bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Unintended Negative Consequences of Sympathy for the Stigmatized1
Authors: Blaine Bruce , Crocker Jennifer , Major Brenda
Published: August 2006

Research on attitudes toward the stigmatized indicates that negative feelings and stereotypes toward the stigmatized are often mixed with positive feelings of sympathy and concern. Three studies investigate the hypothesis that positive outcomes for the stigmatized that are motivated by sympathy may have unintended negative consequences for self‐esteem, affect, and motivation. Subjects were asked to imagine themselves in the position of a stigmatized person who received a job either because he or she was qualified, or out of sympathy for a stigmatizing condition. Results indicated that subjects reported lower state self‐esteem, more negative affect, and lowered work motivation when the job was offered out of sympathy rather than on the basis of qualifications. Study 2 showed that the negative effects of sympathy occur whether the basis for the sympathy is prejudice and discrimination or mobility problems faced by the stigmatized individual. The third experiment showed that sympathy has negative effects when the sympathy is based either on individual or group‐based problems imposed by the stigmatizing condition. The findings are discussed in terms of the attributional ambiguity surrounding positive outcomes faced by the stigmatized and applied to the effects of affirmative‐action programs.
Health Beliefs and Attitudes Toward People Living With HIV/AIDS
Authors: Connors John , Heaven Patrick
Published: August 2006

The present study was concerned with the relationship between health beliefs and attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS. Measures of attitudes toward people with HIV/AIDS, beliefs about the transmission of HIV, and health locus of control beliefs were completed by 128 undergraduate students. In general, subjects who believed that HIV was transmitted through normal social contact wanted to avoid contact with people with HIV/AIDS, and showed other negative attitudes, such as lack of sympathy and blame. They also believed that their health was influenced by powerful others and chance. The findings are discussed in terms of fear of contracting HIV and the tendency to blame the victim.
Social Perceptions of Termination of Medical Treatment: Suicide or Rational Decision?
Authors: Wellman Robert J. , Sugarman David B.
Published: August 2006

In two studies, college students read about a critically ill patient who died after CPR attempts failed, CPR was not attempted pursuant to a “Do‐Not‐Resuscitate” (DNR) order, he terminated all medical treatment, or he self‐administered a lethal injection. Death resulting from treatment termination was perceived as significantly more unconventional than were death by CPR failure or DNR order. Ending treatment and lethal injection were perceived as equivalent acts of suicide, and resulted in the patient's being seen as less rational and less capable of making health care decisions. Timing of the patient's decisions regarding treatment, as indicated by the presence or absence of Living Will information, did not alter these perceptions. Results are discussed in light of opposing hypotheses regarding views of “naive” social perceivers toward actions with identical outcomes: that acts of commission are perceived as causal and rated more negatively than acts of omission (Spranca, Minsk, & Baron, 1991), and that acts seen as abnormal are attributed greater causal impact (Hilton & Slugoski, 1986).
Attribution of Responsibility and Trust in the Milgram Obedience Experiment1
Authors: Blass Thomas
Published: August 2006

The two primary theoretical explanations for the findings of the Milgram (1963, 1974) obedience studies are that of Milgram, stressing the role of relinquished responsibility to the authority on the one hand, and that of Mixon (1971, 1972), for whom trust in the experimenter is the key element on the other hand. The aim of the 2 studies reported in this article, using edited portions of the film Obedience (Milgram, 1965), was to explore the naive social perceiver's understanding of the dynamics of obedience to authority through his or her attributions about responsibility and trust, and thereby to provide some input into the theoretical controversy between Milgram and Mixon. Both studies were more supportive of Milgram's than of Mixon's position.
Cross‐Cultural Testing of Three Social Cognitive Theories: An Application to Condom Use1
Authors: Godin Gaston , Maticka‐Tyndale Eleanor , Adrien Alix , Manson‐Singer Sharon , Willms Dennis , Cappon Paul
Published: August 2006

The aim of this study was to test the cross‐cultural validity of Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action, Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, and Triandis' theory of interpersonal behavior and to apply them to understanding the intention to use a condom with a new partner in three ethnocultural communities: Latin American, English‐speaking Caribbean, and South Asian. All respondents were recruited from multiple ethnocultural‐venues using predetermined sampling frames and quotas for each community. The results indicated that the three theories have cross‐cultural validity, but the theories of Ajzen and Triandis performed better than the theory of Fishbein and Ajzen. It is recommended that role beliefs and moral norm (personal normative belief) be added to Ajzen's model to maximize its predictive and explanatory ability.
Television Exposure and Children's Decoding of Nonverbal Behavior1
Authors: Feldman Robert S. , Coats Erik J. , Spielman Darren A.
Published: August 2006

