bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Equivalent‐Continuum Modeling of Nanostructured Materials
Authors: Odegard Gregory M.
Published: May 2007

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
Quinoline, Quinazoline and Acridone Alkaloids
Authors: Michael Joseph P.
Published: May 2007

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
Development and Applications of Electron‐Transfer‐Initiated Cyclization Reactions
Authors: Floreancig Paul E.
Published: May 2007

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
Porphyrins with β,β′‐Fused Five‐Membered Rings
Authors: Smith Kevin M. , Lee Sang Hee , Vicente M. Graca H.
Published: May 2007

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
1,1‐Bis(nitrogen‐functionalized) Alk‐1‐enes: Alk‐1‐ene‐1,1‐diamines
Authors: Kantlehner W.
Published: May 2007

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
Chiroptical properties of diamino carboxylic acids
Authors: Bredehöft Jan Hendrik , Breme Katharina , Meierhenrich Uwe J. , Hoffmann Søren V. , Thiemann Wolfram H.‐P.
Published: May 2007

Diamino carboxylic acids have recently come to the attention of scientists working in the field of early life and its development. These are the monomers of a hypothetic early form of genetic material, the so‐called Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) (Nielson et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2000;97:3868–3871). Since all biopolymers rely on a specific handedness of their building blocks, the question of symmetry breaking occurs in diamino acids and PNA in the same way as in amino acids and proteins. One possible mechanism for triggering this, is asymmetric photochemistry in interstellar/circumstellar matter by means of circularly polarized light (Bailey et al., Science 2005;281:672–674; Bailey, Orig Life Evol Biosphere 2001;21:167–183; Buschermöhle, Astrophys J 2005;624:821–826; Meierhenrich, Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2005;44:5630–5634). Here we have measured the CD‐spectra of four chiral diamino carboxylic acids, three of which were found in the Murchison meteorite (Meierhenrich, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2004;101:9182–9186). The spectra show a uniform peak at 200 nm. These results and additional quantum mechanical calculations of the involved molecular orbitals support the assumption that the process of symmetry breaking in diamino acids does not depend significantly on the length of the side chain. This means that one process alone could suffice to lead to symmetry breaking in all four measured diamino carboxylic acids and might even to some extent be transferable to monoamino acids, the monomers of proteins. Chirality, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Leptin in embryos from control and diabetic rats during organogenesis: a modulator of nitric oxide production and lipid homeostasis
Authors: White Verónica , González Elida , Pustovrh Carolina , Capobianco Evangelina , Martínez Nora , Do Porto Darío Fernández , Higa Romina , Jawerbaum Alicia
Published: May 2007

Background

Leptin is involved in many metabolic and reproductive events and its levels are altered by the diabetic pathology. In this study, leptin concentrations and leptin effects on both nitric oxide (NO) and lipid concentrations were investigated in embryos from control and diabetic rats.

Methods

Diabetes was induced by neonatal streptozotocin administration (90 mg/kg). Embryos from control and diabetic rats were obtained on days 10.5 and 13.5 of gestation, corresponding to early organogenesis and post‐placentation periods respectively. Leptin was analysed by enzyme immunoanalysis and immunohistochemistry. Nitrates and nitrites were assessed as an index of NO production. Lipid concentrations were analysed by thin layer chromatography.

Results

Leptin concentrations were decreased in embryos obtained from diabetic rats on days 10.5 and 13.5 of gestation when compared to controls. NO concentrations, elevated in diabetic embryopathy, were diminished in the presence of leptin in the embryos obtained from control and diabetic animals both during early organogenesis and after placentation. Leptin additions reduced phospholipid, cholesterol and cholesteryl ester concentrations in embryos obtained from diabetic rats during early organogenesis, although no leptin effects on lipid concentrations were observed in control embryos at this developmental stage. In embryos obtained on day 13.5 of gestation leptin additions reduced cholesteryl ester concentrations in controls, and diminished cholesteryl ester, triglycerides and phospholipids in embryos from diabetic rats.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that leptin plays a role in the regulation of NO concentrations and lipid homeostasis during embryo organogenesis and that the diabetic environment causes a reduction of leptin concentrations in rat embryos. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cover Picture: Electron‐Density Determination of Electrophilic Building Blocks as Model Compounds for Protease Inhibitors (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 17/2007)
Authors: Grabowsky Simon , Pfeuffer Thomas , Chęcińska Lilianna , Weber Manuela , Morgenroth Wolfgang , Luger Peter , Schirmeister Tanja
Published: May 2007

The cover picture shows iso‐surfaces of a protease inhibitor model compound that provides information on its reactivity. The electrostatic potential mapped on the electron density of the complete molecule and on the biologically active aziridine region shows that a nucleophilic attack must take place at carbon atom C1 of the aziridine ring. The Zero Laplacian iso‐surface shows possible sites of the attack by means of holes in this surface. The results were obtained from ultra‐high resolution synchrotron X‐ray experiments at 9 K. Details are discussed in the article by T. Schirmeister et al. on pp. 2759 ff. C. B. Hübschle is acknowledged for preparing the artwork for the cover picture.
Intergroup relations and nursing
Authors: Skevington Suzanne M.
Published: May 2007

The applicability of Tajfel's social identity theory of intergroup relations was tested within a field situation of nursing, where high and low status trainee nursing groups are undergoing social change in status relations through a merger.

