bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Further Comment on Wolfgang Streeck's 'European Social Policy after Maastricht'
Authors: Goetschy Janine
Published: March 2007

The general argumentation of Wolfgang Streeck's paper (1994) is the following. First, on the basis of a historical analysis, he tries to show that the social policy carried out at European community level has until now produced very few and poor results. Second, he identifies the reasons for such a situation essentially in the very nature of intergovernmentalism and Member States' reluctance to engage themselves supranationally as far as social policy is concerned, and also in a total lack of interest on the part of European employers in 'centralized, market-correcting social policy or collective bargaining'. Third, given these premisses, it would be vain and naive, according to Streeck, to expect that the Maastricht Social Agreement (MSA) will induce any change of behaviour on the part of social and political actors responsible for the making of European social policy; as a consequence, its substantive content is not likely to be more full-fledged in the future.
Responding by Alcoholics During Aversive Conditioning
Authors: Doleys Daniel M. , Cimineero Anthony R. , Wallach Edward S. , Davidson Robert S.
Published: March 2007

Three chronic alcoholics were exposed to an aversive conditioning procedure in a laboratory setting. Alcohol was obtained in small quantities by the subject emitting a plunger-pulling response on an operant console. Two electric-shocks were delivered in a punishment paradigm. Shock 1 occurred when the subject picked up the glass and Shock 2 was contingent upon the consummatory response. The intensity of Shock 2 was gradually increased until responding ceased. The results showed (1) alcohol was functioning as a positive reinforcer, (2) suppression of responding was achieved but at unusually high intensities, and (3) each subject demonstrated individualized rates and patterns of responding. The variables responsible for and the ethical and practical considerations involved in the use of high intensity electric-shock are discussed. The implications for the future use of punishment and operant procedures in the analysis and treatment of alcoholic behavior are enumerated.
Behavior Modification by Long-Distance
Authors: Bornstein Philip H. , Hamilton Scott B. , Quevillon Randal P.
Published: March 2007

A nine-year-old male was treated with a positive practice procedure for inappropriate out-of-seat behavior in the classroom. Because both subject and teacher lived in an isolated rural environment, professional involvement was unavoidably restricted to a long-distance consultation-type format. Contingencies were applied by the subject's teacher and results were evaluated by means of a single-subject reversal design. Introduction and removal of the positive practice procedure appeared to have a clear and systematic effect upon the frequency of target behavior occurrence. More-over, behavioral improvements were maintained three and one-half months following a Positive Practice-Matching condition in which the subject self-monitored, matched, and earned group rewards for the entire class. These results were discussed with regard to problem-specific consultation and the situational constraints often imposed by rural environments.
Using Contingency Contracting to Modify the Problematic Behaviors of Foster Home Residents
Authors: Upper Dennis , Lochman John E. , Aveni Carl A.
Published: March 2007

This article reports the results of an investigation designed to assess the effectiveness of teaching foster "parents" how to use contingency contracting to reduce the frequency of problematic behaviors and to increase the adaptive functioning of former psychiatric patients in foster home settings. Volunteer college students, who had been trained as behavioral counselors, taught the foster parents how to formulate, maintain, and revise contingency contracts, and the foster parents recorded pre- and postexperimental frequencies of the selected target behaviors. Experimental results indicate that contingency contracting (CC) subjects made significantly greater improvement, both in their scores on a behavioral observation questionnaire and in terms of changes in actual behavioral frequencies, than did untreated control (UC) subjects. Implications of this study for structuring posthospital environments and for further research studies are discussed.
Intensive Feeding Training with Retarded Children
Authors: Stimbert Vaughn E. , Minor Jane W. , McCoy James F.
Published: March 2007

An intensive feeding program previously developed for adult retardates was modified for use with six low functioning retarded children under four experimental conditions: baseline, training, maintenance, and follow-up. The children were given six meals per day with a maximum eating time of 15 min. per meal. A spoon was the only utensil used in training. Graduated guidance faded from hand to shoulder was used to establish correct feeding responses. Restitutional and positive practice overcorrection were used for incorrect responses, and tray time-out and restitutional overcorrection were used for inappropriate behaviors. Results showed that in all children correct eating responses increased to nearly optimal levels, incorrect eating responses were reduced to minimal levels, and inappropriate or disruptive behaviors were virtually eliminated. Follow-up data on intervals up to one year indicated that the effects of the program were quite durable and justified the approximately 173 training sessions that were required for each child.
Overcorrection of Aggressive Behavior in a Chronic Psychiatric Patient
Authors: Matson Johnny L. , Stephens Ronald M.
Published: March 2007