Two studies considered the way in which the magnitude of exposure to television relates to children's understanding and interpretation of others' nonverbal behavior. In the first study, 6th graders made judgments regarding other children whose nonverbal facial behavior did not match their internal emotional state. Results showed that heavier television viewers held a less differentiated, more simplistic view of the consequences of nonverbal self‐presentation strategies. In the second study, children in Grades 2 through 6 made judgments of others' nonverbal expressions of emotion. As predicted, heavier television viewers were better at decoding others' nonverbal expressions than lighter viewers, presumably because of their greater exposure to nonverbal displays of emotion on television. In addition, nonverbal decoding skills improved with age.
The Relative Influence of Husbands and Wives on the Choice and Use of Oral Contraception, a Diaphragm, and Condoms1
Authors: Miller Warren B. , Pasta David J.
Published: August 2006

Little empirical research has tested the traditional assumption that contraceptive behavior in the U.S. lies principally within the wife's sphere of influence. We use a decision‐making framework and data collected from 401 married couples to examine the relative influence of husbands and wives over the decisions to discontinue a current contraceptive method and then to select a new one and the decisions that govern regularity of use of an already chosen method. We focus on the specific methods of oral contraception, a diaphragm, and condoms, examining their similarities and differences according to the gender of the user. The results indicate that spouse influence varies according to the type of contraceptive decision being made and the specific method of contraception being used or chosen.
Influences of Social Supports and Personality on Adjustment of Chinese Students in Japan
Authors: Jou Yuh Huey , Fukada Hiromi
Published: August 2006

The present study longitudinally examined the effects of personality and social support on adjustment. Questionnaires were responded to over 4 periods of stay: just before arrival in Japan and three months, 9 months, and 21 months after arrival in Japan. Extraversion and neuroticism were measured in the 1st period; and needed, actual support, and adjustment in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th periods. Thirty‐three participants' completed data were analyzed. Three multiple regression analyses indicated that (a) needed support was a negative predictor and (b) actual support was a positive predictor of adjustment over all periods, while (c) extraversion was a positive predictor of the 4th period adjustment, and (d) there was no association between neuroticism and adjustment. The effects of support and personality on adjustment, which varied according to the period of stay, were discussed.
Motivation and Management Styles in the Public and Private Sectors in Taiwan and a Comparison With the United States
Authors: Silverthorne Colin
Published: August 2006

Motivation studies in organizations have focused primarily on private sector organizations in the U.S. The current study looks at motivation and managerial styles in the private and public sectors in Taiwan (Republic of China). The results were also compared to nonnative data for the U.S. The findings indicate that motivational levels are much higher in Taiwan than in the U.S. and consistent between the public and private sectors. There is also a strong positive perception of public sector work in Taiwan and a greater understanding and commitment to participate in motivationally based managerial styles in all types of organizations. The study suggests the need to explore the motivational processes in organizations other than those based in the Western culture.
African Americans’ and European Americans’ Mutual Attributions: Adjective Generation Technique (AGT) Stereotyping1
Authors: Allen Bem P.
Published: August 2006

The Katz/Braly line of research is reviewed, along with efforts to improve stereotype measurement. Mutual stereotyping by African Americans and European Americans and in‐group bias effects were examined employing the Adjective Generation Technique (AGT). Results showed that each group's conception of the other differed from its own‐group conception. Both groups saw European Americans as tending to be inventive, educated, smart, rich, and greedy, but African Americans added corrupt and prejudiced, while European Americans added lazy. African Americans were seen by both groups as tending to be corrupt, funny, friendly, independent, and poor. While mostly African Americans saw their own group as smart and strong, mostly European Americans attributed athletic, humorous, and loud to African Americans. The in‐group bias effect was confirmed for both groups in terms of FAVorability and ANXiety values assigned to generated words. However, African Americans showed a stronger bias effect on the FAV measure. The expectation that in‐group members would have more constructs applicable to their own group than to the other group was supported only for African Americans. There was also evidence that the powerless know the powerful more than the other way around. Implications for the study of stereotype content, the in‐group bias effect, intergroup anxiety, and strength of own group identity are discussed.
Measuring Quality of Interaction Between Leaders and Members
Authors: Bhal Kanika T. , Ansari Mahfooz A.
Published: August 2006

The paper reports the development of a scale to measure the quality of interaction between leaders and members in line with the leader member exchange/vertical dyad linkage theorization of Dansereau, Graen, and Haga (1975), incorporating the suggestions of Dienesch and Liden (1986). Construct definitions were developed and items were generated and evaluated for content validity. A varimax rotated factor analysis of the data yielded only 2 of the proposed 3 factors—perceived contribution and affect. The two subscales documented factor stability and high reliability coefficients. Within‐and between‐groups analysis found support for dyadic nature of interaction. The implications of the results are discussed and conclusions are drawn about the new scale.
The Ethnic Hierarchy Among Majority and Minority Youth In The Netherlands
Authors: Verkuyten Maykel , Hagendoorn Louk , Masson Kees
Published: August 2006

