Shifts in evaluations of participants following intergroup competition.

"Intergroup competition was simulated by having two-man teams compete against two stooges on several tasks. Winning and losing was manipulated by having the stooges win against half the teams and always lose against the other half. The difference in favorability of a team's before and after ratings of the other participants on 27 personality traits was the dependent variable… the hypothesis that 'liking' is increased by interaction received… support." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive dissonance in an intergroup context.

42 student members of a campus group supporting Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election participated in a study of the effects of group membership on dissonance reduction. In a 2?×?2 factorial design, half of the Ss were asked to write arguments contrary to their attitudes, whereas the other half were required to write such arguments. Half of the Ss were then asked to advocate a position that was counter to the attitude that defined their membership in the group. The other half produced arguments that were counter to attitudes relevant to but not definitional of group membership. It was predicted that attitude change would be used as a way to reduce dissonance only by those Ss who freely wrote arguments counter to nondefinitional attitudes. Attitude change was not possible, however, for Ss who freely produced arguments counter to a definitional attitude; these Ss were expected to misattribute their arousal to the existence of a competing out-group and to reduce their dissonance by derogating that group. Results supported these predictions. The importance of group membership in affecting attitude change is discussed. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reducing intergroup bias: Elements of intergroup cooperation.

The authors examined the potentially separable contributions of 2 elements of intergroup cooperation, interaction and common fate, and the processes through which they can operate. The manipulation of interaction reduced bias in evaluative ratings, which supports the idea that these components are separable, whereas the manipulation of common fate when the groups were interacting was associated with lower bias in nonverbal facial reactions in response to contributions by in-group and out-group members. Whereas interaction activated several processes that can lead to reduced bias, including decategorization, consistent with the common in-group identity model (S. L. Gaertner, I F. Dovidio, P. A. Anastasio, B. A. Bachman, & M. C. Rust, 1993) as well as M. Hewstone and R. J. Brown's (1986) group differentiation model, the primary set of mediators involved participants' representations of the memberships as 2 subgroups within a superordinate entity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Language use in intergroup contexts: The linguistic intergroup bias.

Three experiments examine how the type of language used to describe in-group and out-group behaviors contributes to the transmission and persistence of social stereotypes. Two experiments tested the hypothesis that people encode and communicate desirable in-group and undesirable out-group behaviors more abstractly than undesirable in-group and desirable out-group behaviors. Experiment 1 provided strong support for this hypothesis using a fixed-response scale format controlling for the level of abstractness developed from G. R. Semin and K. Fiedler's (see record 1988-20078-001) linguistic category model. Experiment 2 yielded the same results with a free-response format. Experiment 3 demonstrated the important role that abstract versus concrete communication plays in the perpetuation of stereotypes. The implications of these findings and the use of the linguistic category model are discussed for the examination of the self-perpetuating cycle of stereotypes in communication processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individualism-collectivism and accountability in intergroup negotiations.

This research incorporates the theory of individualism-collectivism into research on accountability in intergroup negotiations. Given that accountability is fundamentally a norm enforcement mechanism and that norms and standards for behavior vary for individualists and collectivists (H. R. Markus & S. Kitayama, 1991; H. C. Triandis, 1995) it was predicted that accountability would differentially affect individualists and collectivists in intergroup negotiations. In support of this, results from a laboratory study (with Caucasians and Asian Americans) and from a judgment study (in the United States and Estonia) found that collectivism moderated the effects of accountability on negotiators' psychological states, behaviors, and outcomes. In contrast to previous research, the results illustrate that accountability does not necessarily produce competitive behavior, but rather produces the behavior most normative for individuals in their sociocultural experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intergroup emotions: Explaining offensive action tendencies in an intergroup context.

Three studies tested the idea that when social identity is salient, group-based appraisals elicit specific emotions and action tendencies toward out-groups. Participants' group memberships were made salient and the collective support apparently enjoyed by the in-group was measured or manipulated. The authors then measured anger and fear (Studies 1 and 2) and anger and contempt (Study 3), as well as the desire to move against or away from the out-group. Intergroup anger was distinct from intergroup fear, and the inclination to act against the out-group was distinct from the tendency to move away from it. Participants who perceived the in-group as strong were more likely to experience anger toward the out-group and to desire to take action against it. The effects of perceived in-group strength on offensive action tendencies were mediated by anger. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

External intergroup threat as an antecedent to perceptions in in-group and out-group homogeneity.

