Journal of Applied Social Psychology

Hassebrauck, Manfred

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1988.tb02350.xpmid: N/A

This study investigated the effects of first names on ratings of physical attractiveness and personality attributes. Pictures of female targets varying in physical attractiveness (low, medium, high) were assigned a desirable, neutral, or undesirable first name. In a control group, targets were presented without a first name. Both physical attractiveness ratings and ratings of personality attributes were influenced by targets' physical attractiveness irrespective of the assigned first name.

Winchie, Diana B.; Carment, David W.

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1988.tb02351.xpmid: N/A

A sample of 102 male East Indians intending to immigrate to Canada was compared on several personality and nonpersonality variables with a matched sample of 114 Indians who planned to remain in India. A mail questionnaire procedure was used. Discriminant analyses indicated that personality factors alone accounted for 27% of the variance and that inclusion of nonpersonality factors raised this to 38%. The most important variables separating the groups are occupational satisfaction, sensation seeking, interest in world news, and a locus‐of‐control component. The findings indicate the sizeable role of personality factors in the decision to migrate and illustrate the utility of a multifaceted approach in understanding complex phenomena such as migration.

Kendzierski, Deborah; Lamastro, Valerie Davis

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1988.tb02352.xpmid: N/A

Two studies demonstrated that subjective expected utility (SEU) theory predicted interest in, but not adherence to, a weightlifting exercise program. The studies also showed that attitudes were related to adherence for certain individuals. Specifically, attitudes toward not weightlifting were related to the number of days experienced subjects weightlifted. In addition, in Study 1, experienced subjects had more positive attitudes toward weightlifting and more negative attitudes toward not weightlifting than did inexperienced subjects, and the two groups differed on a number of underlying beliefs. Similarly, in Study 2, experienced subjects had more positive attitudes toward weightlifting and differed from inexperienced subjects on a number of underlying beliefs. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for several issues: the usefulness of SEU theory in the exercise domain; the importance of considering attitudes toward alternative courses of action (including inaction) when attempting to predict exercis–or any other–behavior; the need to distinguish between exercise adoption (initiation) and maintenance (adherence); and the importance of Beach's (1982, 1985) distinction between deasion making and decision implementation.

Powell, Jack L.

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1988.tb02353.xpmid: N/A

The knew‐it‐all‐along effect is investigated by comparing pre‐ and post‐election predictions of subjects concerning three electoral races in the November 1984 elections. The results revealed that when the outcomes of the predictions are known, subjects recall having assigned higher probabilities and percentages to the actual winners of each election, remember having more confidence in the accuracy of these percentages, and claim to have had more knowledge of the candidates than they had before the election. The results were consistent across all three elections and in both repeated‐measures and between‐pups designs, suggesting that the knew‐it‐all‐along effect is a very robust one. Two underlying processes are hypothesized to account for these results: the availability heuristic and an increase in confidence explanation.

Marks, Gary; Richardson, Jean L.; Lochner, L. Thomas; McGuigan, Kimberly A.; Levine, Alexandra

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1988.tb02354.xpmid: N/A

Heterosexual and gay physicians indicated their own attitudes on several issues related to the AIDS epidemic and attributed a position on each issue to the target group “most people.” The heterosexual physicians' attitudes were more negative than the gay physicians' attitudes. Both groups judged that “most people” hold attitudes more negative than their own. The distance between own and attributed position as much greater for the gay individuals. This distance effect was due primarily to differences in self‐ratings between the two groups. Own and attributed position correlated positively for each group of physiaans. Additionally, the tendency to assume similarity was marginally stronger for heterosexuals with high than low homophobia. Theoretical interpretation is presented.

Yarnold, Paul R.; Grimm, Laurence G.

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1988.tb02355.xpmid: N/A

This study further explores the relationship between interpersonal dominance and Type A behavior. Nine groups–each consisting of 2 male undergraduates of each A/B Type (extreme Types as assessed using the short student Jenkins Activity Survey)–partiapated in leaderless 15‐minute discussions. All subjects were highly interested in and knowledgeable about the discussion topic and all members of each group were in moderate conflict regarding it. Protocol analysis of the transcribed discussions provided 6 measures of interpersonal dominance (3 measuring “pro‐self,” self‐enhancing behaviors and 3 measuring “anti‐other,” other‐disenhancing behaviors), and 1 measure of acquiescence. As hypothesized, the results revealed that Type A behavior is positively related to pro‐self and anti‐other behavior. Differences between the results of this and an earlier study are discussed in the context of observational method (i.e., live ratings versus content analysis of transcriptions) and implications of these studies for Glass’ (1977) control theory of Pattern A responding are considered.

Howe, Edmund S.; Brandau, Cynthia J.

doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1988.tb02356.xpmid: N/A

The certainty and severity of punishment for crimes are commonly given credence as determinants of deterrence value, whereas celerity of punishment is not. Moreover, data are sparse and divided on the question of how certainty and severity components combine algebraically. Two experiments inspected the effects of certainty, severity and celerity of hypothetical punishments on judged deterrence value, and the form of their factorial combination. Judged deterrence scale values were obtained for eight hypothetical conditions of punishment for serious crimes. These conditions of punishment consisted of orthogonal combinations of two levels each of certainty, severity, and celerity and were administered to independent subjects. Strong effects of certainty and severity and moderate effects of celerity were found, and there were no interactions among the three variables. Thus, celerity is pertinent to judged deterrence value, and the three components of punishment clearly combine additively rather than multiplicatively. It is argued that despite the empirical results, certainty, severity, and celerity must, however, ultimately be showp to combine according to a multiplying rule. The Discussion centers largely on an analysis and justification for that argument.