bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Temporal Comparison, Social Comparison, and Direct Appraisal in the Elderly's Self‐Evaluations of Health
Authors: Suls Jerry , Marco Christine A. , Tobin Sheldon
Published: August 2006

Elderly persons (n= 91) were interviewed about self‐ perceptions of physical health and the contribution of social comparison, temporal comparison, and direct appraisal to these judgments. Consistent with previous studies, self‐assessments tended to be mainly positive (67% reported their health as “good” or “excellent”), though tempered somewhat by the individual's objective physical condition (i.e., number of chronic diseases or disabilities). Independent of objective health, respondents' ratings were more negative if they mentioned thinking about past or anticipated health. Respondents were more concerned about their health if they thought about their past or anticipated health or mentioned comparing with a specific other person. Direct feedback had no effect on health ratings. Among those who reported social comparison, ratings were more positive when worse‐off others were mentioned. Temporal comparisons may be associated with more negative ratings because the elderly's past health is likely to have been better and their future (anticipated) health can be expected to become worse. If using temporal and social comparison information is associated with more negative assessments then what accounts for the generally positive self‐assessments? We propose that the elderly compare themselves with a cognitively constructed stereotypical standard of the frail elderly rather than with a specific other. Because few elderly actually “fit” this stereotype, most elderly feel they are doing well.
Work‐Home Role Conflict, Family Climate, and Domestic Responsibilities Among Men and Women in Dual‐earner Families1
Authors: Wiersma Uco J. , van den Berg Peter
Published: August 2006

Correlates of work‐home role conflict for dual‐earner couples were examined. Respondents (N= 208) were an equal number of married, employed men and women with children. Data were collected in the northeastern U.S.A. through a survey which measured work‐home role conflict, family climate, domestic responsibilities, and activities performed during one's free time. LISREL was used to determine if domestic responsibilities mediate the correlation between gender and work‐home conflict. A regression analysis was used to determine the relative effects of domestic responsibilities and family climate on work‐home conflict. Results indicate that (a) work‐home role conflict is negatively related to family climate for men as well as for women, (b) gender differences in role conflict are partially attributable to gender differences in domestic responsibilities, and (c) domestic responsibilities and family climate each correlate significantly with work‐home role conflict. Findings suggest that how one works hard (the conditions under which one lives) may be just as important as how hard one works (the number of tasks one performs).
Moderating Effects of Personal Cognitions on Experienced and Perceived Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace
Authors: Ellis Shmuel , Barak Azy , Pinto Adaya
Published: August 2006

This study investigated actual and perceived sexual harassment (SH), as well as the discrepancy between them of women in the workplace, as related to several factual and perceptual variables which were selected on the basis of theoretical considerations and previous findings (i.e., harasser status, workplace sex ratio, and perceptions of intensity of intergender interaction, normative beliefs about SH, and personal attractiveness). The sample included 138 women. employed in four organizations, who responded to anonymous questionnaires. Results showed that women reported engagement in diverse actual SH episodes, which varied in frequency (2% to 27%) along five levels of SH severity continuum. Only 10.1% of the women perceived these episodes as sexual harassing. It was found that the higher the severity of the SH episode, the stronger was the tendency to perceive it as sexual harassing. While actual SH was found to be significantly correlated with all research variables (R= .49), perceived SH was only related to normative beliefs about SH (r= .38), and the discrepancy mainly to personal attractiveness (r= ‐.21). Various implications of the findings were discussed in light of social judgment perspective.
Facet Importance and Job Satisfaction: Two Experimental Tests of Locke's Range of Affect Hypothesis
Authors: Rice Robert W. , Markus Keith , Moyer Reed P. , McFarlin Dean B.
Published: August 2006

Two 2×2 (Facet Importance × Facet Amount) factorial experiments tested Locke's (1969, 1976) hypothesis that facet importance moderates the range of affective reactions. Written excerpts from letters, interview transcripts, and employee handbooks were used to create scenarios which manipulated the importance and current amount of two target job facets: freedom to do things one's own way on the job, and amount of face‐to‐face contact with customers/clients. As predicted, significant Facet Importance × Facet Amount interactions showed that facet satisfaction was influenced more strongly by differences in facet amount when the facet was high in importance than when it was low in importance. Subjects in the high‐importance condition, relative to subjects in the low‐importance condition, were more satisfied with high facet amounts and more dissatisfied with low facet amounts. Discussion focused on the convergence of results from research using different methods to test the range of affect hypothesis.
Adolescents' Attitudes to Nuclear Power and Radioactive Wastes1
Authors: Drottz‐Sjöberg Britt‐Marie , Sjöberg Lennart
Published: August 2006