A psychiatric patient who had been institutionalized for 43 years was treated for throwing small objects in the face of other patients and ward staff. Over-correction consisted of requiring her to perform the following behaviors contingent on each occurrence of object-throwing: (1) apologize to the offended person for her behavior, and (2) pick up objects from the floor and put them in the trash can for five minutes. This contingency reduced the frequency of the target behavior, whereas differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior had no effect. Elimination of object-throwing maintained over an 11-week posttreatment phase.
Effect of Improved Physical and Social Environment on Self-Help and Problem Behaviors of Institutionalized Retarded Males
Authors: Murphy Michael J. , Zahm David
Published: March 2007

Two studies are reported on the effects of improvement in the physical and social environment upon the problem behaviors (aggressive, hyperactive, and inappropriate behaviors) and self-help behaviors of severely and profoundly retarded institutionalized males. In Study I, self-help and problem behavior ratings were obtained before and after a 10-week baseline period, and after three successive 10-week periods of exposure to an improved ward environment. Results indicated significant and enduring improvements on self-help and problem behavior ratings, although no formal treatment was employed. In Study II, residents were exposed to a behavioral treatment and an improved setting, or an improved setting alone. Residents were assessed at baseline and after 10 and 20 weeks of treatment or control conditions. Results indicated that significant improvement was obtained on self-help ratings for only the residents who received behavioral treatment. However, for all problem behavior ratings except aggressive behaviors, significant reductions were obtained for both groups. The discrepancies in the findings of the two studies for self-help skills are discussed, and directions for future research and methodological issues are considered.
Grandma's Rule with Group Contingencies—A Cost-Efficient Means of Classroom Management
Authors: Cowen Richard J. , Jones Fredric H. , Bellack Alan S.
Published: March 2007

A stop watch and a stop clock were utilized in two different versions of a classroom incentive program designed to reduce student disruptions and increase on-task behavior during a small group instructional format, in this case a reading circle. The present study investigated: (a) whether the two procedures would be effective in reducing disruptions and increasing task orientation among those students outside the reading circle who are relatively unsupervised by the teacher without being intrusive into the teacher's conducting his or her lesson and (b) whether the more expensive stop clock would be incrementally effective compared to the stop watch in order to justify the additional cost of the stop clock. A multiple baseline design with a reversal of the stop clock condition was employed with students of five regular elementary classrooms serving as subjects. Results indicated that both techniques reduced disruptions and that there was no systematic difference in effectiveness between the two procedures.
Behaviour Therapy for Neurotic Disorders
Authors: Gelder Michael
Published: March 2007

This article reviews evidence about the value of behaviour therapy for the treatment of patients who present with phobic disorders anxiety states, obsessional neuroses, and hysteria. Although progress has been made in developing effective behaviour therapy for the major neurotic syndromes, much remains to be done. Only in the phobic disorders is there a sufficient body of knowledge to give clear guidance to the clinician about the best methods of treatment. However, this work on phobias already has pointed to several lines of enquiry which are likely to be fruitful with the other syndromes in which the contribution of behavioural methods is promising, though less certainly established. In particular, more attention needs to be given to ways of ensuring that patient treatment by behavioural measures will be continued.
Toward Comprehensive Behavioral Family Intervention
Authors: Blechman Elaine A.
Published: March 2007

A comprehensive behavioral family intervention would serve a heterogeneous family population and would be comprised of public and replicable decision-making rules and intervention techniques. Current family behavior and priorities, rather than crude surrogates such as socioeconomic status, would generate matching decisions. As a step towards a comprehensive behavioral family intervention, this paper presents an algorithm to solve the problem of matching families and behavioral child-related interventions. The algorithm reveals that the needs of some families might not be met by the three prevalent child-related interventions: contingency management, contingency contracting, and problem-solving training. Sample interventions that might meet these needs are briefly described: parent self-control training, parent self-sufficiency training, and marital problem-solving training.
Parents as Therapists
Authors: Moreland John R. , Schwebel Andrew I. , Beck Steven , Wells Robert
Published: March 2007

The present article reviews the behavioral parent training literature from 1975 to 1981. Both case studies and group investigations are included. The content and training methods of the parent intervention literature for children and adolescents are summarized. Methodological and clinical concerns are addressed, most notably generalization issues, the lack of parental observational data, the obtrusiveness of behavioral observation measures, and the need to identify critical characteristics of parents of clinic-referred children. The present status of this area is summarized and future research directions are suggested.
Teacher-Mediated Peer Feedback Treatment of Behaviorally Handicapped Children
Authors: Kerr Mary Margaret , Strain Phillip S. , Ragland Elizabeth U.
Published: March 2007

