When Knowing Becomes Remembering: Individual Differences in Susceptibility to Suggestion

In two experiments, the authors explored factors that might influence a person's tendency to make source-monitoring errors about autobiographical memories. In the first experiment, undergraduates retrieved a memory from childhood (a) that was known about but not remembered, (b) that was remembered, or (c) for which they were unsure of their memory's source. After writing down the memory, experimental groups listened to a guided visualization tape and answered questions about the event—interventions designed to help them focus on details of their memory. Controls also retrieved and wrote down a memory; however, instead of visualizing the memory, they were instructed to conduct a visual search task. Results indicated that guided visualization led participants to rate known memories closer to remembered events. A second experiment examined individual difference variables that might be related to this know-to-remember shift. Results indicated that extraversion, external locus of control, a memory that conveyed fear, and overall affective content predicted this rating. The applicability of these findings to the psychotherapy process is discussed.     

Expecting the Worst: Moderating Effects of Social Cynicism on the Relationships Between Relationship Conflict and Negative Affective Reactions

Purpose  

Social cynicism, defined as negative beliefs about people and social institutions, shows negative impact on people’s affective reactions. We extended this line of work by testing the moderating effects of social cynicism on the relationships between relationship conflict and its affective consequences.     

CROSS-CULTURAL DIFFERENCES: INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL VS. CULTURE-LEVEL ANALYSIS

Two approaches to the interpretation of and theorizing about cross-cultural differences are identified. In the individual-level approach, cultural differences are assumed to be consistent with individual differences within each of the cultures included in the cross-cultural comparison. The use of antecedent variables to eliminate alternative explanations based on biases is reviewed and some problems noted. It is suggested that explicit theories be used to guide the selection of antecedent variables to minimize the impact of cultural biases. In the second approach, the culture-level approach, culture is the unit of analysis and there is no assumption regarding the correspondence between culture- and individual-level relationships. Two examples are given to illustrate the potential usefulness of this approach to developing concepts and theories that are very different from those derived from the individual-level approach. The problems of bias in this level of analysis are also discussed. Finally, it is argued that in cross-cultural psychology the individual-level approach dominates, but we should pay more attention to culture-level research. This approach may lead to the development of concepts and theories that are not likely to be produced by mono-cultural works.     

Systemic Considerations: Factors Facilitating and Impeding the Development of Psychology in Developing Countries

Systemic factors that influence the development of psychology in developing countries are explored. Such factors include socio-political considerations, influences from other countries, public perceptions of psychology, relationships with other disciplines, training of psychologists, economic constraints, and research orientations. Because of the scarcity of resources and the widespread desire to modernize, the perceived applied value of psychology in developing countries has a major impact on its development. Student preference for choosing psychology as a major, the allocation of funding to psychology departments, and the status of psychology in relation to other disciplines partly depend on the applied value of the discipline. Thus, to facilitate its development, psychology must be seen as useful, and applied research should be emphasized. However, applied research should be backed up by the necessary basic research. Indigenization is also necessary so that psychological research is effective in addressing local problems.     

Stress, social support, and teacher burnout in Macau

The present study attempts to document the difficulties that teachers in Macau encountered in their work, the extent to which the job-related difficulties would induce burnout, and whether or not social support could buffer the adverse effects of stress on burnout. In-service teachers enrolled in a teacher training program filled out questionnaires addressing the variables of interest. The results indicated that difficulties with fellow teachers, supervisors, students, and parents of students were associated with burnout. Conjectures were made regarding the noneffectiveness of social support.     

Social Studies and Ideological Beliefs in Mainland China and Hong Kong

Research in the West suggests that social science education enables students to become more liberal and less prejudiced in their outlook towards other people. This is the first study to test this thesis – the enlightenment thesis – in Chinese societies. Data were collected from 1,221 college students in Mainland China and 1,174 students in Hong Kong enrolled in a total of 29 institutions. The results show that though social science students showed significantly less interest in individualistic explanation and gender role traditionalism than other students, they did not gain from longer stays in college. These findings do not support the enlightenment thesis in Chinese societies. Instead, the findings that Mainland students favored nationalism significantly more and authoritarianism and individualist explanation significantly less than did Hong Kong students are consistent with the dominant ideology thesis.     

香港中学生人格特质的性别差异及其发展性分析

本文报告了新近发展的跨文化（中国人）个性测量表－青少年版（CPAI-A）对香港中学生人格特征的性别差异评估结果。CPAI-A是在CPAI-2（成人版）基础上发展而来的。研究发现性别是影响香港中学生人格特质的关键因素,并且性别差异在不同年龄组之间存在明显的延续性和发展性趋势。结合对已有研究的比较分析,文章从发展角度讨论了人格特质的性别差异特性在青少年不同年龄组之间的情形。文章还基于CPAI-2中国人常模的数据,比较分析了青少年与成人之间人格特征性别差异的特点。文章最后认为性别差异特征是体现人格特质在青少年期的不同年龄阶段,以及从青少年到成人阶段的发展性与稳定性的重要内容     

Asian social psychology: Achievements, threats, and opportunities

A scan of citation impact suggests that Asian social psychologists have made significant contributions in three areas: indigenous research, culture and social behaviour, and in several topics in social psychology. An analysis of the most cited articles published in Asian Journal of Social Psychology ( AJSP ) in 1998–2002 in March 2005 reveals that most papers are concerned with culture, with a focus on either popular topics in the West or indigenous concepts. Asian social psychology seems to be closely associated with cultural issues, but it still lacks unique theoretical contributions, and the number of internationally visible scholars is limited and is mostly confined to East Asia. However, Asian cultures provide a fertile ground for identifying new constructs. Many Asian universities are now under pressure to internationalize, which will motivate more academics to participate in Asian conferences and publish in AJSP . To develop Asian social psychology, effort should be focused on nurturing the next generation of Asian social psychologists, who not only need an international perspective, but also ambition and creativity.     

Effects of interactional justice on egocentric bias in resource allocation decisions

Three studies demonstrated that interactional justice was able to attenuate egocentric bias, i.e., the tendency to regard a larger share for oneself as fair. Study 1, an experimental study of negotiation, showed that fair interpersonal treatment led to a smaller egocentric bias, quicker settlements, and fewer stalemates. Study 2 showed that fair treatment was related to a smaller egocentric bias in a real-life context. University students were more willing to accept a higher tuition fee and less willing to cut the salary of their teachers if the interpersonal treatment received from the teachers was more positive. Study 3 showed experimentally that in support of fairness heuristic theory, when the fair interpersonal treatment received could be attributed externally, its attenuating effect on the egocentric bias disappeared.