bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emergency Fire-Safety Skills for Blind Children and Adolescents
Authors: Jones Russell T. , Sisson Lori A. , Van Hasselt Vincent B.
Published: March 2007

The efficacy of group emergency fire-safety skills training for blind adolescents was examined. Eight subjects in a residential school were trained to respond to an emergency fire situation under simulated conditions. The intervention consisted of instructions, explicit corrective feedback, behavior rehearsal, social and token reinforcement, and verbal and behavioral reviews. Participants' fire-emergency responses were assessed in simulated emergency situations as well as during unannounced nighttime fire drills. A multiple-baseline analysis across subjects showed high levels of skill acquisition in all subjects during emergency simulations. Further, behaviors generalized to actual fire drills in six of the eight subjects. Results are discussed in terms of: (1) the cost-effectiveness of the group treatment strategy, and (2) the need for additional research in emergency safety skills with the visually handicapped. Limitations of the present methodology are indicated; suggestions for directions future investigations might take are offered.
Reinforcer Displacement
Authors: Neisworth John T. , Hunt Frances Moosbrugger , Gallop Howard R. , Madle Ronald A.
Published: March 2007

An ABA design was used to evaluate the effects of reinforcer displacement on the self-stimulatory behavior of two severely retarded 19-year-old males. Reinforcer displacement involves the imposition of continuous reinforcement followed by sudden extinction. It was hypothesized that application of this procedure would result in the rapid weakening of undesirable behaviors thought to be maintained by unidentifiable contingencies. Use of the reinforcer displacement procedure produced substantial decreases in the targeted inappropriate behaviors for both subjects. Two-week follow-up assessments indicated that treatment effects were maintained for one subject, but recovery to baseline levels was observed for the other. Treatment effects, ethical considerations, and therapeutic potential are discussed.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Social Performance Survey Schedule
Authors: Lowe Michael R.
Published: March 2007

The reliability, discriminant validity, and convergent validity of the positive behavior subscale (Part A) of the Social Performance Schedule (SPSS) were examined. College students completed the SPSS once and a subsample completed it again one month later. High skill (HS) and low skill (LS) subjects on Part A completed the Hopkins Symptom Check List (to assess discriminant validity), self-monitored their naturally occurring social interactions, listed the number of friends they had, and participated in an in vivo interaction. Also, two friends of each subject were asked to complete a peer rating form to assess subjects' social competence. The reliability (temporal and internal consistency) of Part A was adequate. HS and LS subjects did not differ on the Symptom Check List, supporting Part A's discriminant validity. MANOVAs and subsequent univariate ANOVAs indicated that the two skill groups differed significantly on most of the convergent validity criteria. Findings from a previous SPSS study (Miller & Funabiki, 1984), which found consistent HS-LS differences on a laboratory-based interaction, were replicated for global but not for specific measures of skill. Reasons for this discrepancy and future research directions were briefly discussed.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy in the Treatment of Multiple Personality
Authors: Caddy Glenn R.
Published: March 2007

The case of Audrey H. represents the first successful cognitive behavioral treatment of a multiple personality reported in the literature. In this article the construct of multiple personality is briefly reviewed from various theoretical perspectives. The therapeutic approach chosen involved first the analysis of the emotions and behaviors of each subpersonality and then the process of integrating each alternate by cognitively developing in Audrey the realization that her various alternates all were facets of the same individual. Various specific behavioral procedures were employed, all within a generally orchestrated program of cognitive restructuring. Five years after the completion of therapy, this patient was experiencing no dissociation whatsoever and only moderate levels of anxiety.
Home Safety with Families Being Treated for Child Abuse and Neglect
Authors: Barone Vincent J. , Greene Brandon F. , Lutzker John R.
Published: March 2007

Home safety is a problem associated with child neglect. Previous attempts to remediate home safety problems within the context of an ecobehavioral approach to treating child abuse and neglect involved considerable counselor involvement. The present research demonstrates the effect of a less cumbersome intervention to reduce home safety hazards in three families being treated for child abuse and neglect. A multiple-baseline design across safety hazards within families and across each family was used to evaluate the effects of the treatment program. Social validation data from two of the families indicated satisfaction with the program.
Enhancing Social Skills and Self-Perceptions of Physically Disabled Young Adults
Authors: Starke Mary C.
Published: March 2007

This study compared the effectiveness of assertiveness training, discussion-support group, and waiting-list control group experiences in enhancing the social skills and self-perceptions of 30 disabled undergraduates. Assertiveness-training subjects improved more than discussion-and-control group subjects in the content of their social responses as judged by "blind" observers on the Behavioral Observation Scale (BOS) (p < .025). Assertiveness subjects also improved more on the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (p < .01). No significant group differences were found on the Acceptance of Disability (AD) or on the Assertion Inventory scores. A strong association (r = .81) was found between judges' ratings of assertiveness on the BOS and subjects' self-ratings on the Rathus (p < .001). Significant correlations were also found between BOS and AD scores and between AD scores and duration of disability (p < .05).
Psychological Assessment and Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Authors: Blanchard Edward B. , Schwarz Shirley P. , Radnitz Cynthia R.
Published: March 2007