This study was designed to determine the influence of behavioral goals and behavioral goals plus peer feedback on negative and positive social interactions of behaviorally handicapped children and to assess the efficacy of the teacher-mediated peer feedback treatment package as a decelerating consequence. Four boys, described as negative and abusive in their peer interactions were target subjects. The six peers in the special education class were several years below grade level in all academic areas and were frequently observed to violate school and class rules. The target children were exposed sequentially to behavioral goal and behavioral goal plus peer feedback conditions in a modified withdrawal of treatment design. Observations showed that: behavioral goals alone produced modest and clinically insignificant reductions in each boy's level of negative interaction; no positive interaction changes occurred during goals only conditions; and goals plus peer feedback produced a substantial reduction in negative interaction and a like increase in positive interaction.
Weight Control Among Coworkers
Authors: Colvin Robert H. , Zopf Karen J. , Myers J. Hurley
Published: March 2007

Twenty-three coworkers participated in an 1 -week weight loss program based in the office in which they worked and studied. Treatment consisted of individual goal-setting, weekly weigh-ins, semipublic display of weight charts, and monetary refunds contingent on meeting weekly weight loss goals. A control group was exposed to an identical program minus the pyramidal monetary contingencies. Attrition was 50% for both groups for the first 4-week enrollment period, but did not occur during the remainder of the program. Of those who completed the program, all but one lost weight. However, weekly goals for the control group were met only 42% of the time and only one of five participants met their terminal weight goal. The experimental group met their weekly goals 97% of the time and all members met their terminal goals. Follow-up data collected 6 months after the program ended showed that most persons in both groups had regained weight since the end of treatment, but continued to weigh less than they had at the beginning of the program. Results are discussed in terms of (a) the social milieu of the work site as a means of reducing attrition and encouraging the achievement of weight loss goals, and (b) the effects of program length and fading of monetary contingencies on maintenance of weight loss.
Teaching Nutritional Meal Planning to Developmentally Disabled Clients
Authors: Sarber Richard E. , Cuvo Anthony J.
Published: March 2007

Four developmentally disabled adults were taught to plan nutritious meals, devise grocery lists, and locate listed foods in a supermarket. Training procedures included various instructional materials, experimenter modeling, verbal instructions, and response-contingent feedback. After 7 to 9 hours of training, subjects met the designated acquisition criterion. Follow-ups after 1 week and 1 month demonstrated that all three subtasks were maintained above a 90% level. A probe to a novel supermarket showed generalization on the food location task for all subjects. A multiple probe design across subjects showed that skill acquisition occurred only after each subtask was trained.
Treatment of Compulsive Looking by Imaginal Thought-Stopping
Authors: Turner Samuel M. , Holzman Arnold , Jacob Rolf G.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the use of self-monitoring and thought stopping presented via imaginal instructions for a 52-year-old woman whose major complaint was repetitive and uncontrollable looking rituals. Imaginal presentation of thought- stopping was utilized as her compulsive rituals did not occur in the therapy session. Results indicated success for self-monitoring and thought-stopping across several target behaviors. It was concluded that imaginally presented thought-stopping can be a useful technique for obsessive-compulsive individuals with cognitive rituals that can not be replicated within the therapy session.
"Read Me a Story, Mom"
Authors: Wedel Janet W. , Fowler Susan A.
Published: March 2007

Four mildly delayed children, aged four to six years, were taught to identify either letters of the alphabet or sets of basic sight words during story-reading times conducted by their mothers at home. The sets of letters or words were trained in a multiple baseline design. Acquisition of the trained letters or words was assessed by their teacher at school through weekly pretests and posttests. Results demonstrated that preliminary reading skills could be taught successfully at home during a story-reading time; posttest data indicated that children generalized their new skills to school and maintained them through a two-month follow-up period. Furthermore, substantial gains by two of the children on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test suggest that additional benefits, such as increases in receptive vocabulary, may result from the daily story reading.
Helping Teachers Increase Student Academic Engagement Rate
Authors: Leach David J. , Dolan Nigel K.
Published: March 2007

Recent research has found the time students spend actively engaged in task appropriate activities to be a powerful predictor of student achievement. However, attempts to apply the research with a view to increasing student academic engagement have been generally limited to complex and expensive procedures requiring a high degree of involvement by consultants and teachers, resulting in overly intrusive approaches to classroom innovations. This study evaluates a service-delivery strategy of minimal complexity and intrusiveness, designed to increase academic engagement rate in the regular classroom. Intervention, initiated and withdrawn in two classrooms of 12-15 year olds from an Australian school, involved 1) informing teachers of relevant research on time-related controllable classroom variables, and 2) telling teachers whether academic engagement rates of selected low-engaged students were increasing or decreasing after each lesson. Academic engagement rates increased substantially for target students in both classes and marked increases were evidenced for their nontarget peers. Withdrawal of intervention resulted in decreasing levels of student engagement. The results are interpreted in an applied behavioral framework, and implications of the findings are discussed in terms of cost-effectiveness, ease of application, limited need for external professional involvement, and maintenance of the effect.
Teacher Presentation Rate and Point Delivery Rate
Authors: West Richard P. , Sloane Howard N.
Published: March 2007

