Nonverbal communication of couples in conflict

This article examined the rates, contextual meanings, and attributional meanings of nonverbal behavior occurring during role-played conflict between dating couples. Eighty couples reported perceptions of their own behaviors and their partners' behaviors and were observed in a laboratory setting by trained raters. The nonverbal channel was used significantly more by females than by males and to express approval rather than disapproval. However, the nonverbal-disapproval summary category demonstrated weak validity. Eye contact had the most complex, unexpected contextual meanings. Reduced eye contact appeared to variously convey disapproval, cues of lower interpersonal power, and a reduction of intimacy to compensate for accompanying increases in other approval behaviors. Despite significant correlations between nonverbal and verbal behaviors, dating partners rarely based their perceptions of their behavior or their partners' behavior upon their rates of nonverbal behaviors.     

Comments on Thomas and Jamison's “a test of the X-linked genetic hypothesis for sex differences on Piaget's water-level task”

In this paper H. Thomas and W. Jamison's (Developmental Review, 1981, 1, 274–283) formulation and evaluation of an X-linked genetic model for explaining male superiority on Piaget's water horizontality task is examined. Criticisms are leveled against (1) the suitability of the model invoked for explaining the sex difference found, (2) the power of the statistical test used to evaluate the model, and (3) the appropriateness of their correction factors. A research strategy for advancing our understanding of the sex difference in performance at this task is suggested.     

Effects of list length and first-trial reward upon concurrent discrimination performance

Rhesus monkeys were given 2304 two-trial object discrimination problems that were presented as members of lists consisting of two, four, or eight problems. The problems within each list were presented concurrently, Trial 1 for all problems in the list being presented before initiation of Trial 2 for any problem. Each problem involved exposure of a single object on Trial 1, which was either rewarded or not rewarded, followed by presentation of the Trial 1 object along with a second object on Trial 2. Performance varied inversely with list length, and this effect became more prominent as a function of training. Performance after Trial 1 nonreward was substantially better than that after Trial 1 reward, and this effect became enhanced both with continued training and with increased list length. The findings were discussed in terms of Bessemer's short-term memory analysis of learning set.     

Some applications of problem-solving versus decision-making to management

Two contrasting views of decision theory and of problem solving are presented. One view is that the decision-maker is a problem solver with available alternatives from which to choose. The other view is that decision-making processes and those in problem solving differ in kind. In the latter view, decision making is the selection of an alternative; problem solving, the invention of an alternative different in meaningful ways from any previously existing. The distinctions between the two points of view are elaborated mainly in the context of conflict resolution. Illustrations are presented of applications of problem solving to potential conflict between a lecturer and an already hostile group; to conflict between departments in an organization; to confict between individuals and to internal incapacitating conflict of an individual. Additional illustrations are given of management problems not involving conflict. These offer choices between alternatives as well as the opportunity to resolve the choice through problem solving. The latter yielded solutions different from and superior to either existing alternative.     

Three loneliness scales: an assessment of their measurement properties

In loneliness research, there has not been a consensus concerning either the factorial structure of most loneliness scales or the factorial structure of each of the proposed dimensions of loneliness. We investigated theoretical and operational definitions, as well as the factorial structure, based on gender of three loneliness scales: the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, the Loneliness Deprivation Scale, and the Emotional/Social Loneliness Inventory. Unidimensional, best-fit models of the structures of these scales are presented.