After a review of theoretical work on cognitive dissonance, the present study on Junior High School students is discussed. From the results, it is suggested that attitude change may result from a form of self-persuasion during the process of counterattitudinal role playing under certain experimental conditions. (Author/JB)

The hypothesis that a positive correlation exists between assumed student-instructor attitude similarity and attraction to the instructor was tested. (Author)

Research conducted by the author in South Africa confirms Pettigrew's findings that the acceptance by an individual of prejudicial attitudes is not a function of an underlying personality dimension, but merely the result of socially adaptive mechanisms. (Author)

Perceptual differences were investigated between 50 college students who were non-drug users and 50 hippies who used LSD. The major hypothesis predicted was that hippies would score differently from college students in a specific direction on each of the perceptual tasks. (Author)

A critical question investigated here is whether change in a person's judgment after exposure to judgments different from his own really implies an alteration in some relatively general aspect of the judging process. (Author/JB)

Studies test validity of the instruments used to measure intrinsic motivation. Compares behavioral and self-report measures among undergraduates of intrinsic task interest to momentary mood, long-term motivational orientation, and interest in competing activities. Finds the behavioral measure depends on how treatments affect interest in…

Discusses the research debate over the question whether intelligence diminishes as a function of birth order. Presents a study of Zimbabwean children confirming the general downward trend of intelligence as a function of birth order. Addresses the influence of family size. (DB)

Examines the effects of competence, self-determination, excitement, and affiliativeness on intrinsic motivation. Showed that maintainers of each experiential state had higher levels of intrinsic motivation than nonmaintainers, substantiating that experiential states function as maintaining stimuli to sustain intrinsic motivation. Suggests that…

Discusses the Attitude Functions Inventory (AFI), which assesses the extent to which a person's attitude fulfills each of four psychological functions. Reports findings of a study, involving 249 undergraduates, that tested the construct validity of the AFI. Suggests that the AFI provides conceptually meaningful measures of the functions of…

Attempts to replicate findings of previous research concerning sex differences in perceived locus of control among undergraduates in Antwerp, Belgium. Postulates the Rotter Scale does not measure the female perception of control and hypothesizes that female answers are determined by perceived socially acceptable answers. (NL)

Tests the egotism hypothesis for poor performance following insoluble problems, and investigates the contribution of egotistic mechanisms to performance in perceived group affiliation and helpless threat conditions. Reports that participants in the failure and group-affiliation conditions performed better than others. Observes that this supports…

Investigates the influence of societal factors on Western women's perceptions of their bodies. Finds that women typically underestimate their body size and want smaller bodies; two-fifths of women expressed negative feelings about their bodies; and that body satisfaction is best explained by societal influences, self-esteem and body mass index.…

Reports a study of the relationship between Type A behavior and self-reported stress among male and female Zimbabwean teachers. Teachers completed the Jenkins Activity Survey to measure behavior type and the Teacher Stress Inventory. Findings were consistent with traditional sex roles. (NL)

Tests self-serving attributional bias, attributing success to internal factors and failure to external factors among Blacks. With a sample of 35 Black and 35 White undergraduates, demonstrates this bias for both races. Finds Blacks attributed outcomes more to effort, whereas Whites attributed outcomes to task difficulty, a more stable factor. (DB)

Examined effects of personality and performance on reward allocation. Subjects were 89 Hong Kong senior high school students. Results showed that the subjects took into consideration the recipient's personality when they allocated reward to a relatively low performer. Personality was not a factor in allocation of reward to a high performer. (GG)