In a class of five disruptive students, the effects of teacher presentation rate of academic response opportunities and point delivery were assessed on classroom disruption, performance accuracy, and student response rate. Two levels of teacher presentation rate were paired with two point delivery rates resulting in four treatment conditions: high point rate/fast presentation; high point rate/slow presentation; low point rate/fast presentation; low point rate/ slow presentation. Using a multielement design, it was demonstrated that the fast presentation rate was associated with significantly less disruptive behavior than the slow presentation rate. Point delivery had little effect. For some subjects the slow presentation rate was associated with higher student performance accuracy, although the fast presentation rate produced high overall rates of correct performance.
Improving Mealtime Behaviors Through Token Reinforcement
Authors: Sisson Lori A. , Dixon M. Joanne
Published: March 2007

In the present study the effectiveness of a token reinforcement program in improving mealtime behaviors of four mentally retarded, behaviorally disordered children was evaluated using the multiple baseline design across behaviors. Participants were residents on an inpatient psychiatric hospital program for children. Target behaviors included appropriate utensil use, appropriate napkin use, chewing with mouth closed, and good posture. Training was implemented in a group setting and consisted of verbal instructions, modeling, manual prompts, and token reinforcement delivered at preprogrammed variable intervals signaled by a tape recording. Results showed acquisition of target behaviors in 20 to 40 sessions. Further, behavioral gains were judged to be clinically significant by a group of independent observers.
Facilitating Generalization
Authors: Allen L. Dawn , Bryant Mary C. , Bailey Jon S.
Published: March 2007

The effectiveness of two procedures for promoting the generalization of adaptive skills across settings by mentally retarded clients was evaluated. Participants were 10 mentally retarded clients of a community day training center. Observations of self-care and domestic skills acquired at the center were conducted at home, on the percentage of steps of each skill task analysis completed correctly. Parents of one group received written instructions describing how to practice the skills with their offspring at home. A second group received remediation training at home by center staff. A multiple-baseline design across participants and behaviors was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the two procedures. In addition, a cost analysis of each procedure was conducted. Results indicated that the parent report and home remediation procedures were both effective in increasing correct skill completion. However, the home remediation procedure cost more, with increased costs attributed to training time. The parent report procedure was, therefore, the preferred procedure.
Temperature-Biofeedback Treatment of Migraine Headache
Authors: Johansson Jan , Ost Lars-Goran
Published: March 2007

Digital skin temperature biofeedback was used in the treatment of migraine headache. The value of a "generalization-training" procedure as well as the relationship between temperature control and clinical effects were studied. In all, 24 migraine sufferers were randomly assigned to either "standard" or a "generalization-training" biofeedback procedure and were given eight treatment sessions. Headache activity was measured before, during, and after treatment; and digital skin temperature was continuously measured during training sessions. From the results the following tentative conclusions were drawn: (1) Those who acquire temperature control show greater decrease in headache, (2) pretreatment baseline finger temperatures might predict if temperature control will be achieved, and (3) "generalization-training" methods do not seem to result in a greater degree of temperature control.
Job-Related Social Skills Training with Female Prisoners
Authors: Calabrese Dominic N. , Hawkins Robert P.
Published: March 2007

Two studies evaluated whether a degree of rehabilitation is possible with prisoners and whether development of job-related social behaviors can be part of such rehabilitation. Both studies involved women prisoners, rarely tested subjects, addressing behaviors important in gaining and retaining employment, which play a critical role in recidivism. One study involved single-subject experiments with two carefully selected, volunteer women 21 and 22 years old in a federal prison. Four on-the-job behaviors were modified by a combination of office-based training and in vivo prompting, self-evaluation, and feedback: discourtesies, attention-seeking, inappropriate flirting, and inappropriate socializing. Each was modified in the appropriate prison work environment, achieving levels rated as comparable to peers. Effects proved durable over several weeks, with some indication of generalization and of the functional validity of performance. The second study, a multiple baseline across subjects and settings, involved three selected women prisoners 22, 22, and 23 years old. Classroom behaviors-off task, talking out, and disrupting-were targeted, due to their relevance to employability, with the same treatment used in the first study. Targeted behaviors changed and remained changed over several weeks of direct observation. The generality and functional validity of changes were substantiated by teacher ratings. Effective rehabilitation of prisoners may be possible if volunteer prisoners are selected, intervention is individualized, and effects are continuously monitored.
The Type A Behavior Pattern, Hostility, and Interpersonal Skill
Authors: Watkins Patti Lou , Eisler Richard M.
Published: March 2007