We have summarized the available literature on the psychological assessment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In addition, both the uncontrolled group outcome studies and the controlled studies that utilized psychological treatment of IBS are reviewed. We have summarized in some detail one of our own recent studies on the assessment of IBS and its comparison to chronic headache. Finally, we summarized three of our own recent studies of the treatment of IBS with a multicomponent program composed of relaxation, thermal biofeedback, and cognitive stress coping therapy. This program has been successful in 50% to 60% of patients across five small-scale replications.
Behavior Completion Versus Stimulus Control in Compulsive Gambling
Authors: Mcconaghy Nathaniel , Armstrong Michael S. , Blaszczynski Alex , Allcock Clive
Published: March 2007

Twenty subjects were randomly allocated to receive either imaginal relaxation (IR) or imaginal desensitization (ID) to reduce compulsive gambling. As predicted from a behavioral completion model, but not a stimulus control model, subjects' response to IR was comparable with that to ID. Also as predicted, response correlated with subjects' levels of tension following treatment. Detailed assessment of the situations in which subjects' gambling occurred was not necessary for effective IR therapy. The result established the treatment validity of the assessment used, this study being the first to compare the treatment validity of different behavioral assessments. The finding that manipulation of an organismic variable level of arousal is as effective as a manipulation of a stimulus variable in the treatment of compulsive gambling supports the trend among behavior therapists to place more emphasis on the importance of organismic variables as determinants of pathological behaviors.
Aversive Conditioning of Visual Screening with Aromatic Ammonia for Treating Aggressive and Disruptive Behavior in a Developmentally Disabled Child
Authors: Dixon M. Joanne , Helsel William J. , Rojahn Johannes , Cipollone Rose , Lubetsky Martin J.
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the usefulness of aversive conditioning of a mild punishment procedure that had ceased to suppress target behaviors to clinically acceptable levels. A 6.8-year-old severely retarded boy with high levels of aggressive, destructive, and loud screeching behaviors was readmitted to a psychiatric facility to adjust behavioral programs and rule out seizure disorder. A design combining withdrawal and multiple baselines across behaviors tested the effects of aversive conditioning of visual screening with ammonia and the impact of anticonvulsant medication (carbamazepine, phenytoin). Data indicated that aversively conditioned visual screening temporarily lowered rates of responding. It is tentatively concluded that aversive conditioning might be a useful mechanism to strengthen suppressive effects of mild punishment procedures and a promising approach for alleviating placement problems due to maladaptive behaviors in mentally retarded persons. Maintenance of treatment effects, community placement, and the mandate to choose the least restrictive aversive treatment alternative are discussed. Anticonvulsant medication showed no beneficial effect for the target behaviors investigated.
Fourth-Grade Students' Math Performance with the Criterion Referenced Curriculum
Authors: Joseph Laurice , Cooper John O.
Published: March 2007

A system of direct instruction, the Criterion Referenced Curriculum (CRC), was evaluated with five regular fourth-grade students. A multiple-baseline experimental analysis showed a functional relationship between the use of the CRC and improved math performance in multiplication, subtraction, and division. Participants demonstrated an immediate improvement in math performance, either an improving performance trend or an increase in level of correct answers, whenever the CRC was introduced following the baseline conditions.
An Examination of the "Dosage" Effects of Both Behavior Therapy and Methylphenidate on the Classroom Performance of Two ADHD Children
Authors: Hoza Betsy , Pelham William E. , Sams Susan E. , Carlson Caryn
Published: March 2007

Within the context of two case studies, the effects of two doses of methylphenidate (MPH) and behavioral interventions of varying potency are examined independently and jointly. Whereas studies of dose effects of MPH exist in the current literature, studies of different "doses" of behavior therapy-that is, interventions that vary in potency--are rare. This article uses a within-subjects design to demonstrate the importance of examining different doses of both types of treatments in determining the maximally effective treatment for a given child. The importance of considering individual differences is emphasized throughout this article as response to treatment among Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder children is quite variable. Case 1 illustrates the importance of evaluating medication response within the context of differing doses of behavior therapy; Case 2 demonstrates that difficult-to-manage cases are sometimes manageable using potent doses of both treatments simultaneously.
Antecedent Manipulation in the Treatment of Primary Solid Food Refusal
Authors: Johnson Cynthia R. , Babbitt Roberta L.
Published: March 2007

