Discusses the lack of reliable instruments for studying African American behavior and psychological functioning as a technical and philosophical flaw in Western psychology. Surveys the development of Africentric theory-based assessment instruments and presents the African Self-Consciousness Scale, a 42-item personalilty questionnaire designed to…

Among 433 high school seniors, 12 percent were determined to be either polydrug users or abusers. Comparisons between nonpolydrug users and polydrug users on family violence, personality traits, psychological characteristics, and behavior are given. (Author/BL)

Summarizes findings of many studies of personality characteristics and adult-child interaction patterns among the Ojibwa. Points out that most studies were undertaken by non-Indians, and many studies had serious methodological flaws and/or lacked coherent theory. Calls for research to contribute to theory and improve Ojibwa quality of life. (JHZ)

Personal attitudes toward social issues help people meet their needs either through benefits received from the attitude object or the attitude's expression. The personality, situational, and domain characteristics likely to influence the functional value of attitudes are discussed. Strategies for changing attitudes are briefly considered. (PS)

The cognitive style of 107 college juniors taking an education class at the University of Nebraska was measured using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Inquiry Mode Questionnaire, and the Conflict Mode Questionnaire. The subjects' evaluation of teacher's competency was measured by the Teaching Analysis of Students questionnaire. Generally,…

Black and White undergraduate students responded to audiotaped and written stimulus situations, assessing the aggressive, assertive, and nonassertive qualities of the role plays or descriptions: Blacks were found to view certain aspects of Black assertive responding as more aggressive than did Whites. The need for attention to Black-White…

College undergraduates (N=53) reporting use of a hallucinogenic mushroom (Psilocybe) were matched to nonusers. Hallucinogenic mushroom use by men was most associated with peers' mushroom use, whereas mushroom use by women was most associated with parental drug use, especially fathers' marijuana use. Personality measures were secondary in…

Compares public and private sector recruitment behavior in Malaysia, focusing on employers' perspectives of higher education's functions. The public sector values academic records, whereas private industry seeks workers with experience and good affective skills. Both sectors want universities to produce graduates with problem-solving abilities.…

Discusses a study of 403 White, middle-class college females and their fathers, who were given questionnaires assessing their own personalities and drug use. Results indicate that daughters who highly identified with their fathers had similar characteristics and suggest that paternal identificatory processes are as important for daughters as for…

Compared physically disabled and able-bodied college students on Erickson's epigenetic stages of life-span development, and Maslow's motivational needs hierarchy of personality development. The groups were more similar than dissimilar in ego development and needs level. College students with disabilities may be a select population because of their…

To counter schools' unwitting contribution to self-centeredness in American culture, this article advises teachers to study childrearing practices of certain primitive, nonviolent societies like the Mbuti, the Tassaday, and the !Kung. Alternative disciplinary techniques designed to shape students' personal strengths are suggested. Includes 18…

This study measures inmates' perceptions of conditions in a metropolitan detention center. Results indicate that educational programs can reduce the problems associated with crowded conditions. Correlation analyses indicated significant relationships between participation in educational programs and more positive feelings of inmates, along with a…

Explores the hypothesis that parenting practices of abusive mothers are characterized by (1) greater use of power-assertive strategies, (2) less flexible behavior with respect to child compliance attempts, (3) more inconsistent use of parenting techniques, and (4) diminished affective quality. (HOD)

Evaluates the effects of exercise on simple cognitive performance and on psychological well-being in persons over 50 years of age. It also assesses the relationship between a set of subject variables and dropout from fitness programs. Results suggest that the beneficial effects of exercise may extend to cognitive and personality processes.…

Techniques for constructing short forms of tests are discussed, and an example is given using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. Reliability and validity estimation equations are presented. (GDC)