerful, immediate, and durable. Theoretical implications concerning reciprocal social influence and the operant theory of child problem behavior are discussed. Applied implications concerning treatment selection and maintenance are also explored.
A Comparison of Two Self-Management Packages to Standard Coaching for Improving Practice Performance of Gymnasts
Authors: Wolko Karen L. , Hrycaiko Dennis W. , Martin Cgarry L.
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the effects of standard coaching versus standard coaching plus public self-regulation versus standard coaching plus private self-regulation on the frequency of young gymnasts' beam skills in practice. Subjects were 5 young female competitive gymnasts. A single-subject multielement design was employed to evaluate the experimental conditions. Results showed an increase in the gymnasts' skill frequency in all conditions, with private self-regulation being the most effective overall. Social validation results indicated that subjects preferred both self-regulation packages over the standard coaching alone condition. Gymnastics coaches who were surveyed perceived the gymnasts' skill development as significantly improved with the private self-regulation package.
Generalizing Spontaneous Language in Developmentally Delayed Children via a Visual Cue Procedure Using Caregivers as Therapists
Authors: Matson Johnny L. , Francis Kelley L.
Published: March 2007

Developmentally delayed children are recognized by deficits in language, motor skills, and social interaction. The importance of this topic is demonstrated by the fact that many studies have focused on increasing different aspects of this population's language. New training elements for this population were used here (e.g., the visual cue method was used in home settings). Caregivers were trained as therapists to teach children spontaneous speech by targeting two behaviors. The visual cue method was effective for increasing spontaneous speech in developmentally delayed children in the home. This finding is significant in that home training with caregivers promoted generalization of language by programming common stimuli. Implication of these data for future research is discussed.
Feedback to Staff on Resident Lifestyle
Authors: Newton J. Stephen , Horner Robert H.
Published: March 2007

Providing feedback has been found to affect the behavior of staff of school and community programs. The present article presents a descriptive analysis of feedback provided to staff members concerning the lifestyle of 33 participants in 18 community residential programs in Oregon. Staff from four cohorts of programs were trained to monitor the physically and socially integrated activities experienced by program participants, and to review those data at weekly meetings. Examination of the results before and after programs had used the monitoring system indicated increases in the average number of community activities experienced by participants, the average number of activities they did with community people, the size of their social networks, and the number of individuals they identified as friends. Results were discussed in terms of the role of feedback in improving community support, the need for further research for understanding staff behaviors responsible for observed gains, and the need to better understand the relationship between observed patterns of activities and individual quality of life.
An Empirical Method for Assessing Social Problem Solving in Schizophrenia
Authors: Sayers Margaret D. , Bellack Alan S. , Wade Julie H. , Bennett Melanie E. , Fong Pattey
Published: March 2007

The development of a multimethod social problem-solving battery for schizophrenia is described. The battery is unique in that empirical methods were used throughout its development. The battery includes components that tap skills for response generation and response evaluation. The behavioral components of social problem solving are assessed in an extended role-play format. Individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as nonpatient controls, completed the social problem-solving battery and cognitive measures. Subjects in the schizophrenia group performed more poorly than controls on measures of the ability to generate and evaluate response alternatives, as well as on the role-play test. The two patient groups did not differ in performance on any of the social problem-solving components. Appropriateness of affect was the most powerful predictor of problem-solving effectiveness.
Schizophrenia
Authors: Hemsley David R.
Published: March 2007

It is argued in this article that information-processing models enable us to link psychotic phenomena to their neural bases. The core abnormality is viewed as a disturbance in the integration of sensory input with stored material. The performance of schizophrenic subjects on tasks derived from both animal learning theory and human experimental psychology is consistent with the model. The way in which such a disturbance relates to schizophrenic symptoms is outlined. It may result from an abnormality at one or more points in the neural circuit responsible for generating predictions of subsequent sensory input; in particular the hippocampus and related brain structures are implicated. The potential relevance of the model for psychological intervention is discussed.
A Review of Cognitive Behavioral and Pharmacological Treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Authors: Neziroglu Fugen , Yaryura-Tobias Jose A.
Published: March 2007