This study tests the hypothesis that ethnic groups have consensus about the relative position of ethnic out‐groups in society. A survey among ethnic majority and minority youth in the city of Rotterdam indicated that: (a) each ethnic group preferred the in‐group, (b) there was consensus on an ethnic hierarchy within ethnic groups, and (c) ethnic groups largely agreed on the ethnic rank order. Among the Dutch respondents, the ethnic hierarchy was found to be related to real cultural differences. The scheme of ethnic preferences corresponded inversely to the rank ordering of the ethnic groups in terms of collectivism. Among ethnic minority youth the rank ordering did not correspond to cultural differences but to existing socioeconomic status differences.
Does Information That a Suicide Victim Was Psychiatrically Disturbed Reduce the Likelihood of Contagion?1
Authors: Higgins Linda , Range Lillian M.
Published: August 2006

For example, psychological disturbance is stigmatizing, so knowledge that the suicide victim was psychiatrically disturbed may decrease the possibility that others will imitate the act. To assess this possibility, 306 undergraduate volunteers read a fictitious newspaper article about a 16‐year‐old high school sophomore, Pat, who committed suicide. There were 7 variations of the article, 4 containing negative circumstances (psychiatric disturbance, romantic relationship breakup, parents’ divorce, alcohol problems), and 2 containing positive circumstances (being a varsity athlete, being an honors student). A control group received no information about circumstances. Knowledge of Pat's life circumstances had no effect on respondents’ estimates of the possibility of the suicide being imitated, but did affect attitudes about the suicidal act itself and attitudes toward Pat's family. Apparently the circumstances surrounding the suicide have no affect on respondents’ estimates of themselves following suit, but do affect how they see the victim and bereaved family.
The Political Socialization of Commerce and Social Science Students: Epistemic Authority and Attitude Change1
Authors: Guimond Serge , Palmer Douglas L.
Published: August 2006

A 3‐year longitudinal study assessed the effects of studying in the social sciences versus commerce on sociopolitical orientation. Results reveal field‐specific changes in attitudes. Commerce students (n= 34) became, over time, more favorable toward “capitalists,” less favorable toward “unions,” and less likely to attribute poverty and unemployment to systemic factors. In contrast, social science students (n= 57) maintained liberal attitudes and became less likely to attribute poverty and unemployment to internal dispositions. Beliefs about internal and external causes of poverty and unemployment, while unrelated in 1st year, become negatively related in 3rd year but only among social science students. Measures taken in 3rd year to assess the influence of peers, professors, and courses suggest that peers have a generally conservative effect, even in the social sciences, while professors and courses have a liberal effect only in the social sciences.
The Relations of Pro‐Drug‐Use Myths With Self‐Reported Drug Use Among Youth at Continuation High Schools1
Authors: Sussman Steve , Dent Clyde W. , Stacy Alan W.
Published: August 2006

Drug‐use myths, questionable beliefs regarding the effects of drug use, may help to explain why people engage in self‐injurious drug‐use behavior. While clinicians and applied social researchers have used this concept of drug‐use myths extensively when developing substance abuse prevention or cessation programs, drug belief‐type myth measures have not been investigated empirically. The present study examined the internal consistency and discriminant validity of a drug‐use myth measure among 362 continuation (alternative) high school youth and found it to be discriminable from demographic, drug use, and other psychosocial measures. Controlling for its relations with its correlates, social desirability, perceived friends' drug use, ethnicity items, and gender, the myth measure remained significantly associated with 4 drug‐use measures. Future research regarding drug use myths as predictors of drug use is encouraged based on these results.
Moderation and Mediation of HIV‐Prevention Interventions: Relationship Status, Intentions, and Condom Use Among College Students1
Authors: Sanderson Catherine A. , Jemmott John B.
Published: August 2006

This study examined the effects of 2 HIV prevention interventions on condom use and mediators of condom use. College students were randomly assigned to a control condition or an intervention (communication skills or technical skills). Those who received either intervention had greater condom use self‐efficacy, more positive condom use attitudes, and stronger intentions to use condoms than did controls. Furthermore, 3‐month follow‐up data revealed that students in either intervention who were not in a steady dating relationship reported more consistent condom use than did those in the control condition, whereas students who were in either intervention and in a relationship reported somewhat less consistent condom use than did those in the control condition. Analyses suggested that effects of the interventions on condom use were mediated by increased intentions to use condoms.
The Role of Counterfactual Thinking and Causal Attribution in Accident‐Related Judgments
Authors: Williams Christopher W. , Lees‐Haley Paul R. , Price J. Randall
Published: August 2006

