Showing papers in "Psychological Reports in 1972"

Death Concern: Measurement and Correlates:

Abstract: Psychological research on death concern has been impeded by the absence of measuring instruments with high reliability and by the dearth of systematic research into the relationships of death concern with other personality variables. The present paper describes the construction of a Death Concern Scale with a high level of internal consistency and stability. Relationships between the Death Concern Scale and State Anxiety, Trait Anxiety, Manifest Anxiety, Repression-Sensitization, as well as needs Heterosexuality, Succorance, and Change of the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule are presented and discussed.

Blinking and mental load

Abstract: The rate of blinking is related to certain mental activities. One common feature of states associated with low blink rates is the presence of concentrated cognitive activity. The purpose of the present study was to determine how blinking is affected by variations in mental load; it was hypothesized that, for a given nonvisual task, blinking would decrease as mental load increased. The first study reported here manipulated memory load by requiring Ss to retain a sequence of 4, 6, or 8 digits. The second study involved mental arithmetic under time pressure; half the trials contained zeros in the sequence of numbers to be summed. In both studies the rate of blinking was low when mental load was high and the rate was high when mental load was low. It is speculated that blinking may disrupt certain cognitive processes and may therefore be inhibited when these processes are active. When mental load is increased, the inhibition of blinking may be an adaptive mechanism which protects vulnerable cognitive processe...

Death anxiety in religiously very involved persons.

Abstract: Those religiously involved persons who have stronger religious convictions and attachment, attend religious functions more frequently, are certain of a life after death, and interpret the Bible lit...

Effects on Pain of Experimentally Induced and Spontaneous Distraction

Abstract: A 2-min. pain stimulus was administered twice to 56 female Ss. The stimulus was first administered prior to the experimental treatments and again with either 1 or 3 distracting treatments (Listening to a Story, Adding Aloud, or Counting Aloud) or a Control treatment. The dependent variables were Ss' self-ratings of the degree of pain experienced and the percentage of time they were thinking about the pain. 16 Ss were also interviewed post-experimentally to determine their perceptions of the experiment. During the first, but not the second, minute of pain stimulation under the experimental treatments, Listening to a Story and Adding Aloud tended to reduce the degree of pain and the percentage of time Ss were thinking about it. The post-experimental interview indicated that, during the pre-treatment pain stimulation and also under the Control treatment, Ss used their own “spontaneous” distractions to reduce pain.

Survey of 504 cases of transvestism.

Abstract: A sample of 504 nonpatient male transvestites was obtained through the subscription list of a magazine for heterosexual cross-dressers. Individuals filled out a questionnaire, providing data regarding physical and sociological characteristics, related conditions such as transsexualism and homosexuality, recall of the childhood history of their condition, marital relations, dressing patterns, as well as a number of attitudes. Correlations among these variables were also assessed.

Effects of physical appearance on social responsiveness.

Abstract: A behavioral analysis of the consequences of physical appearance on social behavior was undertaken with the view that physical attractiveness operates as a stimulus control variable by occasioning differential interpersonal reinforcement. Fifty-six males were requested to role-play an interaction with the taped performance of a young woman. Video-taped performances were presented under two conditions, attractive and unattractive, to Ss instructed to translate their enacted social responses into “button-presses.” The audio portions of these tapes were presented alone to two additional groups of Ss and no differences attributable to voice quality or speech content were observed. The attractive appearance evoked more social reinforcement and enhanced cognitive-evaluative ratings of calmness, popularity, and friendship desirability.

Self-disclosure and two kinds of trust.

Abstract: 63 (37 male and 26 female) undergraduate students were Ss in a study of the relationship between two kinds of trust and self-disclosure. As predicted, self-disclosure (Jourard scale) was related to trust as measured with the Prisoners' Dilemma Game, but not to Interpersonal trust, as measured with Rotter's scale. No relationship was found between the Rotter Interpersonal Trust Scale and the Prisoner's Dilemma. In line with previous findings: (a) the Rotter Scale correlated with a self-report trust scale, and (b) the Prisoners' Dilemma with authoritarianism (F scale).

