Charles I. Brooks

Effects of Duration of Eye Contact on Judgments of Personality Characteristics

Abstract American male (n = 60) and female (n = 60) college undergraduates were randomly assigned to 12 same-sex groups of 10 subjects each. The groups individually viewed one of six 60-s videotapes. The male or female model in the tape maintained eye contact with an alleged interviewer for a total of 5 s, 30 s, or 50 s. Thus, the design factorially combined gender of subject, gender of model, and duration of eye contact, with all comparisons between subjects. After viewing the tape, subjects rated the model on a series of bipolar adjectives designed to assess the perceived potency (e.g., strength, aggression, and leadership) of the model. The results consistently showed that as eye contact increased, the models were perceived as more potent. In addition, the models were judged to have higher grade point averages (GPAs) as their eye contact increased. The effects of gender (of both model and subject) were mostly nonsignificant, following no systematic pattern.

College Classroom Seating Position and Changes in Achievement Motivation over a Semester

College students in freshman courses were given an inventory measuring achievement motivation at the beginning of the semester and again at the end. Consistent with previous findings, achievement motivation scores at the beginning of the semester were higher for students sitting in the front third of the classroom than for those sitting in the back two-thirds. Their higher scores were maintained at the end of the semester. It was inferred that the personal traits in achievement motivation disposed these students to choose to sit in the front or back of a classroom.

Differences in Self-Esteem of College Freshmen as a Function of Classroom Seating-Row Preference

One hundred and twenty-four college freshmen were given the Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory. Scores were analyzed according to what seating row the student occupied in class. Results showed that scores on all 11 subscales of the inventory significantly declined as students sat in rows farther from the front of the room.

DIFFERENCES IN ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION OF COLLEGE BUSINESS MAJORS AS A FUNCTION OF YEAR IN COLLEGE AND CLASSROOM SEATING POSITION

58 college freshmen and 56 upperclass business majors were given a test of achievement motivation. When scores were analyzed by the row which the student occupied in class, achievement scores for freshmen declined as they sat in rows farther from the front of the room but were stable across rows for upperclass students.

The Effect of Duration of Eye Contact on American College Students' Attributions of State, Trait, and Test Anxiety.

Male and female US college students were randomly assigned to one of six groups, in which they viewed a 60-s videotape. The content of the tape was derived from the factorial combination of sex of model on the tape and duration of eye contact (5 s, 30 s or 50 s) maintained by the model with an interviewer. After viewing the tape, participants completed three inventories as they thought the model in the tape had viewed would. The inventories measured state, trait, and test anxiety. The results showed that, as eye contact maintained by the model increased, the model was judged to have less state anxiety, less trait anxiety, and less test anxiety. This effect was more pronounced for the female model than for the male model. The data extended previous experimental and correlational findings that, as eye contact increases, an individual is judged more positively. Also, the results show that these positive attributions are made with respect to both situational and dispositional personality characteristics.

Variations in Trait-Anxiety and Achievement Motivation of College Students as a Function of Classroom Seating Position

Abstract In Experiment 1, college undergraduates were given three tests measuring state, trait, and text anxiety. The test scores were then analyzed according to which row in the classroom the students chose to sit in. The results showed no relationship between seating position and state- and test-anxiety scores. Trait-anxiety scores, however, significantly increased beyond the front row. Experiment 2 measured achievement motivation of college freshmen prior to their taking a course. Achievement scores were highest for students who subsequently selected seats in the front third of the room at the beginning of the course. Overall, the results show that personality traits are related to seating choice and that such traits may actually cause a students choice.

Pepsi versus Coke: Labels, Not Tastes, Prevail

60 subjects tasted cola from two cups, one marked L, the other marked S. The same product (either Pepsi or Coke) was placed in both cups. Whether both cups contained Pepsi or Coke, subjects overwhelmingly reported cup S contained the better-tasting product. In Experiment 2, 30 subjects were asked their preference for either Pepsi or Coke. Then they drank from a Pepsi bottle (which contained Coke) and from a Coke bottle (which contained Pepsi). Subjects were significantly influenced by the label of the product they preferred and not by taste differences between these products. It was concluded that a taste comparison of colas should avoid using any labels, even presumably neutral ones like letters of the alphabet, since such labels may have more powerful influences on product comparisons than taste differences.

Anxiety and Confidence in Using a Library by College Freshmen and Seniors

The first study using a measure of library anxiety showed that 180 college freshmen have significantly higher scores than college seniors. A second study found that among freshmen students, those with high scores on Library Anxiety reported less confidence in using the library than those with low scores, even though the students were equal on several indices of academic ability and performance.

Effect of Ballot Color, Sex of Candidate, and Sex of College Students of Voting Age on Their Voting Behavior

College students were asked to vote for one of two hypothetical candidates for political office. Three studies examined the influence of color of ballot (pink or green), sex of candidate, and sex of voter. Men generally preferred a green ballot and women preferred pink. Also, men tended to vote for men, and women tended to vote for women. Color of ballot interacted with candidates sex in an unexpected way. For both male and female voters, the highest preference shown for a candidate was when the candidate was the same sex as the voter but whose platform was printed on the less favorable color.

Grades for Men and Women in College Courses Taught by Women

In a previous report (Brooks, 1987), women were found to receive higher grades than men in introductory statistics courses taught by a man. Our study extends this finding to courses in accounting and mathematics and to courses taught by women.