The effects of counterfactual thinking and causal attribution on accident‐related judgments were investigated. Subjects read about a couple who died in an automobile accident where mutability of the outcome was varied. Mutability refers to the extent that a factual event can be mentally altered, with mutable outcomes more easily imagined otherwise than immutable outcomes. In comparison to the immutable scenario, participants reading the mutable scenario saw the accident as more avoidable, ascribed a greater causal role to the accident perpetrator, and perceived the perpetrator having more causal control over the couple's deaths. In addition to increased anger, a harsher financial penalty was levied against the accident perpetrator by participants in the mutable than in the immutable condition. Multiple regression analysis supported the efficacy of attribution theory to explain the affective and behavioral consequences of counterfactual thinking in accident‐related judgments.
Mode of Target Presentation in Measuring the Stigma of Mental Disorder
Authors: Farina Amerigo , Boudreau Louis A. , Fischer Edward H. , Belt William E.
Published: August 2006

The social response to mentally disordered individuals has been assessed by exposing them in many different guises, ranging from giving subjects a written description to having them meet a mentally disordered person. The present study sought to determine if such differences affect the responses obtained. Independent groups of female students responded either to a mentally disordered or to a control woman presented at one of 5 levels of abstractness/concreteness. They rated the social acceptability and the expected degree of accomplishments of the target person. The mentally disordered person was described as less socially acceptable than the control at each of the 5 levels, but the psychiatric history did not affect expectations of how much she would accomplish. Level of abstractness/concreteness significantly influenced expectations of accomplishments at school and on the job. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Integration of Certainty, Severity, and Celerity Information in Judged Deterrence Value: urther Evidence and Methodological Equivalence1
Authors: Howe Edmund S. , Loftus Thomas C.
Published: August 2006

The purposes of these studies were (a) to establish on a general basis whether 3 time‐honored manipulable components of punishment combine additively, or multi‐plicatively in determining the judged deterrence value of a sanction, and (b) to explore the equivalence in principle of two mutually exclusive experimental designs. Study 1 used a repeated measures design whereas main and interactive effects of certainty and severity were substantial and appeared to follow a multiplying rule, celerity effects were very small and local. Studies 2a and 3 used independent groups and established that the results of Study 1 were not merely an arbitrary product of the method. The discussion addresses the minimal effects of celerity, the interaction between certainty and severity, and the theoretical implications of choice of method.
Gender Differences in Perceptions of Household Crowding: Stress, Affiliation, and Role Obligations in Rural India1
Authors: Ruback R. Barry , Pandey Janak
Published: August 2006

Male and female researchers separately interviewed the male and female heads of household in each of 159 homes in three villages in northern India. Analyses revealed consistent gender differences, such that women, compared to men, rated their homes more negatively, experienced more physical symptoms, and thought the supply of resources was insufficient. Surprisingly, women also believed that their homes could house more people and were significantly more likely to want more children. In other words, women reacted negatively to crowding but also appeared to like having many people in the household. Possible reasons for this apparent contradiction are discussed.
Individual and Nomothetic Models of Job Stress: An Examination of Work Hours, Cohesion, and Well‐Being1
Authors: Bliese Paul D. , Halverson Ronald R.
Published: August 2006

Many models of job stress are implicitly based on the assumption that there is considerable variability in how individuals perceive and respond to their environments. In this paper, we introduce a nomothetic perspective of job stress. The nomothetic perspective assumes that despite individual differences there will be consistencies in how groups of individuals perceive and respond to similar work environments. To contrast the individual and nomothetic perspectives, we analyzed data from 7,382 respondents from 99 groups. In the analyses, we examined individual‐and group‐level relationships using both real groups and randomly formed groups. The results revealed that respondents from the same work group agreed about perceptions of the work climate. The results also revealed that both individual and nomothetic perspectives were useful in describing the relationship between cohesion and psychological well‐being. The relationship between work hours and psychological well‐being, however, was best modeled from a nomothetic perspective.
The Effect of Race on Decisions by Judges and Other Officers of the Court1
Authors: Foley Linda A. , Adams Afesa M. , Goodson James L.
Published: August 2006

This study examined the impact of the ethnic group of defendant and victim on perceptions of a simulated trial. The subjects were judges, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, and probation officers. People of different racial groups are perceived and would be treated differently by the respondents. Most respondents perceived the White defendant as a more serious offender than a minority defendant. However, there was one very important exception—judges. Judges indicated that a minority defendant who victimized a White was more likely to commit future crimes. Minority respondents and different occupational groups responded in diverse ways. Chen's filtering model of case processing in the criminal justice system (1991) is used to explain these results.
Responses to Music in a Dining Area1
Authors: North Adrian C. , Hargreaves David J.
Published: August 2006

