Diagnostic Differences and Demographic Predictors of Respondents Adjudicated Civilly Incompetent Versus Competent

The purpose of this study was to determine if diagnostic and demographic variables predict civil competency adjudications, a topic that has received scant research attention. Respondents (i.e., individuals alleged to be incompetent) were evaluated by a licensed psychologist to assist the court in civil competency and possible guardianship determination. Prior research using some of the same participants demonstrated select differences on activities of daily living between these groups (Quickel & Demakis, 2013 ), but the current set of analyses was not conducted. The current study included 107 competency evaluations in Mecklenburg County North Carolina and, at conclusion of the case, the public record of the adjudication was obtained. Based on prior legal theorizing in related criminal areas—focused on discrimination of individuals with mental illness—we predicted that cases involving respondents with psychiatric diagnoses would be likely to be overrepresented in those referred for evaluation as well as those subsequently adjudicated incompetent. A series of analyses indicated no statistical differences between competency groups (psychiatric/substance abuse, neurological, both psychiatric and neurological, and intellectually disabled). In a series of exploratory logistic regression analyses, we found that respondents who were single versus in a relationship and those not living at home versus living at home were significantly more likely to be adjudicated incompetent, even after controlling for difference in activities of daily living. There were no differences in incompetency adjudication by age, education, gender, race, or relationship status. Results are discussed in terms of implications for individuals with mental illness in incompetency hearings, as well as specific issues for psychologists evaluating a broad range of respondents. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interpersonal Attraction for the Competitive Person: Unscrambling the Competition Paradox1

Research by Spence and Helmreich and their colleagues suggests that competitiveness is self-defeating in terms of achievement. It was presently hypothesized that interpersonally, competitiveness may produce greater attraction than uncompetitiveness. This study manipulated the perceived competitiveness of undergraduate men by varying their WOFO scores and confirmed that competitiveness is a valued interpersonal trait that can engender greater liking by both men and women. The implications of these findings for the paradoxical disadvantage of competitiveness in the area of achievement are discussed.     

合作与竞争人格倾向测量

该研究从人格的角度,采取定性与定量两种分析手段,对合作与竞争人格倾向进行了深入探讨,并编制了测量个体合作与竞争人格倾向的量表。研究者首先在深度访谈的基础上,编制合作与竞争人格倾向测量量表并进行指标验证。探索性因素分析发现,合作与竞争倾向是两个独立的维度,并分别包含三个子因子,构成合作与竞争倾向的二维度三因子模型。研究者随后对模型的验证性分析以及多重效度检验,结果显示量表的信效度与结构模型的拟合指标均达到可接受的标准     

低地位群体的外群体偏好

内群体偏好是群际关系中较为普遍现象。但是, 近来研究发现, 在低地位群体中存在着外群体偏好现象。社会认同理论、社会优势理论和系统公正理论从不同角度对这一现象进行了解释。社会认同理论关注情境因素的作用, 它描述了在何种情境下, 外群体偏好可能会出现。社会优势理论认为, 低地位群体成员的社会优势取向水平会决定其究竟是反抗现状还是接受现状。系统公正理论提出, 系统公正动机会使低地位群体成员支持与其内群体利益相违背的现存等级系统。每个理论各有优劣之处, 将各理论进行整合是值得考虑的研究方向。本文提出, 在解释低地位群体的外群体偏好现象时, 社会认同与社会优势取向之间可能会存在交互作用。     

Positive and Negative Hypothesis Testing by Cooperative Groups

In a rule induction problem positive hypothesis tests select evidence that the tester expects to be an example of the correct rule if the hypothesis is correct, whereas negative hypothesis tests select evidence that the tester expects to be a nonexample if the hypothesis is correct. Previous research indicates the general effectiveness of a positive test strategy for individuals, but there has been very little research with cooperative groups. We extend the analysis of Klayman and Ha (Psychological Review, 1987) of ambiguous verification or conclusive falsification of five possible types of hypotheses by positive and negative tests by emphasizing the importance of further examples following hypothesis tests. In two experiments four-person cooperative groups solved rule induction problems by proposing a hypothesis and selecting evidence to test the hypothesis on each of four arrays on each trial. In different conditions the groups were instructed to use different combinations of positive and negative tests on the four arrays. Positive tests were more likely to lead to further examples than negative tests, and the proportion of correct hypotheses corresponded to the proportion of positive tests, in both experiments. We suggest that positive tests are more effective than negative hypothesis tests in generating further evidence, and thus in inducing the correct rule, in experimental rule induction tasks with a criterion of certainty imposed by the researcher.     

Air Pollution and interpersonal Attraction1

It was predicted that negative affect associated with one component of air pollution (malodor) reduces attraction toward both similar and dissimilar strangers. In one experiment, 27 subjects rated attitudinally similar or dissimilar strangers while confined in a room whose atmosphere was ambient (no-odor control) or polluted by ammonium sulfide. Contrary to predictions, similar strangers elicited greatest liking in the polluted atmosphere. It was suggested that air pollution had increased attraction for another who might be experiencing the same disagreeable situation (i.e., “shared stress”). In a second experiment, this suggestion was examined by assuring subjects that they were alone and would not meet the similar or dissimilar person they rated. As predicted, exposure to either ammonium sulfide or butyric acid combined additively with attitudinal dissimilarity to depress liking, mood-affect, time spent in the setting, and ratings of the environment. These results were viewed as consistent with the reinforcement-affect model of attraction, but it was cautioned that the effects of air pollution may depend on social factors, such as shared stress, and dosage level of the pollutant.     

