Conditioned suppression in the gerbil

The present report describes apparatus and procedures for investigating conditioned suppression of a running response in the gerbil. Data are presented which demonstrate that the conditioned suppression observed in this situation is not an artifact of alpha responses, pseudoconditioning, or sensitization. An analysis of differential conditioning indicated that cue similarity and US intensity are negatively related to cue-specific differential responding.     

On counteradaptation

Often adaptation to artificially altered stimulation takes place because veridical stimulation that produces the same perceptual property that is produced by the altered stimulation is also received. In these cases, an assimilation of the two perceptual processes produced by the two different stimulations (the altered and the veridical) is supposed to be responsible for the adaptation that is achieved. This hypothesis, which was formulated by Wallach and Karsh (1963), would be confirmed by demonstrating a modification of the perceptual process produced by veridical stimulation rather than the one produced by the altered stimulation. We demonstrated this by having S observe in the dark for 20 min a luminous figure that objectively expanded as it moved toward S and contracted as it moved away. But instead of testing for changes in size perception as such, we tested for a change in the relation between accommodation and convergence on the one hand and registered distance on the other. In one experiment, such a change was measured by obtaining estimates of perceived size and depth before and after the adaptation period. Highly significant changes of size and significantly greater changes of stereoscopic depth were obtained. Inasmuch as stereoscopic vision was totally absent from the adaptation conditions, the change in stereoscopic depth that was larger than the size change can only be ascribed to a change in registered distance. In another experiment, we tested for a change in distance by having S point from the side to a vertical line, before and again after the adaptation period, under conditions where only accommodation and convergence could serve as distance cues. Significant changes in the pointing distance were measured, indicating more directly a change in the relation between these oculomotor adjustments and perceived distance. We propose the term counteradaptation for such modification of a perceptual process away from veridicality.     

Life History Correlates Of a Career Commitment To School Counseling

This study sought to explore the use of the scored life history as a predictive index of a career commitment to school counseling. Hypotheses concerning the relationship between life history data and a career commitment to teaching and administration were also investigated. Multiple regression analysis was used to obtain validity coefficients estimating the relationship between weighted linear combinations of life history data and the career commitment criteria. The regression weights obtained for the most promising biographical predictors were used to predict current occupational titles for a cross-validation sample. Statistical analysis of the data indicated that selected and empirically weighted life history materials are valid indices of counselor career commitment. For practical purposes, life history data for teaching and administration demonstrated a lack of consistent predictive power. The content of the most promising predictors for the three occupational groups was logically examined.     

What children say when the teacher is not around: conflicting goals in social comparison and performance assessment in the classroom

Naturalistic observations and interviews with children in kindergarten, first, second, and fourth grades were used to examine developmental shifts in the focus of social comparison and the expression of comparative and evaluative interests in relation to possibly conflicting goals. First, observers coded the content of peer exchanges and direction of visual gaze during class work times. Children were then interviewed about help seeking and reading performance in the classroom. Classroom observations revealed that comparisons related to personal aspects of peers declined with age, whereas evaluative comments and comparisons related to performance assessment increased sharply in first grade. In the higher grades, blatantly evaluative and comparative statements decreased, whereas more subtle and functional performance-related exchanges continued to increase. Interviews showed that differences in classroom behaviors were associated with knowledge of classroom performance hierarchies, the salience of general ability, and self-evaluation. The data patterns are interpreted in terms of two converging processes: self-socialization and goal conflict. Implications for social comparison theory are also discussed.     

Air pollution, weather, and violent crimes: concomitant time-series analysis of archival data

Archival data covering a 2-year period were obtained from three sources in order to assess relations among ozone levels, nine measures of meteorological conditions, day of the week, holidays, seasonal trends, family disturbances, and assaults against persons. Confirming results obtained in laboratory studies, more family disturbances were recorded when ozone levels were high than when they were low. Two-stage regression analyses indicated that disturbances and assaults against persons were also positively correlated with daily temperatures and negatively correlated with wind speed and levels of humidity. Further, distributed lag (Box-Jenkins) analyses indicated that high temperatures and low winds preceded violent episodes, which occurred more often on dry than humid days. In addition to hypothesized relations, it was also found that assaults follow complaints about family disturbances, which suggests that the latter could be used to predict and lessen physical violence. It was concluded that atmospheric conditions and violent episodes are not only correlated but also appear to be linked in a causal fashion. This conclusion, however, was qualified by a discussion of the limitations of archival data and concomitant time-series analysis.     

The communality-bonus effect for male transformational leaders – leadership style,gender, and promotability

Women have made considerable inroads into the workforce but remain underrepresented in leadership positions. Even though studies show that men and women hardly differ in their leadership behaviours, we argue that male and female leaders are evaluated differentially contingent on the gender-congruence of their leadership style. Drawing arguments from expectancy violation theory, we investigate evaluations of men and women who show transformational leadership (a style consisting of communal behaviours in line with stereotypes about women) and autocratic leadership (a style consisting of agentic behaviours in line with stereotypes about men). We employed a three-study research design combining two experimental studies and a two-wave field study with business leaders (overall N = 344). Overall transformational leadership resulted in higher evaluations of promotability due to higher perceptions of leaders’ communality and leadership effectiveness. Importantly, these effects were stronger for men, and men showing transformational leadership were evaluated to be more promotable than women. This implies a communality-bonus effect for male transformational leaders. There was no difference in promotability evaluations for women versus men showing autocratic leadership. This effect was mediated by agency and effectiveness perceptions for women but not for men. Implications are discussed.