Canadian federal elections: Motive profiles and integrative complexity in political speeches and popular media.

Analyzed materials from the popular media and the speeches of federal party leaders appearing approximately 2 mo before the election in 10 Canadian federal election years (1945–1974) for motive imagery (need for achievement, power, and affiliation) and integrative complexity. Media items were significantly higher in affiliation and power imagery and significantly lower in achievement than leaders' speeches. There was a significant correlation between overall imagery content (motive richness) of media samples and winners' speeches, but not losers' speeches. Liberal candidates were significantly higher than Conservatives in affiliation imagery and in integrative complexity. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impressions of groups as a function of the stimulus values of their individual members.

Beginning with a model of social perception in which the perceiver is assumed to operate according to the conventional canons of statistical inference, it was hypothesized that trait judgments of groups of individuals represented by facial photographs would match the mean values of these photographs judged individually and that confidence and the amount of information required before a judgment is reported will vary inversely with the variance in the set of photographs comprising the group, and directly with the significance of the judgment for the judge. Using different procedures and measures of the dependent variables, 2 experiments were performed which agreed in supporting the hypotheses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Status, ideology, and integrative complexity on the U.S. Supreme Court: Rethinking the politics of political decision making.

Prior studies of integrative complexity indicate that political conservatives tend to interpret policy issues in less complex ways than do liberals and moderates. However, ideological preference in that work was systematically confounded with decision makers' status in the groups to which they belonged. The study reported here varied both factors independently in a content analysis of Supreme Court opinions. In contrast to previous conclusions, results supported a status-contingency model, which predicts higher levels of complexity among members of majority factions than among members of either minority factions or unanimous groups independently of the ideological content of their views. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavior of temporary members in small groups.

Studied the behavior of permanent and temporary members of the Washington State Supreme Court for a 1-yr period. Nonparticipations for which temporary judges substituted were evenly distributed throughout the permanent membership (n = 9). Results show significant tendencies by temporary members to agree with the views of the majority and avoid the opportunity to voice independent opinions (p     

A typology of university student living groups.

Subjected 100 university living groups measured on 10 dimensions of their social environments to cluster analysis to develop an empirically based taxonomy of university living groups. 5 distinctive clusters of living groups were identified: competition oriented, supportive achievement oriented, independence oriented, relationship oriented, and traditionally socially oriented. Clusters showed systematic differences in sex composition (i.e., male, female, and coed), size, and institutional affiliation. Some evidence that different clusters of living groups had different impacts on Ss was presented. It is concluded that an empirically derived taxonomy of the social environments of university living groups is a necessary step in understanding which types of living group programs produce optimal outcomes for various types of students. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teacher and student behavior in high- and low-ability groups.

Examined differences in the behavior of 20 teachers and 219 students in high- and low-ability groups within heterogeneous kindergarten and 1st-grade classrooms. Students in the highest and lowest reading groups in each of 19 classrooms were observed for 90 min; codes for instructional setting, teacher behavior, and child behavior were recorded sequentially and continuously in 10-sec blocks. Interviews with teachers showed that they assigned students to groups primarily on the basis of informal observations of the child's ability and teacher-made tests and that teachers believed there were clear differences in the behavioral characteristics and academic needs of "typical" high- and low-group students. Observations revealed that (a) high-group students were more often doing individual work, whereas low-group students were more often instructed as a group; (b) teachers used more drill, more error correction, more control statements, and more positive reinforcement with low-group students; (c) low-group students received more direct instruction from teachers; and (d) low-group students were more disruptive and more often off-task than high-group students. It is concluded that the instructional setting and techniques teachers used with low-ability students were well-suited to the intellectual and behavioral characteristics of these students. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Salvation and its vicissitudes: Clinical psychology and political values.

Considers that the reluctance to discuss value implications in clinical psychology, and to regard it as value-free, stems from 2 sources: (a) the emphasis on psychology as a value-free science, and (b) the desire for independent and respectable professional image. Nevertheless, it is argued that the practice of clinical psychology has direct political implications, which are then outlined. Most clinical orientations today adopt a social control approach, which concentrates on individual maladjustment rather than system malfunctioning. Defining problems as personal or intrapersonal, rather than interpersonal or political, neutralizes potential threats to present political structures. Psychology then becomes parallel to religion in that it offers individual salvation, and not social or political change. Several recent developments, and especially the new understanding of personal problems in members of minority groups and women, are seen as possibly changing the political impact of clinical practice. (47 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An investigation of dental student values

The development of a dental student's professional values system is an important issue in dental education. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative importance of different values of dental student and instructor populations at a single dental school. Data was collected from surveys disseminated to dental students and faculty. Statistical analysis of the data indicated faculty showed a different set of values than students. Faculty placed greater value on patient care and clinical education. Students were more focused on passing licensure examinations, completing course requirements, and personal satisfaction. Junior and senior dental students placed greater value on the requirements of becoming a licensed dentist than did their younger student colleagues. Freshman and sophomore dental students placed higher values on additional academic pursuits and personal growth. This study also revealed no statistically significant difference between males and females in any of the values ranked.     

