In three experiments we studied lay observers' attributions of responsibility for an antisocial act (homicide). We systematically varied both the degree to which the action was coerced by external circumstances and the degree to which the actor endorsed and accepted ownership of the act, a psychological state that philosophers have termed…

Part of this research was presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association convention (Chicago, 1967).

Reports on a study testing the assumption that communication apprehension is a stable trait not influenced by situational factors. Results indicate that communication apprehension scores are determined by situation, in this case anticipated speech performance, raising questions concerning the use of state-trait distinction in speech anxiety…

Test anxiety is of particular significance in education in light of its debilitative effect on test scores and the implications and longranged effects of test results on the individual lives of the school children. This research is concerned with test anxiety of children under different test conditions. Subjects were 4th and 6th grade students who…

Jones and Nisbett (1972) hypothesize that actors attribute their actions to situational requirements whereas observers attribute the same actions to personal dispositions. This hypothesis is critically examined and a reconceptualization is proposed. (Editor/RK)

This study investigated the effects on prejudice of either a cooperative or competitive strategy adopted by either a white or black partner. The results were considered in relation to the general effect of competition and cooperation in society. (Author)

Study is an initial effort at determining the sequence and developmental level at which children first use a variety of situational variables in making decisions concerning the appropriateness of various types of aggressive responses. (Authors)

It was hypothesized that similar testing situations would reveal consistent behavior in 20 preschoolers. No significant correlations were found when the intersession interval was three to four days, but significant correlations were noted when the interval was 12 to 14 days, apparently due to perceived novelty of the second situation. (RL)

Recent approaches to research on moral development have considered the preeminence of situational factors in moral development and moral behavior. An open systems approach emphasizes the interactive effects of person and situation variables on moral decision-making. The interactive effects of three sets of variables on moral decision-making were…

The effects of feedback letters sent to students thanking them for their course ratings were examined in two experiments. In the first study, students who initially rated the course highly were not affected by the feedback letters. However, after being exposed to poor instructional materials (an inadequately prepared study guide), students who…