The present research examined the relationship between external intergroup threat and perceptions of group variability. The first study found that when Texas A&M University students worked on a task in which students from a rival university were allegedly biased against them, they perceived more intragroup similarities versus differences than in an out-group benevolent condition and a control condition, and they also perceived the self as more similar to the in-group and more different from the out-group. These results were replicated in a second study, which used the same methodology except that the benevolent condition was excluded. The findings are discussed in terms of different reactions that individuals have to internal and external intergroup threat. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teaching psychotherapy in an academic setting.

Describes a psychotherapy training program that includes 4 sequentially arranged courses: individual, group, marital, and family therapy. The sequence exposes students to a wide range of therapeutic modalities and interventions. Groups, led by an advanced graduate student, learn through written assignments, oral and written critiques of practice sessions, conferences with leaders and/or the instructor, individual assessment, and corrective feedback during practice sessions. Although it is not a substitute for supervised practicum or internship, the sequence bridges the gap between classroom study and the later performance of psychotherapy in a supervised setting. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Walking Perception by Walking Observers.

People frequently analyze the actions of other people for the purpose of action coordination. To understand whether such self-relative action perception differs from other-relative action perception, the authors had observers either compare their own walking speed with that of a point-light walker or compare the walking speeds of 2 point-light walkers. In Experiment 1, observers walked, bicycled, or stood while performing a gait-speed discrimination task. Walking observers demonstrated the poorest sensitivity to walking speed, suggesting that perception and performance of the same action alters visual-motion processes. Experiments 2-6 demonstrated that the processes used during self-relative and other-relative action perception differ significantly in their dependence on observers' previous motor experience, current motor effort, and potential for action coordination. These results suggest that the visual analysis of human motion during traditional laboratory studies can differ substantially from the visual analysis of human movement under more realistic conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Classroom climates and students' intergroup behavior.

Conducted observations in 99 desegregated elementary school classes (kindergarten through 6th grade) to determine the relationship between classroom conditions and pupils' interracial behaviors. Results of factor and regression analyses indicate that 2 types of observed interracial behavior were associated with different classroom environments. Diffuse positive intergroup contacts were more likely to occur in classes in which teachers emphasized interpersonal concerns. Although businesslike environments impeded overall cross-racial association, they had no effect on more purposeful intergroup contacts, which were facilitated by teacher patience and by diversity in instructional arrangements. These findings suggest that tensions between the social and academic objectives of multiracial education might be resolved by emphasizing purposeful interactions among children of different racial backgrounds. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intragroup social influence and intergroup competition.

Three experiments examined the role of intragroup social influence in intergroup competition. In the context of a mutual fate control situation, participants in Exp 1 demonstrated more intergroup competition in the presence than in the absence of social support for shared self-interest. Exp 2 revealed that, in the context of a Prisoner's Dilemma Game, this social support effect was stronger when noncorrespondence of outcomes between the interacting groups was low than when it was high. Results from Exp 3 were consistent with the possibility that the effect of social support is attenuated when noncorrespondence of outcomes is high because under these circumstances intergroup competition is prescribed by a norm of group interest. The implications of these findings for understanding the antecedents of interindividual-intergroup discontinuity are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality dynamics and accident proneness in an industrial setting.

"Two groups of Ss… [17 men with a total of 47 accidents over 2 years, and 17 accident-free men] were [compared] by means of a sentence completion test… . the high accident Ss, in comparison with the non-accident Ss, were significantly lower on the socially desirable personality dispositions of optimism, trust, and sociocentricity. In general, there were no statistically significant differences… on several negative personality dispositions, but there was a slight indication of positive association between high accident proneness and high scores on a cluster composed of the socially undesirable personality dispositions of egocentricity, anxiety, and resentment. There was highly significant association between high accident proneness and projective responses indicative of a negative attitude toward employment." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Competition of internal and external information in an exercise setting.

Two experiments with 80 university students examined when attention to external cues attenuates the perception of physical symptoms and fatigue. In Exp I, Ss' physical performance was held constant during exercise on a treadmill. Ss hearing distracting sounds reported less fatigue and fewer symptoms than Ss hearing an amplification of their own breathing. In Exp II, Ss jogging equal length cross-country and lap courses showed faster times on the former, where increased external attention was necessary. Self-reports of symptoms and fatigue, however, were comparable on the 2 courses. Results are interpreted in terms of attentional focus shifting from one information source to another as needed, with attention to any one source diminishing attention to others. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treating alcohol and substance abusers in an independent practice setting.

