This research was a direct test of the hypothesis that value change as a result of self-confrontation is unidirectional--that is, possible only in a direction that serves to maintain and enhance self-esteem, and thus is consistent with self-conceptions. The effectiveness of a self-confrontation treatment designed to increase the importance of the…

College students with difficulty falling asleep were treated with either progressive relaxation, systematic desensitization, or a thought control procedure. All three treatment groups showed significant lower latency to sleep onset times than a waiting-list control group at the end of the three-week treatment period. A three-week followup revealed…

A perceiver's knowledge of a target person (T) can be seen as active, initiatory cognitive structures or conceptual schemas that guide and influence: (1) information processing about T; (2) search for and interpretation of new information about T; (3) remembrance and interpretation of previously-learned information about T; (4) social interaction…

A research-based model is presented that accounts for major patterns of adaptive and maladaptive behavior in terms of underlying psychological processes. It is postulated that as individuals' self-attributes are translated into allied goals, these goals generate corresponding behavior patterns. (SLD)

Three environmental elements--messages, events, and perceived consequences of choices--cause varying amounts of stress on an individual and affect his capacity to deal with his environment. There is a nonmonotonic relationship between environmental pressures ("event press") and persuasibility in that the number and importance of…

This paper discusses George Kelly's theories concerning ways that individuals build personal constructs of reality to interpret their experiences and illustrates how these theories could apply to science education. Teachers should encourage students to express their personal constructs; views of students and teachers should be respected. (PP)