bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-Management of Classroom Behavior with Retarded/Disturbed Children
Authors: Shapiro Edward S. , Klein Roger D.
Published: March 2007

A current trend in classroom behavior analysis is the exploration of self-management procedures. Few studies have used mentally retarded children. This investigation successfully demonstrates the self-management on-task behavior of four mentally retarded/emotionally disturbed children. A series of verbal and gestural cues were used to teach self-assessment and self-reinforcement. The prompts were gradually faded until complete self-management was attained. In addition, the effect upon task performance, accuracy, and disruptive behavior was examined when on-task behavior was reinforced. Results of the study found performance and accuracy to increase for most subjects while disruptive behavior declined. Implications for future research are discussed.
Behavioral Treatments for Heterosocial Problems
Authors: Heimberg Richard G. , Madsen Charles H. , Montgomery Daniel , Mcnabb Catherine E.
Published: March 2007

Three group treatments for heterosocial problems (systematic desensitization, social skills training, structured homework with cognitive restructuring) were compared to an assessment-control condition. Extensive self-recording of naturally-occurring social interactions and roleplayed interactions in the laboratory provided data for the evaluation of treatment impact. Roleplay assessment of social behavior produced effects for repeated measurement but did not discriminate between treatment conditions. Analyses of covariance of daily self-monitoring data revealed treatment differences, but the covariate (baseline level of performance) was the largest source of variation. The importance of person variables or person-by-situation interactions is highlighted; suggestions for future research are discussed.
Direct and Observed Reinforcement in the Classroom
Authors: Witt Joseph C. , Adams Robert M.
Published: March 2007

The modeling process was investigated in a normal classroom with regard to discriminative stimulus and information interpretations of the effects of the observed reinforcement contingencies. For each of two pairs of average IQ kindergarten girls, one received social reinforcement from an observer for appropriate, then inappropriate behavior. The sequence of procedures was then repeated with information about the contingency accompanying the reinforcer. Reinforcement of appropriate behavior in the target children increased appropriate behavior in both members of each pair. Reinforcement of inappropriate behavior in the target children increased inappropriate behavior in both members of each pair. Information added to the effectiveness of both procedures, particularly that involving inappropriate behavior. Discrepancies between these and previous results are discussed in terms of disinhibition, subject selection, and the salience of the model's behavior.
Factor Analyzing a Scale of Assertiveness
Authors: Futch Emily J. , Scheire C. James , Lisman Stephen A.
Published: March 2007

A concern is raised about the current use of factor analytic procedures in the field of assertiveness research. Frequently it is difficult, if not impossible, to suitably evaluate, compare, and replicate factor analytic studies of assertiveness because of the incomplete reporting and/or inappropriate use of factor analytic procedures. Factor analysis of an assertiveness scale in the present study is proposed as a model of such procedure for similar research in the future. Four factors of assertiveness are identified, and implications for the role of factor analysis in construction of assertiveness scales are discussed.
Reliability of Self-Report of Alcoholics
Authors: Davidson Robert S. , Stein Shayna
Published: March 2007

Fifty male volunteer chronic alcoholic patients at a VA Medical Center were exposed to a 56-item assessment questionnaire as part of screening for a behavioral research and treatment program. The questionnaire included items in the following areas: family history, demographic information, drinking history, drinking rate and pattern, drinking antecedents and consequences, symptoms, occupational, psychological, and social adjustment. Test-retest reliability coefficients of 15 of the 56 items were above .70, indicating high reliability of both item content and verbal report of the alcoholic patients. Areas of item content were examined for reliability and survival rates. Items which did not survive were discarded or modified and new items added to construct a new 65-item questionnaire.
Assessing Subjective Responses to Assertive Behavior
Authors: Keane Terence M. , Wedding Danny , Kelly Jeffrey A.
Published: March 2007

Research in assertion training has focused primarily on the acquisition, transfer, and maintenance of skills. Little research has been conducted on other parameters influencing skills training. The present study examined the subjective reactions of two different samples of patients (psychiatric and nonpsychiatric) to filmed vignettes of assertive and unassertive behavior. The videotapes consisted of four males and four females, each of whom behaved either assertively or passively in four different situations that are typically used in assertion training. After viewing one of these models, the patients completed an inventory designed to evaluate the interpersonal attractiveness of the model. Multivariate analyses of the data indicated that assertive behavior was viewed as skilled and capable but was concomitantly rated as significantly less likable than passive behavior. The clinical implications of these perceptions of assertion are discussed.
A Comparison of Staff Training Procedures
Authors: Delamater Alan M. , Conners C. Keith , Wells Karen C.
Published: March 2007

