Journal of Applied Social Psychology

Gamliel, Eyal

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00180.xpmid: N/A

Two experiments examined the effect of framing on attitudes toward an affirmative‐action program of preferential treatment. Participants' attitudes were consistently more favorable toward the affirmative‐action program presented in a positive frame—preferring a target group's applicant over a majority group's applicant—than when the very same program was presented in a negative frame—rejecting the majority group's applicant in favor of the target group's applicant. Similar effects were evident for 3 target groups in the context of higher education selection and personnel selection. Two theoretical explanations for the effect of framing on attitudes toward affirmative‐action programs are suggested. The implications of this effect are discussed, and the challenges facing future research of this phenomenon are outlined.

Weyant, James M.

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00181.xpmid: N/A

As a test of the hypothesis that perspective taking reduces stereotyping of individuals who speak English as a second language, 160 college students participated in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment. Participants heard an audio recording of either a native or non‐native speaker of English. Then, they wrote a paragraph about the speaker either with instructions to take the speaker's perspective or with no perspective‐taking instructions. Finally, they rated the speaker on characteristics related to ability and accomplishment. Overall, the participants rated the native speaker of English more highly than the non‐native speaker. However, supporting the hypothesis, participants instructed to take the perspective of the non‐native speaker rated her more highly than did participants not instructed to take her perspective.

Isbell, Linda M.; Tyler, James M.; DeLorenzo, Allyson

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00182.xpmid: N/A

This study investigated the extent to which women disregard inadmissible evidence in a simulated rape case as a function of when they receive a judge's global legal instructions concerning presumption of innocence, burden of proof, reasonable doubt, and inadmissible evidence. We hypothesized that participants would be more likely to disregard incriminating inadmissible evidence when the instructions were given before rather than after the trial. Participants listened to audiotaped excerpts from a rape trial. They were given pretrial, predeliberation, or both sets of instructions; and received admissible or inadmissible avidence or no prior rape testimony, after which they made judgments. The results supported hypothesis that pretrial instructions are more effective than predeliberation instructions in allowing participants to disregard inadmissible evidence. One cannot unring a bell; after the thrust of a saber, it is difficult to say forget the wound; and finally, if you throw a skunk into the jury box, you can't instruct the jury not to smell it (, 1962, p. 886).

Juvonen, Jaana; Martino, Steven C.; Ellickson, Phyllis L.; Longshore, Douglas

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00183.xpmid: N/A

We examined the effects of perceived prevalence of drug use among same‐age peers on adolescents’ subsequent drug use. In 7th grade, participants estimated prevalence of alcohol and marijuana use among 7th‐grade students in their school, reported own use of these drugs, receipt of offers to use these drugs, and frequency of contact with peers who use these drugs. In 8th grade, participants reported their frequency of alcohol and marijuana use. Although perceived prevalence of drug use predicted subsequent alcohol and marijuana use when controlling for actual prevalence, these effects disappeared once participants’ prior levels of drug use and proximal peer contacts were considered. Implications of findings for intervention programs aiming solely to increase accuracy of perceived prevalence estimates are discussed.

Rhodes, Ryan E.; Blanchard, Chris M.

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00184.xpmid: N/A

The study's purpose was to examine the measurement domain of confidence items used in physical activity research. We hypothesized that confidence items, including a phrase to hold motivation constant, would differ from standard confidence items. Participants (N = 248 students) completed confidence items, a thought‐listing procedure, and a 2‐week self‐report of physical activity. Results showed that confidence items with motivation held constant loaded exclusively on one factor, but standard confidence items were factor complex with intention. Correlations with physical activity intention and behavior were larger for confidence items than confidence items with motivation held constant. Finally, the thought‐listing procedure identified that 3 of the 7 reasons for answering confidence items were outside the intended measurement domain of self‐efficacy.

Conley, Terri D.; Ghavami, Negin; VonOhlen, Jill; Foulkes, Phyllis

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00185.xpmid: N/A

We examined the global and domain‐specific self‐esteem of students who are emotionally disturbed, students who are learning disabled, and students who are in regular education classrooms. Students who were emotionally disturbed or learning disabled had lower global self‐esteem than did students in regular education classes. The specific domains in which students in special education felt that they were less competent than students in regular education included social skills, leadership skills, and academics. However, the 2 groups of students in special education did not differ from one another. No differences emerged between the groups on a measure of self‐esteem that is less subject to social desirability concerns. Implications of this research for education are discussed.

Palmer, Emma J.; Gough, Kirsty

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00186.xpmid: N/A

This study examined the relationships between childhood experiences of parenting and causal attributions for criminal behavior among offenders against the person, property offenders, and non‐offenders. Analysis showed that non‐offenders perceived their fathers to be warmer and more overprotecting than did person offenders. Person offenders perceived their mothers to be less warm than did property offenders and non‐offenders, and less overprotecting than non‐offenders. Mothers were perceived to be more overprotecting and warmer than fathers by all 3 groups. All 3 samples viewed a range of explanations to be important in explaining criminal behavior. No significant associations were revealed between perceptions of parenting and causal attributions for crime. Group membership was predicted by home area crime level and perceived parental emotional warmth.

Li, Shu; Liang, Zhu‐Yuan

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00187.xpmid: N/A

Kahneman & Tversky (1982) demonstrated that actions are regretted more than inactions. It was conjectured that (a) when action shared the same closeness as inaction but was neither to approach nor to retreat the desired outcome, the action was seen as futile so that it would evoke stronger reactions of regret; and (b) closeness moderated the effect of action such that the effect was stronger when the acting target was closer to a good outcome, but weaker when the acting target was further away from a good outcome. A total of 5 regret‐triggering problems were presented to 150 undergraduates who rated actors' intensity of regret. The findings support that closeness is the moderator of the increased regret effect.

Townsend, Loraine; Dawes, Andrew

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00188.xpmid: N/A

HIV/AIDS has added an unparalleled number of children to South Africa's orphan population. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to investigate the decision‐making processes of potential substitute caregivers of children orphaned by AIDS. Existing foster and adoptive parents (n = 175) completed a self‐report postal survey. Of the sample, 76.0% reported willingness to care for an HIV‐negative child and 62.2% an HIV‐positive child. Analyses of the theory's components reveal contradictory and disappointing results. While the theory is most useful in conceptualizing the factors that bear on fostering and adoption, the current study suggests that the TPB is limited in its ability to address the complexity of decisions that attend fostering and adoption of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

Benyamini, Yael; Raz, Olga

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00189.xpmid: N/A

Weight loss is difficult to achieve and predict. We used Carver & Scheier's (1998) self‐regulation theory to investigate the role of dispositional and situated optimism in weight loss following a group intervention. The theory proposes that dispositional optimism is related to persistence in goal pursuit as a result of greater confidence in goal attainment. Findings showed that situated optimism (higher goals, greater confidence in their attainment) predicted greater weight loss; whereas dispositional optimism, perceptions of controllability, timeline, and consequences of the weight problem were unrelated to weight loss. Changes in situated optimism following the intervention were related to weight‐loss success/failure. The findings suggest that people possess quite accurate knowledge of their chances of success, which could be used to tailor interventions to participants.