Differential methods of causal attributions for strangers vs acquaintances

Previous research has demonstrated that people are more likely to attribute a stranger's behavior to external causes if that behavior is common in a given population than if it is relatively unique (the consensus rule). It was proposed in the present paper that another and perhaps simpler rule is available for causal attributions for an acquaintance's behavior, such that more external attributions are made as the behavior becomes increasingly inconsistent with extant impressions of the target (the goodness-of-fit rule). It was found that the goodness-of-fitrule, but not the consensus rule, was used in the attribution of causality for acquaintances when the behavior could be made to fit with extant impressions. When the behavior was completely inconsistent with extant impressions, both consensus and goodness-of-fit rules were used, such that the most external attributions were made in the poor fit/high consensus condition.     

Effects of text variables on eye movements in reading

Eye movement patterns in four atypical text formats were examined. Regressive eye movements were a sensitive indicator of reading disruption due to the textual manipulations of type (all capitals vs unusual) and margin (justification vs nonjustification). The capitals nonjustified format was easiest to read while the unusual justified format was most difficult. Reading speed was a less sensitive measure than regressions.     

School professionals and the evaluation function

Evaluation is assumed to be an integral part of the professional delivery of school services. As such, professionals employed in school systems are called upon to define alternative roles they might play in evaluation, to consider alternative ways to organize for evaluation, and to focus on various objects of evaluation. Listed alternatives were drawn from emerging literature in school evaluation. Standards suggested for judging school evaluation included those addressing accuracy, utility, propriety, and feasibility of the evaluation.     

Associations between volume of alcohol consumption and social status, intelligence, and personality in a sample of young adult Danes

Relatively few studies have investigated associations between volume of alcohol consumption and psychological characteristics in normal samples. A sub-sample, comprising 363 men and 331 women between 29 and 34 years of age, was selected from the Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort on the basis of perinatal records. The sample was divided into four consumption categories: abstainers (including occasional drinkers), light, moderate, and risk drinkers. ANOVA and relevant contrasts were used to test the significance of differences among consumption categories. Both abstaining and risk drinking were associated with low social status family background, low education and intelligence. Abstaining was associated with low disinhibition and social recognition scores, while risk drinking was associated with high neuroticism and, in males, high disinhibition, low social recognition, and low achievement scores. Compared with light drinkers, a more "carefree" life orientation characterized male moderate drinkers, while relatively high scores on anxiety, dysthymia, and somatoform symptom scales characterized female moderate drinkers.     

Self-administered behavioural family intervention for parents of toddlers: effectiveness and dissemination

This study examined the effectiveness of a self-administered behavioural family intervention (BFI) for parents of toddlers, within the context of a regular telephone counselling service provider. Telephone counsellors were trained in the delivery of BFI, and 110 mothers of toddlers completed the intervention. There were significant short-term effects of intervention in terms of child behaviour problems and parenting style, parenting confidence and anger. In addition, there were improvements in mother's personal adjustment, and lower levels of parenting conflict. The intervention effects were maintained at 3-month follow-up. The results provide support for the effectiveness of self-administered BFI, and have implications for the population level delivery of behavioural family interventions.     

Prediction of treatment outcome among patients with irritable bowel syndrome treated with group cognitive therapy

Using a sample of over 125 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who were treated with cognitive therapy administered in small groups, we sought to predict end of treatment and 3-month follow-up improvement in two changes indices of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (Pain/Discomfort Index which assessed change in abdominal pain, abdominal tenderness and bloating and Bowel Regularity Index which assessed change in diarrhea and constipation). We also sought to predict scores on IBS specific quality of life (QOL) and overall level of psychological distress using the Global Severity Index (GSI) of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Significant, but modest, levels of prediction were found for prediction of improvement in GI symptoms (4-15% of variance). Stronger significant prediction was obtained for the QOL and global psychological distress measure with R(2)'s ranging from 0.36 to 0.50. A wide variety of demographic, GI symptom, psychological status and psychiatric status variables entered the final prediction equations.     

Sociocultural Influences on African-American Racial Identification

This paper examines the relative impact of two sources of sociocultural influence on racial identification. Using interviews with 225 African-American adults (Thompson Sanders, 1994), the relative influence of within-group vs. intergroup interaction variables was assessed. The data were collected using a structured interview protocol and a 30-item racial identification questionnaire. Information on the level and quality of intragroup interaction, experiences with race relations, political activism, age, gender, income, education, and orientation on four parameters of racial identification—psychological, physical, cultural, and sociopolitical—was collected. The results suggest that within-group contact variables have a strong association with the psychological and physical parameters of racial identification. The extent and quality of intergroup interaction with non-African Americans were associated with the sociopolitical parameter. Cultural racial identification was largely determined by demographic variables. These data suggest a model of racial identification based on a complex set of within-group, intergroup, and demographic variables.     

Cognitive categories and memory span: II. The effect of temporal vs. categorical recall

Subjects were presented with mixed lists of elements chosen from at least two formally distinct cognitive categories and were instructed to recall either temporally (i.e. in the actual order of arrival), or categorically (i.e. first all elements of one category followed by those of the other). Temporal recall is found to be superior when the categories are even and uneven digits; categorical recall is better when consonants and tones or consonants and spatial positions are mixed. Approximately equal performance is found with consonants and digits. It is suggested that efficiency of recall strategy depends on the relative strength of pre-existing associative bonds between elements from different cognitive categories. When these connections are weaker the probability increases that class membership rather than succession in time determines the assimilation of the list. It is found that with consonants and digits it does not matter whether instruction is given before or after presentation. This suggests that both recall modes can be activated at the same time. The implication of this result for work on dichotic listening is discussed.     

Selective strategies in the assimilation of successively presented signals

It is found that performance in experiments on the psychological refractory period is highly affected by instructions. In the present experiment subjects were instructed either to handle the signals successively or to group them. Both instructions were obeyed. This seems to indicate that the human organism has various strategies available. Which strategy is actually applied is likely to depend on the structure of the experimental situation, and partly also, on momentary preference. This may explain the variety of results in the literature on this subject.

Finally, it is found that, when two signals are presented simultaneously, the total reaction time is considerably shorter if the signals are “grouped” than if they are “handled successively.” This difference disappears at interstimulus intervals of 0.2 sec. and 0.4 sec. The hypothesis is put forward, that the gain in time at the former case is due to simultaneous perceptual processing of the signals.