Berlyne's theory of aesthetic response was tested in an ecologically valid setting by playing music in a university cafeteria. Four music conditions were employed representing low, high, and moderate complexity new age music, and moderate complexity mechanical organ music. Response measures were how readily diners cited the music as an aspect of the environment which they might like to change, and how much they liked the music. Liking for the new age extracts was consistent with Berlyne's theory, although liking for the moderate complexity mechanical organ music indicated that factors other than complexity may also determine musical preference. As dislike became more extreme, music became more salient as a feature of the environment that subjects might like to change.
The Impact of Participant Characteristics, Perceived Motives, and Job Behaviors on Co‐Workers' Evaluations of Workplace Romances1
Authors: Brown Theresa J. , Allgeier Elizabeth Rice
Published: August 2006

Using a policy capturing approach, we examined the importance that observers placed on 7 different factors when evaluating workplace romances. Nearly half the explained variation in observers' evaluations of workplace romances was accounted for by participants' marital status. Participants' organizational status relative to one another was also important in explaining the variation. A series of nomothetic analyses indicated that workplace romance participants' marital status, academic status, motive for entry into the relationship, and job performance affected observers' evaluations of these relationships. Observers' level of prior involvement in a workplace romance was also significantly related to a number of variables. Results suggest that when evaluating workplace romances, observers place the greatest importance on the personal characteristics of participants. Ramifications for policy formation are discussed.
Expectancy‐Based Job Cognitions and Job Affect as Predictors of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors1
Authors: Kemery Edward R. , Bedeian Arthur G. , Zacur Susan Rawson
Published: August 2006

This study investigated the importance of expectancy‐based job cognitions and job affect (the affective component of job satisfaction) in helping to account for “organizational citizenship behaviors” (OCBs; Organ, 1988). Data pertaining to the expectancy‐based job cognitions (i.e., expectancies, instrumentalities, valences), job affect, and OCB performance of 65 state finance agency employees were examined. We anticipated that the effect of expectancy‐based job cognitions on OCB would be partially mediated by affect‐based job satisfaction. This expectation was confirmed in that, after controlling for negative and positive affectivity, generalized instrumentality beliefs were found to affect OCB‐altruism directly, as well as indirectly through the influence of affect‐based job satisfaction.
Mortal Kombat (tm): The Effects of Violent Videogame Play on Males' Hostility and Cardiovascular Responding1
Authors: Ballard Mary E. , Wiest J. Rose
Published: August 2006

We examined cardiovascular (CV) reactivity and hostility among 30 male undergraduates after either nonviolent (billiards) or 1 of 2 levels of violent videogame play. Violence varied among 2 versions of the game Mortal Kombat (MK1 = less violent, MK2 = more violent)—all other factors (graphics, sound) were held equal. As expected, increased game violence elicited greater CV reactivity and higher scores on hostility measures. Subjects who played MK1 or MK2 had higher heart rate reactivity than those who played billiards. Subjects who played MK2 showed greater systolic blood pressure reactivity than those who played MK1 or billiards. Finally, subjects who played MK2 scored higher on the hostility measures than those who played MK1, who in turn scored higher than those who played billiards. These results indicate that the level of videogame violence, not just violence per se, should be of concern to consumers.
Sexual Harassment: A Preliminary Test of an Integrative Model1
Authors: Hesson‐Mcinnis Matthew S. , Fitzgerald Louise F.
Published: August 2006

Despite the recent increase in research on sexual harassment, most studies have examined the relevant variables in isolation, and little is known concerning the ways in which they may interact or the relative importance of their effects for individuals or organizations. Fitzgerald and her colleagues (Fitzgerald, Hulin, & Drasgow. 1995; Fitzgerald & Ormerod, 1993) proposed a model of the antecedents and outcomes of sexual harassment in organizations. The present study examines a modified version of this model using path analysis with a sample of women employed by the federal government in the late 1980s. These analyses support the basic form of the model, suggesting that sexual harassment is a joint function of the gender context of the victim's job, her relative vulnerability, and the tolerance of the organization for sexual harassment. In turn, harassment was shown to have a negative impact on work and health‐related outcomes, exacerbated by assertive coping responses. The implications for organizations are discussed along with recommendations for more stringent tests of the model.
AIDS Educator Effectiveness as a Function of Sexual Orientation and HIV Status1
Authors: Evers Kerry E. , Bishop Carianne H. , Gerhan Lisa S. , Weisse Carol S.
Published: August 2006

