Journal of Applied Social Psychology

Lemay, Edward P.; Pruchno, Rachel A.; Feild, Lucy

doi: 10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00106.xpmid: N/A

This research investigated accuracy, projection bias, and base‐rate utilization in spouses' perceptions of end‐stage renal disease patients' preferences for life‐sustaining medical treatment in hypothetical conditions of declining health. Multilevel models revealed that spouses' perceptions were largely biased, determined by their own preferences for the patients' treatment (projection bias) and by typical treatment preferences (base‐rate utilization). Both biases, however, served as indirect routes to a modest degree of accuracy. Moreover, spouses who overestimated patients' preferences for life‐sustaining treatment and who perceived patients' preferences as consistent with their own reported higher levels of marital adjustment than did those who were less biased. Results suggest that spouses' biases in judgments of patients' treatment preferences may promote accuracy and marital adjustment functionally.

Takaku, Seiji

doi: 10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00107.xpmid: N/A

Recent research (Takaku, 2001; Takaku, Weiner, & Ohbuchi, 2001) tested and supported the hypothesis that injured parties' motivation to forgive their wrongdoers could be enhanced through inducing hypocrisy‐dissonance by making the injured parties aware of their own past wrongdoing. The present study tested and supported the model's applicability to people's road‐rage experiences by showing that individuals who were aware of their own past reckless driving generated more hypocrisy‐induced dissonance, more positive attributions, and less negative emotional reactions than individuals who were not aware of their own past reckless driving. Implications for future research and possible applications of the model in reducing road rage are discussed.

Freeman, Naomi J.

doi: 10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00108.xpmid: N/A

The present study investigated whether defendants' socioeconomic status (SES) and jurors' beliefs in a just world affected punishment and blame decisions. The study's 273 participants completed the Just World Scale (Rubin & Peplau, 1975) and read a case scenario describing an aggravated murder. Participants rendered a verdict and answered questions concerning confidence, responsibility, and degree of guilt. Analyses partially supported the hypothesis. High believers in a just world were more likely to assign higher degrees of guilt and to sentence low SES defendants more severely than high SES or no SES information defendants.

Dunn, Kerri F.; Cowan, Gloria; Downs, Daniel

doi: 10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00109.xpmid: N/A

The present study examined college student mock jurors' judgments of legal insanity, outcome severity, and death‐penalty decisions in a filicide case. The sex and race of perpetrator (Black or White) and method of killing (shooting or smothering) were varied in a between‐subjects design. A 3‐way interaction was found for outcome severity, supporting Jones & Davis' (1965) attributional principle of stronger dispositional attributions for unexpected behaviors. As predicted, White women were judged more severely when they used a gun compared to when they smothered, whereas White men were judged more severely when they smothered compared to when they used a gun. The most severe judgments were made for Black male perpetrators who used a gun. Results are discussed in terms of sex and racial stereotypes.

Seltzer, Richard

doi: 10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00110.xpmid: N/A

This article describes different methodologies used to predict the likely disposition of jurors in order to guide the exercise of peremptory challenges. The actual use of these methodologies in 27 telephone surveys, 9 focus groups, and 2 studies of jurors after the case was decided is examined. It is concluded that the efficacy of scientific jury selection depends, in part, on the type of case.

Bromgard, Gregg; Stephan, Walter G.

doi: 10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00111.xpmid: N/A

This study examined affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses to members of a stigmatized group – homosexual men. Male participants were placed in a situation in which they anticipated interacting with a gray or a non‐stigmatized conversation partner. The topic of the impending conversation was either potentially threatening or non‐threatening. Participants in the gay conversation partner condition sat either farther away from the conversation partner (in the threat condition) or closer to the conversation partner (in the no‐threat condition) than they did from non‐stigmatized conversation partners. There were no differences in attitudes toward the conversation partner as a function of experimental condition. The results were interpreted in terms of predictions based on ambivalence‐amplification theory, aversive racism theory, and the integrated threat theory.

Ghorpade, Jai; Lackritz, Jim; Singh, Gangaram

doi: 10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00112.xpmid: N/A

We examine the demographic and personality correlates of the Protestant ethic and how it correlates with contemporary individual and social issues. Success is more prevalent among Christian fundamentalists, those who were born outside the United States, individualists, individuals who have a higher locus of control, and individuals who believe in a just world. Hard work is more prevalent among Asian Americans and Filipinos, women, those who have a higher internal locus of control, and those who believe in a just world. Our data show that success and hard work are correlated positively with hours worked, total hours worked, and liberalization of drug laws. No other study has examined these issues using a diverse ethno‐religious sample.

Ghorpade, Jai; Lackritz, Jim; Singh, Gangaram

doi: 10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00113.xpmid: N/A

Using a sample of 749 individuals, we examine the correlation of views of employee participation and higher order needs, altruism, pride in craftsmanship, and collectivism. Structural equation modeling (accounting for measurement errors) shows that views of employee participation are correlated positively with higher order needs, altruism, pride in craftsmanship, and collectivism. Our model also shows equivalency across 3 different age groups. Implications of our results for organizational practice and public policy are discussed.

Richardson, Deborah S.; Green, Laura R.

doi: 10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00114.xpmid: N/A

The studies reported in this paper examined the effect of social context—target gender and target relationship—on reports of direct and indirect aggression. In Study 1, participants completed the Richardson Conflict Response Questionnaire (RCRQ; Richardson & Green, 2003), which measured their direct and indirect aggression behavior in response to anger. Participants also selected a relationship partner to complete the RCRQ with reference to their own (i.e., participants') behavior. In Study 2, participants completed the RCRQ with reference to their behavior in response to anger with a romantic partner, a same‐sex friend, and an opposite‐sex friend. In both studies, relationship with aggression target was an important determinant of aggression, with more direct aggression occurring in romantic relationships, and more indirect aggression occurring in friendship relationships.

Brown, Theresa J.; Sumner, Kenneth E.

doi: 10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00115.xpmid: N/A

Aggressiveness and sanctioning ratings made by 360 undergraduates to scenarios of workplace aggression suggest that aggressor gender, occupational status of aggressor relative to the target of aggression, and type of aggression content (i.e., hostility, obstructionism, or overt) affected these ratings. The results support hypothesized main effects for aggression content and aggressor gender, and also a significant interaction between occupational status and aggressor gender. However, the results failed to confirm hypotheses that perceiver variables (e.g., trait aggression) would add significantly to the prediction of either aggressiveness ratings or sanctioning ratings. Implications for policy formation to manage aggressive individuals in organizations are discussed.