The present study assessed the anger expression and general conversational skill of Type As and Bs in role-play scenes reflecting typical natural environment situations. In addition, the study assessed skill differences among hostile and nonhostile subgroups of Type As and Bs. Observers and confederates rated subjects' interpersonal skill during challenging and nonchallenging interactions. Type As expressed anger less appropriately than Bs in challenging situations, but displayed greater overall social skill and made significantly more interesting conversational partners than Type Bs across conditions. In general, nonhostile Type As and Bs received better skill ratings than the hostile groups. The relationship of interpersonal skill to physical health, the utility of classifications derived from current Type A assessment methods, and the potential efficacy of treatments targeting interpersonal skill deficits such as those apparent here are discussed.
From Cars to Carts
Authors: Ferrari Joseph R. , Baldwin Charles H.
Published: March 2007

A modified reversal/ multiple-baseline design across three supermarkets was used to examine the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in increasing the frequency of safety belt usage in shopping carts. Following low baseline rates, safety belt usage increased significantly during a prompt plus personal contact condition at Stores 1 and 2. Safety belt usage then decreased, but remained above baseline levels, in a prompt alone condition at both stores. However, at Store 1, usage increased when the personal contact procedure was reintroduced but reversed to lower levels in a second prompt alone condition. Finally, social validity scales indicated that adult shoppers with children favored both safety belts on carts and the experimental procedures used in this study and said that they intended to use safety belts on carts in the future. Implications and directions for further research are briefly discussed.
Behavioral Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the Classroom
Authors: Dupaul George J. , Guevremont David C. , Barkley Russell A.
Published: March 2007

Contingency management procedures have been successfully applied in a variety of school settings to treat children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The present study investigated the efficacy of response-cost contingencies alone and in combination with directed-rehearsal procedures for managing the classroom behavior and academic productivity of two boys with ADHD. A within-subject reversal design with multiple-baseline components across academic work periods (i.e., reading and language) was employed to evaluate each child's behavior and academic performance. Response-cost contingencies led to marked improvements in each student's task-related attention and a reduction in other ADHD symptoms. Response-cost effects on academic productivity and differential effects associated with directed-rehearsal contingencies were equivocal. In addition to promoting greater attention to independent seat-work, response-cost procedures have the potential to affect other important areas of classroom functioning such as behavioral control during teacher lectures.
Textual Prompts as an Antecedent Cue Self-Management Strategy for Persons with Mild Disabilities
Authors: Mcadam David B. , Cuvo Anthony J.
Published: March 2007

Providing learners written task analyses to be used as textual prompts was examined as a self-management strategy for persons with mild disabilities. Initially, modeling, corrective verbal feedback, and contingent descriptive praise were employed to train participants to use the written task analysis to perforn one home maintenance task. Subsequently, participants were tested on their use of different task analyses combined with general feedback to perform two novel home maintenance tasks. No training was provided on how to use these new task analyses. Either a multiple baseline or a multiple probe across settings experimental design was used to control extraneous variables. Results indicated that the written task analyses served as self-administered textual prompts and, along with general feedback, provided stimulus control for the second and third tasks. When the self-management task analyses and general feedback were withdrawn, transfer of stimulus control occurred to the natural discriminative stimuli for the majority of tasks. The research suggests that written task analyses, as presented in the present study, may have utility for the self-management of instruction by persons with mild disabilities.
Abnormal Facial Emotion Recognition in Depression:
Authors: George Mark S. , Huggins Teresa , Mcdermut Wilson , Parekh Priti I. , Rubinow David , Post Robert M.
Published: March 2007

Normal subjects use the right insula and bilateral anterior temporal and prefrontal cortices to recognize the emotion expressed in a human face. Mood disorder subjects have a selective deficit in recognizing human facial emotion. Brain imaging studies show that they fail to activate the right insula to the same degree as controls, even when accurately assessing facial emotion. Many issues remain, however, including whether the facial emotion recognition errors in mood disorder subjects are state dependent or persist during normal mood states (and, thus, reflect a trait abnormality). To probe this issue, we repeatedly studied a male bipolar II patient's ability to recognize faces' emotional content. This patient made significantly more errors in facial emotion recognition during the depressed state. He also demonstrated a significant negative bias when he was depressed compared with nondepressed states. This case study demonstrates the state dependency of the defect in human facial emotion recognition.
Age Trends in the Association between Parenting Practices and Conduct Problems
Authors: Frick Paul J. , Christian Rachel E. , Wootton Jane M.
Published: March 2007