Material Aid and Social Attraction1

Aid programs can be used as an antidote to social conflict. Under certain conditions, however, they may create hostility. In this experiment subjects representing six hypothetical countries (1) either received or did not receive material aid from a seventh nation and (2) had a high or low level of material need. Attraction for the aid-giver decreased markedly when aid was denied, but increased very little when it was granted. When subjects were high in material needs, the denial of aid produced maximal antagonism. However, when aid was received, high need did not enhance attraction to the donor. The implications of these findings for an exchange theory of attraction and for aid giving are discussed.     

Post-Involvement Difficulties Experienced by Former Members of Charismatic Groups

Limited qualitative studies have been conducted with former members of charismatic groups, especially in Australia. The majority of studies with former members have been conducted by psychologists through quantitative methodologies and clinical case studies. Qualitative studies that explore the phenomenon of charismatic group involvement have predominantly been carried out by sociologists, and these focus on current members of such groups. Sociologists and psychologists have drawn seemingly contradictory conclusions from their study. This study aims to narrow the gap by investigating adjustment to life after involvement with a charismatic group as experienced by former members of such groups through the use of qualitative methods. Seven participants from four different groups were recruited via purposive sampling and modified snowball sampling. A qualitative methodology informed by phenomenology was chosen. In-depth interviews were used to explore the participants’ accounts of adjusting to life after involvement. The findings of this study suggest that the experiences of former members of charismatic groups may be comparable to others who have experienced extreme transitions and adjustments or relationships where significant power differentials exist.     

Reward vs. Reciprocity as Related to Attraction1

Groups of six subjects participated in a study to investigate the effect of obligation upon attraction. Each subject received offers of monetary aid from other members of the group. Amount of aid offered was varied along with the obligation attached to the aid. The effect of the offer upon the recipient's attraction to the donor was assessed. Both attraction and desire for coalition were greatest when the offer of aid was high and the obligation to return the benefits received was low.     

Perceived Similarity,Personality, and Attraction to Large Organizations1

Two separate studies tested the hypothesis that perceived similarity to members of an organization was related to attraction to that organization, but only for relationship-motivated persons, and not for task-motivated persons. Support for the hypothesis was obtained in both studies using Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scores as measures of relationship and task motivation. For high-LPC persons only, perceived similarity of personality (study 1) and perceived similarity of values and attitudes (study 2) were related to attraction to the organization. The report seeks to integrate the literature on interpersonal attraction and on job satisfaction and suggests practical implications of the findings.     

Effectiveness of Positive Hypothesis Testing for Cooperative Groups

In a rule induction problem positive hypothesis tests select evidence that the tester expects to be an example of the correct rule if the hypothesis is correct, whereas negative hypothesis tests select evidence that the tester expects to be a nonexample if the hypothesis is correct. We extend previous analyses of the effectiveness of positive and negative tests for ambiguous verification or conclusive falsification of hypotheses by emphasizing the importance of examples following positive or negative tests. Cooperative four-person groups solved rule induction problems from a single known example of the correct rule by proposing hypotheses and selecting evidence on each of four arrays on a series of trials. There were more examples following positive tests than negative tests. The transition probability from an incorrect hypothesis on trialtto the correct hypothesis on trialt+ 1 was higher for positive tests than for negative tests, higher for positive tests followed by examples than positive tests followed by nonexamples, and higher for negative tests followed by examples than negative tests followed by nonexamples. Once the group proposed the correct hypothesis on trialtthey were highly likely to continue to propose the correct hypothesis on trialt+ 1.     

Behavioral Indicators of Interpersonal Attraction1

The laboratory study of attraction is based almost exclusively on verbal measures of the dependent variable. Various findings suggest that the physical distance separating two individuals indicates the degree of attraction between them. In two experiments, attitude similarity between a subject and two stooges was manipulated. Females were more attracted to and sat more closely beside a similar than a dissimilar stranger (p < .01); males were more attracted to and sat directly across from a similar rather than a dissimilar stranger (p < .02).     

领导群体成员人格特质研究

采用MBTI测验量表对领导群体成员人格特质研究,结果表明:(1)企事业组织领导群体成员ESTJ最多,其次为ISTJ;(2)领导群体成员主要为外向型人格类型,其次为外向-内向混合型,再次为内向型;(3)核心领导者与其他领导成员之间在个性倾向性方面存在显著差异.     

Looking as a Measure of Attraction1

Byrne's reinforcement theory of attraction is almost exclusively based upon studies that use the Interpersonal Judgment Scale (IJS) as their measure of attraction. The present study used Byrne's general experimental procedure but employed an unobtrusive “looking” measure of attraction as well as the more familiar IJS measure. The degree of attitude similarity between women subjects and a female stranger was not significantly related to the IJS measure of attraction but was significantly related to the proportion of looking time measure (p < .01). This was true for both subjects who verbalized and did not verbalize awareness of the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent measures of the study.