Melvin L. Snyder

Avoidance of the handicapped: an attributional ambiguity analysis.

We demonstrated a general strategy for detecting motives that people wish to conceal. The strategy consists of having people choose between two alternatives, one of which happens to satisfy the motive. By counterbalancing which one does so, it is possible to distill the motive by examining the pattern of choices that people make. The motive used in the demonstration is the desire we believe most people have to avoid the physically handicapped. Because they do not wish to reveal this desire, we predicted that they would be more likely to act on it if they could appear to choose on some other basis. In two studies we found that people avoided the handicapped more often if the decision to do so was also a decision between two movies and avoidance of the handicapped could masquerade as a movie preference.

Favorable Evaluations of Stigmatized Others

It has been suggested that ambivalence creates a tendency toward behavioral instability, in which responses toward the object of ambivalence are amplified, or exaggerated (cf. Freud, 1961). The direction of the response (positive or negative) presumably depends on whether the object of ambivalence is momentarily construed favorably or unfavorably. Though this hypothesis dealt with ambivalence toward specific individuals, it seems reasonable that response amplification may occur when one is confronted by any member of a group toward which one is ambivalent. This line of thought seems relevant to a large class of out-groups, seen as victimized by social injustice or impersonal fate, but also stigmatized as inferior or threatening. Blacks in America are a case in point. Perhaps ambivalence toward blacks has produced amplified responses among the white majority. Dienstbier (1970, Study I) has provided data consistent with this hypothesis. When socially desirable beliefs and values were ascribed to stimulus persons--i,e., when the person was favorably portrayed-the black was rated as more likeable than the white. When undesirable beliefs were ascribed to both--i.e,, when portrayal was unfavorable--the black

The Inverse Relationship Between Restaurant Party Size and Tip Percentage: Diffusion of Responsibility or Equity?

A recent study predicted and found that tip percentage declined as the size of the dining party increased. The prediction was based on the notion of diffusion of responsibility. An alternative explanation is offered that is rooted in the concept of equity.

The Wakeful “Type a” Student

Eight type A students and eight that were type B slept in the laboratory for three consecutive nights. Type As showed more fragmented sleep, i.e., more spontaneous awakenings from sleep. No difference in REM pressure between As and Bs could be demonstrated, contradicting the hypothesis that both the personality traits of type A individuals and their coronary-proneness might be explained by chronic REM deprivation of type A individuals.

Social Psychological Perspectives on the Physician's Feelings and Behavior

We advocate developing a psychology of the physician and illustrate with two examples. Two functions the physician performs are making judgments and communicating to the pa- tient. One line of research has identified systematic errors in making judgments. Another has explored reluctance to com- municate bad news. Both these lines illustrate how social psy- chological perspectives can illuminate the feelings and behavior of the physician.

The menstrual cycle and punitiveness.

Subjects (n = 59) read vignettes of seven different college disciplinary cases and for each one selected a level of punishment. Three groups of subjects consisted of women in the menstrual (n = 12), premenstrual (n = 10), and intermenstrual (n = 13) phases. In addition, there were conditions in which women who were approaching the premenstrual phase were led to believe they were in it (n = 7) or were still several days away from it (n = 7). Finally, there was sixth group: males of comparable age and background (n = 10). The six groups were responsive-and about equally so-to differences among the seven cases. However, the groups did not differ in average level of punishment selected nor did they differ in reliability of judgment across individuals. There was some indication that males and the women led to believe they were premenstrual, found the task to be harder than did the other groups.