The present study sought to determine the most efficient means of staff management by comparing three training procedures: (1) in-service training, using Brown and Presbie's (1974) Behavior Modification Skills, (2) direct feedback of actual staff performance, and (3) role-playing, involving instruction, modeling, behavioral rehearsal, feedback, and reinforcement with an experienced behavior therapist. Direct naturalistic observational procedures were used to obtain behavioral data to eight staff members' (nurses and aides) interactions with children on an inpatient psychiatric unit. The phases of the study, which spanned twenty-one weeks, included: baseline 1, in-service training, in-service plus direct feedback (administered sequentially across subjects), baseline 2, and role-playing. Results indicated that (1) the in-service training had little effect on staff behavior, (2) direct feedback in some cases resulted in increased frequency of appropriate staff responding, including greater use of positivereinforcement and vocalizations, but these gains were not maintained across time, and (3) the greatest gains in staff behavior occurred as a result of role-playing. These results are discussed in terms of both the specific advantages anddisadvantages of each of the training procedures, and the practicality and political issues involved.
Acquisition and Maintenance of Basal and Organic Words
Authors: Sterling Ladonna K. , Goetz Elizabeth M. , Sterling Tim
Published: March 2007

Ten preschool children were taught four sets of five sight words using a repeated practice technique and social reinforcement. Five of the subjects were trained on basal preprimer words, and five other subjects were trained on words they expressed an interest in learning, organic words. A pretest-training-mainte-nance-posttest design, within a multiple-baseline strategy in which sets of words were taught successively, was used for each subject. Results of the study were as follows: (1) Preschool children could read basal and self-selected words at forty words per minute and maintain those words ten weeks after all training was terminated; (2) the number of training sessions to reach criterion generally decreased over successive sets of words; (3) most subjects' percentage of words correct was equal on the Random and Context Probes; and (4) approximately half of the self-selected words were estimated to be more complex than the basal preprimer words.
Treatment of Severe Hemifacial Spasm with Biofeedback
Authors: Stanwood John K. , Lanyon Richard I. , Wright Mark H.
Published: March 2007

A 35-year-old man with severe hemifacial spasm of 23 years' duration was treated with EMG biofeedback over five months. In addition to laboratory sessions and home sessions, the subject wore a pocket-size EMG monitor for a total of 472 hours during his daily activity. He could easily control his tic when attending to it, and also made major reductions in the frequency and EMG level when not attending (for example, during conversation) over the treatment period. At fourteen-month follow-up, two out of the three EMG measures taken during conversation were significantly lower than before treatment, but tic frequency during conversation was not. This report differs from other case reports in its careful attention to quantitative follow-up data and in the severity of the client's problem.
Assessment and Modification of Home Cleanliness Among Families Adjudicated for Child Neglect
Authors: Watson-Perczel Maria , Lutzker John R. , Greene Brandon F. , Mcgimpsey Bonne J.
Published: March 2007

Severely neglectful home environments pose threats to children's cognitive, emotional, and physical health. This research was designed to quantify and modify the conditions of the homes of three families adjudicated for child neglect. A valid and reliable measurement device (The CLEAN-Checklist for Living Environments to Assess Neglect) was used to document changes in home conditions. Behavioral techniques including feedback, shaping, and positive reinforcement were effective in improving home conditions.
Enforcing Chair Timeouts with Room Timeouts
Authors: Roberts Mark W.
Published: March 2007

Eighteen defiant preschool children were taught to obey maternal chorelike instructions in a clinic analog. Standard Forehand compliance-training procedures (i.e., precise instruction giving, praise, warnings, and chair timeouts) were used. Subjects were assigned to one of two chair-timeout enforcement procedures: spanking (SP) or room timeout (RTO). Children in the SP condition were spanked for refusal to remain on the timeout chair; RTO subjects spent one minute in a barrier-enforced timeout room following escape from the timeout chair. Following SP or RTO enforcement procedures, children were replaced on the timeout chair. Both procedures successfully inhibited escape efforts from the timeout chair. Both procedures were associated with compliance acquisition. Less timeout disruption was associated with the RTO procedure. Behavioral, ethical, practical, and safety issues appear to favor the enforcement of chair timeouts with room timeouts over both traditional room timeouts and chair timeouts enforced by physical punishment.
Behavioral Social Work Treatment of Childhood Nocturnal Enuresis
Authors: Sluckin Alice
Published: March 2007

Enuresis among children is frequently seen in families under stress, and as such has come to the attention of social workers. This article demonstrates how behavioral methods, used in combination with traditional social work skills, can assist the child in becoming continent and bring about corresponding improvements in family relationships and the child's overall emotional adjustment.
Cardiovascular Reactivity to Stress in Men
Authors: Lash Steven J. , Eisler Richard M. , Schulnian Robert S.
Published: March 2007

