Factor structure of the WISC-R with Anglos and Mexican-Americans

The present study compared the underlying factor structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised for Anglo and Mexican-American children. Subtests of the WISC-R were administered to 109 Anglo and 123 Mexican-American children ranging from 8 to 15 years of age and were analyzed separately for each group. Three factors emerged for each ethnic classification which corresponded closely to those usually reported for the WISC-R. Coefficients of congruence (.84–.89) between factors given the same name for each ethnic group indicated a high degree of similarity in constructs being measured.     

A comparison of preservice and experienced teachers' perceptions of the school psychologist

The present study compared experienced and preservice elementary school teachers' perceptions of the school psychologist. Thirty-two experienced teachers were matched with a like number of second semester juniors in training. A questionnaire asked each respondent to (a) rank a number of school personnel on their importance, (b) assign a number of referral problems to professionals best equipped to handle them, and (c) to rate the school psychologist's functioning on 11 dimensions. The analysis showed that experienced and preservice teachers agreed about the importance of the school psychologist and the appropriateness of referral problems. Analysis of ratings revealed that experienced teachers had a more negative opinion of the school psychologist's functioning when compared to their novice counterparts.     

Spatial effectiveness of the mask: Lateral inhibition in visual backward masking

Introducing a figure into a masking flash results in visual backward masking under conditions where a homogeneous masking flash does not suppress target detection. It is possible to analyze the spatial effects of such a masking figure in terms of lateral inhibition. It is hypothesized that incorporating a figure into the masking flash changes the inhibitory pattern the mask produces in the visual system. The interaction between the firing pattern produced by the mask and the residual inhibition from the preceding target presentation results in a phenomenal representation different from that produced by either the target or the mask alone.     

Presidential Inflexibility and Veto Behavior: Two Individual-Situational Interactions

ABSTRACT The suitable personality traits for optimal leadership may depend on the type of leadership, the criterion of leader effectiveness, and various situational constraints This point was illustrated via the specific area of presidential leadership The working relationship between the Chief Executive and Congress, as defined by regular vetoes and vetoes overturned, provided the criterion variables for a congressional time-series analysis (N= 99) of all 39 American presidents The impact of a single personality attribute, presidential inflexibility, was examined in the context of several variables suggested by past research The relation between inflexibility and willingness to exploit the regular veto varied according to the incumbent's electoral mandate, while the association between inflexibility and the propensity of Congress to override a veto depended on the extent to which the president's party controlled Congress—this last interaction was labeled the Johnson-Wilson effect In the context of the person-situation debate, these findings illustrate how certain situations can determine whether, and to what degree, a stable individual attribute will have behavioral manifestations     

Power and social context in superior-subordinate interaction

Power differences are thought to interfere with superiors' interaction with subordinates. However, it is also argued that superiors with considerable power are most supportive of their subordinates. To explore these opposing positions, 90 undergraduates became managers with either high or low power who believed their goals were cooperatively, individualistically, or competitively related to their subordinate. Results support the hypothesis that social context affects how superiors use their power to interact with subordinates. High- and low-power superiors in cooperation had positive expectations, interacted constructively, restated the task, responded to requests for assistance, and developed a positive relationship compared to high- and low-power superiors in individualistic and competitive situations. In addition, only the high-power superiors in cooperation used their expertise to give direct aid to the subordinate. Results indicate that in cooperation superiors are likely to use their power constructively; however, in competitive and individualistic contexts, superiors are apt to fail to use their resources to facilitate subordinate performance. Results were also interpreted as suggesting that it is not so much the extent of superiors' power but the social context that affects their use of power and interaction with subordinates.     

GENDER ROLE AND POLITICAL OFFICE

Women are less represented in prestigious national political offices than they are in state and local offices. How this underrepresentation may be related to perceived characteristics of office and candidate are explored in the two studies described here. In Study 1, the masculinity/femininity of local, state, and national offices was analyzed; all levels of office were rated as more masculine than feminine. In Study 2, the sex as well as the gender role of a hypothetical presidential candidate was varied. Masculine and male candidates were evaluated as being more competent on presidential tasks such as dealing with terrorism; feminine and female candidates were rated higher on tasks such as solving problems in our educational system. Men, regardless of gender role, were perceived as being more likely to win a presidential election, and masculine tasks were evaluated as being more important than feminine presidential tasks. Implications for future female politicians are discussed.     

Social anxiety and post-event processing among African-American individuals

Background: Social anxiety is among the most prevalent psychiatric conditions, yet little attention has been paid to whether putative cognitive vulnerability factors related to social anxiety in predominantly White samples are related to social anxiety among historically underrepresented groups.

Design: We tested whether one such vulnerability factor, post-event processing (PEP; detailed review of social event that can increase state social anxiety) was related to social anxiety among African-American (AA; n?=?127) persons, who comprise one of the largest underrepresented racial groups in the U.S. Secondarily, we tested whether AA participants differed from non-Hispanic White participants (n?=?127) on PEP and social anxiety and whether race moderated the relation between PEP and social anxiety.

Method: Data were collected online among undergraduates.

Results: PEP was positively correlated with social anxiety among AA participants, even after controlling for depression and income, pr?=?.30, p?=?.001. AA and White participants did not differ on social anxiety or PEP, β?=??1.57, 95% CI: ?5.11, 1.96. The relation of PEP to social anxiety did not vary as a function of race, β?=?0.00, 95% CI: ?0.02, 0.02.

Conclusions: PEP may be an important cognitive vulnerability factor related to social anxiety among AA persons suffering from social anxiety.