A 4-year-old with primary solid food refusal was treated with systematic fading of utensil type and food texture, using a multiple probe design across food groups. The subject was a multi-handicapped boy hospitalized for feeding problems, self-injurious behaviors, and sleep cycle reversal. At admission, the subject received all nutrition in the form of a liquid nutritional supplement through regular bottle feedings every half hour. Craniofacial anomalies and past multiple facial surgeries precluded the use of a physical prompting procedure. During the first treatment phase, pureed foods were presented with a preexisting stimulus (a regularbaby bottle). Accepted presentations were reinforced with music delivered through headphones. All other behaviors received neutral consequences. In the second treatment phase, undiluted pureed foods were presented in bottles, which allowed experimenter control of the size of the bolus entering the mouth. Consequences were identical to those in Treatment 1. Next, spoon-feedings were introduced with the same consequences in place. Reinforcement with a newly acquired preferred food was initiated and faded to a variable ratio three (VR3) schedule. This fading procedure was effective in teaching this young multihandicapped child to consume a nutritionally balanced diet of pureed foods with an average acceptance of 94% and a concomitant decrease in inappropriate mealtime behaviors.
Evaluation of Restraint-Elimination Interventions for Students with Multiple Disabilities in a Pediatric Nursing Care Setting
Authors: Luiselli James K. , Waldstein Nancy
Published: March 2007

Mechanical restraint devices are sometimes used to prevent challenging behavior displayed by persons with disabilities. However, regulatory guidelines seek to prohibit or restrict the use of restraint in many residential programs. This research evaluated the implementation of restraint-elimination interventions with two students in a pediatric nursing care setting. Assessment and treatment procedures were developed and coordinated through a multidisciplinary, consultative team approach. Mechanical restraints were eliminated successfully with both students following application of individually designed treatment plans. Issues related to restraint-elimination programming and behavioral intervention within pediatric nursing care facilities are discussed.
Use of a Concurrent Operants Paradigm to Evaluate Positive Reinforcers during Treatment of Food Refusal
Authors: Cooper Linda J. , Wacker David P. , Brown Kimberly , Mccomas Jennifer J. , Peck Stephanie M. , Drew Janet , Asmus Jennifer , Kayser Krista
Published: March 2007

The authors evaluated the responsiveness of 4 preschool-aged children to positive reinforcers within a concurrent operants paradigm during mealtimes. The children were presented with two identical, concurrently available sets of food. Each set differed in quantity and quality of positive reinforcement paired with acceptance of each bite of food or in the number of bites of food required to obtain positive reinforcement. Experiment 1 evaluated 1 child’s responsiveness to positive reinforcement while permitting escape from bite offers. Experiment 2 evaluated 2 children’s responsiveness to positive reinforcement when escape extinction occurred. Results from these experiments suggested that the children were responsive to positive reinforcers and chose more often the bites paired with the greater quantity and/or quality of reinforcement. Experiment 3 evaluated 1 child’s responsiveness to positive reinforcement both without and with escape extinction. Results suggested that positive reinforcement affected choice behavior and that escape extinction affected amount of food consumed.
Using Rapidly Alternating Multiple Schedules to Assess and Treat Aberrant Behavior in Natural Settings
Authors: Zanolli Kathleen , Daggett Julie , Ortiz Kristi , Mullins Jo
Published: March 2007

The validity of using rapidly alternating multiple schedules (RAMS) as a method for assessing and treating aggression and disruptive behavior was demonstrated by using the naturally occurring reinforcers identified in the RAMS to develop treatments that were experimentally tested. The RAMS consists of a series of 2-minute components in which a naturally occurring consequence is applied contingent on the target”s behavior, alternated with components in which the consequence is not applied, with no break between components. The aggressive and disruptive behaviors of four 2- to 11-year-old children were analyzed and treated in school and home settings. The RAMS analyses yielded clear results about the reinforcing function of naturally occurring consequences in all cases, and the treatments using the reinforcers identified in the RAMS were all effective. The possible uses of the RAMS as an efficient, ecologically and experimentally valid tool for clinical assessment are discussed.
The Role of Resource and Relational Concerns for Procedural Justice
Authors: Heuer Larry , Penrod Steven , Hafer Carolyn L. , Cohn Ilene
Published: March 2007

Two studies test the hypothesis that trust, neutrality, and standing influence procedural justice because of their relation to resource motives as well as the relational motive posited by the Group Value Theory. In Study 1, El Salvadorons were asked to evaluate a procedure for seeking redress for a rights violation and the current national government. Both the rights procedure and the government were evaluated on the dimensions of trust, neutrality, standing, absolute outcome, outcome fairness, and procedural fairness. In separate models of procedural fairness, the relational variables exerted both resource and relational effects. The same model was examined among U.S. residents questioned about a recent encounter with another individual. The resource hypothesis was supported again, despite changes in the cultural and political context and the operationalization of key constructs. These studies suggest a broader interpretation of the meaning of the relational variables than is typically emphasized in current theoretical conceptualizations.
Simulation, Scenarios, and Emotional Appraisal: Testing the Convergence of Real and Imagined Reactions to Emotional Stimuli
Authors: Robinson Michael D. , Clore Gerald L.
Published: March 2007