Study behaviors and their relationships to test anxiety and academic performance

Abstract: Multivariate regression analysis of academic aptitude, test anxiety, and self-report study data from 122 undergraduates indicated high school rank to be the best predictor of grade point average. The number of days Ss reported studying and one test anxiety scale also added significantly to the prediction. Analysis of the study-relevant variables across the semester indicated differential patterns of study existed for students with good, average, and poor grades. The relative independence of test anxiety and study behaviors suggested that the latter class of variables might profitably be used to increase prediction of academic performance.

Acquisition of the People Concept in Pigeons

Abstract: The present investigation sought to determine the minimal number of positive and negative examples of a complex concept necessary for criterion mastery. A complex concept was defined as one in which the stimulus properties are not easily specified by physical measurement. Ss were presented with a stimulus display containing pictures of people and pictures where people were absent. Responses to pictures of people were reinforced with food. The results indicated that (1) pigeons rapidly form a complex concept where they are required to meet criterion performance on each discrimination problem, (2) the minimal number of positive and negative examples of the concept required to reach mastery ranged from 3 to 17, and (3) this procedure proved to be a successful and efficient method for studying complex concepts.

Self-initiated attempts to change behavior: a study of new year's resolutions

Abstract: The tradition of making New Year's Resolutions presents an opportunity to study the formation and stability of self-initiated attempts to change behavior. In an exploratory investigation, Ss were asked to report any resolutions made at the beginning of a new year. In order to provide an objective measure of the effectiveness of resolutions, Ss who were resolved to lose weight were studied independently of Ss making other types of resolutions. Ss who resolved to lose weight and control Ss who made no resolutions were assigned either to a monitoring or nonmonitoring group for a 3-mo. period (monitored Ss were weighed every 3 wk.). No significant differences were obtained in weight change for the factors of resolution or monitoring. Monitoring (by periodic questionnaires) also did not increase the effectiveness of the other resolutions studied. General resolutions were classified, and the resulting categories were related to the duration of kept resolutions and to the circumstances under which resolutions we...

Prediction of school achievement from motivation, personality, and ability measures.

Abstract: Personality (16 PF), Motivation (MAT) and Ability (CFIQ) tests were given to 169 6th grade and 142 7th grade children. Approximately 3 mo. later the same children were given standardized achievement tests (ETS) in the areas of mathematics, science, social studies, and reading and their performance on these subjects was predicted from the personality, motivation and ability measures. It was concluded that personality, motivation and ability variables each contributed independently and significantly to the prediction of school achievement but that the pattern of relevant predictors varied with the achievement area.

Reliability and validity of the paragraph completion test: theoretical and empirical notes

Abstract: The Paragraph Completion Test has become the most widely used measure of the integrative component of conceptual complexity: namely, the ability to think in multi-conceptual terms about given stimulus domains. The test has consistently predicted complex behavioral performance in experimental settings and correlates positively with theoretically related measures of personality and cognition. Inter-rater, split-half, and preliminary test-retest reliability coefficients are also satisfactory, making the test a psychometrically sound and valid measure of complexity.

General and Specific Perceived Locus of Control in Alcoholics

Abstract: 50 alcoholics were administered the I-E scale and a specially constructed scale to determine the perceived locus of control for their drinking behavior. It was hypothesized and found that alcoholic...

Minimal brain dysfunction in children: Failure to find evidence for a behavioral syndrome.

Abstract: In order to examine covariation among some of the behavioral deviations included in Clements' (1966) monograph on “minimal brain dysfunction syndrome,” 16 measures and ratings were obtained for a sample of 89 children attending a child development clinic. The measures included most of the variables mentioned among the 10 most frequently hypothesized symptoms of the disorder. Few instances of significant relationships were found, especially when age and IQ were statistically controlled. The findings were discussed in relation to criteria needed to establish a syndrome, and suggestions for future research were made.