High school students (N= 380) reported their attitude to nuclear power and rated various risks: nuclear and non‐nuclear, personal and societal. The focus of the study concerned risks related to handling and disposal of radioactive waste. It was found that conventional personal risks obtained lower risk ratings than risks to society and risks related to accidents in the handling and disposal of radioactive waste. In general, items which made reference to radiation were rated higher than items which did not mention this aspect. Female students most often rated risk higher than did male students. Persons worried about nuclear power emphasized risks of accidents and waste disposal as problems, whereas those who did not worry trusted those in charge and saw nuclear power as quite safe, stressing its basis in advanced technological knowledge and skill. Students specializing in economics or technology were the least concerned about nuclear power risks and had the most positive attitudes to nuclear power. The results of the study are discussed in relation to risk perception discrepancies of experts and the public. We suggest that future experts will be recruited from groups that have, already in adolescence, established beliefs about nuclear technology risks that are lower than those of other groups. Compared to a national sample dominated by adults, the adolescents, especially boys, held more positive attitudes to nuclear power and rated risks of nuclear technology lower than adults.
Blowing the Whistle on Data Fudging: A Controlled Field Experiment1
Authors: Miceli Marcia P. , Dozier Janelle B. , Near Janet P.
Published: August 2006

This experiment examined determinants of “whistle blowing,” the disclosure of organizational wrongdoing. Previous research, limited largely to analyses of cross‐sectional, self‐reported data, has not established cause‐effect relations, and dispositional variables generally have not been examined. In this study, 295 students witnessed apparent wrongdoing by a research assistant and were given an opportunity to report it to a university authority. Results indicated that men were more likely than women to report the wrongdoing. Whistle blowing also was a function of lower, rather than higher, levels of moral judgment development. More whistle blowing occurred when there were more, rather than fewer, observers of wrongdoing. Implications for research and practice are descried.
Predicting Mothers' Intentions to Limit Frequency of Infants' Sugar Intake: Testing the Theory of Planned Behavior1
Authors: Beale D.A. , Manstead A.S.R.
Published: August 2006

This study examines the ability of the Theory of Planned Behavior to account for mothers' intentions to limit the frequency of their infants' sugar consumption. One group of mothers (experimental) was exposed to a dental health education program designed to promote this behavior, the other (control) group was not. Each group of mothers was interviewed twice; the intervention was delivered to mothers in the experimental group immediately after their first interview. The interviews incorporated measures of the key constructs in the Theory of Planned Behavior (attitudes to behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions). Results indicated that the addition of perceived behavioral control resulted in small but significant increments in the amount of explained variance in intentions, thereby supporting the theory. Although the change in intentions to perform the advocated behavior was not significantly greater in the experimental group than in the control group, there was a significant change in attitudes to the behavior in the experimental group but no such change in the control group. Moreover, amount of change in behavioral intentions was significantly correlated with amount of change in attitudes, but not with amount of change in subjective norms or perceived behavioral control. Analysis of behavioral beliefs indicated that the attitude change reflected a change in a specific behavioral belief that was targeted in the intervention. Further analyses focused on the role played by direct experience of the behavior and show that such experience tended to enhance the role of perceived behavioral control in intention formation, apparently because mothers who have older children have discovered that they have relatively little control over frequency of child's sugar consumption. The implication of these results for the Theory of Planned Behavior are discussed.
Black Students' Reactions to Feedback Conveyed by White and Black Teachers1
Authors: Coleman Lerita M. , Jussim Lee , Isaac Jerry L.
Published: August 2006

The present investigation examined some processes mediating self‐fulfilling prophecies among black students. Specifically, we hypothesized that feedback conveyed by black and white teachers would differentially influence black students' perceptions of how the teacher viewed their success/failure, effort, ability, luck and task difficulty. In addition, we hypothesized that negative feedback would affect perceptions of evaluations differently than positive feedback. Ninety black undergraduates participated in an experiment in which a black or white teacher (confederate) expressed one of five evaluative feedback responses to a student's score on an analogies test. The results provided partial support for the first hypothesis: black female students perceived white teachers as assessing their performance less positively: that is, they perceived them to underestimate their ability and the difficulty of the task. Negative feedback also led students to believe the teacher held an unfavorable but inaccurate impression of their ability and effort, and that the teacher underestimated the difficulty of the task. These findings suggest that black students—black females in particular—may assume that white teachers hold less favorable assessments of them than black teachers and all students may be sensitive to negative evaluations.
The Impact of Job Applicants' Facial Maturity, Gender, and Academic Achievement on Hiring Recommendations
Authors: Zebrowitz Leslie A. , Tenenbaum Daniel R. , Goldstein Lori H.
Published: August 2006

