Early infantile autism: A methodological critique.

Examines the available evidence in support of early infantile autism (EIA) as an observable syndrome of related behaviors. It is proposed that the 1 psychometric instrument designed to detect EIA does not significantly improve upon a base-rate prediction. Criticism is offered concerning the nature of the criterion against which the instrument has been validated (diagnosis by a clinician) as well as the nature of the instrument itself (parental ratings, often retrospective). It is concluded that EIA has not yet been validly and empirically demonstrated as a unitary behavior disorder which may be reliably discriminated from other severe disturbances of child behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relation between premorbid competence and paranoid-nonparanoid status in schizophrenia: A methodological and theoretical critique.

Reviews empirical studies of the relation between premorbid social competence and paranoid-nonparanoid status in schizophrenia. The inconsistent findings in this area of research are noted, and positive vs negative findings are discussed in terms of methodological differences and difficulties, particularly the problem of heterogeneity in the diagnostic categories investigated. The explanation is advanced that good premorbid competence and the symptoms leading to a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia are both reflections of a higher developmental maturity level. Theoretical considerations concerning the paranoid-nonparanoid distinction in schizophrenia, the premorbid social competence construct, and the importance of the relation between these 2 concepts are presented. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor analysis of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory.

Factor-analyzed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI), which conceptualizes masculinity and femininity as 2 independent dimensions rather than using the traditional notion of a single bipolar dimension. BSRI scores from 253 male and female industrial workers, 36 police officers, and 36 nonworking housewives were analyzed. 4 factors were defined: Masculinity, Femininity, Sex of S, and "Mature" Neutral. Since a few "masculine" and "feminine" items from the original version of the BSRI did not load on either factor, a revision of the scale to exclude these items is recommended. However, the results support the contention that masculinity and femininity are more reasonably considered as independent traits rather than as a single bipolar dimension. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Temporal sequencing during posthypnotic amnesia: A methodological critique.

In studies by F. J. Evans and J. F. Kihlstrom, (1973, 1975, 1979), using the susceptibility-scale paradigm, high susceptibles (HSs) were less likely than low susceptibles (LSs) to recall the events of the hypnotic session in temporal sequence (i.e., temporal disorganization effect) following an amnesia suggestion. The primary measure of recall order was the rank-order correlation (rho scores) between the presentation order and the recall order of hypnotic experiences computed for each S. Following a suggestion for posthypnotic amnesia, HSs usually obtained lower rho scores than LSs. This research is critically examined, noting methodological shortcomings associated with the susceptibility-scale paradigm, inconsistent findings, and failures to replicate. Two studies are described that found no relationship between susceptibility level and rho scores. These null results held true for Ss who recalled new information after cancellation of the amnesia suggestion (reversers) as well as for those who did not recall new information (nonreversers). Nevertheless, the authors have replicated previous work on differential recall of the 1st item. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attributing responsibility for an accident: A methodological and conceptual critique.

Reviews research on attribution of responsibility for an accident. It is concluded that empirical support for the various defensive attribution hypotheses is very weak. An alternate explanation based upon socially learned norms shows promise of being a more viable explanation. Existing studies have used inappropriate experimental settings and inadequate dependent measures. Adequate research must consider normative standards, foreseeability, external contributors, individual and cultural differences, and the multidimensionality of responsibility judgments. (French summary) (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nonspecific influences in group counterconditioning: A methodological and conceptual critique.

A review of group counterconditioning outcome research published from 1965 to 1975 found widespread methodological inadequacies and an absence of conclusive evidence for the efficacy of group counterconditioning beyond an alternative explanation for treatment effects. An analysis based on small group principles is used to show how group sources of nonspecific influence operate in group counterconditioning. In addition, a hypothetical model predicting group nonspecific effects germane to certain counterconditioning procedures is described. Critical reflections are presented vis-à-vis other forms of group treatment on the significance of the nonspecific influences operating in group counterconditioning. (French summary) (3? p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Faulty" communication and the spiral aftereffect: A methodological critique.