Locus of Control, Interpersonal Trust and Academic Achievement

Abstract: The present study examined the relationship of locus of control, interpersonal trust and academic performance of 133 college students. Internality and trust were significantly negatively related to...

Father's absence, psychopathology, and poetic eminence.

Abstract: Ratings of degree of psychopathology and of probability of cross-sexual identification were made on temporally stratified samples of 42 eminent English and French poets. 55% of Ss had life histories indicating some possibility of cross-sexual identification; of these, 30% came from father-absent homes. 48% exhibited some symptoms of psychopathology; of these, 15% were rated as psychotic. Psychopathology and cross-sexual identification were highly related. Reasons why temporally stratified samples should yield high incidence rates on the variables were explored.

Effects of Group Laughter on Responses to Humorous Material

Abstract: Forty Ss listened to two humorous recordings one with and one without the dubbed laughter of a group of people. In the condition of group laughter Ss laughed more frequently and for longer. They al...

Lobeline and reduction of cigarette smoking.

Abstract: An empirical and logical analysis of research employing lobeline sulfate in reducing cigarette smoking raises serious doubts as to the utility of this chemical “nicotine substitute.” An experiment ...

Psychological correlates of pet ownership

Abstract: What are the psychological effects of relating to 3 person who features, among other things, instant compliance, unrelenting positive regard toward oneself, intrinsic charm, and no faults-in short, is 'perfect'? Many owners view their pets as this and more, yet obviously these characteristics exist mainly 'in the eye of the beholder' rather than being a function of the animal himself. Any person who tried to relate to real people as he did to his pet or judged real people relative to his pet would either have his expectations dashed or be sadly disappointed. Perfect fantasies have small correspondence with real life. Yet today in our society pet owners are encouraged to regard their fantasies (i.e., pets) as real, and to the degree that an ownec adopts this societal suggestion, psychologically the pet seems to function as a detriment to effective social relationships and consequently to the person's mental health. Recently, in harmony with such theoretic expectations, we found that pet owners claimed not to like people as much nor to feel as liked by others as non-owners ( 1 ) and our results were re-tested and extended in the present study. Three matched stratified random area samples of a country area, a town, and three major cities yielded 80, 306, and 122 Ss aged 12 to 89 yr. respectively. The self-report questionnaire was delivered by student volunteers; the rejection rate was less than 1 4 % . Ss filled out a rating scale consisting of four items: ( 1 ) how much d o people-in-general like you?, ( 2 ) how much d o you like people-in-general?, ( 3 ) how much do you like petsin-general? and, if he owned a pet ( 4 ) how much do you like your p e t ( s ) ? Ratings were made along a 10-unit line above which was printed "very m u c h (superordinate to the numbers 1-2), "considerably" ( 3 4 ) , "somewhat" ( 5 6 ) , "very little" ( 7 8 ) , and "not at all" (9-10) . Test-retest reliabilities for the scales ranged from .6G to .94 over G wk. Half the sample took the Cameron Religious Dimensions scale and Canter's short form of the Barron Ego-Strength scale, while the rest were administered the Eysenck scale. For the town and city samples there were no age differences in claimed liking of people, while females and non-owners claimed to like people more; while the country sample evidenced no differences along these dimensions. Pet owners tended to claim less felt regard from others (3-way analysis of variance, F = 5.57; P < .07, one-tailed) as previously (Cameron, et al., 1966) noted. Urban pet owners scored lower on the Egostrength scale (3-way analysis of variance; F = 5.40; P < .03) while no difference o n the Eysenck neuroticisrn or extraversion scales was noted. Owners claimed that religion was of less value (F = 3.77; P < .06) as indexed by the Religious Dimensions scale. Owner's mean ranking of their liking of pets = 2.86 (SD = 1.74); of people = 3.17 (SD = 1.72); thus their claimed liking of pets exceeded their claimed liking of people ( t = 1.89; P < .07). Non-owner's mean ranking of their liking of people = 2.62 (SD = 1.37); of pets = 4.67 ( S D = 2.31); thus non-owner's claimed liking of people exceeded their claimed liking of pets ( t = 11.2; P < ,001) . Attachment to one's pet averaged 2.06, dearly within the "very much" affective area. While the overlap between pet owners and non-owners along each of these psychological domains was considerable, the differences suggest that pet owners are less psychologically healthy than non-owners.

