Epistemic needs and learned helplessness

This study assesses the impact of non-specific epistemic needs—the need for structure and the fear of invalidity—on expectancy of control and performance following unsolvable problems. Subjects answered a questionnaire tapping their non-specific epistemic needs and were exposed to either no feedback or failure in unsolvable problems. Then their expectancies of control and performance were assessed. The results showed that a high need for structure was associated with a transfer of the expectancy of uncontrollability and worse performance following failure. The results are discussed in terms of Kruglanski's lay epistemic theory.     

Perceptions of dual identity and separate groups among secular and religious Israeli Jews

The authors examined the effects of perceptions of dual identity and separate groups on tendencies to handle intergroup conflict through problem solving and contention. Among secular Israeli Jews, regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between perceptions of dual identity and perceptions of separate groups: Only under high perception of dual identity was the perception of separate groups associated with contention. Among religious Israeli Jews, problem solving and contention were unrelated to either dual identity or to perceptions of separate groups. The results are discussed in terms of the common ingroup identity model (S. L. Gaertner, M. C. Rust, J. F. Dovidio, B. A. Bachman, & P. A. Anastasio, 1994) and in the context of the conflict between religious and secular Jews in Israel.     

Risky aggression in individuals and groups.

This study set out to investigate whether the risky shaft found in group consensus decisions as compared to group members' personal decisions extends to situations that combine risk and aggression. In a between-subjects design, subjects were exposed, either alone or as members of unisex triads, to an experimental task in which the risk entailed severe noxious consequences. The findings show that for both sexes, groups take significantly greater risks than individuals even when risk taking is mediated by aggressive means. The results are seen and discussed as limiting the explanatory scope of the risk-as-a-value hypothesis and as more consistent with the diffusion of responsibility hypothesis.     

The Reciprocity-Arousing Potential of the Requester's Occupation, its Status and the Cost and Urgency of the Request as Determinants of Helping Behavior

In a 2×2×2×2 field experiment, 240 subjects were contacted by phone and asked by an experimenter to make a phone call for him notifying his wife that he would be late. The experimenter presented himself as a (1) physician vs. accountant (high social status occupations) or (2) fireman vs. gas-station attendant (low social status occupations), and made it clear that the request was urgent vs. non-urgent. The cost of helping was also manipulated (low vs. high). It was found that subjects more frequently helped requesters in occupations of high potential for reciprocity-arousing behavior (e.g., a physician) than in occupations of low potential for reciprocity-arousing behavior (e.g., an accountant), regardless of the social status of the occupations. Urgent and/or low-cost requests were met more frequently than non-urgent and/or high-cost requests. No interactions between or among any combination of the independent variables were obtained.     

Social self-discrepancies from own and other standpoints and collective self-esteem

On the basis of an extension of Self-Discrepancy Theory (SDT) to the social aspect of the self (A. Bizman, Y. Yinon, & S. Krotman, 2001), the authors examined the relationships between social self-discrepancies from own and other standpoints and collective self-esteem. The authors assessed perceptions of actual, ideal, and ought attributes of Israelis from own and other standpoints; perceived importance of others' evaluation of Israel; and the Collective Self-Esteem Scale (CSES) among 114 Israelis. The results revealed that the association of the discrepancy between actual Israelis and ideal Israelis from the other standpoint with the public Collective Self-Esteem (CSE) subscale was negative among participants with high perceived importance and positive among those with low perceived importance. In addition, the discrepancy between actual and ideal Israelis from the own standpoint was related to the private, public, and membership CSE subscales. Overall, the findings suggest that the SDT distinction between the own and other standpoints on the self is applicable to the social self.     

Effects of the age structure of the kindergarten on altruistic behavior

It was hypothesized that children in age-heterogeneous kindergartens would be more prone to behave altuistically than would children in age-homogeneous kindergartens. One hundred and nineteen children from both age structures who lived in kibbutzim and cities in Israel were measured on verbal and behavioral altruism. On all of the measures it was found that children who were studying in heterogeneous classes were more altruistic than were children from homogeneous classes. There was no difference between city and Kibbutz children.     

The Reciprocity-Arousing Potential of the Requester's Occupation and Helping Behavior

In a field experiment, 90 subjects were contacted by phone and asked by an experimenter to make a phone call for him notifying his employer that he would be late for work. The experimenter presented himself as a (1) physician vs. accountant (high social status occupations), (2) youthcounsellor vs. insurance salesman (medium social status occupations), or (3) fireman vs. gas-stationattendant (low social status occupations). It was found that subjects helped more frequently requesters in occupations of high potential for reciprocityarousing behavior (e.g., a physician) than of low potential (for reciprocityarousing behavior) (e.g., an accountant), regardless of the social status of the occupations.     

On the reinforcing value of helping behavior in a positive mood

In two separate experiments, each utilizing 33 male high school students, it was found that (a) after offering help, subjects reported that they were in a more positive mood than subjects who were not given the opportunity to help and (b) the proportion of helpers among subjects who expected their positive mood to continue was smaller than among those who did not share such an expectation. These findings are discussed in terms of the Negative State Relief model describing the relationship between mood and helping behavior.The authors wish to thank Dr. S. Dover for his valuable assistance during the early stages of the research.