Showing papers in "Journal of Social Psychology in 1997"

Green Buying: The Influence of Environmental Concern on Consumer Behavior

Abstract: Variables that predict “green buying” (i.e., buying products that are environmentally beneficial) were investigated. Predictor variables included awareness about environmental impacts of products, specific environmental beliefs of consumers, several general environmental attitude scales, demographic variables, and several proenvironment behaviors other than buying behavior. A written questionnaire, mailed to randomly selected residents of 8 middle-class communities in the Los Angeles area, was answered by 201 respondents. The results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses supported the hypotheses under study: Specific consumer beliefs predicted several green-buying variables as well as general environmental attitudes, whereas general environmental attitudes predicted only one aspect of green buying. Women were significantly higher than men on two aspects of green buying and on the environmental attitude scales. Home ownership was positively related to recycling behavior.

Job Satisfaction and Intent to Leave

Abstract: In this study, meta-analytic procedures were applied to determine the gen- eralizability of the relationship between job satisfaction and intent to leave. The results were consistent with the hypotheses: The relationship between job satisfaction and intent to leave was significantly different from zero and consistently negative. Furthermore, across levels of job satisfaction, employees from a large U.S. federal agency were less likely than employees within the private sector to leave the organization. Subsequent analyses on the federal agency studies showed that career stage indicators (age and tenure) moderated the relationship between job satisfaction and intent to leave.

Hofstede's country classification 25 years later

Abstract: Nearly 3 decades have passed since Hofstede (1980) collected the data used to classify countries by their underlying work-related value structures. The present study, in which recent data from 9 countries in 4 continents was collected, is a reexamination of his country classifications. The results suggest that many shifts have occurred since Hofstede's study in 1980. These shifts are related to some of the major environmental changes that have occurred.

Gender differences in extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism in 37 nations.

Abstract: Mean gender differences on Eysenck's three personality traits of extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism were collated for 37 nations. Women obtained higher means than men on neuroticism in all countries, and men obtained higher means than women on psychoticism in 34 countries and on extraversion in 30 countries. The relation between the magnitude of the gender differences and per capita incomes was not significant for any of the three traits.

The Influence of Societal Factors on Female Body Image

Abstract: This study was designed to identify factors associated with the perceptual and attitudinal components of female body image. The influence of society and factors thought to mediate the relationship between body image and society (field dependence, locus of control, and self-esteem) were investigated. Age and body mass index (BMI) were also included as independent variables. A total of 101 female university students in Australia ranging in age from 18 to 55 years (M = 24.11) participated in the study. A video camera apparatus (VCA) was used to assess perceptual distortion of body size. The VCA, the Body Esteem Scale, and the Appearance Evaluation subscale of the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire were used to assess body satisfaction. On average, women underestimated their body sizes by 4%, and they typically wanted to be smaller than their actual body sizes. About two fifths of the women expressed moderate to strong negative feelings about both individual body parts and their bodies as a whole. Multiple regression analyses revealed that perceptual distortion of body size could not be predicted from the independent variables. Body satisfaction was best explained by societal factors, self-esteem, and BMI.

Sources of happiness: A qualitative approach.

Abstract: Perceived sources of happiness among community residents in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and in the West were identified and compared. The authors performed a qualitative analysis to develop a typology and found 9 major categories among 180 reported sources of happiness. They were (a) gratification of need for respect, (b) harmony of interpersonal relationships, (c) satisfaction of material needs, (d) achievement at work, (e) being at ease with life, (f) taking pleasure at others' expense, (g) sense of self-control and self-actualization, (h) pleasure and positive affect, and (i) health. The results indicated that the Western conception of happiness places greater emphasis on intrapersonal or internal evaluation and contentment, whereas the Chinese conception of happiness places greater emphasis on interpersonal or external evaluation and satisfaction. The Chinese conception of happiness also has unique components, such as being at ease with life.

Testing the Self-Efficacy—Performance Linkage of Social—Cognitive Theory

Abstract: Past empirical research examining the relationship of self-efficacy perceptions and performance has had several limitations. Most studies were performed in the laboratory with tasks not directly related to individual work performance. As a consequence, many findings are not generalizable to individual work performance. This study tested the self-efficacy-performance model found in Bandura's social-cognitive theory in a work setting, with a sample of 776 American university employees, and with discriminant function analyses. Respondents indicated that performance with computers significantly predicted perceptions of high and low self-efficacy. Results provide additional support for social-cognitive theory as outlined by Bandura.

