Hypnotically "reliving" a prior burn: Effects on blister formation and localized skin temperature.

60 Ss who had previously been burned were "hypnotically age regressed" and given both suggestions to "relive" the burn experience and suggestions that a blister was forming. Although 17 Ss reported vividly imagining the burn events, none showed localized skin-coloration changes or evidence of blister formation. Moreover, skin temperature measured before, during, and after age regression indicated no overall suggestion effects. Nevertheless, 1 S did show differential skin-temperature response to the suggestion. This S had showed only moderate hypnotic susceptibility on the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of "voice" and peer opinions on responses to inequity.

Examined the effects of "voice" (participating in allocation decision making by expressing one's own opinion about the preferred allocation) on responses to an inequitable allocation. In addition to Ss' (82 female undergraduates) presence or absence of voice, Exp I manipulated (a) whether the allocation made by a "decision maker" (a confederate) was or was not made biased (due to self-interest) and (b) whether the S did or did not learn that a "co-worker" believed the allocation to be inequitable. Exp II, with 61 female high school students, manipulated presence/absence of voice and involved only a self-interested decision maker. In both experiments, the impact of voice was mediated by knowledge about the co-worker's opinion. When Ss had no knowledge about the co-worker's opinion (Exp I) or knew that the co-workers's opinion coincided with the decision maker's allocation (Exp II), there was evidence for a "fair process effect": Voice Ss expressed greater satisfaction than those with no voice. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of experimenter modeling, demands for honesty, and initial level of suggestibility on response to "hypnotic" suggestions.

Pretested 180 college students on behavioral (objective) and experiential (subjective) responses to the test suggestions of the Barber Suggestibility Scale. After being exposed to 1 of 3 treatments--E modeling, hypnotic induction, or control--each S was retested on the same scale. Strong demands to give honest experiential reports were administered to 1/2 of the Ss under each treatment. Ss who were exposed to E modeling manifested a greater enhancement in objective responsiveness to test suggestions than control Ss and as much enhancement as Ss who were exposed to hypnotic induction. E modeling was as effective as hypnotic induction in enhancing sujective responsiveness to test suggestions with and without demands for honest reports. Under both the E modeling and hypnotic induction treatments, Ss who had initially manifested a high level of suggestibility (pretest) showed as much enhancement in subjective responsiveness to test suggestions as medium- or low-suggestible Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physiological arousal, dissonance, and attitude change: Evidence for a dissonance-arousal link and a "Don't remind me" effect.

Two experiments, with 80 undergraduates, replicated and extended research by R. T. Croyle and J. Cooper (see record 1984-11595-001) indicating that cognitive dissonance involves physiological arousal. In Exp I, Ss wrote counterattitudinal essays under conditions of high or low choice and, to assess arousal effects owing to effort, with or without a list of arguments provided by the experimenter. In high-choice conditions only and regardless of effort, Ss showed both arousal (heightened galvanic skin response) and attitude change. Arousal, however, did not decline following attitude change. The more effortful task (no arguments provided) produced increased arousal but not greater attitude change. In Exp II, the opportunity to change one's attitude following a freely chosen counterattitudinal essay was manipulated. As in Exp I, arousal increased following the essay but did not decline following a postessay attitude change opportunity. When Ss were not given an attitude change opportunity, however, arousal did decline. It is suggested that if dissonance is a drive state, drive reduction typically may be accomplished through gradual cognitive change or forgetting. (47 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Detection of the fake "good" and "bad" response on the Sixteen Personality Factor Inventory in prisoners and college students.

Administered the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire to 30 inmates of a correctional center and to 30 college students, instructing some Ss to fake their answers to make themselves look better than they are and others to try to give a worse impression. In the fake-good condition, only 6 of the 18 factors examined were not altered significantly, and in the fake-bad condition only 2 factors. Prisoners and students produced similar faking results. The 3 dissimulation indices for detecting faking are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct systems and the definition of social situations.