Two studies investigated the impact of job applicants' facial maturity, gender, and achievement level on hiring recommendations. The results revealed that discrimination based on gender and facial appearance varies with the type of job for which an applicant is being considered. Applicants who were babyfaced or female were favored for jobs requiring qualities of warmth and submission, whereas those who were maturefaced or male were favored for jobs requiring qualities of shrewdness and leadership. These hiring preferences were most pronounced for high achieving applicants. They were also paralleled by stereotypical perceptions of the job‐ relevant attributes possessed by the applicants, which suggests that the effects of applicants' gender and facial maturity are mediated by the perceived fit between their assumed attributes and the job requirements. Finally, the jobs for which male and maturefaced applicants were favored were those for which high‐achieving applicants were also favored, which suggests that female and babyfaced applicants are most apt to be discriminated against when applying for higher status jobs.
Information Seekers in the Aftermath of Technological Disaster at Three Mile Island1
Authors: Prince‐Embury Sandra
Published: August 2006

Information seekers attending the TMI Public Health and Environmental Information Series six years after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident were found to be more educated, less worried, more cynical of experts, more likely to report disturbances in concentration, and more likely to be male than a normative sample of area residents. Course participants are described as seeking cognitive solutions and as having an underlying agenda of restoring lost faith in experts. Those who had evacuated at the time of the accident manifested the most psychological symptoms among course participants.
Altering Beliefs About the Importance of Strategy: An Attributional Intervention1
Authors: Curtis Kathleen A.
Published: August 2006

The study reported in this paper describes an attributional intervention designed to change maladaptive beliefs for failure from uncontrollable causes to a lack of strategy attribution. Rather than an academic setting, the context for this research was the heath field and subjects were 52 physical therapists experiencing role strain (failure) in their professional interactions with physicians. Half of these health professionals were randomly assigned to a 3‐week intervention where they were trained to attribute their failures to poor choice of strategy, rather than to uncontrollable factors such as low ability or physician bias. Relative to a control group, subjects who participated in the attribution retraining program were more likely to endorse strategy attributions and expected greater success in their interactions with physicians at the conclusion of the intervention. At a 6‐month follow‐up, trained subjects also received more actual job promotions. These findings have implications for attribution retraining to strategy in a variety of domains.
The Influence of Commitment to Assigned Goals and Performance on Subsequent Self‐Set Goals and Performance1
Authors: Mathieu John E.
Published: August 2006

Seventy‐seven undergraduates were assigned a performance goal for the first of two trials of a word game, and set goals for themselves on a second trial. Goal commitment was hypothesized to moderate the influence of goal level on performance within both trials. In addition, commitment to the assigned Trial I goals was hypothesized to moderate the relationship between goal attainment and self‐set goals for the second trial. Subjects' initial performance on a practice trial was also hypothesized to interact with the goal levels they were assigned on the first trial, such that individuals who performed relatively well on the practice trial were expected to evidence a greater positive relationship between goal level and performance than individuals who performed relatively poorly on the practice trial. The results of three moderated regression analyses yielded no support for the hypothesized within‐trial moderating influence of goal commitment on goal level‐performance relations. However, commitment to assigned goals and goal attainment did interact as related to personal goals for Trial 2. Further, the hypothesized influence of practice trial performance and assigned goal level on Trial I performance was supported. The results are discussed in terms of how goal levels should be determined and assigned to employees, and the role of goal commitment in goal setting predictions.
Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation to Use Computers in the Workplace1
Authors: Davis Fred D. , Bagozzi Richard P. , Warshaw Paul R.
Published: August 2006

Previous research indicates that perceived usefulness is a major determinant and predictor of intentions to use computers in the workplace. In contrast, the impact of enjoyment on usage intentions has not been examined. Two studies are reported concerning the relative effects of usefulness and enjoyment on intentions to use, and usage of, computers in the workplace. Usefulness had a strong effect on usage intentions in both Study 1, regarding word processing software (β=.68), and Study 2, regarding business graphics programs (β=.79). As hypothesized, enjoyment also had a significant effect on intentions in both studies, controlling for perceived usefulness (β=.16 and 0.15 for Studies 1 and 2, respectively). Study 1 found that intentions correlated 0.63 with system usage and that usefulness and enjoyment influenced usage behavior entirely indirectly through their effects on intentions. In both studies, a positive interaction between usefulness and enjoyment was observed. Together, usefulness and enjoyment explained 62% (Study 1) and 75% (Study 2) of the variance in usage intentions. Moreover, usefulness and enjoyment were found to mediate fully the effects on usage intentions of perceived output quality and perceived ease of use. As hypothesized, a measure of task importance moderated the effects of ease of use and output quality on usefulness but not on enjoyment. Several implications are drawn for how to design computer programs to be both more useful and more enjoyable in order to increase their acceptability among potential users.
The Relationship Between Individual Inputs, Perceptions, and Multidimensional Pay Satisfaction
Authors: Huber Vandra L. , Seybolt Patricia M. , Venemon Kathleen
Published: August 2006

