Mood-states, recall and subjective comprehensibility of medical information in non-patient volunteers

Factors were investigated related to the comprehensibility, recall and retention of medical information, using non-patient volunteers. At the first session, subjective comprehensibility, immediate recall and the mood-states of anxiety, depression and hostility were measured. A week later recall, anxiety, depression and hostility were reassessed. In terms of percentages of idea-units recalled, immediate recall was 44% and delayed recall was 31%. Immediate (though not delayed) recall and also subjective comprehensibility were negatively correlated with both anxiety and depression as measured at the first, but not the second session, thus highlighting the primacy of immediate mood-state in influencing recall. There was no relation between subjective comprehensibility and either of the recall scores. The results imply that subjective comprehensibility and recall are relatively independent, a result apparently inconsistent with Ley's model of compliance, but suggest that both can be influenced by depressed or anxious moods. Taken together with other findings, our results could support a curvilinear relation between anxiety and recall. To maximize recall and comprehensibility, at least within a certain range of anxiety levels, anxiety and depression at the time the instructions are presented should be minimized. In a clinical setting, this may be relevant to improving patient compliance.     

On the partial independence of optimism and pessimism

This study tested the hypothesis that the moderate correlation between optimism (O) and pessimism (P) scores (their non-bipolarity) found in earlier studies may be an artifact of the differential sensitivity of O and P items to two response sets: defensive pessimism and Pollyannaism. The data failed to support either component of the hypothesis. Thus, defensive pessimists, as measured in two quite different ways, had lower depression scores (BDI) than genuine pessimists, but contrary to prediction, had higher depression scores than optimists. Moreover, deleting P items with a strong defensive quality from the P scale failed to increase the correlation between O and P scores. Similarly, controlling Pollyannaism by a partial correlation procedure failed to increase the strength of the relation between O and P. The results in general support the notion that optimism and pessimism are not polar opposites. This article is based on a dissertation presented by the senior author to the Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy degree.     

Induction and category coherence

In studies of category formation, subjects rarely construct family resemblance categories. Instead, they divide objects into categories using a single dimension. This is a puzzling result given the widely accepted view that natural categories are organized in terms of a family resemblance principle. The observation that natural categories support inductive inferences is used here to test the hypothesis that family resemblance categories would be constructed if stimuli were first used to generate inductive inferences. In two experiments, subjects answered either induction questions, which made interproperty relationships more salient, or frequency questions, which required information only about individual properties, before they performed a sorting task. Subjects were likely to produce family resemblance sorts if they had first answered induction questions but not if they had answered frequency questions.     

High-power graphic computers for visual simulation: A real-time-rendering revolution

Advances in high-end graphics computers in the past decade have made it possible to render visual scenes of incredible complexity and realism in real time. These new capabilities make it possible to manipulate and investigate the interactions of observers with their visual world in ways once only dreamed of. This paper reviews how these developments have affected two preexisting domains of behavioral research (flight simulation and motion perception) and have created a new domain (virtual environment research) which provides tools and challenges for the perceptual psychologist. Finally, the current limitations of these technologies are considered, with an eye toward how perceptual psychologists might shape future developments.     

Impact of Ethnicity,Gender, and Previous Experience on Juror Judgments in Sexual Harassment Cases1

To examine the influence of gender, having been the target of sexual harassment, and ethnicity on jury decisions, 215 respondents reviewed 17 sexual harassment cases ranging on a continuum from relatively innocent to severe. Respondents indicated their perception of the offensiveness of the cases as well as whether they would vote for the plaintiff or for the defendant. Jurors voting for the plaintiff also indicated whether monetary damages should be awarded. Results of the study indicate that gender and prior experience with sexual harassment affect the outcomes in sexual harassment cases when behaviors can be classified as ambiguous. Results were mixed for the influence of gender and having been sexually harassed for relatively innocent and severe cases. No ethnicity effects were found. A discussion of the legal implications of these findings is included.     

Sources of Perceived Organizational Support: Goal Setting and Feedback1

In this paper we examine goal setting and feedback as possible sources of perceived organizational support (Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison, & Sowa, 1986). Surveys were administered to 337 employees from 3 different organizations in the southern California area. Two path models were examined: one that allowed goal setting and feedback to have direct effects on perceived support and organizational commitment, and one that only allowed goal setting and feedback to have direct effects on perceived support. Results show that goal setting and feedback do not have direct effects on organizational commitment but, rather, affect commitment indirectly by way of their effects on employee perceptions of support from the organization.     

Sex roles and soap operas: What adolescents learn about single motherhood

This study investigated the contribution of daytime television soap operas to the perception of the roles and lifestyle of the single mother. The perceptions of soap opera viewers and nonviewers were compared using 163 junior and senior high students as subjects, 9% of whom were ethnic minorities. In particular, viewers perceive that single mothers have good jobs, are relatively well-educated and do not live in poverty. Further, they perceive that their babies will be as healthy as most babies and that their babies will get love and attention from adult men who are friends of their mothers. To the degree that these perceptions contribute to the gender role socialization of adolescents, we are faced with a problematic situation. Particularly in light of the fact that soap operas are increasingly targeting the adolescent viewer, the image portrayed on soap operas and the impact it appears to have is of great concern.