Appraisal research has relied heavily on vignette- and recall-based methodologies in theory construction; however, the validity of these methodologies in capturing the concomitants of online experience is unknown. To assess the convergence of online and simulated accounts of emotion, the authors assigned undergraduate research participants to either online or simulated conditions. Those in the online condition reported on their appraisals and emotions after viewing a series of 10 emotional slides, whereas those in the simulated condition estimated their likely reactions on the basis of short descriptions of the same slides. Despite the different information available in the two conditions, there was a surprising degree of correspondence in the reports. This convergence was seen in mean levels of appraisal and emotion but even more dramatically in the pattern of appraisal-emotion relations across slides. It is concluded that vignette methodologies can play a useful role in theory construction. In addition, the findings raise interesting questions about the role(s) of implicit theory in emotion.
When Accuracy-Motivated Perceivers Fail: Limited Attentional Resources and the Reemerging Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Authors: Biesanz Jeremy C. , Neuberg Steven L. , Smith Dylan M. , Asher Terrilee , Judice T. Nicole
Published: March 2007

The ability of accuracy-motivated perceivers to form individuated impressions of targets and to avoid creating self-fulfilling prophecies is hypothesized to depend on sufficient attentional resources. Accuracy-motivated interviewers were led to believe that their applicants were either well suited for the job or not and were given either no task or a mildly or highly distracting task to complete during the interview. Consistent with past research, nondistracted accuracy-motivated interviewers neither created self-fulfilling prophecies nor formed expectation-consistent impressions. In contrast, highly distracted accuracy-motivated interviewers both created self-fulfilling prophecies and formed expectation-consistent impressions. Without sufficient attentional resources, even well-intentioned accuracy-motivated perceivers can fall prey to their inaccurate expectations and create inappropriate self-fulfilling prophecies.
The Role of Self-Referent and Other-Referent Knowledge in Perceptions of Group Characteristics
Authors: Krueger Joachim , Stanke David
Published: March 2007

Research on social projection shows that perceptions of group characteristics depend, in part, on people’s perceptions of themselves. According to the principles of inductive reasoning, however, knowledge of other individual group members should also predict perceptions of the group. The present studies directly compared the use of self- and other-referent knowledge. In Study 1, self-judgments predicted group judgments better than judgments about a familiar other person did. When differences in the accessibility and stability of self-referent and other-referent knowledge were controlled, the predictive advantage of self-referent knowledge disappeared. In Study 2, the other person was present during assessment (i.e., visually salient) and other judgments predicted group judgments as well as self-judgments did. Changes in social categorization, however, instead of increases in the individuation of the other person accounted for this finding. It is concluded that projection is best understood as an egocentric bias rather than a form of inductive reasoning.
What You See is What You Get: Systematic Variability in Perceptual-Based Social Judgment
Authors: Livingston Robert W.
Published: March 2007

The existing literature on attitudes and social perception provides ample confirmation of the impact of physical appearance on social judgment and evaluation outcomes. The present article investigates the extent to which these robust findings are moderated by stable individual differences in the tendency to rely on external stimulus qualities in forming social impressions. Study 1 introduces the Perceptual Reliance Index (PRI) and provides psychometric data on the measure. Study 2 shows that high PRI participants make significantly different social evaluations for targets of high versus low physical attractiveness, whereas low PRI participants do not. Study 3 further extends these findings by demonstrating that within-race variations in phenotypic appearance (e.g., skin color, facial features) produce differential priming effects for high but not low PRI participants. Such systematic bias in social judgment on the basis of physical cues alone suggests the existence of a purely perceptual-based form of prejudice.
Working Models of Attachment, Support Giving, and Support Seeking in a Stressful Situation
Authors: Simpson Jeffry A. , Rholes W. Steven , Oriña M. Minda , Grich Jami
Published: March 2007

This study examined how working models of attachment to parents (assessed by the Adult Attachment Interview—AAI) and romantic partners (assessed by the Adult Attachment Questionnaire—AAQ) predicted spontaneous caregiving and care seeking in a stressful situation. Dating couples were videotaped while one partner (the man) waited to do a stressful task. Observers then rated each woman’s support giving and each man’s support seeking. The AAI and the AAQ independently predicted behavioral outcomes. Women with more secure representations of their parents and whose dating partners sought more support provided more support, whereas women with more secure representations of their parents whose partners sought less support provided less. Women who reported being more avoidantly attached to romantic partners provided less support than did less avoidant women, regardless of how much support their partners sought. Attachment orientations did not predict men’s support seeking.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin Modeling Processes in the Development of Sex Role-Related Performance Expectations
Authors: Vorwerk Katherine E. , Feldman Robert S. , Rood Penelope
Published: March 2007