Previous research has shown that excessive cardiovascular reactivity may be important in the development of coronary heart disease. The present study examined the role of masculine cognitive appraisal of stress as a mediator of cardiovascular reactivity in men. The reactivity of men who differed on a measure of individual differences in men's cognitive appraisal of masculine gender role stress (MGRS) were compared on the cold-pressor test under conditions of high and low masculine performance challenge. Under conditions of minimal challenge, it was predicted that high and low-MGRS men would not differ on reactivity. Under high challenge. high-MGRS men were expected to show greater reactivity than were low-MGRS men. Analysis of results for systolic blood pressure confirmed the major predictions. High- MGRS men showed greater systolic blood pressure reactivity than did low-MGRS men under high but not low masculine challenge. The implications of MGRS appraisal for men's health are discussed.
Behavioral Treatment of the Victims of Child Abuse and Neglect
Authors: Fantuzzo John W.
Published: March 2007

Although there is little debate that victims of child abuse and neglect suffer ill effect, scientifically validated, behavioral treatment of child victims is virtually nonexistent. This article examines three pertinent facets of the child-maltreatment knowledge base: (a) national child abuse and neglect reporting, (b) empirical investigations of the psychological effects of mal-treatment, and (c) a small number of treatment outcome studies. Based on this review, guidelines are presented to promote the development of practical, treatment outcome investigations that adequately reflect existing data about child victims and their life circumstances and that are responsive to their specific needs and available resources.
A Preliminary Analysis of a Functional Model of Assessment and Treatment for School Refusal Behavior
Authors: Kearney Christopher A. , Silverman Wendy K.
Published: March 2007

We assessed whether treatment of children and adolescents with school refusal behavior is effective when based upon an individualized, functional analysis. Seven children and adoles-cents, who were currently experiencing difficulties attending school, were evaluated with the School Refusal Assessment Scale (SRAS), an instrument designed to identify maintaining variables surrounding school refusal behavior. These included specific fearfulness/general overanxiousness, escape from aversive social situations, attention-getting or separation anxious behavior, and tangible reinforcement. Prescriptive treatment was given in accordance with the assessed motivating condition and included systematic desensitization/relaxation training, modeling and cognitive restructuring, shaping and differential reinforcement of other behavior, and contingency contracting for each condition, respectively. Daily measures of anxiety, depression, distress, and school attendance were taken, as well as pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up child and/or parent questionnaires. Results indicated that 6 of the subjects maintained full-time school attendance by posttreatment and at the 6-month follow-up. All reported moderate improvements in daily levels of anxiety, depression, and/or distress. The implications of a prescriptive treatment approach for school refusal behavior are discussed.
Staff Perception of Barriers to Behavior Therapy at a Psychiatric Hospital
Authors: Corrigan Patrick W. , Kwartarini W. Y. , Pramana Wartini
Published: March 2007

Behavior therapy has been found to be significantly effective in the treatment of psychiatric inpatients. Despite these tindings, the frequency and quality of behavioral interventions in most hospital settings have been lacking. Several barriers have been thought to be impediments to the implementation of behavioral strategies in these settings, including administrative constraints, therapist biases, and limits of behavioral interventions themselves. To define these impediments niore precisely, staff at Camarillo State Hospital were surveyed regarding their perceptions of barriers. A factor analysis of reported barriers uncovered five underlying factors: institutional constraints, insufficient collegial support, philosophical opposition, client dissatisfaction, and collateral interference. Further analyses found relationships between these factors and perceived job stress, characteristics of the treatment setting, and knowledge of behavior therapy. Identification of barriers to behavior therapy is a necessary first step in clinical services research that seeks to increase utilization of behavioral strategies.
Evaluation of the Dating Skills Program for Improving Heterosocial Interactions in People with Mental Retardation
Authors: Valenti-Hein Denise C. , Yarnold Paul R. , Mueser Kim T.
Published: March 2007

The effectiveness of a social skills training program for improving heterosocial interactions in persons with mental retardation was examined. Moderate to borderline mentally retarded subjects were selected based on problems with social anxiety and social skill deficits. Subjects were then randomly assigned to either a 12-session Dating Skills Program (DSP) or a wait list control (WLC) group. Assessments of social skills in a role-play test, knowledge about social/sexual situations, and social anxiety were obtained for all subjects at baseline, posttreatment, and at an 8-week follow-up. In addition, naturalistic observations were made of interactions of subjects in the DSP group. Subjects who participated in the DSP showed improvements in social skill and social/sexual knowledge at posttest and at follow-up compared to subjects in the WLC group. Social anxiety did not change over time for either group of subjects. Subjects who received the DSP increased interactions with persons of the opposite gender over time, while same-gender interactions decreased. The results replicate and extend previous research on the Dating Skills Program, and suggest that social skills training interventions may improve the heterosocial interactions of adults with mental retardation.
A Practical Staff Management Package for Use in a Training Program for Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Hrydowy E. Rosemarie , Martin Garry L.
Published: March 2007

