“I’ve said I’m sorry,haven’t I?” A study of the identity implications and constraints that apologies create for their recipients

In contrast to previous research on apologies, which has examined their role in enhancing impressions of those issuing them (e.g., Darby and Schlenker, 1989), the research reported here draws upon Goffman’s (1955) analysis of the “corrective cycle” and is concerned with constraints associated with the receipt of apologies. Study 1 examines the implications for the actor of accepting, not accepting, or rejecting apologies. It is demonstrated that across a variety of judgments, most positive views of the actor result when apologies are accepted; least positive views are associated with their rejection. A follow-up study sought to establish whether this effect would occur under circumstances in which unconvincing apologies are rejected. Results indicate that the apology’s status (convincing versus unconvincing) has no bearing on perceptions of actors. Based on a hypothetical role-play format, Study 2 addresses the matter of whether actors experience a subjective sense of constraint upon receipt of unsatisfactory apologies. The data suggest that there exists a pronounced tendency to accept such apologies, though typically with conditions that would be specified to the offender. More general implications of the data are discussed.     

Ideological Beliefs About Family Practices: Contemporary Perspectives Among North Indian Families

Ninety-two dual-wage and 103 single-wage Indian families with a preschool-age child residing in extended and nuclear households provided assessments regarding their beliefs about the division of household chores, financial responsibilities, childcare, and filial obligations. Analysis focused on possible differences in belief structures that may be attributed to the gender of the parent, family structural living arrangement, and maternal employment outside of the home. Husbands and wives did not differ in ideological beliefs on any of the components assessed, but differences did emerge as a function of family structural arrangements and whether or not the wife worked outside of the home. Data are discussed in terms of possible changes in ideological beliefs about family functions and practices and the broader socio-cultural factors operating within Indian society.     

The effect of training on visual alignment discrimination and grating resolution.

The effect of training on an observer's ability to detect the misalignment of three points, a hyperacuity, and to resolve a six-line grating was studied in a transfer-of-training design with observers (4 in each of two experiments) who were experienced in making psychophysical judgments of other visual stimuli. The transfer-of-training design enabled us to look for any training-based improvement. Long periods of training produced no statistically significant improvement in performance under any condition. There were small practice-based improvements, but the primary patterns indicated threshold fluctuation rather than improvement. We interpret the results to indicate that the neural mechanisms underlying three-point alignment and grating discrimination, like those for gap bisection (Klein & Levi, 1985), are not malleable to any significant extent.     

Human Aggressive and Escape Responding: Effects of Provocation Frequency

The Psychological Record - The effect of point loss frequency on aggressive and escape responding was investigated in two experiments. Subjects could respond on levers marked “A,”...     

Sex-related effects on clinicians' attributions of parental responsibility for child psychopathology

An attempt was made to reproduce and extend previously reported data suggesting the operation of sex-related bias in clinicians' attributions of parental involvement in children's psychopathologies. More and less sex-role traditional male and female family-oriented practitioners were shown contrived profiles in which a boy or girl was described as masculine or feminine role-deficient, and apportioned maternal versus paternal blame, treatment focus, adjunctive therapy need, and likelihood of sabotage. As in the previous study, mothers were implicated slightly more than fathers and also were viewed as requiring relatively greater therapeutic attention by female than by male clinicians. However, several earlier findings were not replicated. Overall, the results offer only marginal support for the notion of sex-related practitioner bias.     

“Applied” research can be useful: An example

an example of how a practitioner can use his research skills to help a school district evaluate one of its projects is described. The practitioner is advised to become involved in “action” research despite the limitations of such research, and the example is presented as having implications for expanding the psychologist's role to that of a consultant to administrators, teachers, and parents.     

The training of community mental health clinicians as infant specialists

This article describes the training program and collaborative effort between the Department of Mental Health, the Child Development Project at the University of Michigan, and community mental health agencies. The in-service training is described with special attention to content and process, including the role of case supervision. The effect of the training program as a catalyst to service development is noted.