Role selection in the service of self-presentation

Two experiments were conducted to examine the general hypothesis that a person’s behavior in a social situation is a function of the kind of impression he wants to make on the other person, and that the kind of impression that he wants to make is influenced by the characteristics of the other person. Two experiments were conducted in which male subjects anticipated interaction with either an attractive female (attractive condition), an unattractive female (unattractive condition), or a female whose attractiveness was unknown (control). Each subject first chose either a high, medium, or low status role to enact during the interaction with the female. He then indicated the role which most closely corresponded to his true role. In Experiment I, role choices were significantly biased in the direction of higher status roles in the attractive condition but not in the unattractive or control conditions. These findings were partially replicated in Experiment II, but difference was shown to be a consequence of the fact that the experimenter was an attractive female. The subjects biased their reports of true role status in the direction of higher status, thus leaving little room for change in the selection of role to be enacted during the social interaction. These findings are consistent with the general hypothesis and with exchange theory predictions.     

Interpreting inconsistent response patterns: A reaction to William's estimate of “true hypothesis behavior”

Williams (1974) has proposed a model that attempts to estimate true hypothesis behavior from inconsistent response patterns during sets of blank trials. This model includes an assumption of random responding during such blank-trial sets. Several kinds of data, however, suggest that inconsistent response patterns are produced by systematic processes. These patterns, therefore, may not contribute to a simple estimate of true hypothesis behavior.     

The effects of limited and intensive school psychologist-teacher consultation

Effects of two modes of school psychological consultation were examined against four main outcomes: (1) changes in teacher understanding of the child, (2) the direction of the changes in teacher understanding of the child, (3) teacher satisfaction with consultation, and (4) teacher follow-through on psychologist's recommendations. The two consultative modes were differentiated by the amount of time and by the length and elaboration of the psychological report. Eight school psychologists alternated in acting out the different consultative modes, plus a control condition, with a total of 120 teachers who had referred children. Data were obtained through paper and pencil questionnaires completed pre- and postconsultation by teacher and psychologist. The results strongly supported the intensive over the limited consultation, and any consultation over no consultation.     

Discriminant validity of the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List - revised

Four groups of patients (depressives, schizophrenics, substance dependents and abusers), a miscellaneous group of other patients, and a group of matched normals from a general population sample were compared on the scales of the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List - Revised (MAACL-R). All scales showed highly significant differentiation among the groups. An index consisting of Depression minus Positive Affect scales was particularly effective in discriminating between depressive and other groups. A discriminant function analysis showed that the depressive could be distinguished from other patient groups and normals with an accuracy of 72% correct. The normals could be distinguished from all of the patient groups with a 60% accuracy, and 87% if the substance abuser group is ignored. The discriminant validity among the nondepressive patient groups was not nearly as good.     

In-depth continuing education for clergy in mental health: Ten years of a large scale program

This paper describes an interdenominational continuing education program for parish clergy in the mental health dimension of pastoral work. The program is in its eleventh year and has reached a significant proportion of the clergy, representing a wide range of religious, ethnic, and socio-economic groups, within a large urban community. The format utilizes case-oriented, small group discussion focused on the clergy's own pastoral work. It emphasizes preventive educational activities along with the development of basic counseling and mental health skills. Ongoing evaluation indicates that the program constitutes an effective, economical, and flexible tool for continuing education with clergy.Dr. Wasman is Assistant Professor of Psychology, Dr. Corradi is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, and Dr. Clemens is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106. This work has been supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH11929 and by grants from the Cleveland Foundation, The Grant Foundation, Inc., and The Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Health and Retardation. The authors wish to thank Dr. Milton Matz, the current Director of the Pastoral Psychology Service-Institute, Case Western Reserve University, for his advice and cooperation in preparing this article.     

Recognition memory for objects in very young children: The effect of shape and label similarity on preference for novel stimuli

In two studies, 88 children 12 to 38 months of age were briefly shown 24 common objects on familiarization trials. On subsequent test trials, these objects reappeared paired with novel objects. On one-third of the test trials pairs were similar in shape, on another third of the test trials pairs shared a common label, and on the remaining test trials pairs were unrelated. Looking times for each of the two objects on test trials were measured. All but the youngest age group showed significantly longer looking times for novel than for familiar objects for all three kinds of test pairs. However, for 19- to 31-month-olds preference for novel stimuli in the common Label Condition, although significant, was less than preference for novel stimuli when shape was similar or when unrelated stimuli were paired. Recognition in the oldest group was unaffected by condition. The results suggest a developmental period during which label or conceptual similarity has a special significance for recognition, and are discussed within theoretical frameworks concerning the very young child's developing semantic and categorization skills.     

Drug-induced amnesia impairs implicit relational memory

Amnesic patients have difficulty consciously recollecting past events, but they perform normally on implicit memory measures that do not require conscious access. Now, an innovative study offers compelling evidence that even implicit memory can be impaired during amnesia, temporarily induced in healthy subjects using a neuropharmacological manipulation (midazolam). Importantly, midazolam impaired implicit, relational memory, whereas non-relational memory was preserved, supporting the characterization of conscious memory in terms of relational encoding.