Protection Motivation Theory: Prediction of Intentions to Engage in Anti-Nuclear War Behaviors1

The present study examined potential mediators of intentions to engage in behaviors related to the prevention of nuclear war. Protection motivation theory (Rogers, 1975, 1983) suggested that perceived severity of the consequences of nuclear war, perceived likelihood of occurrence of nuclear war, perceived efficacy of responses designed to prevent nuclear war, and perceived capability of engaging in those responses would combine additively and interactively to predict behavioral intentions. The theory further suggested that the effects of a fear-arousing communication on behavioral intentions would be mediated indirectly by changes in the predictor variables. Thus, a second purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of the program “The Day After”, which dramatically depicted a nuclear holocaust, on viewers' affect (fear-arousal) and cognitions. Surprisingly, the program had no effects on viewers that we could document. We were, however, able to predict behavioral intentions, for both viewers and nonviewers (n= 282), from subjects' affect and cognitions, providing support for protection motivation theory in a new domain.     

Attributional Style and Depressive Mood Reactions

According to the reformulated learned helplessness model of depression, individuals who characteristically attribute negative events to internal-stable-global causes become depressed when confronted with negative life events. This proposition was tested in a field and a laboratory study in settings with an interpersonal, socially relevant character. In the field study, the attributional style of 86 female college students was investigated before Christmas, and their mood was recorded both before and after Christmas. The laboratory study recorded the mood of 46 female students before and after either success or failure. In both studies changes in depressive mood were predicted by the Attribution X Outcome interaction. The direction and form of the interaction were in line with the diathesis-stress model. In the field study, but not the laboratory study, outcome was a significant predictor of changes in depressive mood.     

Personal constructs, performance schemata, and “folk theories” of subordinate effectiveness: Explorations in an army officer sample

This research employs personal construct theory (Kelly, 1955)to explore the content of categories or schemata that may be used in making work performance judgments. Twenty-five experienced U.S. Army officers, focusing on the job of noncommissioned officer (NCO; first-line supervisor), generated independently a total of 189 personal work constructs that they believe differentiate between effective and ineffective NCOs. The officer subjects numerically defined each of their own 6–10 constructs by rating the similarity between each of these constructs and each of 49 reference performance, ability, and personal characteristics concepts. Correlations were computed between the subject-provided similarity ratings for the constructs, and the 189 × 189 matrix was factor analyzed. Six interpretable content factors were identified (e.g., Technical Proficiency, Organization), with 123 of the 189 constructs from 23 of the 25 subjects loading substantially on these factors. Findings here suggest that a core set of concepts is widely employed by these officers as personal work constructs, but that different officers emphasize different combinations of this core set. The personal constructs elicited from officer subjects are likened to performance schemata and “folk theories” of job performance.     

Kinetic attraction during bimanual coordination

Two experiments examined the effects of independent variations in kinetic and kinematic requirements on interlimb coupling during a bimanual task. The goal of the investigation was to provide preliminary evidence regarding one general class of physical variables that constrains discrete bimanual movements. Subjects attempted to execute a smooth unidirectional movement with the left arm, along with a three-segment reversal movement with the right arm. The first experiment manipulated the torque required to produce the reversal action, while movement duration and average angular velocity were held constant for both limbs. Several indications of increased interlimb coupling, due to the kinetic variation, were evident. The converse manipulation was used in the second experiment, with movement time and kinematics (velocity, acceleration) changed independently of joint torque requirements for the reversal limb. No clear effect of kinematics on coupling strength was noted. The results suggest that one variable influencing interlimb attraction toward common spatiotemporal trajectories may be kinetic in nature.     

Identification of vowels in “vowelless” syllables by 3-year-olds

The ability of 3-year-old children to perceive the identity of vowels in full-vowel and silentcenter, consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) syllables was investigated using a two-alternative pointing procedure. Silence replaced the middle 10%, 35%, 65%, or 90% of the steady-state formants of synthetic “bad” and “bud” syllables. Identification of the two full-vowel syllables was 87% correct, whereas performance for the silent-center syllables was somewhat lower (72%, 70%, 67%, and 66% correct for the 10%, 35%, 65%, and 90% deletion stimuli, respectively). The performance of individual children fell into two subgroups: (1) those who performed like adults by maintaining correct vowel identification for all of the silent-center syllables, and (2) those who identified the full-vowel syllables correctly but performed at chance for all of the silent-center syllables. Three additional experiments showed that none of the children performed poorly when noise replaced the gap in the silent-center syllables. These results demonstrate that many 3-year-olds can identify vowels correctly in CVC syllables in the absence of the full spectral properties of steady-state formants.     

Sensory and conceptual representations in memory: Motor images that cannot be imaged

Summary The paper argues for a distinction between sensory-and conceptual-information storage in the human information-processing system. Conceptual information is characterized as meaningful and symbolic, while sensory information may exist in modality-bound form. Furthermore, it is assumed that sensory information does not contribute to conscious remembering and can be used only in data-driven process reptitions, which can be accompanied by a kind of vague or intuitive feeling. Accordingly, pure top-down and willingly controlled processing, such as free recall, should not have any access to sensory data. Empirical results from different research areas and from two experiments conducted by the authors are presented in this article to support these theoretical distinctions. The experiments were designed to separate a sensory-motor and a conceptual component in memory for two-digit numbers and two-letter items, when parts of the numbers or items were imaged or drawn on a tablet. The results of free recall and recognition are discussed in a theoretical framework which distinguishes sensory and conceptual information in memory.     

Statements

The churches today are called to confess anew their faith, and to repent for the times when Christians have remained silent in the face of injustice or threats to peace. The biblical vision of peace with justice for all, of wholeness, of unity for all God's people is not one of several options for the followers of Christ. It is an imperative in our time. (Peace and Justice Statement, WCC Sixth Assembly, Vancouver 1983)