The status relations of the two groups were assessed by examining advantages, disadvantages and subjective characteristics attributed to the groups. Close contact between groups may account for the unexpected reduction in intergroup differentiation when explict comparisons were made.

No greater illegitimacy in perceived status relations was reported by the low status group, although more dissatisfactions were evidenced in terms of attributed disadvantages, a less positive ingroup identification, and a high proportion of the low status group who want change either through movement into the superior group, or by dissolving status relations through the merging of the two groups.

Attempts to merge are geared towards increasing similarity between groups by gaining recognition for those high status characteristics the group believes it has acquired.

With a view to social change, the non‐mobile low status subgroup are evolving a new and positive social identity for the group, perceiving little difference between groups. Strong intergroup differentiation by the high status group reflects the perceived threat of social change to the high status group.
Explanations for racial discrimination: The effect of group discussion on intergroup attributions
Authors: Hewstone Miles , Jaspars Jos
Published: May 2007

Studied the effect of group discussion and racial group membership on attributions concerning the causes of racial discrimination. Twenty‐ four Black (mostly West Indian) and 24 White adolescents (age 16‐19) were assigned in pairs to each cell of a 2 (Race of subject: Black/White) × 2 (Discussion/No Discussion) ‘mixed’ design. Each subject read four items exemplifying types of racial discrimination and attributed each to negative dispositions of Black people and/or discrimination by White authority figures (‘the system’). Subjects in the Discussion condition spent two minutes discussing each item prior to making their judgements. Ratings of ingroup and outgroup on eight attitudinal dimensions were also elicited, followed by a social distance measure.

Multivariate analyses of variance revealed effects for racial group membership (p < 0.05) and group discussion (p < 0.05) on attributions. Further examination of the data by means of discriminant analyses indicated which items differentiate between the groups. Data based on the attitudinal ratings were also subjected to multivariate analyses and point to the positive group‐image of the Black respondents and a lack of intergroup discrimination by the White subjects; the social distance scores of the latter subjects are, however, higher. Results are discussed in terms of the literature on group polarization and intergroup differentiation.
A two‐valued logic or two‐valued balance resolution of the challenge of agreement and attraction effects in p‐o‐x triads, and a theoretical perspective on conformity and hedonism
Authors: Insko Chester A. , Sediak Andrea J. , Lipsitz Angela
Published: May 2007

Investigated the effect of three different variables on agreement effects in p‐o‐x triads. The subjects were 740 male and female undergraduates at the University of North Carolina. Experiment 1 found that assumed similarity modified the agreement effect—but only on cognitive rating scales (expectancy, consistency, stability). Experiment 2 found that assumed knowledgeability of o regarding × modified the agreement effect on both affective (pleasantness, harmony) and cognitive (expectancy, consistency, stability) scales. Experiment 3 found that a manipulation of o to p liking that was either consistent or inconsistent with p and o agreement modified the agreement effect primarily on the affective scales.
Bias and error in human judgment
Authors: Kruglanski Arie W. , Ajzen Icek
Published: May 2007

Currently prevalent views of human inference are contrasted with an integrated theory of the epistemic process. The prevailing views are characterized by the following orienting assumptions: (1) There exist reliable criteria of inferential validity based on objectively veridical or optimal modes of information processing. (2) Motivational and cognitive factors bias inferences away from these criteria and thus enhance the likelihood of judgmental error. (3) The layperson's epistemic process is pluralistic; it consists of a diverse repertory of information‐processing strategies (heuristics, schemas) selectively invoked under various circumstances. By contrast, the present analysis yields the following conclusions: (1) There exist no secure criteria of validity. (2) Psychological factors that bias inferences away from any currently accepted criteria need not enhance the likelihood of error. (3) The inference process may be considered unitary rather than pluralistic. The various strategies and biases discussed in the literature typically confound universal epistemic process with specific examples (or contents) of such processes. Empirical support for the present analysis is presented, including evidence refuting proposals that specific contents of inference are of universal applicability; evidence suggesting that people do not, because of a reliance on subnormative heuristics, underutilize nonnative statistical information—rather, people seem unlikely to utilize any information if it is nonsalient or (subjectively) irrelevant; and evidence demonstrating that the tendency of beliefs to persevere despite discrediting information can be heightened or lowered by introducting appropriate motivational orientations.
Modern dialectics in social psychology: A reappraisal
Authors: Georgoudi Marianthi
Published: May 2007

