On the Piliavin & Piliavin Model of Helping Behavior: Costs Are in the Eye of the Beholder

Two field experiments tested the Piliavin and Piliavin cost-reward model of helping. The model predicts that the most helping should occur when the costs for helping are low and when the costs for not helping are high. The results of Experiment 1 provided partial support for this prediction, and the results of Experiment 2 were completely consistent with the model.     

Dogmatism,age, and educational level as correlates of feminism for males and females

Male and female subjects completed a dogmatism scale and a feminism scale and provided information about their age, amount of education, and present occupation. The variables correlating with feminism depended upon the sex of the respondent. The more dogmatic individuals of both sexes supported feminism less than the less dogmatic individuals, with the effect being somewhat stronger for the males. The older female supported feminism less than the younger female. Age was unrelated to feminism for the males. The poorly educated female supported feminism less than the better-educated female, but the effect was diminished when dogmatism and age were held constant. Educational level was unrelated to feminism for males. The differences between the sexes are discussed in the context of perceptions of issues and situational ambiguity.The authors would like to thank Joan Joesting for her comments on an earlier version of this paper. Support for the statistical analyses was given by the Maryland State College Information Center.     

Modification of an impulsive cognitive tempo in emotionally disturbed boys

In order to determine the relative effectiveness of verbal self-instructions and training to delay before responding in modifying an impulsive cognitive style, 15 impulsive emotionally disturbed boys were assigned to one of three groups. The cognitive-training group was given practice in verbal self-instructions, the delay-training group received practice in delaying before responding, and the control group received no training. Posttreatment scores on the Matching Familiar Figures Test showed a significant increase in latencies for both the cognitive and delay-training groups. However, only the cognitive-training group, which had recieved practice in verbal self-instructions, made fewer errors following training. Implications for future research and potential treatment strategies for verbal self-instructions are discussed.     

Children of the Rich

Growing up rich is not an unmixed blessing. Great wealth has undoubted benefits, but it is not good for children. It distorts their functional relationship with the world, it belittles their own accomplishments, and it grotesquely amplifies their sense of what is good enough. It is addictive. Wealth may even become a barrier to a relationship with a therapist. One job of a therapist to the rich is to teach people how to be middle class and to achieve moderately, and to teach rich parents to accept such unmagnificent normality. The rich, of course, have all the same problems other people have, perhaps complicated by the wealth, perhaps just frustratingly unrelieved by the wealth. Suggestions are made for treating these unfortunate victims of excess and for overcoming the therapist's naïve counter-transference reactions to the families of the rich.     

The therapist's poetry as a therapeutic incident

Poetry can be understood as an intrapsychic record of introspection, and as a means for interpretation in the therapeutic situation. In this installment (the second of a series to be eventually published at book-length) the authors examine from their personal research the uses, as well as dangers, of utilizing poetry in therapy. Poetry should not be used as a gimmick to direct the process of therapy, but as a point of spontaneous interaction, insight, and empathy. Used appropriately, poetry may bring to the client and to the therapist insight and meaning. The therapist may also use his or her own poetry as a creative means for recognizing countertransference in the therapeutic setting.Dr. Moss is an Episcopal Priest and the Executive Director of The Seabury Institute for Pastoral Psychotherapy, Atlanta, Georgia. He is also the co-author ofThe Organization and Administration of Pastoral Counseling Centers and Book Review Editor ofThe Journal of Religion and Health. Dr. Christensen is Senior Consulting Psychiatrist to the Pastoral Psychotherapy Institute, Park Ridge Illinois. In 1981 he was the recipient of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors' Distinguished Contributions Award. This paper was initially presented at the Southeast Regional Conference of The American Association of Pastoral Counselors, Hendersonville, N.C., 1983. Reprint requests should be directed to: The Seabury Institute, 2997 Piedmont Road N.E., Atlanta, 30305.     

EFFECTS OF RATER TRAINING AND PARTICIPATION ON COGNITIVE COMPLEXITY: AN EXPLORATION OF SCHNEIER'S COGNITIVE REINTERPRETATION

Schneier (1977) proposed that rater cognitive complexity interacts with format to affect the psychometric soundness of ratings. He also speculated that cognitive complexity may be enhanced by having raters participate in training and/or scale construction programs. This study was designed to test these latter hypotheses, while also providing a partial replication of Schneier's original research. Ninety-six undergraduate students were assigned to four groups. One participated in the construction of a set of BARS and was trained in their use, a second participated in BARS construction only, a third received training only, and the fourth served as a control group. All subjects were administered a measure of cognitive complexity before and after the experimental treatments. Also, all subjects evaluated five simulated ratees using the BARS. A training × participation (2 × 2) ANOCOV indicated no change in cognitive complexity scores as a result of the experimental treatments. A training × participation × (nominalized) cognitive complexity (2 × 2 × 2) MANOVA on mean ratings for the five stimuli found no effects on leniency error. A similar MANOVA on variances of ratings provided little evidence for effects on halo error. These results, taken in conjunction with those of other investigators who have failed to replicate Schneier's findings, suggest that the cognitive reinterpretation should be accepted with caution at best.     

A COMPARISON OF GLOBAL JUDGMENT VS. TASK ORIENTED APPROACHES TO JOB CLASSIFICATION

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which direct judgments of similarity by supervisors and incumbents could provide the same job classification results as a more elaborate job analysis procedure involving measures of task overlap among jobs. To accomplish this, 8 foreman jobs in a chemical processing plant were analyzed and compared on 237 task statements. In addition, 15 foremen incumbents and 17 supervisors evaluated the similarities among the same 8 foremen jobs in a paired comparisons rating task. The task-oriented job analysis required hundreds of man-hours to complete; the rating task took 15 minutes. Results using hierarchical cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling analysis revealed that the global judgments and the task-oriented data led to identical conclusions. Also, it was found that incumbent ratings produced the same results as ratings from supervisors. Uses, advantages, and disadvantages of the procedure are outlined.     

Anxiety and locus of conflict in emotionally disturbed children

The State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) and the Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (CMAS) were administered to 50 emotionally disturbed children (40 males and 10 females). In addition, ratings on a Locus of Conflict Rating Scale were obtained from their special education teachers. Significant correlations were obtained between all anxiety measures. However, anxiety, as measured by the CMAS, A State and A Trait, was not significantly correlated with the ratings of internalization, externalization, or the total maladjustment index. Girls reported greater anxiety than boys on the CMAS and the STAIC A Trait scale, while boys were rated as significantly higher on the internalization and externalization scales, and in total maladjustment.