The Induction of Self-Reliance: An Experimental Study of Independence in the Face of Failure*

The development of dependency, rather than autonomy, in professional and paraprofessional helping relationships represents a practical and theoretical problem. In the present research an attempt is made experimentally to examine this issue from the viewpoint of the self-perception hypothesis. From this perspective, immersion in the successful helping dyad was expected to foster an increased belief in self as other-reliant, and, through cognitive balance, a lessened belief in self as self-reliant. The fiidings indicate that such different dimensions of help as intensity, duration, and choice variously affect these attributions to self, and that these attributions in turn affect the strength of behavioral independence when failure is encountered outside the helping dyad. Some practical and theoretical implications are discussed concerning the role of induction from self-performance in mapping self-related beliefs.     

Empathetic perception of emotional displays in films as a function of hedonic and excitatory state prior to exposure

A film clip depicting a young couple in a dysphoric encounter was seen following one of four film segments that were selected and pretested to effect a factorial variation in (a) hedonic tone (positive, negative) and (b) excitatory potential (low, high). Reactions to the subsequent film were assessed via ratings to test predictions from excitation-transfer theory and to determine sequential effects in hedonically valued experiences. In a first experiment, in which the subsequent film was viewed immediately after the antecedent film, a nearly significant distraction effect of excitation occurred, that is, affective responses to the subsequent film were less intense following high-excitation films than following low-excitation films. In a second experiment, in which the procedure employed in the interval between films was changed to foster close attention to the subsequent film, an excitation-transfer effect was observed, with the dysphoric encounter being perceived as sadder after high-excitation films than after low-excitation films. In both experiments, hedonic-set effects were also observed. The role of cognitive adjustment in excitation transfer was discussed.     

The Bransford-Franks linear effect: Integration or artifact?

It was hypothesized that the Bransford-Franks linear effect is an artifact of the method of presentation of stimulus sentences and is unrelated to semantic processes. Ss were given sentences containing the same information in one of two ways. In a control condition, which was identical to the procedure used in earlier research, overlapping combinations of ideas were presented during learning and recognition; in an experimental condition, ideas were presented one at a time. Results demonstrated that one-idea sentences received significantly higher recognition confidence ratings in the experimental condition, thus supporting the artifact interpretation. It was proposed that Ss assign recognition confidence ratings based on the probability that a sentence containing a certain number of ideas could have occurred in acquisition.     

ON THE RELATION OF MANDS AND THE FUNCTION OF DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR

When standard analogue functional analysis procedures produce inconclusive results in children with conversational speech, the child's mands may help to identify the function of destructive behavior. In the current investigation, functional analyses conducted with 2 children who exhibited self-injury, aggression, and property destruction were undifferentiated across conditions. Based on informal observations and school and parental report, an analysis was conducted using mands to help determine the function of the destructive behavior. Using a multielement design, the therapist's compliance with the child's mands occurred either on a fixed-ratio (FR) 1 schedule or contingent on destructive behavior. Destructive behavior occurred at high and consistent levels when reinforcement of mands was contingent on destructive behavior and at near-zero levels when reinforcement of mands occurred on the FR 1 schedule. Based on these results, a second analysis was conducted in which compliance to mands occurred only when the child appropriately requested it (i.e., functional communication training plus extinction) and, for 1 child, compliance with mands was terminated contingent upon destructive behavior (i.e., functional communication training plus response cost). For both children, the rates of destructive behavior decreased markedly. The results suggest that assessing the child's mands may be useful in decreasing destructive behavior when a functional analysis is inconclusive.     

The Effects of Competition on the Decision Quality of Diverse and Nondiverse Groups

Research has validated that intragroup cooperation, rather than competition, produces more positive group interaction and interpersonal acceptance which leads to better performance. The unique values of culturally diverse group members, however, may influence group processes and performance if these group members respond differently to situational cues. Research on the interaction between cultural diversity and competitive team situations would benefit organizations that employ an increasingly diverse work force. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the effects of cultural diversity on group performance and group processes by comparing culturally diverse and culturally nondiverse groups under conditions of intergroup competition and noncompetition. This experiment was conducted using 500 upper-level undergraduate students enrolled in a principles of management course at a large university in the southwestern United States. The results of this experiment indicate that the competitive nondiverse groups performed better than did the noncompetitive diverse groups in terms of quality of performance. Results also suggest that both the culturally diverse and culturally nondiverse groups outperformed their best individual members' scores when they were matched with competitive situations that enhanced their innate group processing styles. Organizations can increase their effectiveness by appreciating that diverse and nondiverse groups respond differently under conditions of competition and noncompetition.     

REDUCTIONS IN SELF-INJURY PRODUCED BY TRANSCUTANEOUS ELECTRICAL NERVE STIMULATION

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is used to reduce pain but also may be useful for self-injurious behavior (SIB). In the current investigation, a microcurrent electromedical device, classified as a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS), was applied with a man with Down syndrome who displayed SIB that persisted in the absence of social contingencies. Although clinically significant results were not maintained, a clear difference in the rates of SIB during active and inactive TENS was observed.     

Ethnicity,Idiocentrism–Allocentrism,and Intergroup Attitudes1

The study examined the relationships among ethnicity, idiocentrism–allocentrism and intergroup attitudes in Singapore. Thirty Malay and 30 Chinese students completed questionnaires which measured in-group and out-group attitudes and attitudes toward ethnic-based community development groups. Intergroup attitudes were analyzed by a 2 × 2 × 2 (Subject Ethnicity × Target Group Ethnicity × Idiocentrism–Allocentrism) analysis of variance. A 2 × 2 interaction revealed that both Malay and Chinese subjects expressed ethnocentric biases; however, planned comparisons indicated that this was due to the responses of allocentrics. A separate 2 × 2 (Subject Ethnicity × Idiocentrism-Allocentrism) ANOVA further revealed that allocentrics had more favorable attitudes toward ethnic-based community development groups than did idiocentrics.     

Inhibitory processes in auditory selective attention: Evidence of location-based and frequency-based inhibition of return

The possibility that there is an inhibitory component to auditory covert orienting was addressed. Each trial consisted of a cue followed by a target, and listeners were required to detect, localize, or identify the frequency of the target. At 150-msec stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA), performance was best when stimuli sounded from the same location or were of the same frequency. However, at 750-msec SOA, performance was best when stimuli differed in location or were of different frequencies. These results document the existence of both location-based and frequency-based auditory inhibition of return.     

USING A CHOICE ASSESSMENT TO PREDICT REINFORCER EFFECTIVENESS

A choice assessment has been found to be a more accurate method of identifying preferences than is single-item presentation. However, it is not clear whether the effectiveness of reinforcement varies positively with the degree of preference (i.e., whether the relative preference based on the results of a choice assessment predicts relative reinforcer effectiveness). In the current study, we attempted to address this question by categorizing stimuli as high, middle, and low preference based on the results of a choice assessment, and then comparing the reinforcing effectiveness of these stimuli using a concurrent operants paradigm. High-preference stimuli consistently functioned as reinforcers for all 4 clients. Middle-preference stimuli functioned as reinforcers for 2 clients, but only when compared with low-preference stimuli. Low-preference stimuli did not function as reinforcers when compared to high- and middle-preference stimuli. These results suggest that a choice assessment can be used to predict the relative reinforcing value of various stimuli, which, in turn, may help to improve programs for clients with severe to profound disabilities.