An External Validation of Laboratory Evidence for Earned Dignity

Both theoretical arguments and laboratory evidence indicate that society awards earned dignity (worth) to persons perceived as voluntarily performing praiseworthy behaviors. Laboratory research, as well as common observation, indicates also that society accords an intrinsic dignity unconditionally to all people. On a questionnaire given in class, college students reported increased dignity earned by the Russians from their praiseworthy (i.e., embracing freedom) and voluntary rejection of the attempted coup in 1991. The questionnaire also revealed a general belief in intrinsic dignity. External evidence for earned dignity is shown by increased international support for the Russians after rejection of the coup. This convergence of laboratory and external data validates the laboratory techniques for studying social perception of human dignity.     

Popular Versus Skinnerian Views on the Relation Between Human Freedom and Dignity

This study evaluated Skinner's (1971) contention that the function relating the degree to which a person's behavior is ascribed to voluntary choice and the level of dignity ascribed to that person originates at zero dignity for zero choice. In Study 1, 91 American college students answered questions about themselves, their beliefs about voluntary versus environmental control of behavior, and their bases for judging dignity. Then they attempted to describe their views of the functional relationship between perceived human dignity and perceived voluntary control of both prosocial and antisocial behaviors. Most indicated belief in voluntary choice, and some in intrinsic (unearned) dignity, but few could relate them quantitatively. A second study used 27 students in an advanced class, for whom the theoretical implications of various functional relationships were discussed before the functions were drawn. Both studies refuted Skinner's pragmatic argument against the concepts of freedom and intrinsic dignity.     

Evidence from mutual masking for serial processing of tachistoscopic letter patterns.

This experiment deomonstrates serial processing of tachistoscopic patterns when all potential artifacts are eliminated. Two nonsense arrays of six letters were tachistoscopically exposed successively at the same positions. Ss identified more letters from the temporally first string on the left of fixation and more from the second on the right, indicating left-to-right serial processing. Variations among Ss in the location of the crossover in curves indicate individual differences in processing time. Therefore, this study demonstrates definitively that tachistoscopic performance at various positions can reflect a sequential left-to-right processing of information, possibly at different rates.