Psychometric properties of the Hopelessness Scale for Children (HSC) were evaluated with 834 normal adolescents and 93 adolescent suicide attempters. Positive correlations with depression and depressive attributional style were found for the suicide attempter group. These and other results are discussed in terms of the utility of the HSC. (JW)

The most effective college presidents are those whose leadership styles are dominant, decisive, and when appropriate, autocratic. The president has to believe profoundly in the intrinsic value of the college. (Author/MSE)

Administered the Eating Inventory and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) to smoking subjects assigned to cigarette abstinence or to continued smoking. Found abstinent smokers with high Disinhibition Scale scores overate more than did nonabstinent smokers or abstinent smokers with lower scores when participating in a subsequent ice cream tasting…

A shortened version of Zaichkowsky's 20-item Personal Involvement Inventory was created, removing four items which might be difficult to understand for noncollege-educated populations. The 16-item modified version had acceptable internal consistency; test-retest reliability; and factorial and predictive validity. (Author/GDC)

Examined extent to which infant-mother attachment could be predicted by mother interactional variables and infant proneness to distress. Meta-analysis indicated that sensitive, responsive maternal interaction predicted the security of attachment in Ainsworth and Wittig's "strange situation." Proneness to distress, a temperamental variable,…

Focuses on role of interpersonal influence as a curative factor in group psychotherapy. Emphasizes that self awareness gained through self-observation and feedback about how one is perceived and experienced by others in group, promotes change. Describes interdependent and reciprocal ways in which participants influence one another and evoke…

Used sociometric rating procedure to classify third and fifth grade boys (N=64) as peer-rejected. Standardized teacher ratings classified students as aggressive. Significant portion of rejected students were rated as highly aggressive. Aggressive rejected groups were rated as exhibiting lower achievement motivation and higher levels of hostile…

Research suggests that under stressful conditions, relative contribution of such intrapersonal factors as personality traits, motivational dynamic factors, and transitory emotional states may become predominant in influencing achievement. When analyses are based on change scores rather than single-occasion measures, influence of emotional states…

Newborn status, ratings of temperament, and experiential (parenting) antecedents of hyperactivity were evaluated in a longitudinal investigation. Experiential variables included maternal intrusive care, seductive behavior towards child, and overstimulation of child. (PCB)

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…