Two models of group behavior in the solution of eureka-type problems

A study by Shaw (7) some twenty years ago is frequently cited by social scientists to support the generalization that groups are superior to individuals in problem-solving. Shaw suggests that personal interaction within the group is responsible for the superior performance of groups. This article re-examines her data in the light of two models which propose that the difference in quality of solution between group and individual performance is solely a matter of ability. It is shown that Shaw's data may be considered to have been an outcome of behavior postulated by the models. Since Shaw's observations relate to a special population and to special kinds of problems, the proposed models may not be appropriate under differing experimental conditions. In fact, Lorgeet al. (4) have indicated that experimental demonstration of the superiority of groups over individuals in problem-solving depends not only on the kind of group but also on the kind of problem to be solved. In addition, the diversity of transfer of training for groups and for individuals is considered.Supported in part by the Office of Naval Research under Contract N6 onr 266 (21) and the Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center under Contract AF 18(600)-341.     

World Assumptions Following Disaster1

This study assessed the beliefs and cognitions of bus-train collision survivors, 7 years following the accident. The sample consisted of 389 young adults who were adolescents at the time of the disaster. The sample was composed of 4 groups who differed in their levels of exposure to traumatic stress. Results indicated that (a) exposure to the traumatic accident was implicated in challenging survivors' beliefs about the benevolence of the world. Justice and luck were also associated with posttraumatic psychiatric and functional impairment; (b) the level of exposure had a direct bearing on dependent variables; and (c) cognitive schemata were associated with psychiatric symptomatology and problems in functioning, reflecting the coexistence of diverse traumatic sequelae. Theoretical implications of these results are discussed.     

An opponent-process theory of motivation: III. Some affective dynamics in imprinting

The theory suggests that for immature precocial birds, the stimulation from an appropriate imprinting object innately arouses a primary effective process that is hedonically pleasant. The occurrence of this process automatically generates (via an opponent loop system) an opponent-process which is hedonically unpleasant. When the imprinting object is withdrawn, the primary process rapidly terminates, but the opponent-process persists, unopposed, for some time. By assuming that the opponent-process becomes stronger with its repeated (or prolonged) arousal, it is possible to account for many of the motivational factors in imprinting. These include: (1) the pattern of distress vocalization that occurs when an imprinting object is first presented to and then withdrawn from newly hatched ducklings, (2) the reinforcement and punishment effects that characterize imprinting, and (3) the priming effects that occur in the context of imprinting.     

The fruits of their labors: a longitudinal exploration of parent personality and adjustment in their adult children

This longitudinal study of several aspects of parenting examines how children "turn out" as adults. Ratings of adjustment (educational and occupational attainment as well as social and emotional maturity) in young adult children (aged 25-37) were made on the basis of information from 64 mothers who were participants in a longitudinal study of women's lives. As hypothesized, mothers who were demanding yet responsive, sensitive, and psychologically mature at ages 27 and 43 had children with higher overall adult adjustment scores. Other factors correlated with adjustment included the mother's long-term commitment to being a wife and mother, and the cohesiveness of the home environment. In their 50s, characteristics of parents associated with adult child adjustment were different for men and women (competence in women and forcefulness and individuality in men). Divorce was not a negative factor, and mothers' paid work (after age 27) was positive at a trend level.     

Birth,kind and naïve biology

Much recent debate concerning the acquisition of naïve theories of biology and of race has turned on the claim that even preschoolers understand biological inheritance. At issue is what is implied by the belief that offspring will have the characteristic features of their kind. The present paper argues that such an essentialist belief in innate potential need not indicate a domain‐specific understanding of the biological inheritance of human kinds (or race). In Study 1, preschoolers in a Switched‐at‐birth task were found to be as likely to judge an adopted girl to resemble her birth parents on the color of their shirts as on their race. In Study 2, a variant on the task, 4‐year‐olds were found to be more likely to judge the girl to resemble her adoptive parents, suggesting that the concept of birth origin was not central to their reasoning. Though the results are consistent with the claim that preschoolers reason about human kinds in an essentialist manner, they undermine the broader claim that such reasoning is anchored by a naïve theory of biology. The finding is of cultural as well as cognitive consequence.