The current status of dialectic theory in social psychology is critically examined. Its basic and interdependent assumptions are discussed and recent misconceptions analyzed. An attempt is made to clarify major confusions and misinterpretations of dialectics regarding such issues as dialectics as a conceptual versus a methodological tool, dialectics as a form of cognitive process, dialectics as a firm of interactionism, and dialectical contradictions as semantic opposites. To illustrate the relevance of dialectic theory to current issues a major dualism in social psychology is examined, namely that of individual versus social theorizing. Drawing liberally from Marxist social theory it is shown how the traditional dualism is resolved through dialectics. Finally, a response is firmed to criticisms addressed to the current status of social psychology. It is shown that dialectics not only incorporates most of the demands raised by these criticisms, but also enhances the field by pointing toward new perspectives and directions.
Implicit psychologists' estimates of attitude‐behaviour consistencies
Authors: Six Bernd , Krahé Barbara
Published: May 2007

To investigate the relationship between implicit psychological hypotheses and explicit empirical findings, summaries of twenty published studies on attitude‐behaviour consistency were presented to a sample of forty‐eight psychology undergraduates. Subjects were asked to estimate the percentage of agreement between attitudes and behaviour obtained by each study. Correlations between subjects' covariation judgements and empirically obtained attitude‐behaviour consistencies were minimal and nonsignificant. Results are discussed in the light of more recent research on attitude‐behaviour relationship.
The formation of prejudicial judgements as an interaction between heuristic processes and social identity of the judge: The case of traffic accident participation
Authors: Lilli Waldemar , Rehm Jürgen
Published: May 2007

This study empirically tested the assumption that in prejudical judgements cognitive processes are mediated by group anchoring. This assumption was supported in the case of estimations about participation in traffic accidents by different groups.
Administrative Obedience: Carrying Out Orders to use Psychological‐Administrative Violence
Authors: Meeus Wim H. J. , Raaijmakers Quinten A. W.
Published: May 2007

A paradigm named ‘administrative obedience’ was designed to study obedience in carrying out orders to use a kind of violence that is typical for our times, namely psychological‐administrative violence resulting in definite harm. In this study, the victim was an applicant for a job, who came to the laboratory to take a test, This test would determine whether or not he would get the job. Subjects were ordered, in the context of a research project, to make the applicant nervous and to disturb him during the test; consequently, the applicant failed the test and remained unemployed. More than 90 per cent of the subjects carried out these orders, although they considered them unfair and did not enjoy doing the task, The level of administrative obedience found in our study is higher than the level of obedience found in the comparable experiment by Milgram. The experimental conditions ‘Experimental absent’ and ‘Two peers rebel’ produced a reduction of obedience in our paradigm comparable to that which occurred in Milgram's paradigm.
A view from a bridge: Synthesizing the consistency and attribution paradigms from a lay epistemic perspective
Authors: Kruglanski Arie W. , Klar Yechiel
Published: May 2007

A theory of lay epistemology is applied toward an integration of attribution theory with cognitive consistency theories. The integration follows a three‐fold partition of the epistemic process into its deductive, motivational and contentual aspects. The commonality of the attribution and consistency paradigms is apparent in regard to the deductive aspect: In both frameworks central role is accorded the criterion of deducibility or consistency whereby cognitions are validated. However, attribution theory emphasizes the consequences of consistent information, which increases attributional confidence, whereas cognitive consistency theories emphasize the consequences of inconsistent information, which detracts from judgmental confidence, hence occasionally induces negative affect. The motivational component represents a neglected dimension in attributional theorizing. It also defines the conditions under which inconsistency may be motivating. This may occur where inconsistency (I) fosters doubt where knowledge was strongly desired, (2) undermines a particular desirable conclusion. The differences among the cognitive consistency and the attributional formulations are ones of cognitive content. However, the same epistemic process is assumed common to all attribution and consistency formulations. Potential research benefits of focusing on this common process are noted.
Individual, social group and intergroup behaviour. Some conceptual remarks on the social identity theory
Authors: Bornewasser Manfred , Bober Johannes
Published: May 2007

