A theoretical analysis of sex differences in same-sex friendships

An investigation of sex differences in same-sex friendships was conducted in terms of the intersection and social penetration model of relationship development, and Bem's theory of sex role orientation. The results indicated that there were significant sex differences in the nature of the same-sex friendships studied. In the terminology of Levinger's (Toward the Analysis of Close Relationships, Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1980, 16, 510–544) intersection model, female same-sex friendships indicated greater involvement. In the terminology of Altman and Taylor's (Social Penetration: The Development of Interpersonal Relationships, New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1973) social penetration model, female friendships demonstrated greater depth. Overall, the female friendships were of longer duration than those of the males. The differences in involvement and depth were found within each designated level of friendship (causal, good, and close). However, the difference in involvement was moderated by the sex role orientation of the participants, in that the sex difference was greater between sex-typed individuals than between androgynous individuals. An examination of questionnaire subscale intercorrelations indicated that females tended to seek friends to whom they could relate in many different areas, while males tended to develop different relationships to meet different needs.     

THE VALUE ORIENTATIONS OF CHINESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN HONG KONG

The Rokeach Value Survey was used to measure the value orientations of a large sample of 927 Chinese university students in Hong Kong. Based on their ranking of 18 terminal and 18 instrumental values, it was found that the students tended to put greater emphases on personal and competency oriented values. Specifically, the four most important terminal values were true friendship, happiness, self-respect, and wisdom; and the four least important terminal values were social recognition, a comfortable life, salvation, and pleasure. The four most important instrumental values included responsible, courageous, intellectual, and capable; and the four least important instrumental values included imaginative, polite, obedient, and clean. Male students tended to be more concerned with personal, accomplishment, and competency related values; whereas female students were more attracted to family, moral, and more intrinsic kinds of values. This study also provided evidence on the validity of the Rokeach Value Survey measure. It was shown that the values in the Rokeach measure correlated significantly with similar values in Scott's Personal Values Scale, another value measure with multi-item rating scales. L'Echelle des valeurs de Rokeach a été utilisée pour déterminer les orientations de valeur d'un vaste échantillon de 927 étudiants universitaires chinois de Hong Kong. En se basant sur leur mise en rangs de 18 valeurs terminales et de 18 valeurs instrumentales, il a été observé que les étudiants avaient tendance à mettre plus d'emphase sur les valeurs personnelles et les valeurs d'orientation vers la compétence. Plus particulièrement, les quatre valeurs terminales les plus importantes étaient la véritable amitié, le bonheur, le respect de soi, et la sagesse; les quatre valeurs terminales les moins importantes étaient la reconnaissance sociale, une vie confortable, le salut et le plaisir. Les quatre valeurs instrumentales les plus importantes étaient définies par les termes responsable, courageux, intellectuel et capable; les quatre valeurs instrumentales les moins importantes étaient définies par les termes imaginatif, poli, obéissant et propre. Les étudiants mâles avaient tendance à être davantage concernés par les valeurs reliées à la personne, à l'accomplissement et à la compétence; par ailleurs, les étudiantes étaient davantage attirées par la famille, la moralité et par des valeurs de nature plus intrinsèque. Cette étude a également constitué une épreuve expérimentalle de la validité des mesures provenant de l'Echelle des valeurs de Rokeach. Il a été démontré que les valeurs mesurées par l'Echelle de Rokeach étaient significativement corretees avec les valeurs semblables de l'Echelle des valeurs personnelles de Scott, une autre façon de mesurer des valeurs en utilisant des modalités d'évaluation comprenant plusieurs items.     

Some stages of grief

Does grief progress through stages? Do all people go through the same experiences? What health considerations are present in each grief experience? Does religion help? Although all people do not go through the same stages nor do they progress at the same rate, many people do go through such stages as the following: shock, lamentations, withdrawal, frustration, panic, depression, detachment, adaptation, reinvestment, and growth. There is often an interaction in these stages between stress and physical symptoms, and many grievers report that religion gives a good philosophical arean in which to work through their grief.     

