An investigation of some hypotheses concerning rape and murder

The study compared three groups of incarcerated criminals, including 40 men convicted of rape, 40 convicted of murder (of another male) and 40 sentenced for property offenses. A number of personality and attitude scales, behavioral records and a binocular rivalry test were used to test various hypotheses concerning rape and murder. Rapists and murderers did not differ on general control of aggressive behavior but both showed more control than convicted felons. In the binocular rivalry task rapists and murderers were less prone to perceive sexuality than property felons, but the three groups did not differ on perceived aggression toward women. Rapists and murderers were more prone to deny feminine traits than property felons. Rapists had heterosexual experience with more partners than property felons. The three groups did not differ on attitudes toward women or on disinhibition as a mode of sensation seeking. In general, rapists resemble murderers more than ordinary felons and the evidence does not support hypotheses that characterize them as significantly more hostile toward women than are other types of criminals.     

Biochemical correlates of personality traits in normals: An exploratory study

This study attempted to identify biochemical systems associated with the personality dimensions of Extraversion (E), Neuroticism (N), Psychoticism (P), Sensation Seeking (SS) and Impulsivity (Imp). The subjects were 43 normal volunteers who volunteered to take a battery of psychological tests and allow investigators to obtain samples of blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for biochemical assessment.Substantial positive correlations were found between CSF norepinephrine (NE), MHPG (the principal metabolite of NE), DBH (an enzyme involved in the production of NE) and plasma MHPG and DBH; all of these are regarded, in some part, as putative indicators of central noradrenergic activity. After partialling out the influences of age, height and weight, a number of significant relationships were found between psychological traits and biochemical variables. Extraversion correlated positively and introversion and neuroticism correlated negatively with CSF Ca. Neuroticism also correlated negatively with plasma MHPG. Ego Strength (inversely related to Neurotic Introversion), P and Disinhibitory SS correlated negatively with CSF cort. General SS correlated negatively with CSF NE and plasma DBH, and these correlations were significant in both males and females, as well as in the total group. The results are consistent with some biological models of personality, but suggest the need for modification in others.     

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.     

Helplessness,stress level,and the coronary-prone behavior pattern

Two experiments were conducted to examine the relationship between stress level and learned helplessness in human subjects. Experiment I subjected subjects to loud or moderate noise in order to induce differential stress. Half of the subjects within each stress group were unable to escape from a series of noise bursts, whereas the other half could terminate each burst by manipulating appropriate switches. After the pretreatment series, the same noise was again delivered to subjects, all of whom could now escape or avoid noise by making an appropriate response on a shuttle box. Inescapable (helplessness) pretreatment interfered with escape learning in the second (test) phase of the study under both levels of stress. Experiment II was a partial replication of the first study using only loud noise. The interference effect during test trials was greater than in the first study. In addition to these findings, measures of a coronary-prone behavior pattern were related to differential susceptibility to the interference effect under both high stress and moderate stress conditions. These results were interpreted in terms of differing perceptions of threat imposed by lack of environmental control.     

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.     

The self-consciousness scale: a discriminant validity study

A recent Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS) measures Private and Public Self-Consciousness and Social Anxiety. The present research was intended to establish discriminant validity for the two Self-consciousness components with respect to several other variables. 105 male undergraduates completed the SCS, the Otis Test of Mental Ability, an abbreviated Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (measuring need for achievement), a Test Anxiety Questionnaire, and the EASI Temperament Survey. Private Self-consciousness did not correlate significantly with any other measure. Public Self-consciousness correlated weakly with the temperaments of Sociability and Emotionality. The Self-consciousness components of the SCS thus appear to be relatively independent of the other measures tested.     

The coronary-prone behavior pattern and the suppression of fatigue on a treadmill test.

A study was conducted to test the hypothesis that Type A (coronary-prone) individuals would show greater suppression of subjective fatigue than Type B (non-coronary-prone) individuals in order to persist at a tiring but challenging task. Type A and Type B college students completed a Balke treadmill test (at a walking pace) while rating their fatigue at 2-minute intervals. Each subject also completed another treadmill test (at a running pace) that was designed to assess maximum aerobic capacity. Subjects' aerobic capacities and their aerobic performance levels attained on the Balke test were determined by analysis of expired air. Each subject's walking performance was scored as a proportion of his maximum aerobic capacity. Analysis of the resulting percentage values indicated greater effort among A's than B's. Moreover, the subjective fatigue ratings of A's were lower than those of B's. The results were discussed in terms of fatigue suppression as an instrumental response for attaining mastery over the environment. consideration was also given to the role of fatigue in the onset of coronary heart disease.