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) first appeared in the diagnostic nomenclature in 1987 with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition Revised (DSM-III-R) (APA, 1987). Currently in DSM-IV(APA, 1994), the criterion of impairment in functioning was added to the already existing criteria of preoccupation with an imagined defect in appearance not accounted for by another mental disorder. The body parts most often perceived as defective are the nose, hair, and complexion. Behavioral and pharmacological studies consist primarily of case reports. Systematic desensitization, exposure and response prevention, and cognitive therapy are promising approaches that need further investigation. Pharmacological agents noted to be beneficial are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Controlled studies in this area are also needed.
The Role of Parental and Extrafamilial Social Support in the Psychosocial Adjustment of Children with a Chronically Ill Father
Authors: Kotchick Beth A. , Summers Peter , Forehand Rex , Steele Ric G.
Published: March 2007

The relationships among illness stress, perceived support, and child psychosocial adjustment were examined for children living with a chronically ill father. Participants included fathers, mothers, and one child from 53 families in which the father had hemophilia and, in some cases, was HIV seropositive. Objective indicators of severity of illness and subjective measures of the physical and psychological impact of illness were used as sources of children's stress. Results indicated that the impact of illness, but not the severity of illness itself, related to child psychosocial adjustment. Main effects were observed for parental support on child-and parent-reported internalizing problems and stress-buffering effects were obtained for parental support and extrafamilial support on parent-reported internalizing problems. Parental support also demonstrated a stress-buffering effect for child-reported depression. Assessment and intervention implications for behavioral clinicians and researchers are discussed.
Right Hemisphere Damage Impairs the Ability to Process Emotional Expressions of Unusual Faces
Authors: Mandal Manas K. , Asthana Hari S. , Maitra Samya
Published: March 2007

Patients with focal brain damage, right and left hemisphere damage, and nonpatient controls were asked to match photographs of emotion expressions that were depicted in unusual (line drawings, strange, and schematic) and normal (usual) representations of faces with the target emotion expressions of normal face. Nonpatient controls were significantly superior to tight hemisphere damaged patients in matching photographs of emotion expressions that wre depicted in line drawings of normal face and schematic face.
A Supported Relationships Intervention to Increase the Social Integration of Persons with Traumatic Brain Injuries
Authors: Johnson Katherine , Davis Paula K.
Published: March 2007

A supported relationships intervention was used to increase the integrated social contacts (ISCs) of 3 persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who were each matched with 4 community participants. The intervention consisted of asking participants to meet with their matched counterpart to engage in leisure activities once per week for 4 weeks. Additionally, community participants were provided with a brief training session on TBI, were given specific suggestions on interacting with the persons with TBI with whom they were matched, and received weekly phone calls from the researcher. Frequency of ISCs were analyzed with a multiple baseline design across participants. All 3 participants with TBI increased the frequency of ISCs after implementation of the supported relationships intervention and continued to experience more than baseline levels of ISCs during 8 weeks of follow-up. These data suggest that social integration can be enhanced with a procedure requiring limited staff intervention.
Recorded Audio Prompts
Authors: Steed Stephanie E. , Lutzker John R.
Published: March 2007

This researchwas conducted to teach two adults with schizophrenia and mental retardation to respond to recorded audio prompts in order to eliminate the need for instructor assistance in completing routine prevocational tasks. Studying individuals with dual diagnosis is an important step in moving toward success in community living and vocational placement. A multiple probe design across taskswas conducted. Prior to the investigation, both individuals demonstrated low levels of independent task completion. Following the implementation of the audio prompts, both individuals’task completion performances dramatically increased. These findings suggest that audio prompts may serve as an efficient alternative to instructor promoting, which is often required by individuals with dual diagnosis in prevocational job settings.
Applying the Affordance Conception of Traits: A Person Perception Study
Authors: Mignon Astrid , Mollaret Patrick
Published: March 2007

The authors compared an affordance operationalization to two traditional operationalizations of traits. Following Beauvois and Dubois (2000), it is argued that traits involve a consistency in both the target behaviors (TBs) and others’ behaviors toward the target (OBs). Conceptually, TBs represent descriptive knowledge (what the target tends to do) and OBs represent functional knowledge (what the target tends to afford). To compare the operationalizations, 49 participants were asked to judge videotapes of 12 targets using one of three rating modes: (a) global trait labels, (b) TBs, or (3) OBs. Results showed that (a) targets were more differentiated with OBs than with TBs or trait labels and (b) trait scales were more homogeneous with OBs than with TBs or trait labels. Consequences of a Gibsonian approach to person perception are discussed.
The Effects of Trait Type and Situation Type on the Generalization of Trait Expectancies Across Situations
Authors: Trafimow David
Published: March 2007