This study investigated the effectiveness of an AIDS educator as a function of his HIV status and sexual orientation. A 2 × 2 factorial design was employed where 136 heterosexual undergraduates viewed I of 4 videotapes of an AIDS educator who introduced himself as either HIV positive or negative and either heterosexual or homosexual. The videos were identical except for the introduction. Results revealed that all videos increased knowledge about AIDS. However, students' perceptions of risk increased only when they believed the educator was HIV positive and heterosexual. Intentions to get tested for HIV increased when they perceived the educator as HIV positive but declined when they thought she was HIV negative. Results suggest the sexual orientation and HIV status of educators can impact their effectiveness.
AIDS Stigma and Contact With Persons With AIDS: Effects of Direct and Vicarious Contact.1
Authors: Herek Gregory M. , Capitanio John P.
Published: August 2006

This paper examines the relationship between AIDS‐related stigma and (a) direct, personal contact with people with AIDS (PWAs), and (b) vicarious contact—through mass media—with a public figure with AIDS or HIV. Data are presented from a 2‐wave national telephone survey with a probability sample of US. adults (ns = 538 at Wave 1; 382 at Wave 2) and an oversample of Black Americans (ns = 607 and 420, respectively). Direct contact with a PWA was associated with less support for coercive AIDS policies, less blame for PWAs, and less avoidance of PWAs. Vicarious contact–operationalized as the self‐reported impact of Earvin “Magic” Johnson's disclosure of his HIV infection–appeared to have its greatest impact among respondents who previously had manifested high levels of stigma. In that group, levels of stigma diminished somewhat to the extent that respondents reported having been strongly influenced by Johnson's announcement.
AIDS‐Related Stigmatization: Instrumental and Symbolic Attitudes1
Authors: Crandall Christian S. , Glor Jeffrey , Britt Thomas W.
Published: August 2006

We investigate the role that instrumental and symbolic functions of attitudes play in the rejection of people infected with HIV. In a series of studies (total N = 431), we manipulate the symbolic component of AIDS, by comparing it to a fictitious disease that is identical in every way to AIDS, excepting its symbolic association with homosexuality and IV drug use. Two studies indicated that the symbolic component had no effect on either social distance or perceptions of disease severity. A third study indicated that instrumental aspects of severity, contagiousness, and treatability were significant determinants of social distance. A fourth study found that the stigma of association with homosexuality increased a mild disease's stigma. A fifth study showed that previous research showing the importance of a symbolic component in AIDS‐related attitudes may have relied on a confounded measure of the symbolic component of attitudes. These 5 studies suggest the importance of both instrumental and symbolic attitudes in illness. Instrumental functions seem to outweigh the impact of symbolic functions of AIDS‐related attitudes.
Media Effects on Women's Body Esteem: Social and Individual Difference Factors
Authors: Henderson‐King Eaaron , Henderson‐King Donna
Published: August 2006

This study examined individual difference and social factors in moderating the effects of media images on women's body satisfaction. Participants heard a conversation wherein 2 people either were judgmental about a mutual friend's weight gain or discussed their friend's recent move. Participants then viewed slides which were either neutral or depicted “ideal” images of women. Results underscored the importance of individual differences. When exposed to ideal images, thinner women more positively evaluated their sexual attractiveness, while heavier women reported more negative self‐evaluations. Compared to low self‐monitors, high self‐monitors who were exposed to ideal images were more positive about their physical condition. The findings demonstrate that media images do not similarly affect all women's body esteem.
Physical Attractiveness and Access to Alcohol: What Is Beautiful Does Not Get Carded1
Authors: McCall Michael
Published: August 2006

This research examined whether previously documented social benefits associated with physical attractiveness would influence the decision to request proof of legal age for the purchase of alcohol. Undergraduates were presented with a photograph of a highly attractive or less attractive member of the opposite gender that they diddid not expect to meet. Results indicated that the opportunity to interact with a highly attractive member of the opposite gender significantly reduced the chances that the target would be asked to provide proof of legal age. Physical attractiveness was positively related to perceptions of age in the perception of male targets, hut not for females. The implications of these findings for restricting alcohol availability among minors are considered.
Seeking Social Support in Old Age as Reasoned Action: Structural and Volitional Determinants in a Middle‐Aged Sample of Argentinean Women1
Authors: Albarracin Dolores , Fishbein Martin , de Muchinik Eva Goldestein
Published: August 2006

Given that the availability of social support influences physical and psychological well‐being, the provision of positive contacts is often crucial for older women. The purpose of the present study was to test the utility of both structural and volitional factors as determinants of support‐seeking intentions. Two intentions to seek social support were studied in a group of 106 middle‐aged women: (a) the intention to go to a doctor at least once a year after 55; and (b) the intention to visit a family member at least once a week after 55. The structural variables of interest were age, educational level, presence of partner, number of children, and number of grandchildren. The volitional factors assessed were intentions, beliefs, attitudes, and norms. There was little evidence that structural factors influenced support seeking. In contrast, as predicted from the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein & Ajzen. 1975), intentions to go to the doctor and to visit a family member could be successfully predicted from attitudes and norms.
Attributions as a Function of Expertise: The Case of the Police Decision to Arrest1
Authors: Wortley Richard
Published: August 2006

