Emergent leadership in small, decision-making groups.

Analysis was made of emergent leaders in decision making conferences in 72 business and government organizations with the findings showing: (1) Emergent leaders were present where designated chairmen were not adequate as leaders; (2) Emergent leaders were present where cliques existed and where there was low congruence of motivation; (3) Compared with others in the same group, emergent leaders had relatively high rank and expertness; (4) Emergent leaders had high personal motivation; (5) Emergent leaders were rated high by other members with regard to being needed in the group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personal Characteristics and Teaching Effectiveness of College Faculty.

This study determined the degree of relationship between observed faculty personal characteristics and judged teaching effectiveness. Students in a coeducational liberal arts college rated faculty on two typical teaching evaluation instruments and on a semantic differential form. Data came from 1,500 student judgments on 108 men and women faculty (86%). Factor analysis, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analyses showed that (a) personality and teaching effectiveness wore highly correlated (.77), (b) factors derived from the semantic differential predicted a multiple R=.88 for teaching effectiveness, and (c) dynamic, pragmatic, amicable, and highly intellectually competent faculty received statistically significant higher teaching competence ratings than did professors tending toward the opposites of these traits. The findings suggest that improvement of teaching effectiveness may depend more on changes related to personality factors than on those involving classroom procedures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intrinsic and extrinsic job motivations among different segments of the working population.

A selected cross-section of the working population (N = 692) was interviewed with respect to job motivations. The extent to which extrinsic or intrinsic job components were valued was found to be related to occupational level. At higher occupational levels, intrinsic job components (opportunity for self-expression, interest-value of work, etc.) were more valued. At lower occupational levels, extrinsic job components (pay, security, etc.) were more valued. No sex differences were found in the value placed on intrinsic or extrinsic factors in general. However, women placed a higher value on "good co-workers" than did men, while men placed a relatively higher value on the opportunity to use their talent or skill. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Motivations to identify with social groups: A look at their positive and negative consequences.

Social identity is considered a key social psychological variable to understanding intergroup behaviors. Given that social identity has been associated with both positive (e.g., well-being, helping behaviors) and negative consequences (e.g., ingroup bias, nationalism), it remains to be explained which dimensions of social identification yield these divergent consequences. To this aim, these studies apply self-determination theory to understanding the reasons why group members identify with their ingroup. We hypothesized that when group members identify with their ingroup for self-determined reasons, this should predict more positive consequences. In contrast, identifying with one's ingroup for non–self-determined reasons should predict more negative consequences. Three studies tested these hypotheses among members of different social groups, namely, University of Queensland students (n = 272), residents of Québec (n = 196), and members of an online community (n = 278). Controlling for degree of identification, these hypotheses were supported when predicting the positive consequences, and mostly supported for the negative consequences. Results are interpreted in light of social identity theory and self-determination theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interpersonal knowledge and individual and group effectiveness.

"Measures of discrepancy between an objective group preference hierarchy structure of members and an individual estimate of this preference hierarchy structure were obtained for members of infantry rifle squads who had scored high and low on a criterion field problem." It was found that the appointed leaders, popular individuals, and members of effective groups were better able to estimate the preference hierarchy structure than were non-leaders, less popular individuals, and members of ineffective groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differentiating suicidal motivations and manifestations in a forensic sample.

This research investigated the potential multidimensional associations among suicide criteria (i.e., previous attempt, suicide intent, suicidal desire, suicide preparation) and empirically relevant, psychological variables (i.e., depression, hopelessness, internal perturbation-based reasons, extrapunitive/manipulative motivations). Further, the relative statistical importance of the psychological variables was also evaluated. For a sample of 235 male prison inmate volunteers (mean age 31.9 yrs), 3 key findings emerged. First, internal perturbation-based reasons for attempting suicide statistically predicted each suicide criterion. Second, these reasons often outperformed hopelessness in statistically predicting suicide criteria. Third, associations among suicide criteria and psychological variables were multidimensional, not unidimensional. In particular, independent dimensions of Negative Cognitions and Action Orientation emerged and replicated previous findings. Implications of these results are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Grouping and emergent features in vision: Toward a theory of basic Gestalts.