Studied the relationship between 2 construct subsystems, one for construing people and one for defining a concrete social situation. Using a variant of G. Kelly's grid methodology, 20 college students rated 12 personal acquaintances on 12 constructs of bipolar concepts. They were then presented with 1 of 2 problematic social situations and asked to rate the same acquaintances on 10 dimensions relevant to the situation. Principal-components analysis was used to derive 1 central and 2 secondary patterns of construing (centrality being defined by the amount of variance the component accounts for on a grid), as well as 1 central and 2 secondary dimensions defining the social situation. Cross-correlations between the orderings of people on these 2 sets of components were used to determine the extent to which "implicit personality theory" influenced the definition of a situation. Findings show that central construing related strongly to the central definition of a situation, whereas secondary construing related more weakly to secondary definitions. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The point of no return in choice reaction time: Controlled and ballistic stages of response preparation.

Used a countermanding procedure and race model to assess separately the effects of experimental factors before and after the "point of no return" in response preparation (i.e., where the decision to move becomes irrevocable) in 3 experiments with 22 undergraduates. Results reveal details about processes that so closely precede the initiation of movement that they cannot be inhibited. These processes appear to be affected by the repetition of stimulus–response pairs but not by the physical or semantic properties of the stimuli. Findings support a model of response preparation in which (a) response inhibition depends on the outcome of a race between independent excitatory and inhibitory processes and (b) reaction time (RT) is the sum of the durations of at least 2 stages, separated by the point of no return. (54 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of opportunity to communicate and visibility of individual decisions on behavior in the common interest.

Conducted 2 experiments on the effects of opportunity to communicate and visibility of individual decisions on socially responsible behavior in group situations involving the "commons" problem. 280 undergraduates in a business administration course were assigned roles as firm representatives and assembled in groups of 5 to bid on contracts under various conditions. Opportunity to communicate resulted in more socially responsible bidding, but visibility of individual decisions had no effect. Opportunity to communicate also helped to sustain socially responsible bidding in the face of a persistently defecting group member. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How the new NIH guidelines on inclusion of women and minorities apply: Efficacy trials, effectiveness trials, and validity.

The NIH (National Institutes of Health) Guidelines on the Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research requires investigators applying for NIH research funds to develop and, if funded, implement plans for the inclusion of women and minority populations in their research, when that research involves human participants. It is the purpose of this article to help investigators understand (a) the scientific context and rationale behind the NIH Guidelines; (b) the NIH-defined concepts and the specific content of the NIH Guidelines; and (c) how the intent of the NIH Guidelines is related to mental health services research, the most applied area of mental health research. The article also discusses where investigators can find additional information as they work to implement the NIH Guidelines. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theory and experimental roles: Comment on Danziger.

Refutes K. Danziger's (see record 1986-00068-001) suggestion that the temptation to engage in fruitless speculation about the "chicken and egg" problem of the priority of theoretical orientation and the social practices involved in investigation must be resisted and expands Danziger's notion that psychologists should study individuals. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Rhythms and responses": Correction to Kolers and Brewster.

Reports an error in "Rhythms and responses" by Paul A. Kolers and Joan M. Brewster (Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 1985[Apr], Vol 11[2], 150-167). There is a typographical error on page 153. A correction to this error has been provided in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1986-05383-001.) Tested the assumption that there is a central clock coordinating behavior in all sensory modalities and response modes. A rhythmic tapping task was used in 3 experiments in which 12 undergraduates first attempted to synchronize responses with brief auditory, tactile, or visual stimuli and then continued to tap at the same rate on their own. Performance was most variable with visual stimuli and least variable with auditory stimuli. Results suggest that performances were not based on a common clock and that different strategies were employed when the task was presented in different modalities. The hypothesis of a single timing mechanism controlling behavior is rejected, and the validity is questioned of information processing models that are formulated without regard to temporal relations among their conjectured processes. Discussion focuses on the relation between successive responses and the means by which timing is accomplished. (56 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pain and dissociation in the cold pressor test: A study of hypnotic analgesia with "hidden reports" through automatic key pressing and automatic talking.