An investigation of the group concept proposed by Tqjfel and Turner shows that group formation and intergroup behaviour cannot be explained by the similarity of group members. Taking into account only similarity of elements leads to conceptual contaminations concerning group and class, group and collective, personal and social identity, and finally interpersonal and intergroup behaviour. It is claimed that only the consideration of group structure and the differentiation of partially individual and partially structural attributes of the group members results in a conceptually adequate theory of group formation and intergroup behaviour of its members.
Perceptual accentuation in minimal groups
Authors: Herringer Lawrence G. , Garza Raymond T.
Published: May 2007

Differences between paired paintings in a minimal group context were accentuated when assigned preferences served as the categorization basis. Failure to replicate resource allocation bias in control groups was attributed to the procedural emphasis on paintings, which may have precluded the use of the random categorization as a meaningful comparison dimension.
Effect of subgroup ratio on stereotyping
Authors: Nesdale A. R. , Dharmalingam S. , Kerr G. K.
Published: May 2007

Male and female subjects observed a discussion by a group with one of three sex ratios (9M‐IF, SM‐SF, 1M‐9F) and in which the male contributions were expressed in a more or less stereotype consistent manner. The results indicated that male speakers were stereotyped less than females and that male compared with female speakers were stereotyped increasingly less as the number of like speakers in the group increased.
Minority influence and idiosyncrasy credit: A new comparison of the Moscovici and Hollander theories of innovation
Authors: Lortie‐Lussier Monique
Published: May 2007

Moscovici's model of minority influence and Hollander's model of idiosyncrasy credit were compared in an experiment conducted with I6 discussion groups composed of four male undergraduates (N = 64) and a confederate. Their task was to rank‐order unanimously 10 proposals to remediate urban problems, to which the confederate attempted to have one more added, thus introducing a norm change. Two variables were manipulated: Status of the innovator (minority versus elected leader) and Ideological criterion for innovation (avant‐garde versus reformist). It was predicted that the consistent behavioural style of the minority would make him more influential under the avant‐garde condition than under the reformist condition whereas the idiosyncrasy credit of the leader would make him more influential under the reformist condition. Although the adoption hypotheses failed to be supported, the evaluations of the confederate were consistent with both the Moscovici and Hollander models. While the minority con federate's action gained him visibility and distinctive attributions of determination and assurance, the leader con federate's initiative cost him his competence and cooperation credits. Strategies devised to adopt the innovation or to reject it (five groups versus four) pointed to the importance of interactive networks within the majority and to the decisive role played by group leaders for the innovator's influence to be exerted. These findings lead to speculate that Hollander's theorizing could be complementary to Moscovici's to account for the diffusion of minority influence.
The Benny Hill effect: Switching cognitive programmes underlying subjective estimations of the outcomes of bargains concerning distributions of rewards
Authors: Peeters Guido
Published: May 2007

The pun of a sketch from the Benny Hill show was related to a switch of cognitive in formation processing programmes underlying the interpretation of the scene represented. The audience would be biased to interpret it following a cognitive programme anchored on the constructs self and other (SO‐programme), while Benny Hill makes a statement that would impose a cognitive programme anchored on constructs associated with the third pronominal person (3P‐programme). In an experiment it was attempted to make subjects to switch from SO‐ to 3P‐programmes (Benny Hill effect) when they were making subjective estimations of outcomes of bargains concerning distributions of rewards. The hypothesis was confirmed that the 3P‐programme was activated by providing additional in formation pertaining to substantiate the stimulus persons in such a way as to make them stand out as anchors for the processing of the in formation. However, the data showed also that the mere substantiation of stimulus persons was not yet sufficient to produce the given shift of cognitive programmes. The results are discussed in the light of theories concerning fairness, social values and allocation rules.
The “Black Sheep Effect”: Extremity of judgments towards ingroup members as a function of group identification
Authors: Marques José M. , Yzerbyt Vincent Y. , Leyens Jacques‐Philippe
Published: May 2007

The present study proposes an extension to the phenomenon of ingroup favouritism, based on the hypothesis that judgments about ingroup members may be more positive or more negative than judgments about similar outgroup members. It contrasts predictions issued from the complexity‐extremity hypothesis (Linville, 1982; Linville and Jones, 1980), from the ingroup favouritism hypothesis (Tajfel, 1982) and from Tesser's (1978; Millar and Tesser, 1986) attitude polarization model. Our main prediction, based on Social Identity Theory, is that judgments about both likeable and unlikeable ingroup members are more extreme than judgments about outgroup members. This phenomenon, coined the Black Sheep Effect, is viewed as due to the relevance that ingroup members'behaviour, as compared to that of outgroup members, has for the subjects' social identity. Three experiments supported our predictions. Experiment I additionally showed that inter‐trait correlations were stronger for the ingroup than for the outgroup. Experiment 2 showed that the black sheep effect occurs only when the judgmental cues are relevant for the subjects' social identity, and Experiment 3 showed that levels of information about the target of the judgment were ineffective in generating judgmental extremity. Results are discussed in light of a cognitive‐motivational alternative explanation to a purely cognitive interpretation of outgroup homogeneity.
Revisiting Thurstone's and Coombs' scales on the seriousness of crimes and offences
Authors: Borg Ingwer
Published: May 2007