A staff management package was investigated for increasing and maintaining behavioral training skills of direct-care staff. Behaviors of three direct-care staff members were monitored while they conducted a prevocational program with 27 adult clients with severe or profound mental retardation. The intervention was an easy-to-apply checklist used weekly by a supervisor to give feedback to direct-care staff. The management procedure did not require the supervisorto collect quantitative data to be graphed or charted. Use of the checklist during a weekly morning work session in a multiple-baseline design across subjects led to immediate improvement in staff performance during daily morning work sessions. Considerable generalization of improved staff performance to daily aftermoon work sessions with a different client group occurred. Further increases in staff performance occurred when the management procedure was addedto afternoon work sessions. Staff performance was maintained over 4 months after the management procedure was decreased from weekly to biweekly use. When performance of direct-care staff improved, on-task behavior of most clients also substantially increased. Direct-care staff preferred the staff management package compared to "traditional" methods of supervision, and the training unit adopted the checklist for continuous use at the conclusion of the study.
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Adolescent Pathological Gamblers
Authors: Ladouceur Robert , Boisvert Jean-Marie , Dumont Jilda
Published: March 2007

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for adolescent pathological gamblers. Perception of control and severity of the problem served as dependent variables. Four adolescent pathological gamblers meeting DSM-III-R criteria were treated in a multiple baseline design across individuals. Results showed clinically significant changes for all subjects; they remained abstinent at 1-, 4-, and 6-month follow-ups. The clinical implications of these results are discussed.
The Effects of Low Alcohol Beverages on Alcohol Consumption and Impairment
Authors: van Houten Ron , van Houten Joy , Louis Malenfant J. E.
Published: March 2007

We examined the effects of providing drinks with half the alcohol level on alcohol consumption and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 4 patrons of a private club. Alcohol consumption was measured by observers and level of impairment was determined from breath samples obtained by digitalized ALERT (Alcohol Level Evaluation Road Tester) breath testing devices. An alternating treatments design was employed to compare the sessions during which people drank mixed drinks with their usual alcohol concentration with sessions during which they drank mixed drinks with half the alcohol concentration that cost half as much as the regular drinks. All 4 participants consumed less alcohol during sessions when they received drinks with the lower alcohol content. BAC was also less on all but two sessions during the low alcohol condition.
The Influence of External Information on Judgments of Pain
Authors: Cinciripini Paul M.
Published: March 2007

Two studies were performed to assess the relationship between estimates of subjective pain and a graduated ischemic pain stimulus. In the first, 20 subjects received a 7-minute pressure stimulus with a blood-pressure cuff and then rated their pain on a 0-5 scale. At three separate sessions, subjects saw either no feedback or a visual feedback slide that ostensibly depicted cuff pressure. The numbers were either accurate, too high, or too low. Subjective estimates of pain rose with increasing cuff pressure, but pain ratings were higher during high-feedback conditions and lower during low-feedback conditions than during either the no-or true-feedback conditions, which did not differ. Study 2, which evaluated subjective estimates of actual cuff pressure as well as pain, replicated these results. Both studies suggest that false information may alter a subject's report of pain and of the stimulus causing it.
Hoarding and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms
Authors: Frost Randy O. , Krause Meredith S. , Steketee Gail
Published: March 2007

The present study attempts to extend recent research on the relation between hoarding and obsessive-compulsive experiences. In both college student and community samples, hoarding was associated with higher scores on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS). The relationship was stronger among the community sample, in which there was a greater range of compulsive symptoms and hoarding behavior. Hoarding was also associated with higher levels of general psychopathology as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory but not by the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder subscale from the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II or by a measure of ordinary risk taking. Among a sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), 31% reported hoarding obsessions and 26% reported hoarding compulsions on the YBOCS symptom checklist. These frequencies are similar to those found elsewhere and suggest that, although not as frequent as the classical symptoms of OCD, hoarding is a common symptom among OCD patients.
When Reprimand Consistency May and May Not Matter
Authors: Sherrill Joel T. , O'Leary Susan G. , Albertson-Kelly Jane A. , Kendziora Kimberly T.
Published: March 2007

The present study examined the importance of discipline consistency by varying not only the probability of punishment but also the nature of the discipline agent's response to nonpunished transgressions. Eighteen first through third graders attending a remedial summer school were assigned to one of four feedback conditions in a 2 (Low vs. High Reprimand Consistency) x 2 (Ignore vs. Attend) design. An analysis of the simple effects of reprimand consistency indicated that consistency was important only when the teacher's alternative response was attending. Thus the nature of the adult's response to nonpunished transgressions is important for understanding how discipline consistency affects children's behavior. The importance of conceptualizing discipline consistency as a multivariate construct and of understanding the variables and parameters that may interact with the probability of punishment are discussed.
Diagnostic Reliability of the DSM-III-R Anxiety Disorders
Authors: Chorpita Bruce F. , Brown Timothy A. , Barlow David H.
Published: March 2007