Sixty-one male and female high school students observed male and female models either succeeding or failing on an anagram task. Results on measures of subjects' expectations for their own future performance on the task and estimates of their own ability on the task showed that male subjects were influenced by male models' performance but not female models' performance, while female subjects were not influenced by the performance of either male or female models.
Perceived Locus of Control, Chronic Self-Esteem, and Attributions to Success and Failure
Authors: Levine Robert , Uleman James S.
Published: March 2007

Male subjects, classified high or low on chronic self-esteem and high or low on internality-externality, received bogus feedback of pass or fail on a person perception task. They then attributed their performances to ability, effort, task difficulty and luck. As predicted, externals were more likely than internals to attribute their failures, but not their successes, to external factors. Shortcomings in Rotter's scale and a narrowness in his definitions of internality and externality were discussed. Differences resulting from chronic self-esteem emerged only in attributions to effort.
When Density Affects Task Performance
Authors: Paulus Paul B. , Matthews Robert W.
Published: March 2007

The effect of density on task performance was examined under three different conditions which varied whether subjects' performance was measured early or late in the crowding experiment. An effect of density on task performance was obtained only when performance was assessed immediately. This result may explain the failure of many studies to find density effects on task performance.
Achievement Motivation and Economic Growth
Authors: Beit-Hallahmi Benjamin
Published: March 2007

Following McClelland's (1961) work on the relationship between levels of need Achievement and subsequent economic development, I performed a replication to check the relationship with more recent data. Need Achievement levels in 1950 were correlated with growth in electricity production between 1952 and 1976. The correlation between these two variables was low and nonsignificant (.11). The results are discussed in the context of historical changes.
Classroom Ecology
Authors: Levine Douglas W. , O'Neal Edgar C. , Garwood S. Gray , McDonald Peter J.
Published: March 2007

A two-phase study was conducted to examine the effects of classroom seating position on test scores and participation. When students selected their seats (Phase 1), those in the front performed better on the exam than did those in the rear. There was, however, no effect of proximity on participation. When students were randomly assigned to seats (Phase 2), there were no differences in test scores as a function of proximity; however, students in the front of the class participated more than did those in the rear. These results imply that the relationship between seating position and grades is mediated by self-selection processes, while participation is influenced by seat location per se.
Nonverbal Expression of Effort as Causally Relevant Information
Authors: Rejeski Walter J. , Lowe Charles A.
Published: March 2007

The effects of nonverbal effort cues on causal attributions were assessed. Subjects watched a videotape of an athlete running on an exercise treadmill. The athlete either succeeded or failed and was either expressive or nonexpressive. As hypothesized, expressive athletes were seen to exhibit more effort than nonexpressive athletes. More important, significant interactions showed that for failure conditions nonexpressive athletes were seen to have less ability and as more responsible for their failure than expressive athletes. Implications for attribution research, attribution theory, and self-presentation were discussed.
Dissonance and the Pill
Authors: Bond Charles F.
Published: March 2007

Recent reviews of the dissonance/self-perception controversy conclude by citing evidence of dissonance misattribution as incompatible with self-perception theory. This article subjects that conclusion to an empirical test using Bem's interpersonal simulation method. Results indicate that observers cannot reproduce the attitudes subjects reported in the original misattribution study by Zanna and Cooper. This evidence provides further support for a dissonance anal) sis of attitude-discrepant behavior.
Rogers's "Models of Man"
Authors: Spence Janet T.
Published: March 2007

Rogers (1980) claims that the current popularity of mentalistic constructs can be attributed to the methodological respectability such constructs have recently acquired, in contrast to their earlier illicit status. Although this belief is common, history does not support it.
Outcome Severity and Knowledge of "Ought"
Authors: Harvey Michael D.
Published: March 2007

Two experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that moral evaluations of retaliatory harm are a direct function of the discrepancy between the observed retaliation severity and the appropriate retaliation severity (the Ought). Both severe and mild retaliation, then, would be evaluated more negatively than moderate retaliation. The first experiment manipulated the value of the Ought, and the second experiment allowed subjects to employ their own belief about it. The results of both experiments supported the hypothesis.
Intimacy and Scarcity of Self-Disclosure
Authors: Petty Richard E. , Mirels Herbert L.
Published: March 2007

