Three- and 4-year-old children were asked to judge which of a set of 3 lines was the longest, both independently and in the face of an inaccurate consensus among adult informants. Children were invariably accurate when making independent judgments but sometimes deferred to the inaccurate consensus. Nevertheless, the deference displayed by both age…

A total of 155 nonlabeled, normal adults and 28 labeled, schizophrenic adults were interviewed in a study to determine differences in the two groups' perceptions of television utility and reality. Hypotheses were formulated concerning expected differences in the reported importance of television in interpersonal communication, relaxation, and…

Recent investigations of the cognitive components of human-environmental interactions owe much to the work of city planner Kevin Lynch, who hypothesized cognitive mapping as a two-way interactive process between individuals and their environment. Lynch identified five elements which individuals used in the construction of cognitive maps,…

In this study husbands were perceived as more psychologically healthy when they had children than when they had no children. Wives were liked less and viewed more negatively on general personality descriptors when they were described as voluntarily childless than when they were involuntarily childless. (Author)

Three experiments were conducted involving five people with profound multiple disabilities, to determine whether variations in alertness affected subsequent responsiveness to training programs. Findings suggest that existing levels of alertness do not indicate how individuals will respond during training and that alertness actually can be…

The relationship between perceived freedom and the attribution of attitudes was investigated. Observers were asked to infer an attitude from an actor's behavior when the actor's behavioral freedom was ambiguous. Attributions of attitude corresponded less to the behavior when it was unexpected and when the actor's potential lack of freedom was made…

Observers can decide what kind of relationship exists between two people by identifying cues provided by the pattern of benefits given and received in relationships and the type of relationship, either communal or exchange. Communal relationships, i.e., friendships or romances, are characterized by feelings of responsibility for each other's…

Ten sighted adults were blindfolded and asked to find four objects in the open space of a room. A perimeter pattern, a gridlike search pattern, and a reference-point strategy were variably effective, indicating that different kinds of experience may result in different kinds of knowledge that are optimal for different spatial judgment tasks.…

Previous research indicates that social beliefs can act in a self-fulfilling manner, affecting responses to individuals and thereby constraining these individuals to behave in ways that spuriously confirm attitudes about them. The possible role of self-perception, i.e., whether targets of such self-fulfilling prophecies not only alter their…

A simulated jury deliberation with experienced and inexperienced jurors sampled from the jury population of Hennepin County, Minnesota, was investigated. The purpose was to assess the impact of recent reforms in evidentiary rules pertaining to the admissibility of prior sexual history evidence in rape trials. Specific questions included: (1)…

The effects of 80 second- through fifth-grade boys and girls of three types of adult commentary (anti-aggressive, nonaggressive, neutral), presented during a violent TV show, were examined and compared to a nonviolent control film group. Subjects' latency in seeking responsible adult assistance when witnessing "real" aggression among…

Explored elicited effects of changes in approval and disapproval behaviors on behaviors and perceived satisfaction of dating partners. Couples reported their perceptions of their behaviors. Disapproval elicited strong reciprocal behavior and dissatisfaction. Approval-eliciting effects occurred but were weaker. Male elicitors felt less satisfied…

The influence of expectations and hypothesis testing on subjects' use of particular types of evidence to estimate covariations was investigated. Results of the first study indicated that all subjects relied most on positive confirming evidence and did not over-utilize evidence that was consistent with expectations. Results of the second study…

Tested assumptions about behavioral cues that clients use to infer what helpers intend. Questions and acknowledgments were best predictors of client perceptions. Guiding was perceived more often than advisement actually occurred. Intention of communicating understanding of message shifted from reflection in the analogue to acknowledgment in the…