Discusses the various aspects of treating alcohol and substance abusers in an independent practice. Assessment issues, phases of treatment, and the concepts of relapse are addressed. The treatment process, treatment skills, the role of the therapist, and approaches to treating and referring abusers are delineated. In the initial phase, when abstinence is the goal, the therapist may need to see the patient 5–6 times per wk so that the therapist can substitute for the drug. In time, the frequency of visits decreases, and the therapist becomes the transitional object substitute. Self-help groups may also be essential. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The intergroup bargaining of mixed-sex groups.

Investigated the intergroup bargaining behavior and outcomes of mixed-sex groups. A bargaining situation frequently observed in industrial settings (a male union representative bargaining on behalf of a female union constituency negotiated with a female management representative representing male upper management) was simulated in the laboratory to determine if the results of the simulation were consistent with the predictions of bargaining theory and/or with the results observed in an industrial setting. The simulation, utilizing 216 undergraduate males and females, revealed that the bargaining outcomes of mixed-sex groups were consistent with the industrial observation. Specifically, the union representative in the mixed-sex group deadlocked more often with the management representative than did the union representatives in the male or female groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experimental renewal in human participants.

Two experiments with human participants are presented that differentiate renewal from other behavioral effects that can produce a response after extinction. Participants played a video game and learned to suppress their behavior when sensor stimuli predicted an attack. Contexts (A, B, & C) were provided by fictitious galaxies where the game play took place. In Experiment 1, participants who received conditioning in A, extinction in B, and testing in A showed some context specificity of conditioning during extinction and a recovery of suppression on test. Experiment 2 demonstrated recovery of extinguished responding when participants were conditioned in A, extinguished in B, and tested in C, a third, neutral context. The experiment also demonstrated that the context of extinction did not control performance by becoming inhibitory. Results are discussed in terms of mechanisms that can produce a response recovery after extinction. The experiments demonstrated a renewal effect: a response recovery that was not attributable to the contexts acting as simple conditioned stimuli and is the first work with human participants to conclusively do so. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Imagining intergroup contact enables member-to-group generalization.

Intergroup contact improves intergroup relations. In some cases, however, actual contact is impractical and here imagining intergroup contact (Crisp & Turner, 2009) may represent a viable alternative. While initial findings have been promising, imagined contact research has yet to confirm whether it enables a critical process involved in successful intergroup contact: member-to-group generalization. We tested the hypothesis that imagined contact, and specific enhancements to the technique, are enabling in the form of generalized contact self-efficacy. In Experiment 1 participants who imagined a positively toned encounter with a single outgroup member subsequently felt more confident about future interactions with the outgroup in general. Furthermore, imagining contact was maximally effective at achieving generalization when group versus individuating information was salient (Experiment 2) and when the imagined interaction involved an outgrouper who was typical versus atypical (Experiment 3). These findings contribute to growing support for the notion that imagined contact represents a flexible, effective tool for improving intergroup relations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Enhancing social problem-solving performance in an elementary school setting.

Social problem-solving training, conducted as part of a social studies curriculum with 185 3rd- and 4th-grade children, was assessed by a measure of problem-solving thinking, a structured adult–child interaction, a structured group interaction, and the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children. The experimental design used 4 training groups: no treatment (control), video modeling tapes (TV), video modeling tapes plus discussion exercises (discussion), and video modeling tapes plus role-play exercises (role play). The major findings revealed significant overall treatment effects on problem-solving thinking, the group interaction, and locus of control. Findings are interpreted as indicating that the role-play treatment is more likely to transfer to everyday social interactions and enhance children's social competence. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training family therapists within an academic setting.

Identifies and discusses the advantages and limitations of training psychologists as family therapists within the traditional academic program. Advantages include introducing systems theory early in student training, integrating systems theory with other therapy models, providing a broad sampling of family theorists, evaluating the empirical basis of family interventions, and doing training with a homogeneous group. Limitations include limited time and human resources, difficulty in balancing didactic and practicum aspects, conflicting academic instruction and supervision, minimal emphasis on the personal issues of trainees, and evaluation and performance pressures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)