The classical studies by Thurstone (1927b) and Coombs (1967) on the seriousness of crimes and offences are replicated here for a sample of male and female students. Eighty subjects used both forced choice and graded dominance ratios to assess all pairs of 10 crimes/offences. The direct ratio estimates correlate very highly with pair‐comparison probabilities, thus making it possible to interpret the former as direct estimates of dominance probabilities. These data can be scaled with excellent fit in Thurstone's sense. The resulting scales are quite similar to those obtained by Thurstone and Coombs. An analysis of the individual data shows, however, that 69 per cent of the average data are aggregated over a variety of distinct subgroups of individuals who partition the crimes/offences into subsets that are incomparable in their seriousness. Thurstone's and Coombs' seriousness scales must therefore be considered a population lawfulness.
Categories versus groups as explanatory concepts in intergroup relations
Authors: Rabbie Jacob M. , Horwitz Murray
Published: May 2007

In this discussion of papers by Doise (1988) and Tajfel (1982) it is argued that a conceptual distinction should be made between social groups and social categories. A social group can be considered as a ‘dynamic whole’ or social system, characterized by the perceived interdependence among its members, whereas a social category can be defined as a collection of individuals who share at least one attribute in common. This distinction is crucial for the understanding of outgroup favouritism in the minimal intergroup situation, the basic similarity between large scale groupings and face‐to‐face groups, the difference between group identification and social identity and the issue of categorizations versus attributions in intergroup conflict.
‘Numerical trap’. A new look at outcome representation in studies on choice behaviour
Authors: Grzelak Janusz L. , Poppe Matthijs , Czwartosz Zbigniew , Nowak Andrzej
Published: May 2007

In almost all experimental studies on choice behaviour the consequences of choices are limited to denumerable goods (usually money) and represented in a numerical way. It is argued that a different way of representing consequences would cause differences in social orientations. In an exploratory study (1) the kind of consequences (money, satisfaction with money and satisfaction with the situation) and (2) the way of representing consequences (numbers, rectangles, and faces) were varied. No differences were found between the three kinds of consequences represented by rectangles. Representation of money by numbers did not differ from representation of money by rectangles. However, subjects in the condition in which satisfaction with money was represented by faces were more cooperative and altruistic and less equality‐oriented than subjects in the corresponding condition in which satisfaction with money was represented by rectangles. Additional correlational analyses showed differences between ways of representing consequences. It was concluded that both for theory and for future research it is important to consider how consequences are represented.
Critical notes and reflections on ‘social representations’
Authors: Jahoda Gustav
Published: May 2007

Moscovici has ushered in the ‘era of social representations widely welcomed as a European alternative to what are increasingly regarded as the shortcomings of mainline American social psychology. The rapid and enthusiastic adoption by many psychologists of Moscovici's theoretical approach has not so far evoked a great deal of critical appraisal of the ideas he put forward. The present paper seeks to make a start in jilling this gap by an examination of the conceptual structure and some of its underlying assumptions. There appear to be a number of internal inconsistencies and some doubt concerning the logical status of social representations’ It is suggested that clarification of such issues, together with the establishment of closer links with the findings of neighbouring disciplines, would help to strengthen what is undoubtedly one of the most stimulating new departures in the field.
Notes towards a description of Social Representations
Authors: Moscovici Serge
Published: May 2007

The theory of social representations occupies a place apart in social psychology both by the problems it raises and the scale of the phenomena with which it deals. This provokes many a criticism and misunderstanding. Such a theory may not correspond with the model of social psychology as it is defined at present. One attempts however to show that it answers important social and scientific questions, in what it differs from the classical conception of collective representations and, from the very beginning, adopts a constructivist perspective which has spread in social psychology since. Several trends of research have confirmed its vision of the relations between social and cognitive phenomena, communication and thought. More detailed remarks aim at outlining the nature of social representations, their capacity to create information, their function which is to familiarize us with the strange, according to the categories of our culture. Going farther, one insists on the diversity of methodological approaches. If the experimental method is useful to understand how people should think, higher mental and social processes must be approached by different methods, including linguistic analysis and observation of how people think. No doubt, social representations have a relation with the more recent field of social cognition. But inasmuch as the former depend on content and context, i.e. subjectivity and sociability of people, they approach the phenomena differently from the latter. Referring to child psychology and anthropology, one can contend, despite appearances, that it is also a more scientific approach. There is however much to be learned from criticisms and there is still a long way to go before we arrive at a satisfactory theory of social thinking and communication.
Minority influence and social categorization: A replication
Authors: Martin Robin
Published: May 2007