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that the relationship between the intimacy of self-disclosure and liking for the self-disclosing person is mediated in part by the perceived scarcity of the revelations. Within a factorial design, subjects expecting to hear a same-sex partner disclose information which was low, medium, or high in intimacy, were either given no information about the scarcity of the disclosures or were led to believe that the partner would ordinarily reveal such information to a great many people or to very few people. Although both males and females gave clear evidence of disclosure reciprocity, males' liking for their partners failed to be influenced by either the intimacy or scarcity of the expected revelations. For females, when no scarcity information was provided, increased information intimacy produced greater liking. As anticipated, when scarcity was held constant at either a high or low level, the effects of intimacy on attraction were attenuated and nonsignificant. The findings are discussed in terms of a revised commodity theory formulation.
Operant Behavior Under a Falsely Perceived Response-Reinforcement Contingency
Authors: Kleinke Chris L.
Published: March 2007

Subjects were given the task of learning which of five buttons to press in order to communicate a "correct" response to a "student" in an adjoining room. Contingent subjects received contingent reinforcement for pressing the correct button and Yoked subjects received noncontingent reinforcement. Contingent subjects learned the correct response very quickly and Yoked subjects never learned the correct response. However, Yoked subjects attributed as much teaching success and teaching ability to themselves as did Contingent subjects. Yoked subjects also emitted as many button-press responses as Contingent subjects. It appeared that button-press responses of Yoked subjects were maintained with a falsely perceived response-reinforcement contingency.
Type a Coronary-Prone Behavior Pattern
Authors: Strube Michael J , Ota Steve
Published: March 2007

The present study was conducted to examine the relationship of birth order and family size to the Type A coronary-prone behavior pattern. Previous research indicates that parents are more likely to set high, but ambiguous, achievement standards for t-heir first-born children, and to push them harder than later borns. These style differences parallel those proposed for parents of Type A children, suggesting that one factor in the development of Type A behavior may be differential treatment of first versus later borns. Results indicated that Type A individuals are more likely to be first born, and more generally earl)' born, but that this relationship is most true in large families.
A Comment on the Study of Classroom Ecology
Authors: Knowles Eric S.
Published: March 2007

Current research on classroom ecology fails to match the quality or interest of a little-known 60-year old study. Griffith (1921) studied approximately 20,000 grades achieved by students alphabetically assigned to seats in various lecture classes. Griffith's study is recounted and used to develop the following criticisms of recent classroom ecology research: (a) by dichotomizing front versus back of a classroom, recent studies preclude finding the curvilinear effects observed by Griffith, (b) recent studies do not consider the microecological features, such as aisles, empty seats, or local density, identified by Griffith as important, and 4c) recent studies do not focus on theoretical issues such as those discussed by, Griffith concerning how seating position might translate into higher grades and greater participation.
Smoking Intentions in Adolescents
Authors: Sherman Steven J. , Presson Clark C. , Chassin Laurie , Bensenberg Michelle , Corty Eric , Olshavsky Richard W.
Published: March 2007

The current study examined the role of level of direct experience in the Ajzen and Fishbein model of behavioral intention prediction. Previous research has demonstrated an increase in attitude-behavior consistency for subjects with greater direct experience with the attitude object. The present findings show that the weight of the attitude component in predicting behavioral intentions increased under levels of greater direct experience. This suggests that direct experience increases attitude-behavior consistency because attitudes based on direct experience are more accessible and thus are used more in judgments of intentions and behavior. This contradicts the Fishbein and Ajzen (1980) proposal that attitude-behavior consistency increases with direct experience simply because those attitudes are more stable. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Students' Test Performances
Authors: Meyer John P. , Koelbl Sandra L.M.
Published: March 2007

To identify the dimensions underlying students' causal attributions for their test performance, attribution ratings obtained from high-school students immediately after they received their grades on a test were subjected to a principal components analysis. The results revealed that factors resembling Weiner's theoretical stability, locus, and control dimensions accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in students' ratings. Correlational analyses revealed the influence of test anxiety, performance, and satisfaction on students' use of the causal dimensions. The implications of the results for the measurement of "dimension scores" are discussed.
Thinking One's Abilities Are Unique and One's Opinions Are Common
Authors: Marks Gary
Published: March 2007

College students stated, in writing, their best ability and then estimated the percentage of their peers who are very good at the same activity. Other students stated a personally important opinion and either estimated the percentage of their fellows who would agree with it or estimated the percentage who hold the same position that they hold. The stated abilities and opinions were listed verbatim on separate sheets and given to other students;, for each item on the list, they made the same exact type of estimate as that made by those who generated the statements. As predicted, subjects underestimated the frequency of their own best ability among their peers relative to the "average "other's estimate of the frequency of that ability, but overestimated the frequency with which their fellows would agree with their own opinion relative to the "average" other's estimate of the frequency of that agreement. Subjects tended to underestimate the percentage who hold the same opinion they hold. Discussion focuses on a self-enhancement explanation as well as alternatives to it.
Persuasive Arguments Theory, Group Polarization, and Choice Shifts
Authors: Hinsz Verlin B. , Davis James H.
Published: March 2007