Factors influencing diagnostic reliability were examined using a sample of 267 patients who underwent two independent administrations of the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-Revised (ADIS-R). Several potential mediators were examined in terms of their association with interrater agreement as measured by kappa coefficients. These included comorbidity, disorder severity, diagnostician training, patient education, presence of behavioral features, and time separating interviews. Results suggest that several factors appear to have an important effect on diagnostic agreement, most notably, the presence or absence of comorbidity and the presence or absence of overt behavioral symptoms. Details of these influences and the impact of other selected mediators on the diagnosis of anxiety disorders are presented.
Evaluation of a Multicomponent, Behaviorally Oriented, Problem-Based “Summer School” Program for Adolescents with Diabetes
Authors: Schlundt David G. , Flannery Mary Ellen , Davis Dianne L. , Kinzer Charles K. , Pichert James W.
Published: March 2007

A 2-week summer school program, combining problem-based learning with behavior therapy, was developed to help adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes improve their ability to cope with obstacles to dietary management. Ten students participated in a first session, and 9 participated in a second session, serving as a waiting list control group. Outcomes were evaluated preand postsession and at a 4-month follow-up using 3-day food diaries, blood glucose data, and paper-and-pencil tests of diabetes-related knowledge, self-efficacy, coping strategies, and general problem solving. Improvements were observed in self-efficacy, problem-solving skills, and self-reported coping strategies. No significant changes were observed in daily intake of fat, cholesterol, calories, mean blood glucose levels or blood glucose variability, and diabetes knowledge. Comparisons between the first group and the waiting list control group do not allow the significant pre-post changes to be clearly attributed to the summer school program.
Focus of Comparison as a Determinant of Assimilation Versus Contrast in Social Comparison
Authors: Mussweiler Thomas
Published: March 2007

Previous research on self-other similarity judgments has demonstrated that perceived similarity between self and other depends on the focus of comparison. Based on the Selective Accessibility model, which assumes that comparisons with similar others yield assimilation, whereas comparisons with dissimilar others yield contrast, the author hypothesized that the focus of a social comparison would influence its consequences. Specifically, comparing the standard to the self (focus of comparison other → self) should increase perceived similarity so that self-evaluations are assimilated to the standard. Comparing the self to the standard (focus of comparison self → other), however, should reduce perceived similarity so that contrast ensues. This pattern was obtained in two studies. Moreover, Study 2 demonstrates that the occurrence of assimilation versus contrast as a consequence of manipulating the focus of comparison is mediated by the perceived similarity to the standard.
The Effect of Fleeting Attraction on Compliance to Requests
Authors: Burger Jerry M. , Soroka Shelley , Gonzago Katrina , Murphy Emily , Somervell Emily
Published: March 2007

Three studies examined the effects of fleeting attraction on compliance to a request. Participants in Study 1 who either spoke with a confederate for a few minutes or sat quietly in a room with the confederate were more likely to agree to a request from the confederate than were participants not exposed to these manipulations. Findings from Study 2 replicated the mere exposure effect and argue against alternative interpretations based on priming and mood. Study 3 participants were more likely to agree with a request when led to believe the requester was similar to themselves. The findings support the notion of automatic responding to requests, with individuals reacting to fleeting feelings of attraction as if dealing with friends and long-term acquaintances.
Environmental and Genetic Influences on Sex-Typed Behaviors and Attitudes of Male and Female Adolescents
Authors: Cleveland H. Harrington , Udry J. Richard , Chantala Kim
Published: March 2007

This study uses behavioral genetics to examine the contributions of environmental and genetic influences to the sex-typed behaviors and attitudes of adolescent males and females. Data were drawn from 1,301 sibling pairs ranging from monozygotic twins to half-sibling pairs from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The measure used was a probability score of being a male based on responses to 16 behavioral and attitudinal items. Using this scale, separate covariance matrices were computed across different levels of zygosities and fit to behavioral genetic models. It was estimated that for males, 25% of the variance was accounted for by genetic influences and 75% by nonshared environmental influences and measurement error. For females, 38% of the variance was accounted for by genetic influences and the remaining 62% by nonshared environmental influences and measurement error. No shared environmental influences were found for either sex’s sex-typed behaviors and attitudes.
Pessimistic Bias in Comparative Evaluations: A Case of Perceived Vulnerability to the Effects of Negative Life Events
Authors: Blanton Hart , Axsom Danny , McClive Kimberly P. , Price Simani
Published: March 2007