It Pays to Switch? Consequences of Changing Answers on Multiple-Choice Examinations

Abstract: Common observation indicates a widely held folk-admonition among students and teachers that it is unwise to switch answers to questions on multiple-choice tests because the first response selected is more apt to be correct than a subsequently selected alternative answer. With Ss from two introductory college psychology courses which differed in terms of instructors, format of tests used, and enrollment (222 vs 162), it was found that across four examinations in each of the courses: (a) about 55% of all changes of answers made were positive (i.e., from an incorrect to the correct alternative), (b) approximately 24% of all changes made were neutral (i.e., from one wrong alternative to another such answer), and (c) less than 22% of all changes made were negative (i.e., from an initially correct answer to an erroneous response). In addition, to provide this information—which clearly invalidates the folk-admonition to students—did not alter the average rate at which they switched answers.

Enhancement of Dominant Risk Tendencies in Group Discussion

Abstract: Much recent research indicates that discussion predictably affects responses to choice-dilemma items. In the present experiment, 12 choice-dilemma items were discussed to consensus by 40 female gro...

The Purdue Elementary Problem-Solving Inventory:

Abstract: The Purdue Elementary Problem-solving Inventory was designed to measure problem-solving abilities of socioeconomically disadvantaged children of different ethnic backgrounds in Grades 1 to 6 using real-life tasks. The test consists of 49 problems which are presented as slides portraying children in cartoon form in real-life situations. Ss respond by listening to a tape recording of directions, problem descriptions, and alternatives and then drawing an “X” in a test booklet over the alternative of their choice which may be a picture or a verbal description. The inventory was designed to measure the following abilities: sensing that a problem exists, defining the problem, asking questions, guessing causes, clarifying the goal of the problem situation, judging if more information is needed, analyzing details, redefining familiar objects for unusual uses, seeing implications, solving single- and multiple-solution problems, and verifying solutions. Reliability (KR-20) of the inventory is .79. Analyses of varia...

Effects of schedule, percent body weight, and magnitude of reinforcer on acquisition of schedule-induced polydipsia.

Abstract: Two experiments with 43 Charles River (cd) male rats investigated the effects of schedule, percent body weight, and magnitude of reinforcer on the acquisition of schedule-induced polydipsia. A lean...

Conditioned reinstatement in rats: effects of exposure distribution and type of cue

Abstract: 2 experiments examined the influence of interpolated exposure to conditioned cues upon retention in immature rats. In Exp. 1, distributed exposures or a massed exposure shortly before the retention test significantly improved memory relative to an untreated retention control group. In Exp. 2, brief exposures to distinctive apparatus stimuli previously paired with shock were effective in preventing retention loss while exposures to the compartment never associated with shock did not result in a reliable difference from the retention controls.

An Empirical Comparison of Three Indices of Factorial Similarity

Abstract: The need for an adequate methodological resolution to the factor-matching (invariance) problem—long recognized as critical by theoretically oriented factor analysts—is also being strongly felt by a...

Personality characteristics of women scientists.

Abstract: Women biologists and chemists listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who of American Women (N:146) were studied with the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF). As a group, women scientists were found to be more serious, radical, confident, dominant, intelligent, and adventurous than women in the general population, and less sociable, group-dependent, and sensitive. Personality profiles on the 16 PF of men and women scientists showed strong similarity (p < .01).