"23 children were tested for spiral aftereffect under a method designed to obtain their responses under actual as well as illusory conditions. It was found that virtually all Ss who responded correctly under actual conditions were able to report correctly under illusory conditions. Ss considerably younger in CA and lower in MA were able to achieve success in the task under present conditions than were able to achieve success in a previously reported investigation." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Context effects in performance appraisal: A methodological critique and empirical study.

The standard design used in research on assimilation and contrast effects in performance appraisal suffers from methodological flaws that preclude unambiguous interpretation of experimental results. This standard design is compared with two other designs that provide more appropriate tests of context effects (D. A. Kravitz and W. K. Balzer, 1990). 123 undergraduates rated a videotaped lecture of average quality after rating (1) 2 videotapes depicting good lectures, (2) 2 videotapes depicting poor lectures, or (3) no other videotapes. Half the Ss had rated the target videotape 1 wk earlier. Analyses of the standard design implied contrast effects. Analyses of the alternative designs revealed problems with the positive context manipulation, assimilation effects in the positive context, contrast effects in the negative context, and pretest effects. It is recommended that the standard design not be used. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical supervision research from 1981 to 1993: A methodological critique.

The empirical studies in clinical supervision published from 1981 through 1993 were investigated to assess scientific rigor and to test whether the quality of methodology had improved since the review by R. K. Russell, A. M. Crimmings, and R. W. Lent (1984). The 144 studies were evaluated according to 49 threats to validity (T. D. Cook & D. T. Campbell, 1979; R. K. Russell et al., 1984; B. E. Wampold, B. Davis, & R. H. Good III; see record 1990-28928-001) and 8 statistical variables (e.g., effect size, statistical power, and Type I and Type II error rates). The data revealed a shift to realistic field studies, unchecked Type I and Type II error rates, medium effect sizes, and inattention to hypothesis validity. Recommendations for designing and conducting a feasible and well-designed supervision study are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nonshared environment: A theoretical, methodological, and quantitative review.

When genetic similarity is controlled, siblings often appear no more alike than individuals selected at random from the population. Since R. Plomin and D. Daniels' seminal 1987 review, it has become widely accepted that the source of this dissimilarity is a variance component called nonshared environment. The authors review the conceptual foundations of nonshared environment, with emphasis on distinctions between components of environmental variance and causal properties of environmental events and between the effective and objective aspects of the environment. A statistical model of shared and nonshared environmental variables is developed. A quantitative review shows that measured nonshared environmental variables do not account for a substantial portion of the nonshared variability posited by biometric studies of behavior. Other explanations of the preponderance of nonshared environmental variability are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire.

Separate factor analyses of the items of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire for 419 undergraduate and graduate students yielded 4 factors for each instrument. The BSRI is seen as potentially more promising of independent measurement of constructs related to masculine–feminine identity but as still lacking in purity. The low scorer on BSRI Masculinity is seen as penalized, in that this scale contains several items interpreted as related to maturity or self-confidence. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does music induce emotion? A theoretical and methodological analysis.

Is music ubiquitous in part because it is causally linked to emotion? In this article, a comprehensive theoretical and methodological reevaluation is presented of a classical problem: The direct induction of emotion by music (M→E). The author's Prototypical Emotion-Episode Model (PEEM) is used in the conceptual critique. A close scrutiny of the major published studies, and the author's new data regarding some substantive and methodological issues in several of these, reveal weak support for the M→E model. The conclusion seems justified that music may induce low-grade basic emotions through mediators, such as dance and cognitive associations to real-world events. However, it is suggested--on the basis of the recently developed Aesthetic Trinity Theory (ATT; Kone?ni, 2005) and its further development in the present article--that being moved and aesthetic awe, often accompanied by thrills, may be the most genuine and profound music-related emotional states. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral and personality correlates of epilepsy: A review, methodological critique, and conceptual model.