The authors studied the association between parenting practices and conduct problem behavior in a sample of 179 clinic-referred children and adolescents. Parenting practices were assessed using a multi-informant and multimethod assessment system. Conduct problems were the DSMIII-R criteria for oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder assessed by a structured psychiatric interview with multiple informants. Results indicated that parents” involvement in their children”s activities was most strongly predictive of conduct problems in the adolescent age group (ages 13-17), whereas corporal punishment was most strongly associated with conduct problems in the middle age group (ages 9-12). Parents’ monitoring and supervision of their children”s behavior was moderately predictive of conduct problems in both of these age groups but only weakly predictive in the youngest age group (ages 6-9). Finally, parental consistency in using disciplinewas highly predictive of conduct problems in the adolescent age group and moderately predictive in the youngest age group.
Culture and Self-Concept Flexibility
Authors: Choi Incheol , Choi Yimoon
Published: March 2007

Past research has shown that East Asians are more tolerant of apparent contradiction and tend to accept contradictory beliefs more readily than Americans. The present research examined through three studies whether such a dialectical tendency among East Asians also would be found in beliefs about the self. The results showed that in all three studies, Koreans displayed inconsistent beliefs about the self across contexts more than Americans. Unlike Americans, Koreans considered themselves more extroverted when asked how extroverted they were than when asked how introverted they were (Study 1). Koreans also exhibited less consistent beliefs about their relative standings on various personality dimensions than did Americans (Study 2). For example, Koreans evaluated their relative honesty differently when asked how honest they were than when asked how dishonest they were compared to their peers. Koreans also exhibited greater fluctuations in value preferences than did Americans (Study 3). Some implications of the present findings are discussed.
“That’s Completely Obvious... and Important”: Lay Judgments of Social Psychological Findings
Authors: Richard F. D. , Bond Charles F. , Stokes-Zoota Juli J.
Published: March 2007

Many social psychologists believe that if research results are obvious, they are unimportant and uninteresting. The current study evaluated lay perceptions of social psychological research findings. Results from three studies reveal differences between lay evaluations of research and scientific evaluations. In Study 1, students with no prior exposure to social psychology judge the most obvious research findings to be the most important. In Study 2, students can predict findings, and the most predictable findings are judged most important. In Study 3, students judge the most obvious findings to be most important to establish with research. Results address the accuracy of lay judgments of research, judgmental strategies, and the process by which social psychologists select research topics.
Meanings of Basic Values for Women and Men: A Cross-Cultural Analysis
Authors: Struch Naomi , Schwartz Shalom H. , van der Kloot Willem A.
Published: March 2007

Do men and women construe basic values in the same way? The authors investigate possible gender differences in value meaning at three levels: 2 dimensions that organize value systems, 10 motivationally distinct values, and 45 value items. They assess differences across and within diverse cultures and perform multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS) and Procrustes analyses on responses to a value survey by 11,244 respondents in eight cultural regions (Chinese East Asia, Eastern Europe, Finland, France, Israel, Japan, Latin America, and the United States). Statistical fit indices and inspection of graphic representations reveal neither cross-culturally consistent gender effects on value meaning nor Gender × Culture interactions. The implications of these findings for theories of gender effects and for the cross-cultural study of gender differences in value importance are discussed.
She Swings, She Hits, She’s Great, She’s Benched: Implications of Gender-Based Shifting Standards for Judgment and Behavior
Authors: Biernat Monica , Vescio Theresa K.
Published: March 2007

The implications of the shifting standards model for understanding behavior toward stereotyped groups were examined in two studies on gender and athleticism. Participants played the role of co-ed softball team managers, who made team selections, position assignments, and judgments about a series of male and female players. The data supported three hypotheses: (a) Stereotypes of male superiority as athletes lead to the use of shifting standards to judge athletic performance; (b) zero-sum behaviors (allocation of limited resources) show evidence of pro-male bias, whereas non-zero-sum behaviors (verbal and nonverbal reactions) show evidence of pro-female bias; and (c) objective judgments are somewhat better predictors of zero-sum behaviors, whereas subjective judgments are better predictors of non-zerosum behaviors.
Commitments to Help Among the Disabled Disadvantaged
Authors: Cowan Gloria , Inskeep Robert
Published: March 2007

A naturalistic experiment on helping behavior was conducted in a vocational rehabilitation setting. The effects of anticipated satisfaction from helping, cost of helping, and client dependency on past rehabilitation clients' willingness to help current clients were determined. Subjects were willing to help more clients when the cost was low and the satisfaction associated with helping high. High client dependency was significantly associated with willingness to help more clients.
Toward a Simple but Useful Equity Theory: A Comment on the Romer Article
Authors: Samuel William
Published: March 2007

