Estimation of other coefficients of correlation from the phi coefficient

Formulas are developed for estimating a point-biserialr or a tetrachoricr from an obtained phi coefficient. The estimate of a tetrachoricr, which is calledr _φ, is shown to be equivalent to that obtained from first-order use of the tetrachoricr series. A tabulation is made of corrections needed to maker _φ equivalent numerically to the tetrachoricr. In spite of its greater generality than estimates of tetrachoricr by previous methods, there are limitations, which are pointed out.     

The reliability of a point biserial coefficient of correlation

An attempt is made to elaborate upon Lev's results concerning the reliability of the point biserial coefficient of correlation in a manner that will be helpful to the psychological statistician. Procedures required in the use of the non-centralt tables prepared by Johnson and Welch are described as they relate to the determination of the fiducial limits for a point biserial coefficient. A normal approximation technique for the estimation of fiducial limits is also suggested. Numerical evidence is presented which shows that relative to a given level of significance the width of the fiducial interval estimated from a point biserial coefficient of any size is smaller than that of the fiducial interval corresponding to an ordinary Pearsonian coefficient of the same magnitude.     

Some applications of attribute prediction theory to psychophysics

The following development is a coordination of certain aspects of mental test methods and psychophysics. The biserial and triserial prediction equations of the Katzell-Cureton theory are utilized to reformulate the determination of absolute and differential limens from data produced by the constant method.     

Maternal Identity Among Motherless Mothers and Psychological Symptoms in Their Firstborn Children

A variety of detrimental effects are associated with early parental loss. We examined the relationship between childhood maternal loss and maternal identity among 30 motherless mothers and their 26 matched controls, as well as the psychological health of their firstborns. Motherless mothers reported significantly lower maternal identity. However, firstborns of motherless mothers were no more likely to display psychological symptoms than firstborns of comparison mothers. The findings suggest that early maternal loss may not present risk for cross-generational effects.     

The Impact of Film Manipulation on Men’s and Women’s Attitudes Toward Women and Film Editing

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of film manipulation on men’s and women’s attitudes toward women and film editing. One hundred and seventy-four participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Three groups viewed a particular manipulation of the treatment film (i.e., uncut, mosaic-ed, or edited) The Accused, a movie about gang rape that was based on a true story. The fourth group served as a control. As predicted, men reported significantly higher levels of traditionalism and rape myth acceptance-related attitudes at the onset of the study, whereas women reported higher levels of empathic attitudes. Following the study, and as expected, women experienced significantly more attitude change as a result of viewing the treatment film; men’s rape myth-related attitudes nonetheless continued to exceed those of women. Finally, men’s positive attitudes toward favoring editing decreased as sexual violence increased, whereas women’s pro-editing attitudes increased as sexual violence increased. The theoretical implications of the study, as well as the impact of viewing sexual violence in a more reality-based, versus a more entertaining, forum are discussed.     

Emotional Intelligence and the Ease of Recall Judgment Bias: The Mediating Effect of Private Self-Focused Attention

The present study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and people's tendency to exhibit the ease of recall bias (emanating from the availability heuristic). Results showed that ability to understand emotions, a central element of emotional intelligence, was inversely related to the ease of recall bias, and that this relationship was mediated by participants' private self-focused attention. Implications for theory and practice, as well as limitations, are discussed.     

A validation and short form of the Basic Character Inventory

The Basic Character Inventory (BCI) contains 136 items, 17 lower-order personality factors and three higher-order personality factors derived from psychoanalytic theory: Oral, Obsessive Compulsion, and Hysteria. Previous research that investigated the BCI's psychometric properties examined small, special populations and did not use modern statistical methods to validate the BCI. The present study validates the BCI via confirmatory factor analyses using a large sample of 6,285 Norwegian nursing and teaching students. Reliability, convergent validity, and divergent validity of the BCI were also assessed. Results indicated general support for the original BCI factor structure in a reduced form of the BCI that possesses strong reliability and validity, and is suitable for use in time-limited measurement settings.     

Slurs, Snubs, and Queer Jokes: Incidence and Impact of Heterosexist Harassment in Academia

Previous research has suggested that overt hostility against sexual minorities is associated with decrements in their well-being. However, subtler forms of heterosexism and their potential effects have been overlooked, heterosexuals have not been asked how they fare in a heterosexist environment, and no research has examined whether women and men might respond differently to heterosexism. Data from 3,128 northwestern US university students (representing all sexual orientations) address these gaps. Approximately 40% reported experiences of heterosexist harassment (HH) in the past year, and those who encountered both ambient and personal HH reported worse psychological and academic well-being than those who encountered no HH. Similar patterns of findings held for sexual minorities and heterosexuals, and for women and men. This paper is based on a presentation given at the American Psychological Association Convention in Toronto, Ontario in August 2003.