Within the framework of revised discrepancy theory, this study examines the relationships of individual inputs and perceptual variables on four facets of pay satisfaction among 301 university faculty members. Statistically controlling for common method variance, actual pay exerted a strong direct effect on such satisfaction. While individual inputs were differentially related to the four measures of pay satisfaction, the perceptual variables (performance, pay fairness, contingent pay, commitment, and job satisfaction) were directly related to at least one dimension of pay satisfaction but did not generally interact with actual pay. The findings suggest perceptual variables affect pay judgments directly, while individual variables may directly or indirectly be related to aspects of pay satisfaction.
The Effect of Contextual Factors on Individuals' Job Performance
Authors: Baratta Joseph E. , Mcmanus Margaret A.
Published: August 2006

The intent of this study is to apply a cross‐level design to examine the influence of contextual factors upon individuals' performance. The results support the hypothesis that peer group characteristics predict individual performance beyond individual characteristics. The implications for using a cross‐level approach to study the effects of contextual variables on individual‐level phenomena are discussed.
Handgun Ownership and the Religion Factor
Authors: Little Robert E. , Vogel Ronald E.
Published: August 2006

This article addresses the relationship between religious affiliation and a very specific form of firearms ownership, that is, handgun ownership. Literature is reviewed relative to explanations of gun ownership. A test of the hypothesized relationship between religious affiliation and handgun ownership demonstrated a statistically significant (p < 0.03) association. Protestants were found to have a disproportionately high level of handgun ownership compared to other religious groups. Speculation for this finding is reviewed relative to other recent research on this topic.
Perceived Consensus in Estimates of the Prevalence of Driving Errors and Violations
Authors: Manstead Antony S. R. , Parker Dianne , Stradling Stephen G. , Reason James T. , Baxter James S.
Published: August 2006

This paper reports a study of perceptions of the prevalence of certain driving errors and violations in a large (N= 1,656) sample of drivers. In keeping with previous research on perceptions of social consensus, it was predicted that (a) drivers who reported that they themselves regularly commit these errors and violations would make larger estimates of the percentage of other road users who regularly engage in these behaviors, by comparison with drivers who reported that they do not regularly commit these errors and violations; (b) comparison of estimates of social consensus for own behavior with the actual numbers of respondents reporting that they did or did not engage in these behaviors would show that those who do commit the behaviors regularly would overestimate consensus for their position, while those who do not commit the behaviors regularly would underestimate consensus for their position; and (c) these tendencies to overestimate or underestimate actual consensus for own position would be correlated with the perceived offensiveness to others of the behavior concerned, such that departures from actual consensus would be greater for behaviors rated as more offensive. The results provide strong support for the first two predictions but none for the third; indeed, the degree of over‐ or underestimation tended to be inversely related to offensiveness. In addition, there were unanticipated but highly consistent sex and age differences in perceptions of the prevalence of the target behaviors, with female and younger respondents making higher estimates than male and older respondents, respectively. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Declines in Major League Batting Performance as a Function of Game Pressure: A Drive Theory Analysis1
Authors: Davis Mark H. , Harvey Jonathan C.
Published: August 2006

Zajonc's (1965) drive theory explanation argues that greater arousal tends to impair performance on difficult tasks. The hypothesis that arousal generated by “pressure situations” during major league baseball games would hinder batting performance—a difficult task—was tested by examining such performance during the 1989 season. Six “pressure situations” were identified, some occurring during the late innings of close games and others occurring throughout the game when there were two outs. Two measures of batting performance (batting average and slugging average) were employed. Results indicated broad support for the hypothesis. Reasons for this pattern are discussed, as are possible alternative explanations for these findings.
Predictors of Intention to Take Precautions Against AIDS Among Black College Students1
Authors: Tashakkori Abbas , Thompson Vaida D.
Published: August 2006

This research explored the relationship between behavioral intentions to engage in AIDS‐risky sexual practices and a variety of variables that are theoretically and/or popularly assumed to be important factors in AIDS prevention. These variables included beliefs and knowledge about AIDS, fear of AIDS, perceived vulnerability of self and others, as well as probability that self and others on one's campus would contract AIDS, perceived efficacy to control exposure to AIDS, self‐esteem, general locus of control, and past behavioral reaction to the threat of AIDS. General intention to “do something to protect oneself against AIDS,” and specific behavioral intention to use condoms in vaginal sex were measured and considered as possible proxies for future behavior. Data were collected from 124 black respondents in a southeastern university. In a series of multiple regression analyses, each of these measures of behavioral intentions was “predicted” from the other variables. Results showed that situational efficacy (to protect oneself from AIDS) was the best predictor of general intention, followed by reports of past behavioral changes as a result of the AIDS epidemic, and by knowledge. Proximal fear of AIDS was a negative predictor. For specific intentions, a specific belief about inconvenience in condom use was the best predictor, followed by past behavioral change, followed by knowledge. Normative beliefs, a belief that condoms would prevent disease, and distant threat of AIDS were also significant predictors. Theoretical and policy implications of the findings are discussed.
Noncompliance with Persuasive Appeals for a Prosocial, Altruistic Act: Blood Donating1
Authors: Ferrari Joseph R. , Leippe Michael R.
Published: August 2006