Three experiments tested the cross-situational generality of trait expectancies. In each experiment, participants were told about a behavior that a target person performed in one situation and subsequently made predictions about the target person’s behavior in a different situation. In addition, the behaviors pertained to positive or negative hierarchically restrictive or partially restrictive trait dimensions. The findings from Experiments 1 and 2 indicated that behaviors consistent with the negative pole of hierarchically restrictive trait dimensions are most likely to be expected by participants to generalize across situations. In Experiment 3, the behaviors were relevant to ability rather than morality, and in this case, it was behaviors consistent with the positive pole of hierarchically restrictive trait dimensions that were most likely to be expected to generalize across situations.
Lessons from the Past: Do People Learn from Experience that Emotional Reactions Are Short-Lived?
Authors: Wilson Timothy D. , Meyers Jay , Gilbert Daniel T.
Published: March 2007

Do people learn from experience that emotional reactions to events are often short-lived? Two studies indicate that it depends on whether the events are positive or negative. People who received positive or negative feedback on a test were not as happy or unhappy as they would have predicted. People in the positive feedback condition did not learn from this experience when making predictions about their reactions to future positive events. People in the negative feedback condition moderated their predictions about their reactions to future negative events, but this may not have been a result of learning. Rather, participants denigrated the test as a way of making themselves feel better and, when predicting future reactions, brought to mind this reconstrual of the test and inferred that doing poorly on it again would not make them very unhappy. Experience with a negative event (but not with a positive event) may improve the accuracy of one’s affective forecasts, but the extent to which people learn from their affective forecasting errors may be limited.
On the Origins of Racial Attitudes: Correlates of Childhood Experiences
Authors: Towles-Schwen Tamara , Fazio Russell H.
Published: March 2007

This study explored the developmental correlates of undergraduates’ current racial attitudes and two factors involved in motivation to control prejudiced reactions—concern with acting prejudiced and restraint to avoid dispute. A questionnaire assessed the frequency and nature of participants’ childhood experiences with Blacks as well as perceptions of their parents’ racial attitudes. Results suggest that automatically activated attitudes may be continually updated, whereas factors involved in motivation to control prejudiced reactions remain related in adulthood to earlier childhood experiences. Positive attitudes were associated only with positive interactions when they were recent (high school), whereas participants’ reports of greater concern were associated with more positive interactions at all school levels and with perceptions that their parents were unprejudiced. Greater restraint was associated with delayed and infrequent contact, more negative interactions during middle school, and more parental prejudice.
Antecedents and Outcomes of Work-Family Conflict: Toward a Motivational Model
Authors: Senécal Caroline , Vallerand Robert J. , Guay Frédéric
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the present study was to propose and test a model of work-family conflict based on Self-Determination Theory and the Hierarchical Model of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation. The model posits that positive interpersonal factors both at work (i.e., one’s employer) and at home (e.g., one’s spouse) influence work and family motivation. Moreover, the model proposes that low levels of self-determined family and work motivation both contribute to family alienation, which in turn influences the experience of work-family conflict. Finally, work-family conflict leads to feelings of emotional exhaustion. Results from structural equation modeling supported the model. Although the model was supported for both men and women, some sex differences were uncovered at the mean level. Theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.
The Interdependent Self-Construal and Social Support: The Case of Persistence in Engineering
Authors: Cross Susan E. , Vick Niki V.
Published: March 2007

This prospective study examined student self-esteem and persistence during the first 2 years of an undergraduate program in engineering. The authors hypothesized that individuals who define the self in terms of close relationships, termed the interdependent self-construal, will experience a sense of misfit in the competitive engineering environment but that high levels of social support will mitigate this effect. As expected, for students with a very interdependent self-construal, levels of social support were positively related to changes in self-esteem during the 1st year and predicted continued enrollment in engineering at the end of the 2nd year, controlling for previous academic performance and self-efficacy. The implications of these findings for understanding the role of the self-construal in behavior and for increasing the supply of well-trained engineers are discussed.
Ostracism and Ego Depletion: The Strains of Silence
Authors: Ciarocco Natalie J. , Sommer Kristin L. , Baumeister Roy F.
Published: March 2007