Using a longitudinal design, this study tested Carroll and Payne's (1977) attributional model on a cohort of 387 police recruits at recruitment% at the completion of academy training. and after I year of police experience. Contrary to expectations, the relationship between causal attributions and other judgments about offenders predicted by the model did not weaken with increasing police experience. However, there was an increase in the extent to which causal attributions also affected judgments about offenders which were not predicted by the model, and this was interpreted as indicating an increase in halo error. It was argued that halo error is indicative of rudimentary schemata which may precede the development of more complex offender typologies.
Pro‐Environmental Habits: Propensity Levels in Behavioral Change1
Authors: Dahlstrand Ulf , Biel Anders
Published: August 2006

A proposed model for behavioral change is described as a process in several steps from habitual nonenvironmentally friendly behavior to environmentally friendly behavior. Every step is linked to factors promoting or impeding further progress. Data from a questionnaire addressed to a random sample of 500 Swedish adults supported the hypothesis that general factors such as environmental values and a sense of responsibility for the environment will be more influential in an early phase rather than in a later phase of changing established habits regarding purchases of washing and washing‐up detergents, respectively. Furthermore, in a later phase of transition, specific beliefs about particular products will affect the testing and evaluation of a new behavior.
Understanding the Determinants of Consumer Composting Behavior1
Authors: Taylor Shirley , Todd Peter
Published: August 2006

This study compared 3 models of waste management behavior: (a) a theory of reasoned action model, (b) an environmental belief‐behavior model, and (c) an integrated waste management model which is based on the theory of planned behavior. The three models were compared using data from a sample of over 1,400 individual respondents who each completed a survey and a 2‐week diary of their consumer composting activities. Overall, the results suggest that while the environmental beliefs‐behavior model and the integrated waste management models both fit the data well, the integrated waste management model provided better predictive power and offers significant insight into the factors that influence composting behavior.
The Relationship Between Personal Values and the Perception of the Corporation's Code of Ethics
Authors: Finegan Joan , Theriault Cindy
Published: August 2006

Most major corporations have instituted codes of ethics to encourage ethical behavior. However, recent studies suggest that these codes are not always effective. One reason that the codes might be ineffective is because the values represented in the code do not correspond with the employee's personal values. The more the code represents values that the individual agrees with, the more positively the employee may view the document. In turn, when the code is viewed positively, transgressions of the code will be viewed negatively. In the present study, employees of a large petrochemical company responded to a survey which solicited their personal values, their perception of the company's values, and their perception of the values behind the organization's code of ethics. In line with the hypothesis, the more similar the values of the code were to the person's values, the more favorable was the evaluation of the code. Similarly the more favorable the evaluation, the more violations of the code were perceived as immoral.
Body‐Image Attitudes: What Difference Does Gender Make?1
Authors: Muth Jennifer L. , Cash Thomas F.
Published: August 2006

Attitudinal body image is a multidimensional construct that includes body‐image evaluation, cognitive‐behavioral investment, and affect. This study examined the nature and extent of gender differences in body‐image attitudes. College students (n = 277) completed 2 standardized measures of each of the 3 facets of body image. As hypothesized, relative to men, women had more negative body‐image evaluations, greater investments in their appearance, and more frequent, cross‐situational body‐image dysphoria. Gender differences on body‐image affect (d= .76) surpassed those on evaluation (d = .51) and investment (d= .40). Body weight and body‐image evaluation/affect were linearly related for women, but curvilinearly related for men. For both genders, body‐image affect was a predictable function of evaluation and investment combined. Scientific and clinical implications are discussed.
Task‐Oriented Versus Other‐Referenced Competition: Differential Implications for Children's Peer Relations1
Authors: Tassi Fulvio , Schneider Barry H.
Published: August 2006

We conceptualized a multidimensional construct of competitiveness among children. In our model, competing in order to achieve task mastery is distinct from competition motivated by social comparison. Competition is further differentiated by domain, with a distinction between the physical and cognitive domains. Peer‐ and self‐report measures were developed to measure these dimensions. In general, these factors emerged as well‐defined and as having somewhat different implications for peer relations. There was little concordance between the peer‐nomination and self‐report data. The peer nominations indicated that task‐oriented competition was generally associated with acceptance and prosocial behavior, whereas other‐directed competition was generally associated with being liked less and being seen as aggressive. There was little corroboration of these links in the analyses based on the self‐report data.
How Disadvantaged Group Members Cope With Discrimination When They Perceive That Social Support Is Available1
Authors: Ruggiero Karen M. , Taylor Donald M. , Lydon John E.
Published: August 2006