Effects of persuasive messages, responsibility denial (RD), and attitude‐accessing on blood‐giving attitudes, intentions, moral obligations, and behavior were examined. In Study 1, participants (n= 84) who heard a message emphasizing moral reasons for donating indicated a more favorable postmessage attitude and stronger moral obligation to donate than participants exposed to a message aimed at reducing fear, a combined moral and fear‐ reduction message, or no message. Combined message participants showed greatest intent to donate, yet only 14% of all participants attended a campus drive. In Study 2, low (n= 52) and high (n= 60) RD individuals heard the message arguments and were asked to access their attitudes. Low compared to high RD individuals stated a stronger sense of moral obligation, particularly when they accessed their thoughts relevant to blood donating, and behavioral intention, especially in the combined message condition. Few participants attended a blood drive (12.5%), yet most were low RD individuals from the nonaccessed attitude condition (83%). Results suggest that few individuals will engage in the altruistic act of blood donating, despite the experimental use of persuasive messages and accessing issue‐relevant attitudes.
Integration of Intention and Outcome Information by Students and Circuit Court Judges: Design Economy and Individual Differences1
Authors: Howe Edmund S. , Loftus Thomas C.
Published: August 2006

In two experiments the subjects, who included State Circuit Court Judges, assigned a quantitative judgment of blame to hypothetical offenders as a function of level of intention and seriousness of outcome. In accordance with the findings of numerous other investigators using the Intent x Damage paradigm, averaged subjects appeared to follow an adding rule for the integration of intention and outcome damage information. Furthermore, and in keeping with a key methodological purpose of the research, equivalent averaged results were observed whether student subjects made just one judgment of a single Level of Intention x Level of Outcome Damage treatment combination (independent groups design) or multiple judgments of all possible such factorial treatment combinations (repeated measures design). However, statistical analysis of individual students' and individual judges' repeated measures showed that about half of them adopted an adding rule whereas the judgments of others conformed to an intention‐only rule. Some implications of the findings are: (a) in critical respects students' results are quite generalizable since there were no striking student versus judge differences; (b) averaged outcomes conceal important interpretable individual differences in information processing that are highly commensurate for students and judges; and (c) there is thus a defensible and pragmatically desirable economy in the adoption of repeated measures designs for the study of individual persons in such less accessible categories as the Judiciary.
Problem‐Solving Appraisal, Oral Contraceptive Use, and Menstrual Pain1
Authors: Elliott Timothy R.
Published: August 2006

The effects of self‐appraisal problem‐solving ability and oral contraceptive use on ratings of menstrual pain were studied among 130 undergraduate women. Participants completed the Problem‐Solving Inventory (Heppner, 1988) and the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (Moos, 1984). Regression analyses indicated that oral contraceptives–which are often prescribed to relieve menstrual pain among college women–were not predictive of lower pain ratings. Problem‐solving appraisal, however, was significantly predictive of pain. Ratings of effective personal control during problem solving were associated with lower ratings of premenstrual and menstrual pain. Results are discussed as they pertain to the study of psychological factors in menstruation, and to the study of problem solving and behavioral health.
The Morning After: Gender Differences In Attributions About Alcohol‐Related Sexual Encounters1
Authors: Leigh Barbara C. , Aramburu Beatriz , Norris Jeanette
Published: August 2006

Traditional sex role characteristics suggest that women may be more dissatisfied with casual sex than men. We investigated this notion by examining the reactions of women and men to a hypothetical, first‐time sexual encounter. An additional factor that was hypothesized to affect reactions was the presence of alcohol, which may serve as a cue for sexual disinhibition. College students read a scenario depicting a consensual sexual encounter between two people who met at a party, and made judgments about the partners' behavior and characteristics. Four versions of the scenario varied the alcohol consumption of both characters. Results showed that men were more likely than women to find the behavior of each partner socially acceptable, to foresee a positive future for the couple as a result of their sexual encounter, and to predict that they themselves would engage in similar behavior. Although no main effects for alcohol consumption were found, alcohol consumption interacted with gender to influence judgments about the characters' sexuality. Results are discussed in terms of sex role stereotyping and the tendency of both sexes to misunderstand or misperceive each other's sexual feelings.
Attribution of Influence and Charisma to the Leader: The Romance of Leadership Revisited1
Authors: Shamir Boas
Published: August 2006