Two studies examined whether ostracizing someone depletes psychological resources in the ostracizer. In Study 1, people who followed instructions to avoid conversation with a confederate for 3 minutes later showed decrements in persistence on unsolvable problems. In Study 2, ostracizers showed subsequent impairments in physical stamina on a handgrip task. Although ostracism affected mood too, mood did not appear to mediate the main findings. Past work has shown that ostracism has negative consequences for the victim, but the present results indicate that ostracism has a harmful impact on the ostracizer too.
Female Dominance Hierarchies: Are They Any Different from Males’?
Authors: Mast Marianne Schmid
Published: March 2007

This research investigated gender differences and longitudinal effects in dominance hierarchy organization based on verbal interruptions in same-sex small discussion groups. Participants (58 women, 58 men; average age = 37.5) met twice in the same groups to debate for 45 minutes. The use of a newly developed coding system allowed assessing the winner and loser of an interruption and identification of dominant individuals. On the basis of dyadic dominance matrices, the degree of linearity and temporal stability were computed. Results showed that women were less hierarchically organized than men only at the very beginning of the interaction. With time, men decreased and women first increased and then decreased in hierarchical organization. Rank orders in all-male as well as all-female groups were unstable across time. Three different models describing the possible nature of dominance hierarchies are presented, and results are discussed and integrated in reference to them.
When to Begin? Regulatory Focus and Initiating Goal Pursuit
Authors: Freitas Antonio L. , Liberman Nira , Salovey Peter , Higgins E. Tory
Published: March 2007

The authors propose that a prevention focus fosters preferences to initiate action earlier than does a promotion focus. Data from four studies either measuring or manipulating regulatory focus support this proposal. Participants in a prevention focus preferred initiating academic (Studies 1 and 2) and nonacademic (Study 3) actions sooner than did participants in a promotion focus. Participants working through a set of anagrams solved those that were prevention framed before those that were promotion framed (Study 4). Moreover, regulatory focus and perceived task valence each accounted for unique variance in participants’ task-initiation preferences (Study 3). The findings’ implications are discussed for task choice, susceptibility to distraction, and other aspects of self-regulation.
Behavior Online: Does Anonymous Computer Communication Reduce Gender Inequality?
Authors: Postmes Tom , Spears Russell
Published: March 2007

Two studies examined dominance and self-stereotyping in mixed-sex groups who had online discussions. Gender differences in dominance varied as a function of several contextual variables: individuation, the accessibility of gender stereotypes, and the fit between group task and stereotype. Results of the second study indicate that only when group members are depersonalized (anonymous and not individuated) does stereotype activation produce gender-stereotypic behavior. However, the nature of stereotypic behavior is moderated by the fit between group task and stereotypes, such that men dominate when the topic is masculine but not when it is feminine. These findings do not support suggestions that the anonymity offered by online communication would lead to equalization. Instead, results confirm predictions from a social identity model of deindividuation effects that social effects of anonymity and identifiability in (online) groups depend on contextual factors such as stereotype accessibility and fit.
Self-Doubt and Self-Esteem: A Threat from within
Authors: Hermann Anthony D. , Leonardelli Geoffrey J. , Arkin Robert M.
Published: March 2007

The impact on self-esteem of activating self-doubt was investigated in three studies. Individuals with enduring high self-doubt were expected to be more threatened by an experimental induction of self-doubt (modeled on the ease of retrieval paradigm) than individuals low in enduring self-doubt, and their self-esteem was predicted to decline. The predictions were supported when self-esteem was measured postexperimentally (Experiment 1) and when it was measured both pre- and postexperimentally (Experiment 2). There was no comparable loss in self-esteem for individuals low in self-doubt. A third experiment explored the phenomenology of low-self-doubt individuals and replicated the finding that their level of self-esteem was unaffected by the induction designed to produce doubt.
Too Many of a Good Thing? The Effects of Multiple Motivations on Stress, Cost, Fulfillment, and Satisfaction
Authors: Kiviniemi Marc T. , Snyder Mark , Omoto Allen M.
Published: March 2007