The effects of ingroup and outgroup minorities upon public and private levels of influence was examined. The results show that whilst ingroup minorities have greater influence in public, outgroup minorities can have as much, if not more influence than ingroup minorities when responses are made in private. These results are consistent with previous research and support the social identijkation model of social influence.
Intergroup fairness and bias in children
Authors: Van Avermaet E. , McClintock C. G.
Published: May 2007

In recent years in research on intergroup relationships, the assumption has increasingly been made that discrimination dominates decisions when individuals allocate resources between (members of) own and other group. Conversely, in empirical studies of interpersonal decision‐making, including an extensive literature on the development of children's allocation rules within dyadic relationships, it has been repeatedly observed that in dyadic relationships choices though responsive to various changes in the environment, are more strongly governed by fairness rules. The present research extends the interpersonal fairness paradigm to the intergroup case, and examines the effects of some of those variables, namely, children's age, input and attitudes toward other, that have been observed to influence choice behaviour within interpersonal relationships. The findings indicate that as children are socialized, fairness rules also play an increasing dominant role in intergroup allocation decisions, and that both relative input and the language of the outgroup influence such decisions. At the same time, there is some preliminary evidence to indicate that the relative strength of self‐interest may be somewhat stronger in intergroup than in interpersonal relationships. Finally, a number of the issues that must be confronted in comparing the two more important forms of human social choices, interpersonal and intergroup decision‐making, are considered.
The effects of competition on allocators' preferences for contributive and retributive justice rules
Authors: Griffith W. I. , Sell Jane
Published: May 2007

A 2 × 2 × 3 factorial design was employed to test the effects of competition on justice rule preferences in contributive and retributive settings. The factors included task structure (cooperative versus competitive); allocation (contributive versus retributive); and input information (no information, ability only, effort only). The data showed that, in contribution conditions, competition alone was insufficient to produce changes in allocation preferences. However, in the contribution‐ability condition, competition produced a shift toward more equitable allocations. In retribution situations, competition was sufficient to create stronger preferences for equity in all conditions except retribution‐ability. In general, allocators in competitive conditions exhibited a stronger preference for equity. In particular, the combination of competition and retribution produced the strongest preference for equitable allocations.
The public's view of the impact of the mass media: A test of the ‘third person’ effect
Authors: Innes J. M. , Zeitz H.
Published: May 2007

An experiment is reported to test Davidson's (1983) hypothesis that there is a pervasive ‘third person effect' whereby people see the mass media as more likely to affect other people than it is them. Respondents were asked to judge the likely impact of three different media issues, a political campaign, the influence of violence in the media and a drink driving advertising campaign. While an issue effect was found, so that the serf was most likely to be seen as infuencible by an anti‐drink driving campaign and significantly less so by media violence and politics, in all cases others were seen as being much more affected than the self. The results of the study are discussed with reference to the concept of the Ifalse consensus effect’.
Social identification and permeability of group boundaries
Authors: Ellemers Naomi , van Knippenberg Ad , De Vries Nanne , Wilke Henk
Published: May 2007

Two experiments were conducted to investigate some of the factors affecting social identification. In Experiment 1 ingroup identification was measured for subjects who were members of high or low status groups with either permeable or impermeable boundaries, and who received high, average or low ability feedback. The main results are that (1) members of high status groups show more ingroup identification than members of low status groups (2) members of low status groups with permeable boundaries identify less with their group than members of low status groups with impermeable boundaries and (3) in low status groups ingroup identification decreases as group members have higher individual ability. In Experiment 2, in addition to manipulating group status and individual ability, permeability was further differentiated into separate possibilities for upward and downward mobility. The most important results of Experiment 2 are that (1) members of high status groups show more ingroup identification than members of low status groups and (2) group members with high individual ability identify less with their group when upward mobility is possible than when upward mobility is not possible. These results are discussed in relation to social identity theory.
On predicting minority influence
Authors: Clark Russell D.
Published: May 2007

Paralleling closely an experiment on group polarization by Vinokur and Burnstein (1978), subjects discussed one of three risky, cautious, or neutral choice dilemmas. For each of the value items, one half of the six‐person groups consisted of a cautious minority and a risky majority; the other half consisted of a risky minority and a cautious majority. The minorities always consisted of trained confederates. The results indicated that on risky items minorities that argued for risk had more influence than minorities advocating caution; on neutral and cautious items the majority was not influenced by the minority whether it advocated the risky or cautious alternative.
Perspective‐specific differences in the segmentation and evaluation of aggressive interaction sequences
Authors: Mummendey Amélie , Otten Sabine
Published: May 2007

The present study is based on a social psychological concept of aggression, focusing on typicalities in the subjective definitions and interpretations of aggressive interactions.