Changes in integrative complexity accompanying significant life events: Historical evidence.

Integrative complexity is a state cognitive style variable characterized by differentiation (the recognition of different dimensions within, or perspectives on, a given stimulus) and integration (the recognition of trade-offs, syntheses, and higher order concepts relating the differentiated units). In the current study, 1 positive (e.g., professional achievement or marriage) and 1 negative (e.g., loss of employment or death of close relative) significant life event were identified in the biographies of 30 famous people. Random samples of correspondence from periods 1–2 yrs before, during, and 1–2 yrs after each selected event were scored for integrative complexity. In contrast with previous archival research, in which major stressors (war, increasing international tension, or approaching death) were correlated with reductions in complexity for many (although not all) Ss, the current data showed a substantial increase in the complexity of letters written around the time of negative life events. This was followed by a decrease to around-baseline levels in letters written during the postevent period. Differences were found between the patterns of male and female Ss. There were no significant changes associated with positive life events. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of student motivation and the principal's values on teacher directiveness.

40 in-service and preservice teachers were Ss in a simulated organization study. They were led to believe that their principal valued either collaboration with students or control of students; they also interacted with a student who was either motivated or unmotivated to complete an assignment. Ss gave more rewards and higher grades to the motivated students and considered them more responsible than unmotivated students. Contrary to expectations, Ss tended to be more directive in their teaching of motivated as compared to unmotivated students. As expected, Ss with the control principal taught unmotivated students in a more directive manner than did Ss with the collaborative principal. Results support the argument that the values of colleagues can affect a teacher's efforts to control students and his/her commitment to the unilateral control of students. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Task values, achievement goals, and interest: An integrative analysis.

The research presented in this article integrates 3 theoretical perspectives in the field of motivation: expectancy-value, achievement goals, and interest. The authors examined the antecedents (initial interest, achievement goals) and consequences (interest, performance) of task value judgments in 2 learning contexts: a college classroom and a high school sports camp. The pattern of findings was consistent across both learning contexts. Initial interest and mastery goals predicted subsequent interest, and task values mediated these relationships. Performance-approach goals and utility value predicted actual performance as indexed by final course grade (classroom) and coach ratings of performance (sports camp). Implications for theories of motivation are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A cross-cultural study of structured groups with unpopular central members.

"This paper reports an experiment on the performance of small social groups with restricted channels of communication." Central members of 2 kinds of group structures, "wheel" and "circle," were selected on the basis of being either popular or unpopular. Groups that are formed on the basis of a "wheel" seem to function better than "circle" groups or wheel groups with unpopular leaders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quality and acceptance of problem solutions by members of homogeneous and heterogeneous groups.

Though previous work by Hoffman (see 34: 954) had demonstrated that higher quality solutions to problems were produced by heterogeneous groupings of people (in terms of personality) than homogeneous, the present research was prompted by the question as to the generalizability of the findings. This study attempts to find where the results relate to situations which enhance group differences in terms of value or attitude held. Even on problems designed to produce emotional conflict, the heterogeneous groups proved to be more effective in problem solving. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4GE01H. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reasoning about the self and relationships in maturity: An integrative complexity analysis of individual differences.

This study examined age (35–55 versus 65–85), gender, and self-concept-orientation differences in reasoning about the self, relationships, and morality, on the basis of the theorizing of C. Gilligan (1982). Participants were interviewed about general relationship issues, a specific relationship, and about the self. Reasoning was scored for integrative complexity (P. Suedfeld and P. Tetlock [1977]). Life experience measures and the standard Kohlberg justice reasoning index were obtained. Results showed gender differences in the connectedness of the self-concept for middle-aged, but not older, adults. No age or gender differences in the complexity of relationship reasoning or in justice reasoning were found. Those with more connected self-concepts reasoned in more complex ways about relationships and about the self. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive style effects on sex status in student work groups.

