Judith E. Larkin

Gender and Risk in Public Performance

The scarcity of women as contestants on the nationally televised quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire provided the impetus to study gender and risk. In three simulated studies we investigated perception of risk and decision making about whether to engage in a televised public performance. Gender differences consistent with the risk assessment literature were found. Women considered going on the show to be more personally risky, were more concerned about doing poorly in public, and were less likely to risk entering their names. Results were discussed in terms of motivation to avoid negative social consequences. Implications of the findings for womens participation in public life are discussed.

The implicit theories approach to the self‐monitoring controversy

In the face of uncertainty and disagreement about the meaning and measurement of the self‐monitoring construct, the author proposes an implicit theories approach to shed light on what self‐monitoring scales may be tapping. The first study explored peoples notions of what high and low self‐monitors are like, based on the statements in the 18‐item Self‐Monitoring Scale (Gangestad and Snyder, 1985). The second study compared that measure with Lennox and Wolfes (1984) Revised Self‐Monitoring Scale and examined defensive motivation within the scales. The third study consisted of two experiments to determine whether subjects perceived the items of Gangestad and Snyders Self‐Monitoring Scale as reflecting a unitary latent entity or separate, contradictory variables. It was concluded that the implicit theories approach appears to be a useful complement to traditional factor analytic studies, providing new ways of looking at a personality construct, clarifying some theoretical issues, and generating hypotheses for future research.

Dual Outcomes of Psychology Assignments Perceived Learning and Feelings of Prideful Accomplishment

Two studies explored properties of psychology assignments from an atypical perspective: students’ own perceptions of what they learned and their emotional reactions to the assignments, specifically feelings of pride in their work. Study 1 showed that assignments vary in their likelihood of generating prideful accomplishment and identified three assignment properties related to this outcome: students’ expended effort, self-relevance to the student, and instructor recognition. Study 2 examined whether assignments that produced pride were also perceived by students as contributing to their learning. Although time and effort associated with pride was positively correlated with course academic performance, most assignments produced either enhanced perceived learning or a feeling of prideful accomplishment, but not both. Internal analysis of the data suggested that different types of assignments are necessary to achieve these dual outcomes.