This study tested the hypothesis that unrealistic pessimism characterizes comparative estimates of coping ability. Participants rated their ability to adjust to a range of negative life events in comparison to the abilities of other same-sex students at their college. Most coping estimates showed signs of unrealistic pessimism, in that students rated their own abilities as worse than those of other same-sex students. Analyses indicated that this effect was due, in part, to the presence of an egocentric bias and, in part, to the absence of a self-enhancement bias. First, pessimism appeared to arise because participants paid more attention to the difficulties that they would have coping with severe misfortunes than they paid to the difficulties that others would have. Second, pessimism appeared to arise because participants were not motivated to enhance their coping appraisals, given that they were optimistic that they would not experience these events in the future.
On Weakening the Strongest Link: Attributions and Intervention Strategies for Behavior Change
Authors: Johnson Joel T.
Published: March 2007

Participants read vignettes in which two mental antecedents (e.g., two motivations, emotions, or attitudes) generally co-occurred with a behavior. When the behavior was undesirable, they believed that the more typical antecedent represented the stronger subjective experience of the target person. They also recommended that greater modification effort be directed toward the typical antecedent (Study 1) and believed that modifying it would be more effective in reducing the behavior (Study 2). Their responses violated the covariation rule and constituted endorsement of a “weaken the strongest link” strategy of behavior change. When the objective was to strengthen a causal chain to facilitate a desirable behavior, in contrast, participants indicated that they would strengthen the weakest link by modifying the atypical antecedent. Results suggest that both attributions and intervention strategies may be affected by intervention goal.
When We Wonder What it all Means: Interpretation Goals Facilitate Accessibility and Stereotyping Effects
Authors: Stapel Diederik A. , Koomen Willem
Published: March 2007

In four studies, the authors show that interpretation goals facilitate accessibility and stereotyping effects. Study 1 shows that priming traits that are descriptively inapplicable to a target stimulus affect target interpretations when an interpretation goal is primed but not when no such goal is present. Studies 2 and 3 show that the range of judgment dimensions affected by applicable trait primes increases when people are interpretation motivated. Studies 3 and 4 show that behavior that is only weakly related to stereotypical beliefs is interpreted in stereotypical terms when an interpretation goal is activated, whereas no such stereotyping effect occurs when perceivers are not so motivated. Implications for models of accessibility and stereotyping effects are discussed.
Examination of the Neuroticism-Symptom Reporting Relationship in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Williams Paula G. , Colder Craig R. , Lane James D. , McCaskill Cynthia C. , Feinglos Mark N. , Surwit Richard S.
Published: March 2007

The current study utilized a within-subject, experience sampling methodology (ESM) to examine the relationship between neuroticism (N) and physical symptom reports. Individuals with type 2 diabetes monitored diabetes-related symptoms, rated negative and positive affect (NA and PA), estimated their blood glucose (BG) levels, and tested their actual BG levels with a glucometer four times per day for 7 days. Multilevel modeling analyses indicated that N, NA, and PA were related to reported symptom frequency. Neuroticism moderated the relation between PA and symptom reports: Lower PA was more strongly related to symptom reports among high-N individuals. In addition, there was evidence that symptoms mediated the relationship between N and state NA. Finally, N was related to overestimation of BG, beyond that accounted for by state NA. Results are discussed with respect to potential effects of N on the processing of negative self-relevant information and on self-regulatory behavior in health contexts.
The Contribution of Individual Differences in Hostility to the Associations between Daily Interpersonal Conflict, Affect, and Sleep
Authors: Brissette Ian , Cohen Sheldon
Published: March 2007

Adults of both sexes completed phone interviews assessing interpersonal conflict, state negative and positive affect (NA and PA), and sleep from the previous night on 7 consecutive evenings. Greater interpersonal conflict was associated with increased NA and decreased PA that day and increased sleep disturbance that night (measured on the next day). Mediational analyses were consistent with NA on the conflict day (but not PA) being a partial mediator of the prospective relation between greater conflict and greater sleep disturbance. Greater NA was associated with retrospective reports of obtaining less sleep and experiencing greater sleep disturbance the previous night but conflict was not associated with NA or PA on the following day. The associations between conflict and greater NA and sleep disturbance were exacerbated among individuals higher in cynical hostility. This exacerbation was not due to individuals higher in hostility reporting a greater number conflicts or more severe conflicts.
Can Accountability Produce Independence? Goals as Determinants of the Impact of Accountability on Conformity
Authors: Quinn Andrew , Schlenker Barry R.
Published: March 2007