Reduction of Anxiety and Personal Space as a Function of Assertion Training with Severely Disturbed Neuropsychiatric Inpatients

Abstract: 7 severely disturbed neuropsychiatric inpatients participated in a 12-session assertion training program as well as the normal hospital milieu therapy program. A matched group participated in only ...

Level of Activity and Success in Solving an Unfamiliar Task

Abstract: In a typical problem situation the individual may be successful by attacking the elements deviating from the familiar state of affairs. Some tasks, however, are of a nature demanding totally new lines of attack. In these unfamiliar situations success seems to be independent of ability factors measured by traditional or new types of tests. Maier's Hatrack Problem is an example of an unfamiliar task, where intelligence seems to be of little help. In a group of 100 university students, 46 solved the Hatrack Problem within 30 min. As expected, ability factors did not differentiate solvers and non-solvers. While number of unsuccessful solution attempts were counted, however, a significant difference (p < 0.001) favoring solvers was found. It is concluded that level of activity, in the sense of constructive attempts at solution, may be an important determinant in the solution of unfamiliar tasks.

Generalized expectancy for locus of control and academic performance.

Abstract: Research evidence supports a hypothesized relationship between internal locus of control and academic achievement behaviors, although studies, thus far, have centered on the relationship of measures of locus of control and performance in immediate cask situations (Lefcourt, 1966; Rotter, 1966). The present investigation was an attempt to assess the hypothesized relationship by correlating scores obtained on the Internal-External Control of Reinforcement (IE) scale (Rotter, 1966) at the beginning of the academic year, with an index of actual academic performance, grade point average (GPA), obtained at the end of the first academic year. Ss were entering University of Iowa freshmen. Since the prediction was directional, one-railed tests for significance were made on the obtained correlations. The IE-GPA correlation was -.04 (n.s.) for females ( N = 899) and -.09 ( p < .01) for males (N = 835) . The upper and lower 10% of the distribution of IE scores was selected for further analyses yielding IE-GPA correlations of -.I0 (n.s.) for females ( N = 180) and .I6 ( p < .05) for males ( N = 168). For both sexes, significant but low correlations were obtained between LE and measures of academic achievement obtained at college admission (high school rank, high school grade point average and ACT total scores). Multiple regression analyses showed, not surprisingly, that IE scores added nothing to these latter measures if they were used to predict academic performance at the year's end. Thus, results tend to support the locus of control construct as measured by IE for males but not for females and indicate that the IE measure has no practical utility for the prediction of academic achievement. The obtained sex differences may be attributable to differential valuing of academic achievement by males and females in this setting. Academic performance may be a more central issue for these males entering more into their estimates of locus of control of reinforcement. Results are in line with Rotter's (1966) contention that generalized internalexternal control measures may not permit more than small obtained relationships in specific cases such as academic achievement.

Moon phases and suicide attempts in Australia.

Abstract: Some recent studies have indicated that meteorological and climatic variables may be related to the incidence of suicide. Pokorny (1964) and Lester, et al. (1969) have investigated the possibility that completed suicides are related to moon phases. Both authors have found that except in one isolated instance, there does not appear to be a significant association between moon phase and the incidence of completed suicide. However, no data were presented by these authors regarding attempted suicide and moon phases. This report examined the possible association between moon phases and attempted suicide. The Australian suicide rate has been examined by Heczel (1971) who described a striking rise in the rate over the past 20 yr. Oliver, et ul. (1971) described the sharp increase in numbers of patients presenting at the casualty depactment of a large Melbourne hospital after suicidal acts. In the present study biographical data describing suicide attempts were obtained from a large hospital in the Illawarra region on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. Ss were 84 males and females who had been treated in the casualty department between June 1, 1970, and July 31, 1971. Each admission day was assigned to a moon phase (full moon, third quarter, new moon and first quarter). Suicide attempts were tabulated by sex and moon phase (Table 1 ) .