James B. Stiff

Communication and empathy as precursors to burnout among human service workers

This research considers the role of communicative responsiveness, empathic concern, and emotional contagion as precursors to burnout among human service workers. Theory and research drawn from the areas of stress and burnout, empathy, and patient‐doctor communication are used to formulate a causal model of the burnout process. The model is tested with data from employees at a large psychiatric hospital. The results indicate that empathic concern leads to communicative responsiveness but that emotional contagion decreases responsiveness. Communicative responsiveness, in turn, leads to the prediction of three dimensions of burnout and occupational commitment. The implications of the model for theory and practice are discussed.

Empathy, communication, and prosocial behavior

Two studies were conducted to examine the relationships among different dimensions of empathy, communication, and prosocial behavior. Study one provides a test of three models hypothesized to explain this process. Results of this study indicated support for altruism as a motivator of prosocial behavior and suggest that the egoism and dual‐process models are unlikely explanations. Study two was conducted in hopes of identifying additional support for the model that emerged from study one. The second study fully replicated the findings of the first study. Results from both studies suggest that prosocial behavior is motivated primarily by concern for others. Moreover, emotional reactions to the perceived distress of others are preceded by a concern for others. Together, these findings strongly support an altruistic interpretation of prosocial behavior and suggest that the egoistic model be reformulated.

Truth Biases and Aroused Suspicion in Relational Deception

Relatively stable perceptions of truthfulness tend to develop in relationships, although situations may arise causing partners to become suspicious of one another. The truth bias that grows as relationships develop was conceptualized as a cognitive heuristic for judging a partners veracity. This study of relational partners investigates the influence of the truth bias and aroused suspicion on judgments of truthfulness. Using a 2 × 2 × 2 experimental design, one partner was assigned the role of interviewee who responded either truthfully or deceptively to questions about his or her emotional reactions to a pair of film clips. The other partner was assigned to the role of an interviewer who was either suspicious or not suspicious and made judgments about his or her partners veracity. Findings were consistent with the truth bias hypothesis. Partners in well-developed relationships demonstrated a strong truth bias, resulting in greater judgments of truthfulness and (somewhat) lower detection accuracy. Suspicion aroused by a third party served to offset this heuristic and lead to greater judgments of deceptiveness. The implications of these findings for research on social cognition and deceptive communication are discussed.

Cognitive processing of persuasive message cues: A meta‐analytic review of the effects of supporting information on attitudes

This investigation reviews recent theoretical developments on the effects of source and message cues in persuasion. The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Petty and Cacioppo (1981) is analyzed and limitations of the model are identified. Kahnemans (1973) Elastic Capacity Model is offered as a more comprehensive model. Consistent with the Kahneman model, predictions concerning the moderating effect of involvement on the effectiveness of central message and peripheral source cues are offered. A meta‐analytic review of studies of the effects of supporting information on attitudes provided support for these predictions. Specifically, there was a positive linear relationship between the level of message recipient involvement and the effect of central message cues on attitudes. In addition, there was a curvilinear relationship between involvement and the effect of source credibility on attitudes: As involvement increased, the effect of source credibility on attitudes increased up to a point, beyond which further ...

Predictors of Horror Film Attendance and Appeal An Analysis of the Audience for Frightening Films

A survey was conducted to determine the antecedents of the exposure to and appeal of horror films. Audience members leaving the theater after viewing Halloween II were interviewed using a questionnaire that contained measures of specific reasons for liking horror films as well as measures of several individual-difference variables. A model emerged from structural equation analysis indicating that three important factors in the appeal of horror films are (a) the audiences desire to experience the satisfying resolutions usually provided in these films, (b) the audiences desire to see the destruction often found in these films, and (c) the sensation-seeking personality traits of audience members for these films. In addition, age and gender were important predictors. Horror films were enjoyed more by males and by younger viewers.

Reacting to Graphic Horror A Model of Empathy and Emotional Behavior

A study of viewer responses to film clips containing scenes of graphic horror was designed to evaluate the effect of empathy upon emotional reactions. Prior to viewing, subjects completed questionnaires measuring dimensions of empathy, including wandering imagination, fictional involvement, humanistic orientation, and emotional contagion. Several weeks later, subjects were exposed to movie clips containing graphic scenes of horror. During exposure, measures of skin temperature were obtained as an indicator of physiological response. Immediately following exposure, subjects filled out a questionnaire measuring emotional and behavioral responses. The data were subjected to path analysis in order to test a model relating dimensions of empathy to emotional and behavioral responses. The results indicate that empathy is a critical variable for consideration in research on emotional reactions to graphic horror.

Testing three models for the sleeper effect

For forty years scholars have disagreed about the long term effect a low credible source has on the attitude change of message recipients (the “sleeper” effect). Some have suggested that in the long term a low credible source may actually attain greater attitude change in message recipients than a high credible source (Watts and Holt, 1979; Watts and McGuire, 1975). This review uses meta‐analysis to test three models that have been suggested by researchers. Our analysis concludes that the sleeper effect does exist. The review offers suggestions for practitioners and theorists.

Learning about AIDS and HIV Transmission in College-Age Students

Byrnes (1977) model of emotional reactions to sexual stimuli and Hereks (1988) conceptualization of attitudes toward gay men and lesbians provided the framework for studying the effects of such attitudes on adolescent learning about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. A pretest-posttest control-group design was used to test several hypotheses concerning the effectiveness of an educational presentation and the influence of extreme attitudes toward gay men and lesbians on learning and retention of information. Findings indicated that the educational presentation produced significant increases in knowledge about AIDS and HIV transmission. Further analyses indicated there was very little forgetting of this information. Consistent with our hypotheses, students with extreme positive attitudes toward gay men and lesbians learned more about AIDS than those with extreme negative attitudes. Practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

EFFECT OF CUE INCONGRUENCE AND SOCIAL NORMATIVE INFLUENCES ON INDIVIDUAL JUDGMENTS OF HONESTY AND DECEIT

Abstract This study investigated the relative importance of verbal, nonverbal, and social normative information in judgments of honesty and deceit. Under conditions of verbal and nonverbal cue incongruence, respondents were expected to rely on normative information to make their decisions. A specific effect coded model was developed to test this hypothesis. Although the data were generally consistent with this hypothesized model, judgments in two of the six critical conditions were inconsistent with predictions. As a whole, the data offer strong support for the nonverbal cue primacy explanation and no support for the social‐normative explanation. Suggestions for future research are offered.