Lawrence S. Wrightsman

Gender-Role Conflict Scale: College Men's Fear of Femininity.

Gender-role conflict exists when gender roles have negative consequences for people. This research reports initial validity and reliability data on measures of gender-role conflict for men. Two measures, Gender Role Conflict Scale I and II (GRCS-I and GRCS-II) were constructed to assess patterns of gender-role conflict described in the literature. GRCS-I assesses mens personal gender-role attitudes, behaviors, and conflicts. GRCS-II assesses mens gender-role conflicts in specific gender-role conflict situations. Both GRCS measures and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) were administered to male college students (N=527). Initial factor-analytic data for GRCS-I and GRCS-II demonstrated eight meaningful factors. Acceptable test-retest and internal consistency reliabilities were found for both measures. MANOVA, ANOVA, and Tukey procedures indicated differences for subjects across the four PAQ categories. Significant gender-role conflict differences across the factors were found for men who were instrumental, expressive, or both instrumental and expressive. Results of these differences are reported, as well as implications for future development of both scales.

CHAPTER 1 – Criteria for Scale Selection and Evaluation

The original idea for this handbook of attitude and personality measures came from Robert Lane, a political scientist at Yale University. Like most social scientists, Lane found it difficult to keep up with the proliferation of social attitude measures. In the summer of 1958, he attempted to pull together a broad range of scales that would be of interest to researchers in the field of political behavior. Subsequently, this work was continued and expanded at the Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan under the general direction of Philip Converse, with support from a grant by the National Institute of Mental

Measurement of Philosophies of Human Nature

Philosophies of human nature were conceptualized as possessing six bi-polar components: Trustworthiness, Altruism, Independence, Strength of Will and Rationality, Complexity, and Variability. Likert-type items were written to measure each component. After two item analyses, a final form of the scale, including 14 items on each of six subscales, was assembled. The subscales appear to have adequate internal consistency and strong consistency over time. As hypothesized, the first four components were intercorrelated to a modest degree, and these were independent of the last two components. Predictions relating the scale to sex differences, self-ideal discrepancies, religious differences, and evaluations of ones instructor were borne out.

The construction and validation of a juror bias scale

Abstract A questionnaire was constructed to measure individual differences in pretrial bias among jurors. The final Likert scale, called the Juror Bias Scale (JBS), contains 17 items—8 that reflect pretrial expectancies that defendants, in general, commit the crimes with which they are charged and 9 that reflect the value attached to conviction and punishment. The scale is internally consistent and test-retest reliable. Scores are uncorrelated with social desirability, moderately correlated with I-E control and belief in a just world, and more highly correlated with authoritarianism. In one validation experiment, student jurors were exposed to three trial presentations in a laboratory setting. Overall, subjects classified as prosecution biased were more conviction prone and adopted a less stringent standard of reasonable doubt. In a second study, community jurors watched one of two videotaped mock trials in a courtroom. Prosecution-biased subjects asserted a higher probability that the defendent committed the crime and rendered a higher percentage of guilty verdicts than defense-biased subjects for one of the two trials. JBS scores were unrelated to all demographic variables, but were significantly correlated with political views. The potential uses and limitations of the JBS are discussed.

Continuing Concerns in Cross-Cultural Ethics: A Report

Abstract The establishment of a set of trans-cultural, decentric guidelines for research is consistent with the responsibility of psychology to protect the rights of both subject and scientist. Developing professional guidelines that comport with scientific and social values and are conducive to the growth of ideas and knowledge is essential (Reynolds, 1972). In the deployment of research, the psychologist seeks techniques which balance risks against benefits and burdens. Such activity has been described as the “heart of rationality, the essence of scientific method, and the meaning of intellectual integrity” (Kaufman, 1973, p. 2).

A Comparison of Two Methods of Attitude Measurement: Likert-Type and Forced Choice

THE traditional method of attitude measurement has been to ask subjects to indicate their agreement or disagreement with statements which reflect their attitude toward some psychological object. These statements usually are selected from a larger pool of statements through the use of a scaling or rating technique. Although the subject’s response to the statements is generally assumed to be a true representation of his attitude, there is no assurance that his response actually does represent his attitude accurately. In this traditional type of attitude measurement the responses may be subject to many types of bias since no major attempt is made to control bias. Bias in attitude measurement is defined as any response to a statement that is a result of something other than agreement or disagreement with the statement itself; thus, it may take the form of deliberate faking, response set, or simple inaccurate estimation of one’s own opinions. The issue of whether the subject’s response to statements represents his true attitude is particularly crucial for the research area

Effects of Victim Gaze Behavior and Prior Relationship on Rape Culpability Attributions

A rape victims gaze behavior when identifying a defendant and the prior relationship between victim and defendant were examined for their effects on rape culpability attributions. The victims gaze behavior and prior relationship intimacy independently influenced culpability attributions. In comparison with a victim who used gaze maintenance or natural gaze behavior, a rape victims gaze avoidance was perceived as indicative of less truthfulness rather than emotional upset. Evidence for discounting the defendants culpability was found when relationship intimacy existed. The findings have implications for introduction of expert testimony on postrape behavior and trauma, and discounting of the defendants culpability with relationship intimacy is examined.

Relation of Repression-Sensitization to Philosophies of Human Nature

150 males and 45 females were administered the Philosophy of Human Nature (PHN) Scale and the Repression-Sensitization (R-S) Scale. Sex differences were found on the PHN subscales, and the two sexes were treated separately. Both male and female sensitizers believed human nature to be more negative than did repressers, but female sensitizers presented a more selective negative view on the subscales associated with the positive vs negative view of human nature. No relationship was found in either sex between the R-S dimension and the beliefs about the extent of complexity or variability present in human nature.

Undergraduate Education in Legal Psychology

The purpose of this article is to describe ways that legal psychology can be introduced into the undergraduate curriculum. The extent to which undergraduate “psychology and law” courses are currently a part of the curriculum is described, and a model is proposed for coursework in a Psychology Department that might adequately reflect coverage of the legal area. The role of legal psychology in interdisciplinary programs and Criminal Justice departments is discussed. Sources for teaching aids and curricular materials are described.

REACTIONS TO THE PRESIDENT'S ASSASSINATION AND CHANGES IN PHILOSOPHIES OF HUMAN NATURE

30 college students who had answered the Philosophies of Human Nature Scale 14 mo. earlier retook the scale, along with a questionnaire assessing reactions to the Presidents death. Those Ss who agreed with Kennedys policies and who felt a “great personal loss” showed less favorable views of human nature at the time of the post-assassination testing. Those less in agreement and less concerned showed no such change. Followup testing 3 mo. after the first retesting indicated that the disillusionment with human nature was apparently a temporary one.