This study examined the impact of performance outcomes, leadership type, leader behaviors, and observers' general belief in the importance of leadership on attributions of influence and charisma to a leader. Subjects (N= 549) read 24 versions of an organizational vignette representing all possible combinations of two performance levels, two leadership roles, and six leader behavior conditions, and were asked to evaluate the leader's level of causal influence and charisma. Results supported and extended Meindl's (1990) claim that observers' tendency to romanticize the role of a specific leader is affected by the group performance outcomes and by observers' general beliefs in the importance of leadership in organizations. The results further suggested that more influence may be attributed to a prototypical leadership role than to a less prototypical role. However, information about leader behaviors did not affect the attributions of influence and charisma to the leader. These results are discussed with reference to Conger and Kanungo's (1987) attributional theory of charismatic leadership and leadership categorization theory (Lord, 1985).
The Chemical and Biological Warfare Environment: Psychological Responses and Social Supports in a High‐Stress Environment
Authors: Fullerton Carol S. , Ursano Robert J. , Kao Tzu‐Cheg , Bhartiya Vivek R.
Published: August 2006

In order to better understand psychological responses to high‐stress environments and the contributions of social supports to mediating the effects of this stress, we conducted a preliminary investigation of a health care delivery team in a simulated chemical and biological warfare (CBW) environment. Our data suggest that state anxiety prior to the exercise, perceived social support from family and friends, and active training stand out as predictors of psychological outcome, even after trait and pre‐exercise psychological variables are considered. Interventions directed at state anxiety and active training may offer mechanisms to decrease the psychological distress of the high‐stress environment. Future research should examine variables which are amenable to intervention to determine if they are causally related to health outcome in high‐stress environments.
Small Wins: Perceptual Focus, Efficacy, and Cooperation in a Stage‐Conjunctive Social Dilemma1
Authors: Kaufman Cynthia M. , Kerr Norbert L.
Published: August 2006

A multi‐stage social dilemma was used to explore the notion that focusing on part rather than all of a complex problem would affect self‐efficacy and action. In two experiments subjects considered a multi‐stage game asking them to invest an initial sum of money in hopes of earning a larger bonus to be paid if provision points were met at all stages (a “stage‐conjunctive” task). Results indicated that under most conditions considered, presentation of the whole problem encouraged cooperation. The opposite pattern occurred when group members were asked to complete very demanding stages first. We suggest that these results depend strongly on the stage‐conjunctive nature of our task.
Determinants of Mammography Intentions Among Prior Screenees and Nonscreenees1
Authors: Jepson Christopher , Rimer Barbara K.
Published: August 2006

This study examined whether the factors influencing a woman's intention to get a mammogram differ between women who have had mammograms in the past (prior screenees) and those who have not (nonscreenees). Responses to a survey were used to predict mammography intentions separately for two groups of women: those with no previous mammograms and those with one. Among the prior nonscreenees, the variables we examined accounted for nearly half the variance in intentions; among the prior screenees, only one‐sixth of the variance was accounted for. This suggests that interventions that succeed in increasing mammography utilization among prior nonscreenees may not necessarily be successful among prior screenees.
Racial Mistrust and Deviant Behaviors Among Ethnically Diverse Black Adolescent Boys1
Authors: Biafora Frank A. , Warheit George J. , Zimmerman Rick S. , Gil Andres G. , Apospori Eleni , Taylor Dorothy , Vega William A.
Published: August 2006

While it has been suggested that mistrust of the dominant White society may be an important protective factor for some members of racial minorities, the question of whether mistrust may also be related to nonnormative behaviors among minority members has not been explored. Using survey data from Miami, Florida, this study empirically tests this hypothesis among a sample of African American, Haitian, and other Caribbean island Black adolescent boys. Bivariate analyses suggest a strong relationship between racial mistrust and conventional forms of delinquency for all three ethnic groups. These findings also held in multivariate analyses in which six traditional predictors of deviance were statistically controlled. The authors conclude that racial mistrust adds a new dimension to empirical prediction models. In addition, they conclude that issues associated with racial mistrust should be considered when developing and implementing prevention strategies.
Reading About AIDS and Cognitive Coping Style: Their Effects on Fear of AIDS and Homophobia
Authors: Young Robert K. , Gallaher Peggy E. , Marriott Suzette , Kelly Julianne
Published: August 2006

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of reading about AIDS on fear of AIDS, knowledge of AIDS, and homophobia. Introductory psychology students read one of three magazine articles: one stressing the low likelihood of contracting AIDS through casual contact (reassuring article), one stressing the high likelihood of contracting AIDS through casual contact (alarming article), or a control article that did not mention AIDS. Compared to the control group, subjects who read the reassuring article were lower in fear of AIDS, whereas subjects who read the alarming article were higher; the articles had no effect on knowledge of AIDS or homophobia. In addition, subjects were classified on the basis of their cognitive coping style (high vs. low monitors) and sex. High monitors tended to be more fearful of AIDS but were neither better informed about AIDS nor more homophobic than low monitors. Men were more fearful of AIDS and more homophobic than women.
Ethnicity of Defendants and Jurors as Influences on Jury Decisions1
Authors: Perez Dolores A. , Hosch Harmon M. , Ponder Bruce , Trejo Gloria Chanez
Published: August 2006