Studied the mediating effect of field independence on sex difference in activity and influence in 27 task groups, each composed of 2 male and 2 female 9th-11th graders. All Ss were administered the Group Embedded Figures Test, portable rod-and-frame test, and Extended Range Vocabulary Test, Form B-3. Ss, matched for verbal ability and field independence within groups, were videotaped discussing a decision-making task. Videotapes were coded for individual verbal activity and influence. A hierarchical analysis of variance design was used, with the effects of cognitive style group, sex, and replication assessed in order. Results indicate Sex * Cognitive Style interaction effects, with males more active and influential than females in field-dependent groups, males more active but not more influential than females in middle-range groups, and males and females equally active and influential in field-independent groups. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Survivors of the Sixties: Comparative psychosocial and political development of former Berkeley student activists.

Compared 30 former Berkeley free speech movement activists with 28 student government contemporaries and a cross-section of the 1964–1965 student body (n?=?25) along the dimensions of self- and ideal-self constructions, locus of control, political beliefs and behavior, occupational choice, and moral development. Mean age of all Ss was 34.2 yrs. Though their personality (e.g., scores on Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale) and political activism (e.g., Politico-Economic Conservatism Scale) profiles were not distinctive, former activists were more likely to endorse leftist convictions, to work in human service and creative occupations, to earn lower annual incomes, and to demonstrate principled moral reasoning than were the comparison groups. Though free speech movement activists appear to have made important life transitions 15 yrs following their arrests, they still remained a distinct social and political cohort. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of categorization and in-group norms in judgments of groups and their members.

Four minimal group experiments tested the prediction that judgments of groups and their members reflect evaluations made simultaneously but independently at the within-group and intergroup levels. On the basis of self-categorization theory and social identity theory, it was predicted that group members seek both intergroup distinctiveness and legitimization of in-group norms. In Experiments 1–3, membership (in-group, out-group), status of group members (modal, deviant), and either accountability to in-group or to out-group or salience of group norms were varied. Accountability and norm salience increased derogation of out-group normative (in-group deviant, out-group modal) and upgrading of in-group normative (in-group modal, out-group deviant) members. In Experiment 4, within-group differentiation reinforced in-group identification. These findings suggest that subjective group dynamics operate to bolster social identity when people judge modal and deviant in-group and out-group members. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and working style predictors of integrative complexity: A study of scientists' thinking about research and teaching.

Investigated integrative complexity toward research and teaching in a sample of scientists (99 full professors of physics, chemistry, and biology; aged 37–82 yrs). Findings from objective, observer, peer, and self-report data suggest that although scientists who think complexly about research are seen by others as hostile and exploitative, are rated by peers as eminent, and have their work frequently cited, scientists who think complexly about teaching are seen by others as warm and gregarious and are not well cited by their peers. Furthermore, these relationships were moderated by scientific discipline, with physicists differing from biologists. Discussion focuses on the relationship between personality and environment in general, and in particular on whether integrative complexity may be stable within, rather than between, situations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

APA presidential addresses: The relation of integrative complexity to historical, professional, and personal factors.

Obtained all extant presidential addresses of the American Psychological Association (APA) as they appeared in Psychological Review from 1894–1938, Psychological Bulletin until 1946, and American Psychologist from 1946–1981. Five paragraphs from the beginning and the end of each of the 85 addresses were scored for integrative complexity, a factor defined by the degree of differentiation and integration of dimensions along which information is processed. Data indicate that, as in previous studies, complexity was lower when the US was engaged in a war. This predicted effect of societal stress was not found in times of economic difficulty nor during US presidential election years. APA presidents who were judged as particularly eminent by senior colleagues gave addresses higher in complexity; there was no difference as a function of other types of eminence ratings nor objective measures (publication and citation counts). No sex or age differences were found, but there was a positive correlation between complexity and the number of years of life remaining to the individual. An examination of professional orientation indicated that a tendency away from conventional scientific rigor was associated with higher complexity. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of inpatient mental health services by members of ethnic minority groups.

National data on psychiatric hospitalization point to marked ethnic-related differences. Blacks and Native Americans are considerably more likely than Whites to be hospitalized; Blacks are more likely than Whites to be admitted as schizophrenic and less likely to be diagnosed as having an affective disorder; Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders are less likely than Whites to be admitted, but remain for a lengthier stay, at least in state and county mental hospitals. Differences are clearcut, but they ignore a major source of care: psychiatric hospitalization in placements other than psychiatric units and hospitals. Explanations for observed minority-White differences in hospitalization can be evaluated only partially or not at all: Such explanations included ethnic-related differences in socioeconomic standing and in the prevalence of major psychopathology; differential stigma, or capacity to tolerate or support a dysfunctional significant other; access and use of alternative services; and bias in the behavior of gatekeepers, especially practitioners assigning diagnostic labels and making involuntary commitment decisions. More research is needed to help explain these striking differences in utilization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)