An experiment investigating the influence of information exchange (the number and persuasiveness of arguments) on group polarization and choice shifts found both the number and the persuasiveness of arguments to have significant influences. The results generally supported Persuasive Arguments Theory, al-though a weighted-average version of the theory was found to be incomplete since it did not provide for the effects of number of arguments. The results also supported the importance of distinguishing between group polarization and choice shifts-the individual and group levels of analysis respectively.
Validation of a Short Index of Self-Actualization
Authors: Jones Alvin , Crandall Rick
Published: March 2007

This research reports the development of a 15-item index of self-actualization that will be useful in research contexts. The index is based primarily on modified items from the most widely accepted measure of self-actualization, the Personal Orientation Inventory. The index had a significant correlation with this inventory (r = .67, p < .001). It also correlated as expected with measures of self-esteem, rational behavior and beliefs, neuroticism, and extraversion. The index discriminated between groups of people nominated as self-actualizing and as non-self-actualizing. There were no problems with response sets, and the index was resistant to "faking good." Weaknesses of the scale are discussed as well as means to overcome these weaknesses.
Selection of Information after Receiving more or Less Reliable Self-Threatening Information
Authors: Frey Dieter , Stahlberg Dagmar
Published: March 2007

In this article two experiments are reported in which the degree of seriousness of a "self-threat" was varied and both behavioral and cognitive consequences were tested. Subjects in both experiments received fictitious intelligence test results that were always negatively discrepant from their self-evaluations (self-threat), but varied in their degree of seriousness. The degree of seriousness was manipulated by telling subjects that their fictitious test results were either reliably or not reliably scored. Subjects were then given the opportunity to choose among several articles containing information that emphasized either the validity or invalidity of intelligence tests. In both experiments it was found that subjects in the serious self-threat conditions were more prone to search selectively for information disparaging intelligence tests and to rate being highly intelligent as less important compared with subjects in the less serious self-threat conditions. The implications of these results for self-esteem theory are discussed.
Social Basis of Self-Handicapping
Authors: Schouten Peter G. W. , Handelsman Mitchell M.
Published: March 2007

This study examined the idea that psychopathology can be used to avoid responsibility for undesirable behavior. Subjects responded to vignettes describing either male or female protagonists involved in one of two situations: domestic violence or poor job performance. There were three levels of information on psychopathology: (I) no symptoms, (2) current symptoms of depression, and (3) symptoms combined with consistency information about depression. Subjects answered questions that assessed the excuse value of depression in terms of attributions, sanctions, and behavioral expectations. Depressive symptoms significantly reduced attributions of personal responsibility across situations. Symptoms led to less punitive sanctions for the female protagonist in the abuse situation, and for both males and females in the job situation. Depressed symptoms had to be accompanied by consistency information to lower behavioral expectations in the job situation. The findings are discussed in terms of the social basis for self handicapping strategies.
Further Evidence of the Deleterious Effects of Overheard Derogatory Ethnic Labels
Authors: Kirkland Shari L. , Greenberg Jeff , Pyszczynski Tom
Published: March 2007

Greenberg and Pyszczynski (1985)found that an overheard derogatory ethnic label can lead to negative evaluations of its target. The present study was designed to provide a conceptual replication of this effect and assess whether the effect could extend to evaluations of a person associated with the target. Subjects read a trial transcript and were asked for verdicts and attorney and defendant evaluations. Whereas the defendant was always white, the defense attorney was either black or white. When the defense attorney was black, a confederate posing as a subject either made no comment or a derogatory comment in which the defense attorney was referred to as either "shyster" or "nigger. " The derogatory ethnic label led to derogation of the defense attorney, thus replicating the effect found by Greenberg and Pyszczynski in a different setting. In addition, the white defendant received especially negative evaluations and harsh verdicts when defended by a black who was the target of a derogatory ethnic label. Theoretical and practical implications are briefly discussed.
Reactions to AIDS Victims: Ambiguity Breeds Contempt
Authors: Triplet Rodney G. , Sugarman David B.
Published: March 2007

The present study investigated the causes of negative reactions towards AIDS victims. Fifty-eight subjects rated the personal responsibility and interactional desirability of eight hypothetical disease victims who varied on their sexual preference (homosexual/heterosexual) and on their diagnosis (AIDS/serum hepatitis/Legionnaire's disease/genital herpes). While the homosexual victims were rated more personally responsible for their disease and AIDS victims were rated the least interactionally desirable, no support was found for a victim derogation (Lerner, 1966, 1970) interpretation of these phenomena. The results are interpreted as suggesting instead that the reaction against AIDS victims reflects a fear of the unknown causes of the disease, coupled with a general prejudice against homosexuals.
Conceptual/Integrative Complexity and Attitudes Toward Capital Punishment
Authors: de Vries Brian , Walker Lawrence J.
Published: March 2007

