Effect of Server Introduction on Restaurant Tipping1

The effect of a server introducing herself by name on restaurant tipping was investigated. Forty-two, 2-person dining parties were randomly assigned to either a name or a no name introduction condition. The use of a buffet brunch reduced contact between server and diners and held bill size constant. Results indicated that having the server introduce herself by name resulted in a significantly higher tipping rate (23.4%) than when the server did not introduce herself by name (15.0%), p < .001. Tipping rate also was affected by method of payment, with diners who charged the meal having a higher rate (22.6%) than those paying cash (15.9%), p < .001. The findings suggest the importance of initial server-diner interactions. Possible alternative explanations and suggestions for future research are provided.     

The Structured Nonverbal Assessment of Personality

This article describes the development of a structured nonverbal measure of personality based on Murray's (1938) system of needs. The items of the Nonverbal Personality Questionnaire consist of line drawings of a central figure performing trait-relevant behaviors in specific situations; respondents are asked to indicate the likelihood of engaging in similar behaviors. The nonverbal form was administered to three Canadian samples of respondents and one Finnish sample. Reliability and validity data for the initial item pool and for a revised form are reported. The utility of the nonverbal inventory for cross-cultural and theoretical work in personality is discussed.     

Evolution, Traits, and the Stages of Human Courtship: Qualifying the Parental Investment Model

ABSTRACT Individual differences are explicitly connected to social interaction in Darwin's notion of sexual selection Traits that increase the probability of successful reproduction will tend to increase in frequency This process operates partly through differential choice, by one sex, of certain traits in the other According to the parental investment model, females frequently have more stringent criteria for the traits they will accept in a mate because they have a relatively larger investment in each offspring Because human mating arrangements often involve a substantial commitment of resources by the male, it is necessary to invoke a distinction between the selectivity involved during casual mating opportunities and the selectivity exercised when choosing a long-term partner Ninety-three undergraduate men and women rated their minimum criteria on 24 partner characteristics at four levels of commitment In line with an unqualified parental investment model, females were more selective overall, particularly on status-linked variables In line with a qualified parental investment model, males' trait preferences depended upon the anticipated investment in the relationship Males had lower requirements for a sexual partner than did females, but were nearly as selective as females when considenng requirements for a long-term partner     

Response to “Exploring the Religious-Spiritual Needs of the Dying”

This commentary compares Smith's work to classic value clarification, addresses issues of counselor judgement and informed consent, and outlines further exercises based on near-death experiences.     

Cluster analysis in community research: Epistemology and practice

Cluster analysis refers to a family of methods for identifying cases with distinctive characteristics in heterogeneous samples and combining them into homogeneous groups. This approach provides a great deal of information about the types of cases and the distributions of variables in a sample. This paper considers cluster analysis as a quantitative complement to the traditional linear statistics that often characterize community psychology research. Cluster analysis emphasizes diversity rather than central tendency. This makes it a valuable tool for a wide range of familiar problems in community research. A number of these applications are considered here, including the assessment of change over time, network composition, network density, person-setting relationships, and community diversity. A User's Guide section is included, which outlines the major decisions involved in a basic cluster analyses. Despite difficulties associated with the identification of optimal cluster solutions, carefully planned, theoretically informed application of cluster analysis has much to offer community researchers. Editor's note: Dr. Edward Seidman served as action editor for this article while serving as Associate Editor for Methodology.     

Personality roots of well-being,religiosity, and its handmaiden—virtue

Intensive and comprehensive personality studies of healthily developing men and women reveal that well-being's component physical and mental health and happiness are highly intercorrelated. Health and happiness are reliably related to success and fulfillment in an adult's various roles. However, traditional measures of religiosity are related neither to well-being nor to measures of adults' success and fulfillment in their principal roles. When religion is defined in terms of ethical values, then it powerfully predicts success and well-being. Androgyny, especially stereotypic feminine interpersonal strengths, and psychological maturity are the most powerful predictors of an adult's well-being, success, and virtue.He was formerly Research Consultant to the Academy of Religion and Mental Health.     

Creative thinking abilities and hemispheric asymmetry in schizotypal college students

Two groups of college students that scored high (N=25) and low (N=60) on a schizotypal personality index based on the Perceptual Aberration, Magical Thinking, and Schizotypal Personality Scales, were tested for hemisphericity using a dichotic listening task and completed the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. The schizotypy scales correlated with high scores on the nonverbal portion of the creativity tests and with a left ear preference to dichotically presented verbal stimuli. The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking did not correlate, however, with hemispheric asymmetry. These results clarify the relationship between schizotypy and creating thinking abilities but fail in establishing the role of hemispheric asymmetry in the production of creative thinking ideas. This article is based on a portion of the first author’s dissertation at Wayne State University.     

Functional magnetic resonance imaging: Overview and methods for psychological research

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows noninvasive imaging of hemodynamic changes related to neural activity. This technique can be used in single-subject designs and can provide millimeter spatial resolution and temporal resolution in the range of 5–10 sec. This paper provides a brief introduction to MRI techniques and their application to functional neuroimaging, focusing on methodological issues that are of particular concern to psychologists, including methods for presenting computerized stimuli to subjects without disrupting the scanner, experimental design issues, and statistical analysis and image processing procedures. To illustrate methodological issues, recent results from a series of studies looking at the topographic organization of visual cortex are presented. General issues concerning limitations in this technique, future directions in its development, its relationship to other neuroimaging techniques, and the role of functional neuroimaging in psychological research are addressed in the Discussion.