Replication of dimensions of locus of control.

Employed 120 male and 113 female undergraduates in a replication of H. L. Mirels's (see record 1970-10386-001) study which found 2 factors in analyzing responses to 23 items on Rotter's Internal-External Control Scale. The same polar dimensions of "luck" as the arbiter of life events as opposed to personal control were found as well as a 2nd dimension of degree of control over political and social institutions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sociocultural change and adolescents' perceptions of parent behavior.

Administered the Children's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory (CRPBI) and an SES scale to 1,949 13–18 yr olds from 2 cities in India and to 364 age-matched Ss from 1 city in Canada. Indian Ss were designated as traditional or transitional according to the values they were taught (traditional Indian vs modern Western); Canadian Ss were designated as modern. Factor analyses of CRPBI scales revealed 3 replicable factors: Acceptance, Firm Control (FC), and Psychological Control (PC). ANOVAs were used to test the effects of culture, sex, age, and SES on the 3 CRPBI factors. Younger Ss consistently reported more PC and FC than did older ones. Modern Ss reported the most FC, and traditional Ss reported the most PC. Even though higher SES correlated with lower PC and FC, statistical SES control did not attenuate the strong cultural differences for PC. Results suggest considerable congruence between demands and parental socialization practices. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Research with the locus of control construct, vol. 3: Extensions and limitations.

Reviews the book, Research with the locus of control construct, vol. 3: Extensions and limitations edited by Herbert M. Lefcourt (1984). Herbert Lefcourt's third edited volume on the topic of research with the locus of control construct is directed to discussions of extensions and limitations of the construct. It is a very timely book, and therefore of interest to researchers on the locus of control (LOC). In Part I, comprehensive reviews are presented in three areas: work and retirement, psychophysiology, and cross-cultural researches. In Part II, two chapters describe the limitations and suggest alternatives. The five chapters are extensive and critical, as well as constructive in presenting ideas and models for future research. The editor and the authors have done an excellent job. As a reference source the book eminently meets the needs of researchers in the area. The editor has provided a succinct introduction and epilogue, which are very helpful in orienting the reader and maintaining a balanced view of the appropriate uses of the concept. The editor and authors of the book are to be congratulated for a thorough, provocative, and balanced outlook presented in this volume. I recommend the book highly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Children and prejudice.

Reviews the book, Children and prejudice by Frances Aboud (1988). It is to the credit of the author to bring to our attention the importance of children's cognitive development. The cognitive stages of development according to Piaget, Kohlberg, and so on are shown to restrict or facilitate perception and cognitive interpretations of social events and experiences. The social psychological theories of prejudice are critically discussed. Their major limitations are indicated. On the basis of her research as well as that of several others, the author formulates her theory of social-cognitive development with respect to prejudice. The chapters are carefully and lucidly written. Having noted the above merits of the book I should mention some of the shortcomings of the research cited and the integration made so far. In using the cognitive-developmental approach of Piaget and Kohlberg, the author stops short of delineating the age-related cognitive changes between the ages of 4 years (when prejudice begins) and 7 or 8 years (when cognitive changes enable prejudice to take a new turn). In addition, the cognitive-developmental approach to research on prejudice is promising but, so far, the promise has not fully materialized. A third source of disappointment pertains to the content of research on prejudice. Allowing for the fact that the bulk of research is generally done in the United States, there is so little information regarding prejudice against Canadian ethnic minorities. To new researchers the book provides a critical review of the research literature and of the methods to study prejudice in children. Where the book falls short is in providing advanced sophisticated studies and understanding of developmental changes from childhood to adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparative factorial analysis of semantic structures in monolingual Indian and American school children.

430 monolingual, Hindi-speaking elementary school children in India and 200 English-speaking Ss in the United States rated 15 concepts on 15 bipolar semantic scales. Factor analyses yielded a bifactor common space for the United States sample, and 3- and 4-factor space for the 8- and 12-yr-old Ss, respectively, in the Indian sample. The common denominator, evaluative, potency, and activity semantic space, was observed in both cultural samples. The 2 sample factor structures showed evidences of factorial congruence. Between sample factorial dissimilarities are suggested to be due to Culture-Concept-Scale interactions. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)