Value Congruence in Leader-Member Exchange

Abstract: In this study, hypotheses were tested that the quality of leader-member exchanges (LMX) depends on congruity of values between leader and member. Data on negotiating latitude and personal values were gathered from 160 members of 30 work groups in Australian organizations. Factor analysis revealed 5 value dimensions: Freedom, Achievement, Mateship, Obedience, and Coping. Analyses of variance supported the hypothesis that LMX quality is higher when leaders and members share achievement and obedience values. Subsequent exploratory analysis, however, indicated that a more complex model based on compatibility of leader authority and member affiliation values may provide a more complete representation.

Predicting Intention to Remain in College Among Ethnic Minority and Nonminority Students

Abstract: Models predicting ethnic minority and nonminority students' intentions to remain enrolled in college were tested for equivalence. On the basis of previous research, the predictors were coping with college, self-esteem, academic integration, identification with the university, and experience of disrespect because of race, ethnicity, or religion. Participants were 139 ethnic minority and 507 nonminority students at a U.S. university. Results indicate similarities and differences in the models for predicting commitment for ethnic minority and nonminority students. The relationship between academic achievement and commitment to remain in college was strong only for ethnic minority students. Identification with the university was positively related and experience of disrespect was negatively related to commitment for all students. When students perceived the environment as unwelcoming because of race, ethnicity, or religion, their desire to continue attending college diminished. Ethnic minority studen...

Social support, reciprocity, and well-being.

Abstract: Systematic random-sampling procedures were used to gather a sample of 191 community residents in Kaohsiung city, Taiwan, and survey them regarding (a) amount of social support given and received; (b) perceived reciprocity of support in relationships with family members, friends, and colleagues; (c) negative affect; and (d) psychological symptoms. Extraversion and social desirability were also measured. Both receiving and giving support were related to negative affect after controlling for the effects of extraversion and social desirability. These two personality factors also substantially masked the negative impact of support on psychological symptoms. Reciprocity of support within the family domain was related to well-being. Individual differences in support exchanges were noted, and women received more support than men.

Affective versus calculative commitment : Human resource implications

Abstract: Affective and calculative commitment have been associated with distinct work outcomes; however, little research has been directed toward understanding how these dimensions of organizational commitment are embedded within a larger web of work-related attitudes and perceptions. In the present study, higher levels of calculative commitment in a sample of adults in New Zealand and Ireland were associated with lower perceived organizational support, lower agreement with organizational policies, fewer perceived organizational values, and fewer bonds to various facets of the organization. This pattern of findings was reversed for level of affective commitment.

Skin-Color Preferences and Body Satisfaction Among South Asian-Canadian and European-Canadian Female University Students

Abstract: Skin-color preferences and body satisfaction among 100 South Asian-Canadian and 100 European-Canadian female university students were examined. South Asian-Canadian females were found to desire lighter skin than they possessed and had lower body satisfaction compared with European-Canadian females. Among South Asian-Canadians, the desire to be lighter skinned was greater the more participants differed from the cultural White ideal. Light- and medium-skinned South Asian-Canadians had the highest and lowest levels of body satisfaction, respectively.

Cooperativeness and Bully/Victim Problems among Australian Schoolchildren.

Abstract: The relationship was examined between the self-reported cooperativeness of Australian secondary-school students and their involvement in peer abuse at school, both as bullies and as victims. An 18-item Likert-type measure, the Cooperativeness Scale, was developed, and its reliability and concurrent validity were supported by the results of its application to two samples of Australian students (N = 176 and N = 763, respectively) attending different coeducational secondary schools, the first in a predominantly middle-class area and the second in a lower class socioeconomic area. At both schools, girls scored higher in cooperativeness than boys. Students at the second school also anonymously completed multiple measures of the extent of their involvement during the current year in bullying, victimization, or both. As predicted, correlations and multiple regression analyses supported the hypothesis that relatively low levels of cooperativeness were characteristic, not only of both boys and girls who engaged in bullying, but also, to a lesser extent, of those who were frequently victimized by their peers at school.

Individualism, Collectivism, and Decision Styles of Managers in Kuwait

Abstract: Individualism-collectivism concepts along with decision styles were examined among 307 managers in Kuwait. The sample was randomly selected from government, private, and mixed organizations. About 72% of the Kuwaiti organizations registered in the stock market participated in the study. The participants displayed a high tendency toward collectivism, a weak commitment to individualism, and a strong preference for consultative and participative decision styles. The participants thought that the most effective decision style is the participative approach, and the majority believed that their immediate supervisors were pseudoconsultative. Collectivism measures and individualism scales were significantly correlated.

Need for Closure and Political Orientation Among German University Students

Abstract: (1997). Need for Closure and Political Orientation Among German University Students. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 137, No. 6, pp. 787-789.