To test whether pain blocked by hypnotic analgesia may still be perceived at some level, 20 highly hypnotizable undergraduates participated in an experiment involving cold pressor pain in the normal condition and in hypnotically suggested analgesia. 3 reports were obtained reflecting felt pain within the hypnotic analgesia condition: the usual verbal report on a numerical scale, a manual report by "automatic key pressing," and a retrospective verbal report through "automatic talking." 9 Ss who were amnesic for both keypressing and automatic talking reported more pain in the automatic (hidden) reports than in their usual verbal reports. 8 of these 9, following release of amnesia, had a clear perception of 2 levels of awareness of the pain: the usual hypnotic experience of pain attenuated by analgesia suggestions, and a knowledge at another level of a more severe pain. In no case, however, did an S give a retrospective report of normal suffering at this "hidden" level. The hypnotically analgesic S may have reported no pain verbally because he was amnesic for it; when amnesia was removed he recalled the sensory pain, but without a suffering component, because suffering apparently did not occur. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of an organizational control policy on absenteeism, performance, and satisfaction.

Examined the impact of an organizational control policy based on the concept of "legal compliance" with established organizational norms on 2 behavioral measures--absenteeism and performance--and 2 attitudinal measures of satisfaction. The control policy was experimentally manipulated in each of 2 experimental groups totaling 297 undergraduates. In one group, a compulsory attendance policy followed by a noncompulsory policy was employed, while in the other the sequence of administering the policies was reversed. Attendance, performance, and satisfaction measures were used as criteria in analyses of variance. Results indicate that a control policy based on legal compliance significantly improved attendance and performance and did not alter satisfaction levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of "status sets" on Rotter's Locus of Control Scale.

65 male and 25 female college students were given sets based on varying levels of social class to determine the susceptibility of Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale (I–E) scores to situationally induced frames of reference. Ss took the I–E twice: once while playing the role of a person who had just been hired for 1 of 6 ranked occupations and once from their own frame of reference. "In-role" I–E scores showed the expected positive relationship between levels of status and internality, and these scores differed from the S's "out-of-role" normal responses. Present results are in accord with recent findings that the I–E may be subject to faking and situational effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of reinforcement and response-cost on cognitive style in emotionally disturbed boys.

The "fear of failure" hypothesis of J. Kagan and N. Kogan (1970) was investigated in 40 emotionally disturbed boys (mean age 11.28 yrs). The Matching Familiar Figures Test was used. Fear of failure was maximized through a response–cost procedure and minimized with a contingent reinforcement condition. Both techniques significantly increased latencies on reflection–impulsivity and decreased errors; however, impulsives made significantly fewer errors in the response–cost condition, whereas reflectives made somewhat fewer errors in the reinforcement condition. Although the reflection–impulsivity dimension was a relatively stable trait, results indicate that one's cognitive style is particularly a function of existing environmental contingencies. Findings are discussed in terms of future research and potential treatment strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Therapists' liking of their psychotherapy patients: Some issues related to severity of disorder and treatability.

57 American and Israeli psychotherapists completed the MMPI and questionnaires on professional background and personal experience in psychotherapy. Ss each nominated 1 "easy" and 1 "difficult" patient, and MMPIs and personal information were obtained from these patients. Several factors appeared to differentiate easy from difficult psychotherapy patients. The general characteristics of easy as compared to difficult patients indicated significantly less pathology on the MMPI, a more favorable psychotherapy prognosis, greater physical attractiveness if female, and less of a tendency to be labeled "personality disorder." The positive "liking" ratings of therapists toward their easy patients appeared to override all ideological differences in therapeutic orientation. The impact of the therapist's affective response is discussed in terms of "nonspecific" treatment factors that may affect the outcome of therapy. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The Effect of Experimentally Induced Failure, Self-Esteem, and Sex on Cognitive Differentiation": Errata.