People routinely confront the social pressure of being accountable to audiences whose preferences are known. Prior research indicates that these conditions create conformity, which often leads to sub par decision making. The authors hypothesized that conformity is the usual consequence of accountability when people are motivated to get along with others, but independence can occur when accountable people are motivated to make accurate decisions. Participants went through a priming procedure to focus them on the goal of compatibility or accuracy and then worked on a business decision task. They learned that another member of their group advocated a specific (actually sub par) solution and expected to explain their own decision to this person or not (accountable vs. unaccountable condition). The predicted interaction revealed that those who were accountable and had an accuracy goal displayed independence and made higher quality decisions than those in the other conditions, who displayed a conformity effect.
Formal and Interpersonal Discrimination: A Field Study of Bias Toward Homosexual Applicants
Authors: Hebl Michelle R. , Foster Jessica Bigazzi , Mannix Laura M. , Dovidio John F.
Published: March 2007

The current research studies discrimination from the perspective of people in stigmatized roles in actual employment settings. Confederates, who were portrayed as being homosexual or not, applied for jobs at local stores. Measures of formal bias (e.g., job offers), interpersonal behavior (e.g., length of interactions), and perceptions of bias (e.g., anticipated job offers by applicants) were assessed. Although confederates portrayed as homosexual were not discriminated against in formal ways relative to confederate applicants not presented as gay, they were responded to significantly more negatively in interpersonal ways. Moreover, there was a stronger relationship between interpersonal treatment and anticipated employment actions for confederates than there was between interpersonal responses and actual job offers by employers. These findings reveal the dynamics of the development of different impressions and expectations by stigmatizers and targets. Theoretical and practical implications are considered.
Control of Attributions about the Self Through Self-handicapping Strategies: The Appeal of Alcohol and the Role of Underachievement
Authors: Jones Edward E. , Berglas Steven
Published: March 2007

Explores the hypothesis that alcohol use and underachievement may serve as strategies to externalize the causation of poor performance and to internalize the causation of good performance. Such a strategy may be prominently used especially by those who have a precarious but not entirely negative sense of self-competence. The etiology of this strategic preference may follow either of two scenarios. The child may attach desperate importance to this competence image because competence is the condition for deserving parental love. Or the child may have been rewarded for accidental attributes or performances that do not predict future success, thus leaving him in a position of one who has reached a status he fears he cannot maintain through his own control. The linkage of alcohol appeal to underachievement strategies is stressed; both are seen as expressions of the same overconcern with competence.
Lonely Losers: Stereotypes of Single Dwellers
Authors: Parmelee Pat , Werner Carol
Published: March 2007

Stereotypes of persons who live alone were explored using a standard impression formation format. One hundred fifteen college students rated the personal characteristics and sociability of fictional peers described as living either alone or with roommates. Variance analysis for subject and target sex and target living status indicated that single dwellers were perceived as being socially less desirable and less active, but busier, quieter and more independent, than those living with others. Furthermore, such attributions are made regardless of the sex of perceiver or target. Thus, it appears that college students have fairly negative stereotypes of single dwelling peers; however, the validity of this stereotype and the extent to which it is applied to actual peers and other age groups remain questionable.
Basic Research in the Context of Applied Research in Personality and Social Psychology
Authors: Triandis Harry C.
Published: March 2007

A strategy for basic research in personality and social psychology is outlined, which allows many psychologists to work in non-academic environments. An example is described and analyzed into a series of stages. An interdependence between academic and non-academic settings, with program evaluation may be highly desirable. Graduate programs may consider how the training they provide might make such interdependence possible.
Detection of Social Cues: a Signal Detection Theory Analysis
Authors: Thompson Suzanne C.
Published: March 2007

A study was done to demonstrate the usefulness of a signal detection theory (TSD) analysis of the perception of social cues. Eighty-three subjects filled out three personality inventories and then judged how sure they were that approval had or had not been given in each of 104 videotaped remarks. Sensitivity and response bias were predicted from introversion-extraversion, locus of control, need for approval, age and sex in multiple linear regression analyses. Sensitivity was found to be related to age, sex, need for approval and locus of control. Response bias was related to sex. It appears that both sensitivity and response aspects are involved in the detection of a social cue.
Two Social Psychologies: Is Segregation Inevitable or Acceptable?
Authors: Blank Thomas O.
Published: March 2007

Many social psychologists have delineated two distinguish- able branches of social psychology, usually called "psychological" and "sociological." These two types differ in focus; they tend to differ in methods, theories, and areas of interest as well. This segregation of the two has its basis in many aspects of disciplinary identification, but it greatly limits the potential of both social psychologies, as the example of social psychology of aging illus- trates. However, bridges can be built and integration fostered; indeed, prominent social psychologists of both types often do cross the boundaries. More conscious bridge-building can enhance the social psychological enterprise.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Problem, Perspective, Prospect
Authors: Latané Bibb
Published: March 2007