The relationships among sex role orientation, egalitarianism, attitudes toward sexuality, and attitudes toward violence against women.

Abstract: Relationships among U.S. college students' (N = 618) attitudes toward rape myths and their sex role orientation, affective responses to sexuality, sex role egalitarianism, and attitudes toward violence against women were investigated. Results indicated that men were more tolerant of rape, more likely to attribute blame for rape to the victim, and less negative in their views of rapists than women were. In addition, for men, but not for women, masculinity and femininity were predictive of rape attitudes and attributions of blame to rape victims. Positive attitudes toward sexuality were predictive of intolerance of rape for the total sample and for men, but not for women, and were predictive of perceptions of women as innocent victims of rape for both the total sample and the sexes separately. Attitudes toward pornography were unrelated to attitudes toward rape. Acceptance of violence against women and a lack of sexual egalitarianism were predictive of acceptance of rape myths. Androgynous, masculine, and feminine individuals were less tolerant of rape than undifferentiated persons were.

Marital status, gender, and perception of well-being.

Abstract: Authors of several research studies in the United States have found a positive relationship between marital status and physical and psychological well-being, and gender differences in well-being among married and unmarried people are well documented. Several explanations have been suggested for the findings of gender differences in perception of well-being among married and unmarried individuals. The combined 10-year (1982-1991) “General Social Surveys” data of the National Opinion Research Center (1991) were used in this reexamination of the relationships of marital status and gender to perception of well-being. The results of analysis of variance are the basis for discussion of observed differences in perception of well-being as to gender, marital status, race, and financial status. The results indicate that marriage enhances perceptions of well-being for both men and women. Married women expressed more satisfaction than men did.

The Impact of Conflict Resolution Training on Middle School Students

Abstract: The effectiveness of a conflict resolution training program in an American, midwestern, middle school was examined. The participants were 198 students in Grades 6 through 9. A pretest-posttest control-group experimental design was used. Those in the experimental group received 14 hr of training during a 25-min homeroom period. Significant differences between experimental and control groups occurred in knowledge of the negotiation procedure and ability to apply it to actual conflicts.

Self-Estimates of Ability in Men and Women

Abstract: (1997). Self-Estimates of Ability in Men and Women. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 137, No. 4, pp. 540-541.

Lay Explanations for Poverty in Turkey and Their Determinants

Abstract: The external and internal causal attributions for poverty in Turkey were examined in an exploratory survey. Factor analysis results confirmed Feagin's 3 conceptual categories (1975) of explanations for poverty, structural, fatalistic, and individualistic. Income, gender, age, and education were important determinants of explanations for poverty. All income groups favored structural (external) explanations. Poor persons preferred more tangible structural explanations, and nonpoor persons gave more abstract structural explanations. Poor persons also favored fatalistic (external) explanations more than higher income groups did. Women and older people offered individualistic and fatalistic explanations more than others. Men and people with higher levels of education preferred abstract structural explanations more than others.

Parental training for incarcerated fathers: effects on attitudes, self-esteem, and children's self-perceptions.

Abstract: The effects of parent education programs on the parenting attitudes and abilities of 30 U.S. male inmates and on the self-perceptions of their children (aged 8-17 years) were examined. Inmates were pre- and posttested with the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory and the Index of Self-Esteem. The children were administered the Self-Perception Profile for Children or the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Participants in the experimental group completed a 6-week program including parental training and behavior-management training. The control group's 6-week program consisted of viewing family-related videotapes, answering questions, and discussing the contents of the videotapes. Parent education improved the attitudes of inmates toward appropriate parenting but did not significantly change their children's self-perceptions.

Social strategies and loneliness.

Abstract: Although substantial research has been done on loneliness, in only a few studies has the extent of its association with the cognitive and attributional strategies people apply in social situations been investigated. Two studies were carried out among Finnish students to examine this association. In Study 1, 70 men and 202 women filled in the Cartoon-Attribution-Strategy Test (CAST) and Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), then 1 year later, the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. In Study 2, 25 men and 35 women filled in the CAST and the RSE, then 4 months later, the UCLA Loneliness Scale. In both studies, a pessimistic avoidance strategy was associated with subsequent feelings of loneliness, even after controls for the level of self-esteem. Both an optimistic planning strategy and a self-serving attributional bias were negatively associated with feelings of loneliness among men but not among women.

