John S. Gillis

Effects of Life Stress and Dysphoria on Complex Judgments

A sparse literature concerning the effects of stress on judgment and decision making has produced two tentative conclusions: (1) stress impairs judgment and (2) such impairment is often the result of the narrowing of a judges focus of attention. While evidence supportive of these propositions exists, there have also been contradictory findings. This investigation attempted to address both of these issues. 98 undergraduate students completed a complex multiple-cue judgment task and were also assessed as to (a) their exposure to two potential sources of stress (life events and irrational thinking) and (b) the amount of personal dysphoria they were experiencing. Two indices of subjective distress, depression and state anxiety, were significantly related to poor judgmental performance. None of several indices of potential stressors confirmed a relationship, which suggests that possible external sources of stress do not negatively affect judgment unless they generate subjective distress at the time judgments are made. There was no support for the “narrowing” hypothesis.

The judgment of rapport: A cross-cultural comparison between Americans and Greeks

Interpersonal perception was examined cross-culturally by having samples of Greek and American subjects view and judge the level of rapport throughout the same series of 50 dyadic interactions recorded in America. The overall pattern of results showed that: (a) the judgment policies and accuracy of the Greek and American samples were remarkably similar; (b) both groups fell far short of the agreement level possible for this task; and (c) the low levels of achievement were a consequence of both groups giving insufficient weight to valid behavioral predictors of rapport while relying on the apparently compelling but invalid cues, smiling and expressivity. Both the Greeks and Americans, it appears, have widely shared implicit theories or policies regarding which observable (i.e., nonverbal) aspects of an interaction indicate its positivity; these implicit policies are remarkably similar and they are imperfect.

THE LENS MODEL: COMPUTATIONAL PROCEDURES AND APPLICATIONS

This paper is a general introduction to the lens model, written primarily for individuals in a variety of applied areas (Clinical Psychology, Nursing, Public Administration, Clinical Pharmacology, and Education). First the background issues of Social Judgment Theory, bivariate and multivariate regression are discussed; then the actual experimental procedures and analyses are demonstrated. Finally there is a brief discussion of the application of the model to the study of conflict resolution and interpersonal learning.

An analysis of drug decisions in a state psychiatric hospital

Sixteen staff physicians at a state psychiatric hospital made decisions that concerned appropriate medication for 40 hypothetical cases. A profile presented for each case described the patients status on eight symptom dimensions. The physician-judges examined each profile and specified appropriate drugs and dose levels for the case. Agreement among judges and their prescriptive policies were studied, as well as the manner in which symptoms were weighted in specific drug decisions. While agreement was above chance levels, it was generally very low. Differences in prescriptive choice were traceable to inconsistency in the use of symptom information and individual variations in prescriptive policies because cue (symptom) weighting strategies of judges were dissimilar and sometimes contradictory.

Personality Correlates of Accuracy in a Social Perception Task

This study examined which aspects of personality were related to accuracy of social judgments. 45 individuals assessed rapport in a series of videotaped dyadic interactions and completed an extensive battery of personality measures. While judges were differentially successful at the task, no significant correlates of accuracy emerged.

An experimental study of the effectiveness of attitude change techniques for enhancing self-esteem.

A frequent goal in psychotherapy is the modification of low self-esteem. While such modification is accomplished most often in an indirect manner, it is possible to apply attitude change techniques directly to this purpose. In this study, 36 college students who had scored poorly on a standardized measure of self-esteem were exposed to a videotaped counter-attitudinal message under conditions of either high or low credibility; controls did not view the videotape. Results were consistent across several esteem measures and demonstrated significant positive changes in esteem for Ss exposed to the high credibility communication. The possibilities of adapting attitude change techniques to psychotherapy are considered.

DEPRESSED MOOD AND SOCIAL PERCEPTION: A CROSS-CULTURAL REPLICATION '

For 49 Greek students rs of depression and accuracy of tracking the negative partner in a videotaped dyad replicated U.S. results.

Stress, anxiety, and cognitive buffering.

Cognitive theories of psychopathology and therapy maintain that attitudes and beliefs mediate ones affective responses to life events. Anxiety and depression are thus consequences, not of an individuals circumstances, but of the distorted, irrational perspective from which these are viewed. Similarly, although less often considered, adaptive cognitions should serve as buffers against stressful life events. This proposition has received little attention, and the single study that attempted to address it directly failed to do so. The present investigation sought to reassess the buffering hypothesis. Ninety-seven subjects were evaluated as to (1) the levels of stress they had experienced in the recent past; (2) their current feelings of anxiety and depression; and (3) the extent to which they endorsed illogical, unrealistic attitudes. Dysfunctional attitudes demonstrated strong direct relations with psychological distress. Two of the several indices of life stress, total and negative scores on the Life Experiences Survey, also correlated with distress. There was no significant interaction between the attitude and stress measures. Cognitions, at least on the functional-dysfunctional dimension, did not moderate the impact of life events. Rather, both attitudes and life stresses were strong independent variables that, in additive fashion, provided considerable power for predicting distress.

RISK FACTORS FOR DRUG ABUSE IN PAKISTAN: A REPLICATION

While a number of risk factors have been identified for drug abuse in the United States, little evidence is available about such factors in some other countries. Among these latter is Pakistan, a nation in which heroin addiction is a major problem. The present study was done to examine those psychosocial characteristics which differentiated 60 heroin addicts from 60 nondrug-using controls in Pakistan. Most of the drug-abuse factors identified earlier were significant in Pakistan as well. Applying cut-off scores previously established for each of 9 variables, the relationship between drug status and number of factors at risk was also examined. Over 98% of the addicts were at risk for five or more factors; only 15% of controls were at risk for 5 variables and none exceeded 5. Precursors for abuse appear to cut across cultural lines. The high-risk individual in Pakistan, as in the United States, is one with ready access to drugs and the social inducements to use them while lacking bonds with societal institutions or value systems which might mitigate against drug use. Because several of the risk factors represent deep and long-standing aspects of the addicts personality, both prevention and treatment confront formidable difficulties.

Effects of depressed mood on social perception.

6 more depressed scoring undergraduates rated perceived rapport more accurately but lower than 39 nondepressed students and tracked a negative partner more than a positive one, suggesting affect in social perception must be studied carefully.