Gestalt phenomena are often so powerful that mere demonstrations can confirm their existence, but Gestalts have proven hard to define and measure. Here we outline a theory of basic Gestalts (TBG) that defines Gestalts as emergent features (EFs). The logic relies on discovering wholes that are more discriminable than are the parts from which they are built. These wholes contain EFs that can act as basic features in human vision. As context is added to a visual stimulus, a hierarchy of EFs appears. Starting with a single dot and adding a second yields the first two potential EFs: the proximity (distance) and orientation (angle) between the two dots. A third dot introduces two more potential EFs: symmetry and linearity; a fourth dot produces surroundedness. This hierarchy may extend to collinearity, parallelism, closure, and more. We use the magnitude of Configural Superiority Effects to measure the salience of EFs on a common scale, potentially letting us compare the strengths of various grouping principles. TBG appears promising, with our initial experiments establishing and quantifying at least three basic EFs in human vision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effectiveness of counseling groups in reducing stress of parents of children with learning disabilities.

This study investigated the impact of counseling groups as compared with educational groups on attitudes, levels of stress, and sense of control among parents of a child with learning disabilities (LD) and a non-LD sibling. Conducted in one learning center in Israel, the study comprised 49 families in the counseling group and 46 families in the educational group. Results of the hierarchical analyses (mixed models) indicated significantly higher gains in the counseling groups for both mothers (who participated in the intervention) and fathers (who did not), mostly with respect to the child with LD. Children's self-reports supported these gains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of emergent features on judgments of quantity in configural and separable displays.

Two experiments investigated effects of emergent features on perceptual judgments of comparative magnitude in three diagrammatic representations: kiviat charts, bar graphs, and line graphs. Experiment 1 required participants to compare individual values; whereas in Experiment 2 participants had to integrate several values to produce a global comparison. In Experiment 1, emergent features of the diagrams resulted in significant distortions of magnitude judgments, each related to a common geometric illusion. Emergent features are also widely believed to underlie the general superiority of configural displays, such as kiviat charts, for tasks requiring the integration of information. Experiment 2 tested the extent of this benefit using diagrams with a wide range of values. Contrary to the results of previous studies, the configural display produced the poorest performance compared to the more separable displays. Moreover, the pattern of responses suggests that kiviat users switched from an integration strategy to a sequential one depending on the shape of the diagram. The experiments demonstrate the powerful interaction between emergent visual properties and cognition and reveal limits to the benefits of configural displays for integration tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The newcomer in open and closed groups.

How does the assimulation of a new member in an open group compare with that of a new member in a closed group? Ss were 64 students in 3-person groups using a note-passing device. The relative influence of newcomers and regular members were studied. "The dependent variables included measures of communication direction… group influence, group satisfaction, and the relative ratings of the confederates by the naive group members." The open groups paid the most attention to the tasks. "Tenure and status were found to be positively associated." From Psyc Abstracts 36:02:2GE55Z. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Divergent consequences of success and failure in Japan and North America: An investigation of self-improving motivations and malleable selves.

Self-enhancing and self-improving motivations were investigated across cultures. Replicating past research, North Americans who failed on a task persisted less on a follow-up task than those who succeeded. In contrast, Japanese who failed persisted more than those who succeeded. The Japanese pattern is evidence for a self-improving orientation: Failures highlight where corrective efforts are needed. Japanese who failed also enhanced the importance and the diagnosticity of the task compared with those who succeeded, whereas North Americans did the opposite. Study 2 revealed that self-improving motivations are specific to the tasks on which one receives feedback. Study 3 unpackaged the cultural differences by demonstrating that they are due, at least in part, to divergent lay theories regarding the utility of effort. Study 4 addressed the problem of comparing cultures on subjective Likert scales and replicated the findings with a different measure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personal constructs and the semantic differential.