To assess the influence of ethnicity on jury decisions, 480 subjects viewed a videotaped trial of an Anglo or Hispanic defendant. Anglo or Hispanic majority 6‐person juries deliberated until a unanimous verdict was reached. The juries that convicted the defendant were asked to determine sentence length and to provide a probation/ parole recommendation. Anglo majority juries convicted the defendant significantly more (M= 79%) than did the Hispanic majority juries (M= 52%), x2= 5.45, p < 0.02. No main effect of defendant ethnicity was obtained, but there was an interaction between the defendant and the jury's ethnicity, x2= 5.41, p < 0.02. Anglo majority juries were more lenient with the Anglo defendant, but the Hispanic majority juries did not differ in their conviction rates. No significant effects were obtained for sentence length. Differences in probation/parole recommendations were a function of jury ethnicity, F(l, 15) = 4.74, p < 0.05. Anglos were more likely to recommend that the defendant serve the full term of the sentence. These results are interpreted in terms of stereotyping and are discussed regarding their implications for a defendant's constitutional right to a fair trial.
Chronic Stress as a Mediator of Acute Stress: The Case of Hurricane Hugo1
Authors: Norris Fran H. , Uhl Gary A.
Published: August 2006

This study explored one mechanism through which acute disaster stress (injury, life threat, property damage, loss) may produce lasting psychological distress (depression, anxiety, somatization, hostility). More specifically, the study examined the mediating roles of seven domains of chronic stress (marital, parental, filial, financial, occupational, ecological, physical) within a sample of 930 disaster victims and controls. The results provided strong support for the hypothesis that chronic stress mediates the long‐term effects of acute disaster stress on psychological distress. The main effects of loss, though limited in strength, were completely explained by victims’ higher financial, marital, filial, and physical stress. The effects of injury, though quite strong, were largely mediated by these same domains of chronic stress. Likewise, the effects of life threat were largely mediated by all these domains plus ecological stress. A mediational model was not appropriate for understanding the consequences of property damage because it did not exhibit a main effect on psychological distress.
Effects of Handicap Severity, Responsibility, and Race on Impressions of Substance‐Abusing Mothers and Their Children
Authors: Murphy‐Berman Virginia , Sullivan Megan , Berman John J.
Published: August 2006

The purpose of this study was to examine how individuals’ impressions of a handicapped child and the child's mother would be affected by (a) the mother's apparent degree of responsibility for the child's handicap (operationalized as engaging or not engaging in alcohol abuse while pregnant), (b) severity of the child's handicap, and (c) race of the mother (black vs. white). Impressions were defined as respondents'(a) decisions regarding funding for special education services for the child, (b) emotional reactions toward the mother and the child, (c) perceptions of traits possessed by the mother, and (d) evaluations of the fairness of payment strategies for special education resources for the child. A vignette approach was used in which each respondent read one of eight possible descriptions of mother and child. Results indicated that although mothers were evaluated more negatively when they engaged in alcohol abuse than when they did not, these critical impressions did not “spill over” to negatively color appraisals of the child. Mothers who were black and who had a severely handicapped child were evaluated more negatively than were white mothers in the same situation, although the reverse occurred when the child's handicap was described as being only moderate. Implications are discussed.
The Social Psychology of Tanning and Sunscreen Use: Self‐Presentational Motives as a Predictor of Health Risk1
Authors: Leary Mark R. , Jones Jody L.
Published: August 2006

To the extent that many people seek and maintain a suntan because they believe it makes them more attractive, people who are particularly motivated to make good impressions on others or to be seen as physically attractive are at increased risk for skin cancer. This study examined cognitive, motivational, and attitudinal predictors of two factors that are associated with increased risk for skin cancer: engaging in behaviors that increase one's exposure to UV radiation and inadequate use of sunscreen. Self‐presentational motives involving a concern for one's personal appearance and the belief that being tan enhances one's attractiveness were the strongest predictors of the degree to which respondents exposed themselves to natural and artificial sources of UV radiation. Sunscreen use was best predicted by knowing someone with skin cancer. Implications for attempts to promote safe‐sun practices are discussed.
Perceptions Now and Then of Occupational Sex Typing: A Replication of Shinar's 1975 Study
Authors: Beggs Joyce M. , Doolittle Dorothy C.
Published: August 2006