The history of the so-called negative inputs controversy in equity theory is reviewed, and Romer's (1977) suggestions for resolving it are evaluated. Doubt is expressed regarding the validity of Romer's inference that equity theory applies only to situations in which a fixed resource is being shared by two or more individuals. Romer and the present author do appear to agree that, in order to preserve a simple and useful theory, it is necessary to assume that inputs are exclusively positive in sign. Nonetheless, it is concluded that Romer's article essentially advocates regression from, rather than progress toward, the resolution of issues currently being considered by equity theorists.
Occupational Socialization and Mid-Career Orthodoxy Among Academic Psychologists
Authors: Lipsey Mark W.
Published: March 2007

The level and variability of science-oriented attitudes among different cohorts of graduate students and faculty in academic psychology provided evidence bearing on the course of occupational socialization and selective attrition in the discipline. Clear differences were found among the cohorts. New students were less science-oriented and more diverse than mid-career faculty but older students and recent graduates were very similar to their faculty mentors. Faculty showed little attitudinal differences from cohort to cohort. Thus occupational socialization and/or selective attrition have ample room to operate on the science-oriented attitudes of psychology students as they develop into academic psychologists.
Infant Cues and Stopping at the Crosswalk
Authors: Malamuth Neil M. , Shayne Elise , Pogue Brian
Published: March 2007

An experiment was conducted in a field setting to study the effects of infant cues on inhibiting antisocial behavior-driving through a crosswalk while a pedestrian is waiting to cross the street. A female experimenter either stood alone, with a shopping cart, or with an infant stroller. As predicted, motorists stopped more frequently in the presence of the stroller than in the other two conditions.
The Endogenous-Exogenous Partition and the Attribution of Action
Authors: Romer Daniel
Published: March 2007

Kruglanski's attribution theory has been criticized for being inadequately defined and indistinguishable from other, adequate models. In this paper, some of the logical and empirical problems inherent in both Kruglanski's and other attribution models are discussed. An alternative model that does not appear to contain the same flaws is briefly presented.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin Attribution Theory and Evaluations of Older Men among College Students, their Parents, and Grandparents
Authors: Sherman Nancy C. , Gold Joel A. , Sherman Martin F.
Published: March 2007

Subjects sampled from three age groups read one of eight narrative descriptions portraying a man as active or inactive regarding achievement related activities, active or inactive regarding social activities, and young or old. Evaluative attributions to each were measured with a semantic differential scale. Results supported predictions generated by attribution theory and the activity model of aging. It appears that attribution theory can be useful in explaining why attitudes toward the elderly are less positive than those toward the young.
Would Groups Do Better without Social Psychologists? A Response to Buys
Authors: Green Richard B. , Mack Jonathan
Published: March 2007

Social psychological research on peer group experi- ence, as summarized and interpreted by Buys (1978), appears to show that such groups have a consistently negative effect on their members. This apparent conclusion reflects a significant bias of social psychologists in general and of Buys in particular. It ignores significant data in support of positive group functions as well as accepting a negative interpretation of group functioning without adequate experimental support. The authors suggest that social psychologists reorient their work in the direction of examining potentially positive functions of group experience. Emphasis is placed on the value of Sullivan's interpersonal theory in considering productive aspects of peer groups.
When Names Do Not Help: Effects of Anonymity and Locus of Need Attribution on Help-seeking Behavior
Authors: Nadler Arie , Porat Irit
Published: March 2007

The effects of anonymity of the help-seeker and locus of need attribution on help-seeking behavior were investigated. The results indicate that the locus of need attribution affects amount of help-seeking only if the individual remains anonym- ous. When identifiable, the subjects refrained from help-seeking regardless of locus of need attribution. The applied and concep- tual implications of these findings are discussed and the role of anonymity of help-seeker as an important condition in the paradigm of help-seeking behavior is elaborated.
Participant-Observer Differences in Attributions for an Ambiguous Victimization
Authors: Janoff-Bulman Ronnie , Lang Linda , Johnston Dennis
Published: March 2007

Participant-observer differences in attributions were examined in a field setting. Overenrollment at a large university resulted in the assignment of some students to temporary non-dormitory quarters. Participants (those affected) reacted more negatively to the administration and blamed both themselves and fate less than did observers; further, greater liking of the situation was related to greater perceived avoidability by participants, but less perceived avoidability by observers. Results are discussed in terms of speculation regarding the differential time perspectives of involved and uninvolved parties. It is proposed that participants have a broader time perspective than observers, attending more to both the sequence of events leading up to the situation and future implications of their own involvement.
Effects of Locus-of-Control, Outcome Severity, and Attitudinal Similarity of Defendant on Attributions of Criminal Responsibility
Authors: Kauffman Richard A. , Ryckman Richard M.
Published: March 2007