Assesses the psychological risk associated with temporal lobe epilepsy and epilepsy in general and identifies other variables associated with an increased risk of psychopathology in epilepsy by reviewing 64 studies published since 1962. Methodological problems include the definition of epilepsy and the interictal state, sample selections, and the need for appropriate controls; until these problems are overcome, the behavioral ramifications of limbic system dysfunction in epilepsy will remain controversial. Greater methodological rigor in the field of epilepsy/psychopathology research will help assess whether animal studies of kindling of limbic structures with subsequent behavior changes have any validity for human psychopathology. There is a growing interest in the behavioral ramifications of neurological disease; however many factors outside of those that are biologically indigenous to the disorder play significant roles in the determination of psychopathology. A conceptual model (brain-, non-brain-, and treatment-related factors) is offered to help explain different proportions of variance for different behavior disorders. (6 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Traditional versus behavioral personality assessment: A comparison of methodological and theoretical assumptions.

Examines the traditional and behavioral approaches to the prediction of human behavior with respect to such underlying assumptions as the basic conception of personality functioning, the selection of test items, and the interpretation of responses. Whereas traditional tests of personality involve the assessment of hypothesized personality constructs which, in turn, are used to predict overt behavior, the behavioral approach entails more of a direct sampling of the criterion behaviors themselves. In addition to requiring fewer inferences than traditional tests, behavioral assessment procedures are seen as being based on assumptions more amenable to direct empirical test and more consistent with empirical evidence. The available research findings on the comparative predictive ability of the 2 approaches similarly suggest that the behavioral orientation is a potentially useful approach toward the construction of assessment procedures that can more accurately predict human behavior. (49 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological control of essential hypertension: Review of the literature and methodological critique.

Reviews recent studies (1971–1978) that investigated psychological approaches to the treatment of essential hypertension. 20 studies that use techniques of biofeedback, relaxation, and meditation training are summarized in table form. They are subjected to a detailed methodological critique, and suggestions for methodological improvements and directions for future research are proposed. Most experiments demonstrated blood pressure reductions too small to be of clinical significance. A combination of biofeedback and relaxation/meditation with other behavioral techniques appears most promising, and suggestions for a more comprehensive approach to assessment and training are made. Although studies comparing biofeedback and relaxation/meditation were inconclusive, relaxation/meditation is suggested to hold more promise because it requires no sophisticated technology and has been reported to simultaneously reduce other stress-related complaints. (3? p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Matching for attractiveness in romantic partners and same-sex friends: A meta-analysis and theoretical critique.

Seventeen studies of similarity in physical attractiveness between members of romantic couples or pairs of same-sex friends, employing 34 independent samples of dyads, were retrieved. Meta-analysis found the interpartner correlation for attractiveness to be higher for romantic couples than for pairs of friends. For couples, the correlations were homogeneous across 27 samples, with an average correlation of .39 (.49 after correction for attenuation). For pairs of friends, variations among correlations were found but were explained by gender of dyad: the matching effect was obtained only with men. Romantic partners were also similar in their self-ratings of attractiveness. These findings were related to contemporary theories of relationship formation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology of employee lateness, absence, and turnover: A methodological critique and an empirical study.

Data on organizational commitment, job satisfaction, lateness behavior, unauthorized absence behavior, voluntary employee turnover, and biographical and situational information were obtained for 406 employees of an engineering plant in England. Results suggest the need for examination of the impact of behavior on affect. It is concluded that the generalized notion of "withdrawal" is misleading and that a redirection of research in this area both through methodological improvements and theoretical innovation is needed. (57 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Studies of behavior modification and juvenile delinquency: A review, methodological critique, and social perspective.

Studies of the use of behavior modification techniques with delinquent youth are reviewed according to the type of behavior to be modified: educational, program, and delinquent behavior per se. While these investigations indicate an overall pattern of positive results, the definitiveness of the conclusions is restricted by methodological weaknesses. Issues regarding the relevance of this literature to the area of social policy decisions, and its impact on the various social systems that affect the lives of the youth who become labeled as delinquent, are discussed. (64 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A critique of Alloy and Tabachnik's theoretical framework for understanding covariation assessment.

Alloy and Tabachnik (1984) recently proposed a theoretical framework for integrating animals' and people's covariation assessment. The framework assumes that animals and humans form cognitive representations of event contingencies that interact with prior expectations to influence covariation assessment. We point out misrepresentations in Alloy and Tabachnik's evaluation of the animal and human covariation assessment literature and some incorrect predictions that their model makes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)