Reports errors in the original article by R. Cruz Perez (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1973[Feb], 81[1], 74-79). On Table 2, the numbers for the low self-esteem failure females for the before and after columns, respectively, should be 611.00 and 625.12. The numbers for the low self-esteem control females for the before and after columns, respectively, should be 484.00 and 463.87. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1973-21060-001.) Investigated the effect of experimentally-induced failure upon an immediately-following cognitive differentiation task, on the hypothesis that these effects are differentially mediated by self-esteem and sex variables. 32 male and 32 female undergraduates completed the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and the Embedded Figures Test (EFT). Ss were then given Raven's Progressive Matrices under time-limit failure or control conditions, and were retested on the EFT. Results support the hypothesis that after the experience of failure, high-esteem Ss would work faster and low-esteem Ss would work slower on the EFT retest. An additional hypothesis that males would work faster than females on the EFT was supported only for the low self-esteem females. Implications of these findings are explored. (25 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reduced clustering during hypnotic amnesia for a long word list: Comment on Wilson and Kihlstrom.

Wilson and Kihlstrom (1986) reported that hypnotic amnesia was not associated with reduced clustering when subjects had initially learned a long (16-item) list of categorized words. However, Wilson and Kihlstrom inappropriately substituted hypnotic susceptibility for level of amnesia in their analyses and, consequently, they failed to test for an association between reduced clustering and amnesia. Furthermore, supplementary correlational findings provided by Wilson and Kihlstrom strongly suggest that a disorganized clustering effect occurred but went unrecognized in their data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The "hidden observer" phenomenon in hypnosis: Some additional findings.

23 highly hypnotizable undergraduates (Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility) underwent 2 specially constructed 7-item hypnotic inductions. Over the 14 items, the main finding was of a relationship between E. R. Hilgard's (1973, 1977, 1979) "hidden observer" effect and 2 aspects of hypnotic age regression. Ss reporting a hidden observer experienced duality during regression to age 5, in which they were aware of being both adult and child. When asked to write a complex sentence, most did so, usually without spelling errors. The Ss not reporting this effect experienced quasi-lateral age regression in which they had the exclusive feeling of being 5 yrs old, with no sense of an adult identity. Most of these Ss were unable to write the same complex sentence when requested to during age regression. The study replicated Hilgard's finding of the hidden observer phenomenon in terms of its incidence and obtained similar verbal reports from Ss experiencing it. At the same time, the results suggest that a neodissociation account of hypnosis may need some modifications to accommodate these additional findings. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Emotional disclosure about traumas and its relation to health: Effects of previous disclosure and trauma severity": Correction to Greenberg and Stone.

Reports an error in "Emotional disclosure about traumas and its relation to health: Effects of previous disclosure and trauma severity" by Melanie A. Greenberg and Arthur A. Stone (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1992[Jul], Vol 63[1], 75-84). In the article, a sentence was incorrect. The sentence on page 76 that reads "For example, Esterling, Antoni, Kumar, and Schneiderman (1990) found that subjects who wrote more emotion-focused words (high disclosers) had a larger lymphocyte response to mitogen stimulation than low disclosers" should have read as follows: "For example, Esterling, Antoni, Kumar, and Schneiderman (1990) found that subjects whose essays contained greater proportions of emotionfocused words (high disclosers) had better immunological control of latent Epstein-Barr virus, relative to low disclosers." (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1992-39142-001.) Sought to replicate previous findings that disclosing traumas improves physical health and to compare the effects of revealing previously disclosed vs undisclosed traumas. According to inhibition theory, reporting about undisclosed traumas should produce greater health benefits. 60 healthy undergraduates wrote about undisclosed traumas, previously disclosed traumas, or trivial events. Contrary to expectations, there were no significant between-groups differences on longer term health utilization and physical symptom measures. However, Ss who disclosed more severe traumas reported fewer physical symptoms in the months following the study, compared with low-severity trauma Ss, and tended to report fewer symptoms than control Ss. Results suggest that health benefits occur when severe traumas are disclosed, regardless of whether previous disclosure has occurred. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)