Feminism as a predictor of mass media use

The mass media habits of men and women who hold discrepant attitudes toward traditional female sex-role expectations were assessed. From a random sample of more than 500 citizens of Santa Barbara, California, high feminists (respondents who agreed with women's movement ideals) were found to differ significantly in several respects in their uses of media from low feminists (individuals who did not agree with movement ideals). Feminism differentially predicted the amount of television viewing for highly educated audience members. Significant differences were also found between high and low feminists for television program and radio format preferences, but not for newspaper reading habits.     

On the minimal conditions for the development of a peak-shift and inhibitory stimulus control

Failures to obtain a peak-shift and inhibitory stimulus control following massed extinction in the presence of intra- and interdimensional stimuli confirm earlier results reported by Honig, Thomas, and Guttman (1959) and by Weisman and Palmer (1969). Peak-shifts and inhibitory stimulus control were observed when any of the following procedures intervened for 3 min between massed extinction and generalization testing: (1) S+ presented, responding reinforced; (2) S+ presented, responding not reinforced; or, (3) noncontingent food presented in the presence of a dark key. Behavioral contrast was shown not to be a necessary antecedent for the occurrence of peak-shift or inhibitory stimulus control.     

The Papago Psychology Service: A community mental health program on an American Indian reservation

A community psychology service run by the Papago Indian tribe and staffed largely by Papago Indians who have been trained as mental health workers is described. This service is unique among mental health services for Indians in that the tribe has complete control of the funds for the service and sets its own policies. It was developed for a rather traditional Indian group, and the culture, the traditions, and the wishes of the Papago community were respected. Consultation with medicine men was built into the program from the start, and adaptation of mental health techniques to fit the culture is stressed. Before this clinic was established, few mental health resources were directly available to the reservation. Similar to other Indian tribes, the Papagos are economically disadvantaged, with an unemployment rate of over 50%, low educational attainment, and very high rates of alcoholism, suicide, and vehicular accidents. The topics covered are the tribe's view of health programs for its people, the present Papago community and traditional means of treatment, traditional psychotherapy adapted to Papago culture, the indigenous Papago mental health worker, and the non-Indian professional consultant.     

Organizational Coverups: Factors Influencing the Discipline of Information Gatekeepers1

This study examines factors that influence the severity of discipline administered to a subordinate information gatekeeper who is guilty of covering up an event and concealing and distorting information. Undergraduate business students read one of eight versions of a case depicting faulty upward communication, in which three variables-the superior-subordinate dependency relationship, the subordinate's motivation, and the subordinate's remorse-were manipulated. Unethicality of the offense was evaluated to be quite high across all experimental conditions, yet mild discipline was recommended when the superior was highly dependent on his subordinate and when the subordinate acted out of altruism for his superior. Probability of reoccurrence of the infraction was judged lowest when the offending subordinate displayed remorse. These findings are interpreted as representing a pragmatic orientation toward discipline based on perceived costs or benefits to the administrator. Conditions that increase the vulnerability of decision-makers to faulty upward communication are discussed.     

Effects of felt adequacy and opportunity to reciprocate on help seeking

This experiment was prompted by the belief that felt inadequacy and lack of opportunity to reciprocate act as deterrents to help seeking when help is needed. The experiment was conducted on 56 freshmen by modifying Greenberg and Shapiro's physical disability paradigm. Subjects were told that they could not meet the quota on a manual task but had done well (poorly) for persons similarly handicapped (by arm in sling). Later they learned that the electricity would be shut off in 2 hr (15 min), making it possible (impossible) to help the visually handicapped fellow worker later on a visual task. The hypothesis that felt inadequacy inhibits help seeking was fully supported, while the corresponding hypothesis regarding lack of opportunity to reciprocate received only partial support. There were no sex differences. The relevance of these data for embarrassment theory is discussed.     

Suicide survivors: psychotherapeutic implications of egocide.

Interviews with seven of ten known survivors of jumps from the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge revealed that all of them experienced transcendence and spiritual rebirth phenomena. The psychotherapeutic implications of these findings lie in helping depressed and suicidal individuals confront death in a symbolic and meaningful way. The issue is one of "egocide" (symbolic suicide) and aiding individuals in the rebirth process. In this way actual suicides can be prevented. When individuals experience partial "deaths" (like loss, failure, rejection, depression, suicidal states, or negative parts of their egos), there is opportunity for "rebirth" (positive transformation, creative change, growth, and significant spiritual reawakening). The therapeutic task is to help individuals differentiate between "ego death" and total death and to discover through the creative process of psychotherapy that overt suicide need not be a solution.