Internals and externals were presented with a trial description outlining a crime which varied in the seriousness of its consequences for others and then were asked to assign responsibility for it to an attitudinally similar or dissimilar defendant. It was predicted and found that internals assigned greater responsibility for the severe crime to an attitudinally similar defendant, while externals attributed more responsibility for a severe crime to an attitudinally dissimilar defendant.
"Appeasing the Gods?"
Authors: Curtis Rebecca C. , Rietdorf Pamela , Ronell Diana
Published: March 2007

Previous research has shown that people who anticipate an unpleasant event choose to suffer during the anticipation period. The present experiment was designed to determine whether people would choose to suffer more when an unpleasant event was likely, but not certain, to occur. Ninety-five students were assigned on the basis of chance or task performance to eat pleasant foods, unpleasant foods, or probably to eat unpleasant foods. Subjects in the unpleasant conditions chose to suffer more than subjects in the pleasant conditions, with men in the "probably unpleasant" condition choosing to suffer most. This occurred regardless whether the unpleasant event was attributed to chance or task performance. The results were interpreted as support for the idea that people choose to suffer in the present in the hope of experiencing less discomfort in the future.
Physical Attractiveness and the Approach/Avoidance of Self-Awareness
Authors: McDonald Peter J. , Eilenfield Victor C.
Published: March 2007

The approach/avoidance of self-awareness was assessed in a naturalistic setting for individuals surreptitiously rated as low, medium, or high in physical attractiveness. As hypothesized, selective exposure to self-awareness increased as a linear function of physical attractiveness level Results were interpreted as providing additional evidence for self-awareness exposure effects.
Time Estimation and Obesity
Authors: Nail Paul , Levy Les , Russin Raymond , Crandall Rick
Published: March 2007

This study was conducted to test Rodin's hypothesis that overweight individuals are generally less internally responsive than individuals of normal weight. Forty-six males and 51 females classified as normal, overweight, and obese estimated the duration of a 15-minute interval in a context with minimal external cues. Contrary to Rodin's data, which were based on male samples, overweight males in this study were not more variable or less accurate in their time estimates than normal males. Overweight females were more variable than normal females, but did not differ in accuracy. In general, the results offered little support for the existence of a generalized insensitivity to internal cues on the part of the overweight. Implications for future research on obesity are discussed.
Moral Judgment
Authors: Forsyth Donelson R.
Published: March 2007

In order to determine when ethical ideology influences judgments of morality, individuals who endorsed an absolutist, exceptionist, subjectivist, or situationist ideology morally evaluated an actor linked, at varying levels of responsibility, to positive or negative outcomes. As predicted, absolutists judged the actor more harshly than exceptionists, but only when the described actor has foreseen or intended to produce a highly negative consequence.
Cooperation and Competition as a Function of Type A Behavior
Authors: Gotay Carolyn Cook
Published: March 2007

College students classified as Type A or Type B anticipated engaging in situations described as cooperative or competitive, in which they and another person would have the opportunity to win money. Results showed that Type As predicted that they would win more money overall and particularly when competing, which was the only condition where the subjects anticipated winning more than the other person. Choice of a partner of lesser, greater, or equal ability than the subject did not vary according to condition.
Justice Rules or Ingroup Loyalties
Authors: Towson Shelagh M. J. , Lerner Melvin J. , De Carufel Andre
Published: March 2007

This study explored the notion that children allocate rewards according to an equity norm when competition is low, but yield to in group loyalties when it is high. In a 2×2×2 factorial design, male and female "supervisors" allocated rewards to a male and female worker under high or low competition conditions. For half the subjects, the same-sex worker was more productive; other subjects saw the opposite-sex worker win. Results indicated that subjects allocated equitably to same- and opposite-sex workers in the low competition condition. In the high competition condition, female subjects increased their allocations to the more productive female worker; male subjects gave her less than she deserved. Implications of these results for future research were discussed.
Hindsight Distortion and the 1980 Presidential Election
Authors: Leary Mark R.
Published: March 2007

The tendency for people retrospectively to overestimate the degree to which they expected certain events to occur was examined within the context of the 1980 presidential election. Previous research has concluded that distorted hindsight occurs due to people's inability to reconstruct prior probabilities for an event after it has occurred, but the possible mediation of motivational factors, specifically self-esteem and self-presentation, has not been adequately examined. Subjects were asked either before or after the 1980 presidential election, and under public or private response conditions, to predict the outcome of the election (preelection) or to indicate what they would have predicted the outcome to be had they been asked before the election (postelection). In addition, subjects were classified as being either high or low in ego involvement regarding knowledge of politics. Results showed clear evidence of hindsight distortion: Subjects asked after the election said they woud have predicted an outcome closer to the results of the election than those asked before, but there was no evidence of mediation by self-esteem or self presentation concerns.