On the interdependence of temporal and spatial judgments

Three experiments are reported on the tau and kappa effects, the dependence of judgments of distance upon duration (tau) and of judgments of duration upon distance (kappa). In Experiment 1, three lights in a horizontal sequence were used to define two temporal and two spatial intervals over a total duration of 160 msec. The subject was required to choose the shorter of either the two durations or the two distances. The results confirmed Collyer’s (1977) findings that the two effects are inconsistently observed across subjects when the display duration is brief. In Experiment 2, display duration was systematically manipulated from 160 to 1,500 msec. It is argued that relative temporal judgments should become easier as the total display duration is increased and that, hence, the kappa effect should become less marked. On the other hand, relative spatial judgments should become more difficult as the total duration of the display is increased, and the tau effect should become more marked. The data were in conformity with the hypothesis. In Experiment 3, data are presented for a tau experiment which fit the assumption that the effect depends upon a weighted average of distance and the expected distance which would be traversed in the given time at constant velocity.     

THE USE OF CONTINGENT-INTERRUPTED MUSIC IN THE TREATMENT OF DISRUPTIVE BUS-RIDING BEHAVIOR

The present study evaluated the efficacy of using contingent-interrupted music in treating the disruptive bus-riding behavior of an 8-year-old profoundly retarded female. Music was played during each bus ride as long as the subject was sitting appropriately, and interrupted contingent upon each response defined as disruptive bus riding, during an ABCDCDCDA design. A significant reduction in disruptive bus riding occurred with each introduction of contingent-interrupted music. The treatment procedure described in this report was easy to administer, produced rapid treatment gains, and showed virtually no regression during an 8-week follow-up period.     

Elementary school principals assess services of school psychologists nationwide

A one-page questionnaire was sent to 400 elementary school principals nationwide to assess their opinions regarding services of the school psychologist. These elementary school principals indicated that the school psychologist was found to be most helpful when providing the traditional services of psychological testing, personality and emotional assessment, consultation, and screening. Changes in school psychological services desired by the elementary school principals were more time from the school psychologist and an increase in individual and group counseling, preventive mental health, and inservice training. If elementary principal opinion is to be regarded, gross alterations to existing services of the school psychologist are not indicated by the results of this study.     

The cold glow of success: Responses to social rejection as affected by attitude similarity between the rejected and chosen individuals

Studied the effects of attitudinal similarity between two males on reactions to social rejection by a female. Sixty-five male undergraduate students had met an attitudinally similar or dissimilar male confederate. Later a female confederate either chose or did not choose the male confederate as a work partner. Following that, measures designed to tap subjects affective state and self evaluations were administered. Two way interactions for affect and self evaluations (p < 0.01 and p 7lt; 0.05 respectively) indicate that, relative to a control group, only subjects whose similar male partner was chosen expressed unfavorable affect and self-evaluations. The relevance of these findings for the affective consequences of social comparison processes is discussed.     

Memory for the pitch of a tone

Observers attempted to detect the presence of a pitch dirference between two successive tones. The percentage of correct judgments was equivalent for tones separated by 95, 4.5, and 8.9 sec. There was a general increase in reports of a pitch difference with increased intertone interval, which is interpreted as arising from hypothesized shifts in the neural locus of the first stimulus during the intertone interval.     

The effects of feedback with chronically institutionalized mental patients

The ability of two female and one male chronically institutionalized adult mental patients to comprehend and retain feedback on individualized problem behaviors and the effect of that feedback on changes in the occurrences of those behaviors were examined. Feedback on five problem behaviors was provided to each subject within a small therapy group setting employing a multiple baseline across subjects experimental design. Comprehension and retention tests occurred two, five, and seven days following the feedback in the small groups, while the rates of the occurrences of the problem behaviors were time-sampled throughout the subjects' waking day via use of the Time-Sample Behavioral Checklist (Paul, 1987). Results indicated that, although there were no changes in the rates of occurrence, these subjects were able to retain and understand the feedback on their problem behaviors. Implications for further investigations and for the utility of feedback with chronically institutionalized adults are discussed.