The study was conducted to explore whether perspective‐specific divergences in the evaluation of longer aggressive interaction sequences are accompanied by different descriptions of the content and different segmentation of the interaction from the actor's versus the recipient's viewpoint.

Two hundred and fifty‐three pupils participated in the study. The data obtained indicate that ‐ while only slightly differing in the free descriptions and segmentations of the interaction ‐ subjects evaluate the single behavioural segments more positive if they are in the position of an actor than of a recipient.

Presenting the subjects an ambiguous situation leads to perspective‐specific differences in the subjective definitions of the beginning of the aggressive interaction, showing that there is a tendency to reject the initiator's role.

Four kinds of segments were distinguished; the MANOVA results show that actions initiating the conflict and actions defined as ‘serious’ are evaluated more negative than other, not specified segments. Actors' judgments are more affected by the distinction between segments than are those of recipients.
Socio‐cognitive conflict and peer interaction: Development of compensation
Authors: Taal Margot , Oppenheimer Louis
Published: May 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine under which social conditions cognitive development of children at the same cognitive development level will be stimulated. One hundred and two children (mean age 7.8 years), understanding conversation of area quantity, but not yet able to grasp the compensatory relationships between the dimensions of length and width of an area, participated in two experimental conditions in which the developmental processes of socio‐cognitive conflict and coordination were evoked. The results indicate that the resolution of the socio‐cognitive conflict and the occurence of coordination is higher in individual than in dyadic conditions, and higher in (inter‐group) competitive and (adult) supervised conditions than in conditions were task execution was left to the spontaneous initiative of the children themselves. Cognitive developmental progress generalized from the area concept to liquid and mass concepts.
The contribution of linguistic factors to attribute inferences and semantic similarity judgements
Authors: Semin Gün R.
Published: May 2007

Two studies are reported which examine the contribution of linguistic factors to attribute inferences and semantic similarity judgements. For this purpose a new method is developed which allows us to examine the contribution of language as a symbolically shared system. The two studies show that a substantial amount of the variance in both attribute inferences and semantic similarity judgements is mediated by socially shared linguistic conventions. The implications of these findings and the methodology for social cognition, and some models of personality and affect are discussed.
The social context of stereotyping and differentiation
Authors: Spears Russell , Manstead A. S. R.
Published: May 2007

Two related field studies investigated social stereotyping and differentiation between student groups in higher education. In the first, subjects from Exeter and Manchester Universities rated students at both institutions on a number of evaluatively positive attributes. They also judged the degree status and prospective employment opportunities of the groups, in a context which rendered these important. Although subjects displayed strategies of positive differentiation, this was restricted to certain ‘consensual’ dimensions, reflecting perceived stereotypic differences between the groups. Discrepancies in the pattern of differentiation between the groups, and with finding of comparable studies, are discussed. This paradigm was then extended to the case where Manchester University subjects rated three groups, including the ingroup (Oxford or Exeter University vs. Manchester University vs. Manchester Polytechnic students). From social identity theory it was predicted that comparisons with a higher status outgroup which also excelled on contextually important dimensions (Oxford/Exeter), would increase positive differentiation of the ingroup from a second, lower status outgroup (Manchester Polytechnic students). This was confirmed, although there was weaker evidence for devaluation of the second outgroup in absolute terms. In both studies the relation of group status and dimensional importance of the material factor of career prospects helped to explain the strategies of differentiation adopted.
Styles of explanation in social psychology
Authors: Zajonc R. B.
Published: May 2007

This article examines some stylistic differences in social psychological explanations. Described are different styles in formulating problems, in constructing theories, and gathering evidence. Styles are not to be confused with method since a given method — say, factor analysis — can reveal itself in contrasting stylistic approaches. Comparisons are drawn from music and art.
Accentuation effects and illusory change in exemplar‐based category learning
Authors: Krueger Joachim
Published: May 2007