Effects on High School Students of Conflict Resolution Training Integrated Into English Literature

Abstract: The effectiveness of a conflict-resolution program in a suburban secondary school in Canada was examined. Participants were 40 ninth-grade English students heterogeneous in academic ability. Students randomly assigned to the experimental condition received 9.5 hr of conflict-resolution training integrated into the study of literature. Those randomly assigned to the control condition studied the identical literature for 9.5 hr without conflict-resolution training. Significant differences between treatment groups were found in academic achievement, knowledge of and willingness to use the conflict-resolution procedure, and application of the procedure in conflicts.

American College Students and the Protestant Work Ethic

Abstract: The concept of the Protestant work ethic (PWE), originally proposed by Weber (1958), was examined in a study of 422 American college students. Although the PWE has been heavily studied, no definitive conclusions have been reached regarding its genesis and whether it is dispositional in nature or more heavily reliant on demographic variations. Mirels and Garrett's (1971) PWE Scale was used to measure the ethic. The authors hypothesized that older, graduate, and non-American students would express a greater belief in the ethic. The results indicated that it was the younger, undergraduate, and non-American students who expressed greater belief in the PWE.

Relationships in Moral Reasoning and Religion Among Members of Conservative, Moderate, and Liberal Religious Groups

Abstract: Relationships between moral reasoning and religiosity, religious orientation, age, and education were explored among 210 northwest and central Arkansas participants categorized into conservative, moderate, and liberal religious groups. Correlational analyses for the entire sample yielded evidence of relationships among the variables, although those relationships were not consistent when examined separately within the three groups. In addition, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) generated evidence of significantly (p < .01) less principled moral reasoning among members of the conservative religious groups. Data analyses provided evidence that with regard to concerns of social justice, aspects of religion may interact with reasoning to enable some individuals to separate religiousness from moral reasoning.

Age and gender differences in the self-esteem of Chinese children.

Abstract: A Chinese version of the Self-Description Questionnaire 1 (SDQ-1; Marsh, 1988) was used to investigate age and gender differences in a sample of 303 male and 296 female 10-year-old children and 116 male and 116 female 13-year-old children attending typical Beijing public schools. Significant Age x Gender interaction effects were found on all 8 SDQ-1 scales. Main effects for age were found on the Physical Abilities, Reading, and School subscales and for gender on the same three subscales plus Peer Relations. Further analysis indicated that the older girls tended to report significantly lower self-esteem than both the younger girls and older boys in the areas of physical abilities, reading, mathematics, and general self-concept. The boys reported more positive self-perceptions on most nonacademic self-scales, but both the older boys and older girls reported less favorable self-esteem than their younger peers on the scales for reading and school in general.

Arab Students' Attitudes Toward and Amount of Social Contact With Americans: A Causal Process Analysis of Cross-Sectional Data

Abstract: The relationship between attitudes toward Americans and social contact with Americans was studied in a sample of Saudi Arabian students attending an American university. A causal process analysis and path analysis showed that a desire for contact significantly mediated the relationship between attitude and contact, consistent with an attitude-to-contact causal direction and social-psychological approaches that focus on the impact of attitudes on behavior. Social contact, however, was not significantly mediated by understanding of the host country. The contact hypothesis that social contact causes attitude change was not supported.

Gender as a determinant of work values among university students in Israel.

Abstract: Gender differences in work values, measured by the 25-item Manhardt scale (1972), were examined among 820 (391 male and 429 female) undergraduate students at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Male and female students differed on 9 items. The single students' scores were similar to the scores of the total sample; among married students, there were gender differences on only 3 items. In the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, male and female students differed on 13 items; in the Faculty of Engineering, they differed on 8 items; and in the Faculty of Medicine, they differed on 2 items. There was no consistent pattern of gender-based differences in work values. These findings show the need to control for background variables and field of study/occupation in examinations of gender-based differences in work values; they also indicate the need to revise and augment traditional explanations of gender differences in work values.

A Comparative Investigation of Dimensional Structures of Acculturation for Italian Canadians and Greek Canadians

Abstract: The transethnic equivalence in the dimensional structure of acculturation for Italian Canadians and Greek Canadians was studied. The study's first phase demonstrated the multidimensional manifestation of acculturation by confirming a 3-factor structure of acculturation for both groups toward the mainstream English Canadian culture: Intrafamily English Canadian Orientation, English Canadian Media Use, and English Canadian Social Relations. Subsequently, the dimensional structures of acculturation for the two groups were tested for their equivalence. Results supported the invariance of factor structure across the 2 groups, suggesting that the extent to which acculturation is reflected in the 3 dimensions is highly similar for both. The results also demonstrate that, for both groups, the Intrafamily English Canadian dimension best reflected acculturation, followed by English Canadian Media Use and English Canadian Social Relations.