"In accord with Kelly's (1955) emphasis on the importance of personal meaningfulness to the subject in psychological measurement, the possibility of employing personal constructs within the semantic differential technique was investigated. A direct relationship was predicted between the personal meaningfulness of scales and the degree to which the concepts rated by the scales are saturated with meaning. The prediction was supported. Furthermore, increased saturation does not appear to occur at the expense of 'distortion' in the semantic field." From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4HE33M. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social effectiveness and symptomatic behaviors.

Symptoms (of hospitalized patients) characterized as (a) self-directed, (b) directed against others, or (c) avoidance of others were related to measures of premorbid social effectiveness. More effective social adjustment was related to (a), which tended also to characterize symptoms of females. (c) was most consistently found in schizophrenics and was related to better premorbid adjustment than (b), which was most consistently found in character disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prevention groups: Today and tomorrow.

This closing article for the special issue lists some of the challenges facing group psychologists as they seek to expand prevention group theory. The role of reading failure in early elementary is highlighted, as are the Spartan Mentor Program with high school students and the group model to promote prevention of HIV/AIDS with adolescents. To aid in workplace prevention, this article also describes the Coping with Work and Family Stress Project. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Home grown for reading: Parental contributions to young children's emergent literacy and word recognition.

This article provides an integrative review of key aspects of emergent literacy and specific home activities that empirical research has shown to support their development. Given the importance of word recognition in reading development, home contributions to word recognition as well as to four areas of emergent literacy that contribute to word recognition are highlighted. These include phonological awareness, letter knowledge, print concepts, and vocabulary. Particular attention is devoted to the activity of shared book reading to outline its different facets, changing nature, and potential impact on emergent literacy and word recognition skill. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward a theory of open and closed groups.

4 characteristics differentiate groups in which membership is in a constant state of flux (open groups) as opposed to groups in which the membership is relatively stable (closed groups): time perspective, equilibrium, frame of reference, and changing group membership. The significance of these characteristics for social behavior was explored. A number of tested and testable propositions concerning group stability and social behavior emerged from a rapprochement of research, relevant subtheories, and concepts associated with open and closed group behavior. The failure to consider the dimension of group stability in most previous social psychological research poses a question concerning the generality of social-psychological theories which are based upon research which ignores the pervasive dimension of group stability. (2 p. ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dynamical evolutionary psychology: Individual decision rules and emergent social norms.

A new theory integrating evolutionary and dynamical approaches is proposed. Following evolutionary models, psychological mechanisms are conceived as conditional decision rules designed to address fundamental problems confronted by human ancestors, with qualitatively different decision rules serving different problem domains and individual differences in decision rules as a function of adaptive and random variation. Following dynamical models, decision mechanisms within individuals are assumed to unfold in dynamic interplay with decision mechanisms of others in social networks. Decision mechanisms in different domains have different dynamic outcomes and lead to different sociospatial geometries. Three series of simulations examining trade-offs in cooperation and mating decisions illustrate how individual decision mechanisms and group dynamics mutually constrain one another, and offer insights about gene-culture interactions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theory and research on small groups.

Review of book: R. Scott Tindale et. al (Eds.) Theory and Research on Small Groups. New York: Plenum Press. 1998, 277 pp. Reviewed by Mark F. Stasson, Michael J. Markus, and Jason W. Hart. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individual differences in beliefs about groups.

The current research examined individual differences in peoples' positive versus negative beliefs about groups. Three studies were conducted to develop and validate a 16-item Beliefs About Groups (BAG) scale. Factor analyses in Studies 1 and 2 identified and replicated a 4-factor solution, with factors reflecting preferences for group versus individual work, positive group performance beliefs, negative group performance beliefs, and beliefs that others will work hard on group tasks. Study 2 also provided evidence for convergent and divergent validity, and explored relationships between the Big Five personality dimensions and group beliefs. Study 3 provided evidence for test–retest reliability. Across these 3 studies, the BAG scale had total score alphas ranging from .83 to .88. Implications of beliefs about groups for member motivation and group performance, as well as for future research and practice, are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)