College students’ perceptions of the sex typing of 129 occupations were gathered and compared with those reported by Shinar (1975). Questionnaires were completed by 72 males and 70 females. As in Shinar's study, a continuum of the perceptions of occupations from masculine to feminine was replicated. A comparison of the mean ratings for the occupations and of the percentages of women in each occupation in 1975 and 1988 is reported in a comprehensive table. The results indicated that occupational sex typing continues to exist and that women tend to perceive jobs as being more neutral than men do. However, the occupational sex typing may not be based on the actual percentages of women in the occupations.
The Evaluative Factor of Risk Perception
Authors: Mullet Etienne , Duquesnoy Christelle , Raiff Philippe , Fahrasmane Rachelle , Namur Elisabeth
Published: August 2006

This study was aimed at identifying an evaluative factor in perceived risk that was independent of the previously identified Dread and Knowledge factors. The methodology used was that developed by Slovic, Fischhoff, and Lichtenstein (1985a) with the addition of four new dimensions: personal position, economic justification, justification through well‐being, and beneficial to society. This evaluative factor was identified, and loads the four above‐mentioned dimensions while excluding 11 others. This evaluative factor primarily emerges as a major determinant in subjects’ demands for risk control legislation.
Effects of Consensus and Devill's Advocacy On Strategic Decision‐Making
Authors: Schwenk Charles R. , Cosier Richard A.
Published: August 2006

Strategic consensus within management teams is thought to affect company performance because of its effects on the quality of team decision‐making (Bourgeois, 1985, p. 571). Past research dealing with the relationship between consensus and company performance, however, has not specifically examined the effects of consensus on decision‐making. The debate on the effects of strategic consensus parallels a debate on the effects of consensus‐based and conflict‐based decision aids (Schweiger & Finger, 1984; Schweiger, Sandberg, & Ragan, 1986; Schwenk, 1988). The experiment described in this paper is the first which deals with the effects of group consensus and conflict‐based decision aids on group decision‐making. The results showed that high‐consensus groups generally had higher performance, suggesting that consensus improves group decision‐making. Further, groups given the decision technique of devil's advocacy had higher levels of critical evaluation in decision‐making but less desire to work with each other in the future, suggesting that devil's advocacy has mixed effects on decision‐making groups. An interaction effect showed that devil's advocacy increased the commitment of high‐consensus group members to the decisions their groups had reached but did not have a similar effect on low‐consensus groups. This result demonstrates the importance of examining both consensus and decision aids simultaneously. The implications of the results for the interpretation of past research on consensus and on conflict‐based decision aids are offered in the conclusion.
The Measurement of Assessment Center Situations: Bem's Template Matching Technique for Examining Exercise Similarity
Authors: Highhouse Scott , Harris Michael M.
Published: August 2006

The present study was concerned with investigating the nature of assessment center exercises. Bem and Funder's (1978) technique of classifying and comparing situations in behavioral terms was applied to the measurement of exercises in an assessment center with ratings reflecting exercise factors. Six assessors created templates for each of the four exercises. Intercorrelations between the mean template ratings suggested that the exercises were not viewed as similar situations. Moreover, some relationship was found between exercise similarity and performance consistency. It is proposed that these differences in exercise content may be responsible for the inability to find cross‐situational consistencies in candidate behavior in a typical assessment center. Practical implications and extensions of this study are discussed.
Factors Affecting Stayers’ Job Satisfaction in Response to a Coworker Who Departs for a Better Job1
Authors: Brockner Joel , Kim Dong Hoon
Published: August 2006

Two studies examined the consequences of turnover, by investigating factors affecting the job satisfaction of people who remain (i. e., stayers) in response to a coworker (i. e., leaver) who departed for a better job. Consistent with Tesser and Campbell's (1983) self‐esteem maintenance model, three factors were found to influence the job satisfaction level of stayers: (a) the extent to which they compared their job situation to the leaver's new one, which was negatively related to stayers’ level of satisfaction, (b) the relevance of the leaver to the stayer for social comparison purposes, which was negatively related to the stayers’ level of satisfaction, and (c) the stayers’ trait self‐esteem, which was positively related to the stayers’ level of job satisfaction. Theoretical implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.
Testing a Model of Mammography Intention1
Authors: Baumann Linda J. , Brown R. L. , Fontana Susan A. , Cameron Linda
Published: August 2006

This paper presents the results of a study testing components of the Triandis model of choice to predict intention to obtain screening mammography in the next 2 years. A questionnaire was developed to measure the theoretical components of this model. Analysis was based on 2,521 women, 50 to 65 years old, who received primary care from 1 of 28 participating primary care group practices. Based on the four theoretical components of intention described in the Triandis model‐social influence, affect, consequence, and barriers‐a set of structural equation models was explored. The sample was split into two equal subsamples: one sample used for model exploration and one used for model confirmation. Results showed that the original intention model was not supported. Instead, the model that best fit the data, and upheld it in the subsample used for model confirmation, was a model in which habit and intention were strongly related. The strongest predictors of habit were barriers and consequences; the strongest predictors of intention were social influences and barriers.