Individuals engage in behaviors to satisfy motivations and can engage in the same behavior to satisfy a variety of different motivations. Previous research has examined how differences in the overall amount of motivation influence outcomes but has not addressed how differences in the number of conceptually distinct motivations one has for a particular action influence outcomes. In two longitudinal field studies, individuals with more than one motivation for volunteering experienced greater negative outcomes than did those who volunteered to satisfy a single motivation. A laboratory study manipulated the number of motivations individuals had for engaging in a volunteer activity. Individuals with two motivations reported greater negative outcomes than did those with one motivation. The importance of these findings for understanding the linkages of motivation and action in self-regulated behaviors is discussed.
Help That Is Not Called Help
Authors: Brickman Philip , Stearns Amy
Published: March 2007

Help that is not called help is more likely to go to the already advantaged.
Burglary (Non)prevention: An Instance of Relinquishing Control
Authors: Miransky Jeremy , Langer Ellen J.
Published: March 2007

Two field experiments were conducted to assess the attributions people make for burglary and burglary prevention, and the degree to which these attributions relate to overt crime prevention measures. It was found that an overwhelming majority of our subjects believed that burglary prevention was the responsibility of others and as such, they did not take overt precautionary measures themselves. To our surprise, there were no differences on these measures between burglarized and nonburglarized subjects.
Base Rates and Prediction: The Role of Sample Size
Authors: Kassin Saul M.
Published: March 2007

The present research focused on sample size as one factor which may mediate the efficacy of sample-based consensus information. In one experiment, subjects confronted with two conflicting base rates relied on the one derived from the larger sample when making individual and population predictions. In a second experiment, subjects for whom consensus percentages were discrepant with expectations assumed that these base rates were derived from a smaller sample than did subjects for whom the percentages were congruent with expectations. These results were discussed in the context of the literature on consensus, prediction, and attribution.
The Effect of Commitment, Threat and Restoration of Freedom on Attitude Change and Action-Taking
Authors: Pallak Michael S. , Sullivan John J.
Published: March 2007

After initial public or private commitment to their position, subjects received a request for further compliance that implied high or low threat to freedom to refuse. Under private commitment, high threat resulted in negative attitude change relative to low threat and this difference was attenuated under public commitment. While subsequent restoration of threatened freedom attenuated differential compliance between high and low threat under private commitment, greater compliance with the request was obtained under public than under private commitment. These results suggested that initial commitment may entail loss of freedom to refuse subsequent attitude-related requests and that loss of freedom may not be restored while initial public commitment remains intact.
Perceived and Actual Locus of Control Similarity among Friends
Authors: Feinberg Richard A. , Miller Franklin G. , Ross G. Alexander
Published: March 2007

Internal and external locus-of-control individuals supplied the name and address of their "best friend" who was then asked to complete a locus-of-control scale. While friends predicted locus-of-control similarity, no actual similarity existed between them. These results are discussed in light of an attraction-friendship continuum.
Social Psychology and Cumulative Knowledge
Authors: Tedeschi James T. , Gaes Gerald G. , Riordan Catherine , Quigley-Fernandez Barbara
Published: March 2007

A set of categories was developed and used to assess the character of research papers published in two journals for the years 1976 and 1977 and in one of them in 1967. The results indicated that about half of current research does not attempt to test available theories, but that over the last decade there has been a noticeable change in the direction of doing so.
When Thinking Disrupts Intellectual Performance
Authors: Langer Ellen J. , Weinman Cynthia
Published: March 2007

When overlearned motor acts are mindfully considered while they are being performed, performance typically is severely disrupted. The present research questioned whether a similar debilitation results when mindful consideration is given to intellectual behavior that has been overlearned. Subjects discussed either an overlearned or novel issue and did so either immediately, after a short delay, or after a short delay where a suggestion was made to think about the issue during the delay. Thinking resulted in less articulate speech when addressing an overlearned but not a novel issue.
Significant Others and Self-Evaluation
Authors: Edwards Allen L. , Klockars Alan J.
Published: March 2007

Inconsistent results have been obtained with respect to the congruence between perceived others' evaluations and the actual evaluations obtained from others when others have consisted of members of a peer group. In this study, 178 individuals described themselves as they believed significant others would describe them, and actual evaluations were obtained from one significant other for each of the 178 individuals. Under these conditions significant and consistent congruence was found for 53 personality traits between: (1) self-evaluations and perceived others' evaluations; (2) self-evaluations and actual evaluations obtained from one significant other; and (3) perceived others' evaluations and the actual evaluations by one significant other.