Showing papers on "Unobtrusive research published in 1980"

In-School Social Skills Training: Use with Disruptive Adolescents

Abstract: The improvement of social or interpersonal skills of disruptive adolescents increasingly concerns educators in the public schools where cost-effectiveness is a major issue. A group-oriented social skills training program (combined experimental and comparison groups total over 500 students) is described across three diverse settings in urban, suburban, and rural junior high schools. The research is related according to the objectives defined for each setting, the specific curriculum that resulted from these objectives, the means by which both cognitive and behavioral features of the program were implemented, and the measures that were applied for assessment of effects. Problems encountered in program development, conduct, and evaluation are highlighted. Program results indicate both short- and long-range cognitive and behavioral change across a number of obtrusive and unobtrusive measures. Several implications of these efforts and findings are noted for the further development and conduct of cost-effective...

A longitudinal comparative study of nonreactive attitude measurement of controversial topics

Abstract: Summary.-Orne (1962) and Rosenthal (1963) have challenged social psychologists to devise nonreactive techniques of attitude measurement. This study of unobtrusive lost letter and lost postcard methods was designed to compare attitudes in 1971 and 1978 of New Zealanders toward proposed cricket tours of Ausualian and all-white Souch African teams. Results were compared to conventional questionnaire data. As predicted, the more explicit message on the postcard allowed more sensitive measurement of opinions on controversial topics than did the lost letter. While attitudes toward che noncontroversial Australian tours were stable over time, attitudes toward the controversial South African tour changed in the predicted direction. The work of Orne (1962) and Rosenthal (1963) has stimulated much imaginative research on reactive effects in social psychological experiments. Despite the development of sophisticated methodology devised to counteract this source of error, the validity of verbal and written responses of persons aware that they are taking part in a psychological experiment continues to provoke concern. Webb, et al. (1966) have argued that social psychologists should devote increased effort to the design of unobtrusive measures to offset this difficulty. One technique that utilizes actions rather than words is the "lost letter" (Milgram, Mann, & Harter, 1965). In this method envelopes which are addressed, stamped, and sealed, but unposted, are "lost" at various locations where they are likely to be discovered by pedestrians. All are addressed to fictitious organizations, such as "Friends of the Nazi Party" or "Citizens for Carter." The assumption is that, when a person finds such an envelope, his actions will provide a meaningful insight into attitudes toward that organization. If the letter is mailed, it is inferred that aid to the organization is intended, if the envelope is ignored or destroyed, hindrance of the organization is inferred. By varying the name of the organizational addresses and distributing a large number of "lost letters," it is possible to obtain a differential return rate for the organizations. While an individual often conceals or obscures from interviewers personal views on sensitive social and political topics, it is contended that the lost-letter technique provides a nonreactive alternate means of assessing such attitudes. The measure is necessarily a coarse one, because there is little control over selection of individuals who find the letters and it is inevitable that some envelopes will be blown away by the wind, disposed of by children, or otherwise destroyed. In spite . of these disadvantages, this technique has been used with some success.