Darhl M. Pedersen

DIMENSIONS OF PRIVACY

A factor analytic study proceeded in two phases to determine types of privacy. In Phase I 96 items were collected, administered to 166 people, and factor analyzed. For Phase II items were retained, revised, added, or deleted to form a condensed pool of 30 items of greater factorial purity. This revised questionnaire was given to 188 subjects and then factor analyzed. Six independent factors of privacy were obtained, and factor scales to measure them were developed consisting of five factor pure items per factor. The privacy factors identified were: Reserve, Isolation, Solitary, Intimacy with Family, Intimacy with Friends, and Anonymity.

PERSONALITY CORRELATES OF ACTUAL SELF-DISCLOSURE

A questionnaire which obtained actual self-disclosure about five topics—interests, personality, studies, body, and money—and instruments which measured seven personality traits were administered to 52 Ss. Seven self-disclosure scores were obtained from the questionnaire, one depth rating for each topic, a total depth score (sum of the five topic depth ratings), and an amount of disclosure score (count of words written in responding to all five topic areas). All self-disclosure measures were correlated with the personality variables for males and females separately and also with sex. No significant relationships were found between the personality variables and the measures of self-disclosure for females. However, data suggested that more emotionally unstable males tended to disclose more about their personality and their health and physical appearance than the stable males. Although no significant correlations were found between masculinity-femininity as a personality trait and the measures of actual disclosure, females tended to disclose more than males about all topics except “money.”

Effects of a competitive endurance training program on self-concept and peer approval.

Summary The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a cardiovascular fitness program on the self-concept and peer approval of seventh grade boys. Thirty-seven low self-esteem Ss were randomly divided into a control group (participated in no formal physical education activity) and an experimental group (participated in a special running training program). At the end of an 18 week training program the two groups were significantly different in cardiovascular endurance, indicating the efficacy of the experimental treatment. There was an increase in self-concept from pretest to posttest for the experimental group only. Neither group had a significant change in peer approval.

The Müller-Lyer Illusion among Navajos

Summary The hypothesis was tested that people within the same culture who live in a noncarpentered environment would be less susceptible to the Muller-Lyer illusion than those in a carpentered environment. Ten Navajo Ss who had lived at least the first six years of their lives in a Hogan—the traditional Navajo round house—and 10 Ss who had lived all of their lives in a rectangular house were tested on a Muller-Lyer apparatus. A significant difference between means was found: those in the curvilinear group were less susceptible to the Muller-Lyer illusion.

DEVELOPMENT OF A PERSONAL SPACE MEASURE

The development of a measure of simulated personal space, using standardized instructions, is described. Reliability and validity were assessed.

Developmental Trends in Personal Space

Personal space scores were obtained for 11 males and females in each of six elementary school grades toward four stimulus persons: man, woman, boy, girl. An analysis of variance with sex, grade, and stimulus person as the main effects produced significant sex, grade, sex × grade, and sex × stimulus person effects. Males had a larger personal space than females at all grades and for all stimulus persons. The mean for male third graders was significantly different from all other means for males and females. A larger personal space for males than for females established by the third grade tended to remain until the sixth grade, although personal space tended to decline for both sexes. A consistent downward trend in personal space for females reversed itself in the sixth grade when the personal space for females increased to approximately the same distance as for male sixth graders. The personal space of males and females toward men, women, and same sexed children tended to be at about the same level. However, personal space toward opposite sexed children tended to be smaller.

Personality Correlates of Privacy

Summary Personality correlates of privacy preferences for 70 undergraduates were obtained through use of a semantic differential measure of self-esteem and other-esteem and an inventory which assessed cycloid disposition, rhathymia, thinking introversion, and cooperativeness. Pearson product moment correlations indicated that privacy choices tended to be associated with personality characteristics. Subjects low in self-esteem were more likely to be reserved and to seek solitude and anonymity. Those who esteemed others less were more prone to seek solitude, intimacy with friends, and intimacy with family. Emotional stability was not associated with any type of privacy. Those who were happy-go-lucky tended to not select isolation, solitude, intimacy with family, and anonymity. Introspective individuals were likely to be reserved but less likely to choose isolation and intimacy with family. Finally, those tolerant of self and others tended to prefer anonymity.

Intrinsic-Extrinsic Factors in Sport Motivation:

Participants were 83 students (36 men and 47 women). 10 intrinsic-extrinsic factors involved in sport motivation were obtained. The factors were generated from items obtained from the participants rather than items from the experimenter. This was done to avoid the possible influence of preconceptions on the part of the experimenter regarding what the final dimensions may be. Obtained motivational factors were Social Reinforcement, Fringe Benefits, Fame and Fortune, External Forces, Proving Oneself, Social Benefits, Mental Enrichment, Expression of Self, Sense of Accomplishment, and Self-enhancement. Each factor was referred to an intrinsic-extrinsic dimension to describe its relative position on that dimension. The order of the factors as listed indicates increasing intrinsic motivation, i.e., the first four factors were rated in the extrinsic range, whereas the remaining six were rated to be in the intrinsic range. Next, the participants rated the extent to which each of the various factors was involved in their decision to participate in sport activities. The pattern of use of the motivational factors was the same for both sexes except that men indicated greater use of the Fringe Benefits factor. Overall, the more intrinsic a sport motivation factor was rated, the more likely it was to be rated as a factor in actual sport participation.

Sex Differences in Privacy Preferences

A Privacy Questionnaire was administered to 118 male and 142 female college students to determine differences in the patterns of privacy preferences between the sexes. The questionnaire contained factor scales for measuring six independent types of privacy. t-tests showed that the means for women were significantly higher than those for men in their preferences for Intimacy with Family and Intimacy with Friends. On the other hand, for Isolation the mean for men was significantly higher than that for women. There were no significant differences between the means for the two sexes on the remaining three dimensions, Reserve, Solitude, and Anonymity.

Personality and Classroom Seating

The prediction of actual selected seating location in a classroom from some personality characteristics of students was examined. 34 women and 16 men, enrolled in an undergraduate psychology class, were studied. Seat location in a traditional rectangular classroom was designated by depth as front, middle, and back. Personality traits were measured by the 18 scales of the California Psychological Inventory. A discriminant function analysis was used to identify personality variables related to classroom seat selection. Two discriminant functions were identified which led to 88% correct classification. The first one (discriminated between those sitting in the middle and the front) showed that those sitting in the middle exhibited adaptive personal and social behaviors, personal intellectual achievement, and responsiveness to the inner states of others. The second function (discriminated between front and back) suggested that students at the front tended to be externally oriented, controlling of self and others, accepting of self and others, and relatively intelligent.