Effects and aftereffects of continuous noise and computation work on risk and effort choices

Choices between risk and effort, in a format (COPE) previously shown to reflect fatigue, were obtained from subjects in noise or quiet. Both sexes were used in the experiment, half the subjects working at the Norinder arithmetic task while half rested. The COPE test took a computational form, offering choices between digit lists of differing lengths in which target sums were imbedded. The baseline choice levels were established in quiet, but half the subjects were exposed to noise during the posttest. As previously found in comparable conditions, the Norinder task showed no effect of noise. Pretest-posttest comparisons on the COPE test showed that exposure to noise, like computation work, had the predicted effect of decreasing the choice of high-probability, high-effort alternatives. The presence of noise during posttest had no overall effect on risk effort choices, although there were indications that changes of any kind in the test conditions might be a factor. The data seem difficult to explain in an arousal framework, but may be simply interpreted as showing that exposure to noise produces real fatigue.     

Relations between visceral and behavioral function in men at bedrest

Multiple physiological measurements as well as a self-assessment of arousal was made in eight men on the first, third, and fifth days of bedrest. On the third day, additional measurements of performance on memory and dexterity tasks were made. Univariate analysis did not reveal any physiological variable to either predict subsequent performance well or to co-vary acutely with it; however, self-rating scores did prove to be useful predictors of subsequent performance. Principal components analysis suggested an“alertness” factor comprised of physiological measures as well as selfratings which helped in predicting better performance. Although the individual patterns of correlations between variables on each of the three test days was variable, even more variability between subjects was found on the performance testing day. We believe this effect of behavioral activation may be due to the injection of common, slow temporal trends into many of the different data sets.     

Moral judgment: Theory and research on differences between males and females

That men and women differ in their moral orientations is a commonly held stereotype. The view that men are morally superior can be found in the writings of philosophers and psychologists (most notably Freud). Recently, Carol Gilligan (Harvard Educational Review, 1977, 47, 431–517) has entered this discussion bringing to it what she calls a “different [woman's] voice.” In this paper, the theory of an ethic of care is described and contrasted with Kohlberg's morality of justice. The empirical support for Gilligan's claim that men and women differ in their moral orientations is examined and a discussion of Gilligan's contribution to an integrated theory of morality is offered.     

Determinants of educational achievement at 16+: Intelligence,personality, home background and school

The classical path model linking home background with IQ and school type to educational attainment is extended by the inclusion of the EPQ and new questionnaires measuring Status Aspiration and Work Ethic. In a study of approx. 700 adolescents it was shown that Psychoticism and Status Aspiration are significant variables in the prediction of educational achievement. The most important determinant of educational attainment was found to be intelligence.     

The narcissistic personality in group psychotherapy

The author presents an interesting version of the Narcissus myth which she combines with the legend of Peter Pan for a better understanding of the narcissistic personality in group therapy. A lively case is presented of a young man named Jeffrey, whose narcissistic defenses were dismantled during a three-year group participation. A particular encounter between Jeffrey and another client and a powerful intervention by the therapist is described. The therapeutic importance of the group therapist as a firm but protective parent for these clients is emphasized. Definitions of narcissistic are given and some generalizations about these personalities in group therapy are explored.She has completed a book entitledChange in the Context of Group Therapy to be published by Brunner/Mazel in 1984.     

Intervention in the Library: The Effect of Increased Responsibility on Bystanders' Willingness To Prevent a Theft

Two field experiments tested the hypothesis that a bystander's increased responsibility to act increases the likelihood of his helping the victim of an emergency. In Experiment 1, an individual asked or did not ask the bystander to protect his property in his absence. In Experiment 2, the presence/absence of an unattentive confederate was varied orthogonally to the request/no request manipulation. The results of both experiments indicated that bystanders who received a prior request for protective assistance felt more personally responsible for protecting the individual's property and were more likely to prevent a theft of that property than were bystanders who received no request. The presence of a confederate in Experiment 2 decreased bystanders' felt responsibility and their willingness to intervene on the victim's behalf. The results were interpreted as support for the "felt responsibility" proposition of the Latané and Darley (1970) model of bystander intervention.     

The effect of exposure to weapons on aggressive behavior from a cross-cultural perspective

An attempt was made to replicate the Berkowitz and Le Page (1967) study with a Swedish population, and to extend it. A pilot study was conducted to find out what other possible stimuli carry aggressive connotations and what stimuli might have aggression-inhibiting qualities. One hundred male high school students were either angered or not angered by an accomplice of the experimenter and then given an opportunity to counter-aggress. For one group of subjects there were weapons near the shock key and half of these subjects were told to handle them. For another group there were aggression-inhibiting stimuli present, e.g., a baby bottle. In other conditions there were no stimuli present. Parts of the TAT were administered to shed some light on the catharsis phenomenon. Subjects exposed to weapons gave the largest number of shocks to their partners, whereas the control group and the group exposed to aggression-inhibiting stimuli did not differ. The “weapons effect” was obtained with a Swedish population.     

A cross-national study of cognitive style among managers and technicians(1)

This study explains differences among managers and technicians in twenty-two non-western countries in terms of the field articulation cognitive style. A review of the behavioral referents of the field articulate cognitive style suggested that this variable is appropriately related to occupational interests and tasks and adaptability to industrial technique. Previous studies also suggested the hypothesis that socioeconomic status variables are related to both cognitive style and national or cultural differences. This hypothesis was confirmed using both the EFT and the RFT as measures of field articulation in a group of three hundred twenty-nine managers and technicians representing twenty-two non-western developing countries. Several explanations of these findings are discussed in terms of functional requirements for adult roles in a society and in terms of the relative affluence or level of poverty.