This study examined two issues relevant to the complexity theory of information processing: (1) the relation between conceptual complexity and its theoretical offshoot, integrative complexity and (2) the relation between the structure (conceptual/integrative complexity) and the content (evaluation) of an attitude (namely, capital punishment). Participants were 36 male and 36female university students, from first-year to graduate studies, who completed several measures that assessed: (1) conceptual complexity (the Paragraph Completion Test), (2) integrative complexity (an essay on capital punishment), and (3) attitudes toward capital punishment (a Likert-type questionnaire). Results indicated that the two measures of complexity were comparable, though not equivalent, assessments of the cognitive structures in information processing. Although there was no relation between conceptual complexity and attitudes toward capital punishment, the predicted curvilinear relation was found between integrative complexity and attitudes-extreme attitudes (both pro and con) characterized cognitive simplicity and moderate attitudes characterized increasing complexity.
Perceived A Gentic and Communal Behavior in Mixed-Sex Group Interactions
Authors: Jose Paul E. , McCarthy William J.
Published: March 2007

Twenty-six male and 26 female undergraduates participated in four-person mixed-sex group discussions. After each of three discussions in which a consensus was required, each person in the group rated the other members on their degree of talkativeness, on the quality of their expressed ideas, and on the degree of their concern for other's feelings. Results showed that sex role orientation alone predicted task-orientation; individuals of both sexes who had high masculinity scores on the BSRI were perceived to have talked more and to have had good ideas. Gender and sex role orientation predicted warm socioemotional behavior: Females and individuals with high femininity scores were judged to have been more concerned about group members' feelings. The prediction that androgynous individuals would exhibit the greatest behavioral flexibility (perform both task and socioemotional behaviors) was marginally supported.
The Illusion of Unique Invulnerability and the Use of Effective Contraception
Authors: Burger Jerry M. , Burns Linda
Published: March 2007

It was proposed that one reason people often fail to use effective contraception methods is that they engage in a systematic distortion of their likelihood of being involved in an unwanted pregnancy relative to others. A survey of undergraduate females found that sexually active women tended to see themselves as less likely than other students, other women their age, and women of childbearing age to become pregnant. The tendency to utilize this illusion of unique invulnerability was related to the use of effective contraception. The more subjects discounted their chances of becoming pregnant relative to others, the less likely they were to use effective methods of birth control.
Power Strategy Use in the Intimate Relationships of Women and Men from Mexico and the United States
Authors: Belk Sharyn S. , Snell William E. , Garcia-Falconi Renan , Hernandez-Sanchez Julita Elemi , Hargrove Linda , Holtzman Wayne H.
Published: March 2007

Power strategy use refers to the tactics and techniques that women and men use to persuade others to do something for them. Previous research (Falbo & Peplau, 1980) has shown that the use of power strategies in intimate relationships varies along two separate dimensions: bilateral (versus unilateral) and direct (versus indirect) power strategies. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the types of power strategies that women and men from Mexico and the United States use with their intimate partners. The results indicated that individuals from both Mexico and the United States reported using a number of different power strategies, although Mexican women and men tended to use more bilateral types of power strategies with their intimate partners. These results are interpreted in terms of Falbo and Peplau's (1980) two-dimensional model of power strategy use.
Stereotype Accessibility and Information Processing
Authors: Stangor Charles
Published: March 2007

The stereotyping literature heretofore has not fully addressed individual differences in the relative construct accessibility of social stereotypes. Stereotyping research has tested the influence of explicitly activated stereotype knowledge on information processing, but paid little attention to the spontaneous application of stereotypes when stimulus information is processed. Although stereotypes are known to influence both encoding and response stages of information processing, the latter effect has received little attention in comparison to the former. The present research tested the hypothesis that gender stereotypes would affect how individuals encode and respond to gender-related behaviors and that individual differences in the construct accessibility of gender-stereotypical attributes would moderate these effects. Subjects saw a series of behavioral descriptions, some of which were stereotypically masculine or feminine, performed by two men and two women, and then participated in a recognition memory test. Subjects were more likely to report stereotype-consistent (versus inconsistent or irrelevant) behaviors as having been seen and also made more within-sex than cross-sex false alarms. Supporting the hypothesis that stereotype accessibility is an important individual-difference variable, individuals who displayed high (versus low) levels of individual construct accessibility for gender showed a greater tendency to respond consistently with gender stereotypes and made more within-sex (versus cross-sex) false alarms. These results suggest that highly gender-accessible individuals were especially likely to process stimulus information in terms of gender.