Examined the hypothesis that information enhancing category differences receives greater weight in estimates of category means than information that reduces such differences. In the first experiment, subjects estimated the cumulative means of test scores of two groups of students. The experimental manipulation involved a gradual shift of the true mean of one group either towards or away from the true mean of the other group. As predicted, changes of estimates were larger when the two means became more dissimilar than when they became more similar. The second experiment involved otherwise identical procedures, but the variance in one category was increased while the mean remained stable. Subjects perceived an illusory change of the mean away from the comparison category. It is suggested that accentuation effects of this kind may limit the reduction of social stereotypes.
Studies in social influence VI: Is Lenin orange or red? Imagery and social influence
Authors: Moscovici Serge , Personnaz Bernard
Published: May 2007

Two experiments dealing with the effects of a majority or a minority source influence, solely on the recognition of a portrait, let us study the generalization of the influence to a portrait symbolically linked to a colour. According to the theory of conversion, the bringing into play of the validation process of the stimulus when the source is a minority should allow such a generalization cognitive association. When the source is a majority, a social comparison process should lead to compliance about the portrait, without any cognitive investigation of the whole stimulus. In the first experiment, four slides were shown successively using material similar to Luchins' (1945) and progressively drawing the portrait of Lenin, with a red‐orange background for each phase. The dependant variables are: (1) the drawing, (2) the colour of the background, (3) the after‐image. On the two last slides for which the answer ‘Lenin’ is given by the source, changes towards red (and the complementary colour green), in the absence of the source under the minority influence, and changes towards orange under majority influence in the absence of the source are registered. Moreoever, the most significant changes of the colour judgment are due to the subjects who refuse to answer ‘Lenin’ during the interaction. In the second experiment, only the fourth slide, on which Lenin's portrait completely appears is shown. The subjects submitted to majority influence answer ‘Lenin’ more than the control group does, only in the presence of the source and change their judgment on the colour of the after‐image towards the complementary of orange in the absence of the source. When the source is a minority a sinificant effect towards the red and its complementary colour is shown.
Practicing and arguing for abstinence from smoking: A test of the double forced compliance paradigm
Authors: Joule Robert‐Vincent
Published: May 2007

An experiment was conducted within a new paradigm for Festinger's theory of dissonance (1957): the double forced compliance paradigm (Joule, 1986a). Double compliance was used to test dissonance reduction following the execution of not just one, as in the classical paradigm, but two forced compliance behaviours. The first behaviour involved abstinence from smoking, and the second, writing a text for or against smoking. Based on the radical conception of the theory of dissonance (Beauvois and Joule, 1981; Joule, 1986b), subjects were expected to find tobacco deprivation more difficult after having written a text against smoking than before, and easier after having written a text in favour of smoking. The results confirmed these predictions.
Hierarchisation and dominance assessment at first glance
Authors: Kalma Akko
Published: May 2007

In this study 97 subjects were observed during free discussions in same sex triads and dyads. In earlier research, it has been found that rank‐ordering in ad hoc groups occurs at a very early phase of the interaction. In this study it is shown that, in the absence of status characteristics, rank‐ordering occurs not only right from the beginning of group interactions, but even exists after a first glance, before one word has been spoken. Not only nonverbal behaviours that are usually associated with the development or maintenance of a dominance position appear to be predictive for the amount of talking in the discussion to follow, but also personality measures. As the verbal interactions do not result in a change of the first glance rank‐ordering, our data support the view that rapid judgements of interpersonal relationships may occur without much cognitive information processing.
Indirect majority and minority influence: An exploratory study
Authors: Brandstätter Veronika , Ellemers Naomi , Gaviria Elena , Giosue Francesca , Huguet Pascal , Kroon Marceline , Morchain Pascal , Pujal Margot , Rubini Monica , Mugny Gabriel , Perez Juan A.
Published: May 2007

In a 2 × 2 design, 85 subjects were asked to estimate the size of angles (direct influence) that were either 90 or 85°, after being confronted with incorrect judgements of a majority (88 per cent) or a minority (12 per cent) of people estimating the angles at 50°. Additionally, pre‐ and post‐test measures were used to establish indirect influence on subjects' judgements pertaining to acute angles (i.e. on the estimation of the length of lines constituting the angles, and on the imaginary weight of figures represented by these angles). Overall, little direct influence is observed. This may partly be due to the introduction of a denial of the credibility of the source in all conditions. In fact, some evidence of direct influence is only found in the majority–85° angles condition. An instance of indirect influence (on the estimation of length of lines) appeared as the result of a majority stance when the angles in the experimental phase were 90°. When these angles were 85°, indirect minority influence (on the estimation of weight of figures) was observed. These effects had been predicted on the basis of the hypothesis stating that indirect majority influence would be possible when subjects expected consensus on the correct response (in the 90° angles condition), without being able to reach consensus at the manifest level (because of the denial and the restriction imposed by the clear shape of 90° angles). Indirect minority influence was hypothesized to be stronger in a situation that allows for diverse responses (i.e. for 85° angles).