This experiment examined how disadvantaged group members cope with discrimination when they perceive that social support is available. Women reacted to a failing test grade after ambiguous information about the probability for discrimination. With no social support, women minimized discrimination and attributed their failure to the quality of their answers. Participants were less inclined to minimize discrimination when social support was available. When they perceived that either emotional or informational support was available, women were equally likely to blame their failure on discrimination as on the quality of their answers. The results revealed less minimization of personal discrimination when both emotional and informational support were available, in which case participants blamed their failure more on discrimination and less on themselves.
Relating a Social Influence Model to the Role of Acculturation in Substance Use Among Latino Adolescents1
Authors: Carvajal Scott C. , Photiades Joanna R. , Evans Richard I. , Nash Susan G.
Published: August 2006

This study examined determinants of substance use derived from the theory of planned behavior as influenced by acculturation. Latino adolescents (n= 448) completed measures of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intentions toward substance use, and 2 acculturation components. The degree to which Latino adolescents were exposed to as well as use Spanish was unrelated to determinants of future substance use, whereas the degree to which they interact with non‐Latino peers exerted a protective effect regarding future substance use. However, both acculturation components influenced the extent social influence determinants predicted future substance use. Intervention strategies may need to consider acculturation in order to effectively direct resources toward those psychosocial determinants of substance use of greatest relevance to Latino populations.
The PrE Model of Coping and Tornado Preparedness: Moderating Effects of Responsibility
Authors: Mulilis John‐Paul , Duval T. Shelley
Published: August 2006

The person‐relative‐to‐event (PrE) model of coping with threat was used to investigate the impact of fear arousing or negative threat appeals on tornado preparedness behavior. It was predicted that negative threat appeals using combinations of levels of factors that cause a person to appraise their resources as sufficient in quantity and quality to obviate or minimize the negative consequences of the threatening event would increase levels of preparedness behavior to a greater extent than communications that do not. Furthermore, this prediction would only hold true for those individuals who felt personally responsible for preparing for tornadoes. Results indicated a significant pattern of behavior change that fit predictions generated by the model.
Predictors of Recycling Behavior: An Application of a Modified Health Belief Model1
Authors: Lindsay James J. , Strathman Alan
Published: August 2006

In an examination of environmentally related behavior, the health belief model (HBM) was applied to the recycling behavior of a random sample of Missouri residents. The results indicated that both the basic and modified versions of the HBM significantly predict recycling behavior; significant predictors include perceived barriers, perceived likelihood of negative outcomes due to failure to recycle, self‐efficacy, and consideration of future consequences. These findings are consistent with applications of the HBM to health‐related actions. The poor performance of several variables provides evidence of the psychological processes underlying decisions to recycle.
Individual Differences in the Pursuit of Self‐Uniqueness Through Consumption
Authors: Lynn Michael , Harris Judy
Published: August 2006

In this paper, we report an original study of the relationships between self‐attributed need for uniqueness and several consumer dispositions. The results indicate that the self‐attributed need for uniqueness is related to consumers' desires for scarce, innovative, and customized products and to consumers' preferences for unusual shopping venues, but not to consumers' susceptibilities to normative influence. Moreover, we find that these relationships are mediated by a latent variable reflecting individual differences in the tendency to pursue uniqueness through consumption. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed along with directions for future research.
Perceived Overqualification, Emotional Support, and Health
Authors: Johnson Gloria Jones , Johnson W. Roy
Published: August 2006

In the present study, we examined the effects of perceived overqualification on health and the moderating effect of emotional support. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses found 2 indicators of perceived overqualification: “mismatch” and “no‐grow.” Perceived mismatch had a significant negative effect on health but perceived no‐grow did not. The main effect revealed that the greater the perceived emotional support, the greater the health. The significant interaction of perceived emotional support and mismatch, and perceived emotional support and no‐grow on health indicates that the negative effects of overqualification on health was greater for those perceiving low emotional support than for those perceiving high emotional support. The significance of social support in illuminating the relationship between perceived overqualification and health are discussed.
The Moderating Role of Self‐Efficacy Beliefs in the Relationship Between Anticipated Feelings of Regret and Condom Use1
Authors: Barker Arnold B. , Buunk Bram P. , Manstead Antony S. R.
Published: August 2006

This prospective study examined how the feelings of regret and self‐blame one anticipates after engaging in unsafe sex affect condom use in new sexual relationships. The central theoretical question is whether self‐efficacy perceptions can moderate the relationship between anticipated feelings and actual condom use. Consistent with theories of anticipated regret and social cognitive learning, participants were most likely to use condoms between the first and second waves of data collection when they anticipated negative feelings as a result of not using condoms (and positive feelings after having used condoms), particularly when they also believed that they had the power to exercise control over the sexual situation (high self‐efficacy). The implications for interventions aimed at promoting safer sex are discussed.