To understand the traumatic events of 1977, I explore the role of JPSP in the process of scientific communication in personality and social psychology and argue that the journal's visibility and reputation derive from its position as the mass medium of its field. I trace the history and describe the governance of the journal and show how it has been difficult to apply policies designed to cope with the problems of other "large" APA journals to JPSP. I report the events leading up to JPSP's precipitous decline in size and present reasons why the page reduction was such a problem. Finally, I review the prospects facing JPSP.
A Summary Review of Mediating Explanations of Exposure Phenomena
Authors: Grush Joseph E.
Published: March 2007

Six mediating explanations of exposure effects were reviewed. Existing evidence suggests that correlated hypotheses, response competition, or attitude formation can explain exposure effects on novel stimuli, but only attitude formation can explain exposure effects on meaningful stimuli. It was suggested that future research should resolve technical problems and then study all mediating processes as contributing factors rather than as sufficient causes if exposure effects are to be more fully understood.
The Role of Social Scientists 25 Years after Brown
Authors: Clark Kenneth B.
Published: March 2007

The Appendix to the Appellant's Brief (known as the Social Science Brief) submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court for its consideration in Brown vs. Board of Education was prepared by three social scientists and endorsed by thirty-two other researchers in the field of American race relations. The brief summarized studies treating social and psychological aspects of segregation and was cited by the Court in its ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." The Brown decision ushered in intense legislative and judicial action and positive involvemnt of social scientists. When the center of gravity of the civil rights movernnt shifted to Northern urban centers, however, more subtle, sophisticated methods were used to limit desegregation through the exercise of political power. Scme well-publicized social scientists, perhaps identifying with those sources of power, used their expertise to support neo-conservative and "practical" impedimnts to the progress of racial justice.
Understanding Obesity
Authors: Rodin Judith
Published: March 2007

Nail, Levy, Russin, and Crandall (this issue) report a failure to replicate the Rodin time estimation/obesity study. Their study and conclusions provide the basis for comments regarding the problem with viewing obesity as a homogeneous disorder, and thereby making inadvertent sampling errors by dividing groups on the basis of weight alone. The current status of the internality and externality hypothesis is also briefly considered, with suggestions regarding directions for future research.
Introductory Social Psychology Textbook Citations
Authors: Findley Maureen , Cooper Harris
Published: March 2007

The research paradigm characteristics of studies in introductory social psychology texts were examined. Two chapters covering each of five topic areas (altruism, aggression, attitude change, attraction, and conformity) were chosen from nine of the most widely used texts in the field. Results are presented for each topic area separately.
Social Forces in Negotiation Simulations
Authors: Breaugh James A. , Klimoski Richard J.
Published: March 2007

The status or origin of group representatives and the opportunity to earn money (in addition to course credit) were manipulated in a simulation involving subjects who felt that they were negotiating a problem for their teams. Representatives who were originally group members (insiders) were much tougher bargainers than those who were assigned the representational function (outsiders). In contrast, it was also found that subjects' behavior and reactions were unaffected by the monetary incentives provided.
On the Stability of Productivity and Recognition
Authors: Helmreich Robert L. , Spence Janet T. , Thorbecke William L.
Published: March 2007

The auto- and cross-lagged correlations between productivity (measured by number of publications) and recognition (measured by citations to published work) in a sample of personality and social psychologists were examined for the years 1965, 1970, and 1975. Citation rates were more stable over time than publication rates, although all autocorrelations were significant. Those classified as prolific scientists (productive and highly cited) on the basis of 1965 data retained this position 5 and 10 years later; silent scientists (low publications and low citations in 1965) continued to be unproductive and unrecognized in 1970 and 1975. Institutional effects on productivity and recognition are also discussed.
Internships and Practica in Social Psychology Graduate Training Programs
Authors: Carroll John S. , Werner Carol M. , Ashmore Richard D.
Published: March 2007

Many training issues face social psychology programs whose students desire internship and practicum experiences in nonacademic settings. Two programs are described whose faculties have devised very different solutions to such common problems as locating internships and supervising interns. Loyola University of Chicago and the University of Utah may represent opposite ends of a philosophical continuum running from "problem solving for the agency/employer" to "faculty-controlled research in applied settings." Each program's training strategies capitalize on available resources while meeting each faculty's goals for graduate training. The discussion of issues and strategies is directed at assisting others in developing program innovations for training applied social psychologists.
Effects of Negative Personal Norms on Helping Behavior
Authors: Schwartz Shalom H. , Fleishman John A.
Published: March 2007

The meaning and operation of negative personal norms-feelings of moral obligation to avoid a particular action-are examined Results show that women with negative personal norms help less in response to an appeal than those with no norms. Individual tendencies to deny responsibility moderate the impact of positive personal norms on altruistic helping, but not the impact of negative norms.