Raymond K. Tucker

Psychometric Properties of the Rosenbaum Schedule for Assessing Self-Control

To assess the psychometric properties of Rosenbaum’s Schedule for Assessing Self-Control Behavior, 388 male and 596 female undergraduates were administered the scale. Alpha reliabilities were for males.81, females.83, and combined.82. Discriminant analyses revealed that the male vs. female multivariate means were significantly separated. Females reported greater self-control. Univariate vs indicated females scored significantly higher than males on the composite scale. Factor analysis revealed that the most parsimonious and substantively interprétable structure was obtained when six factors were extracted and subsequently rotated via the Varimax criterion.

A power‐analytic examination of contemporary communication research

While Type I error has enjoyed widespread attention in communication research, the interrelated concepts of statistical power and Type II error have been generally neglected. In order to assess the extent of the disregard for these considerations, a statistical power analysis of the articles published in the 1973 volumes of the nine major communication journals was conducted. The results indicated that published communication research was generally lacking in statistical power. The average power estimates for small, medium, and large effects were .18, .52, and .79, respectively. These estimates correlate with previously conducted power analyses by psychological and educational researchers, thus evidencing the fact that low statistical power pervades behavioral research. Recommendations for the elimination of this problem were advanced, and the role of power analysis as an important consideration in experimental design was explicated.

FACTORIAL VALIDITY OF MERZ'S PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTANCE SCALE

Merzs Psychological Reactance Scale was translated from German and based on responses of 218 college students. Via factor analysis with principal factors followed by a Direct Quartimin rotation, researchers noted an orthogonal two-factor solution which contrasts with Merzs four and suggests thorough psychometric work is needed.

Statistical Power: Derivation, Development, and Data-Analytic Implications

In 1933, Neyman and Pearson introduced the interrelated concepts of statistical power and Type II error in response to a fundamental asymmetry in the hypothesis testing process. With few exceptions, however, statistical power did not become a regular textbook inclusion until some 30 years later. Modern concern for power evolved naturally from the “significance test controversy,” and was further stimulated by Cohen’s (1962) review in the Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. To date, eight power-analytic surveys have been conducted. Generally, the average power estimates derived from these analyses have been quite low. Providing sufficient power serves to decrease the commission of Type II errors, and may prevent misinterpretations of nonsignificant results. Including statistical power in the design and analysis of an experiment requires an a priori estimate of the effect size, as well as calculating obtained effect size. The obtained effect size reflects the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, and as such provides a better characterization of the research effort than does reporting only the significance level.

WHAT CONSTITUTES A ROMANTIC ACT? AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Responses to the question, “What constitutes a romantic act?,” were obtained from 149 women and 48 men. Results suggest a large area of agreement and a small area of disagreement between the sexes as to the nature of romantic acts.

OPERATIONALIZING THE ROMANCE CONSTRUCT IN AN ADULT SAMPLE

29 men between the ages of 19 and 79 years and 60 women between the ages of 18 and 73 years completed an open-ended questionnaire seeking information on romantic acts. These subjects, shoppers in a mall in Toledo, Ohio, were asked to cite specific acts of romance. Among the top ten, the three most frequently specified acts were the kiss, sending or receiving flowers, and dinner in a variety of settings. Responses were compared to two recent studies in which similar information was sought.

SEX DIFFERENCES IN ASSERTIVE BEHAVIOR: A RESEARCH EXTENSION

This study was an extension of earlier empirical research measuring sex differences in assertive behavior. The Rathus Assertiveness Schedule was used for measuring assertiveness and discriminant analysis was employed to differentiate maximally responses of males and females. 140 men and 195 women were tested. There were four significant findings. Men reported a significant tendency to assert themselves more than women in public situations while women reported a tendency to be more assertive in private interpersonal settings. Men reported a significantly greater tendency than women to be shy in dating situations. Finally, men reported a greater willingness than women to question publicly a person of high status. The implications of these results were discussed both in terms of earlier research and as they apply to behavior therapy.

Heckling as distraction: An experimental study of its effect on source credibility

Four qualitative levels of heckling distraction (high, medium, low, and no distraction control) were randomly inserted within a taped, “germ free” message. Two levels of credibility were used (High: Harvard professor; Low: United Parcel employee). Marker variables were employed and dependent variables were factor analyzed and “purified” for greater instrument reliability. Multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance, univariate analysis of variance, and a Duncan Multiple Range follow‐up test were calculated. Results showed that message source ethos ratings were significantly affected by the presence of heckling distractions.

Factorial Validity of Jones and Crandall's Short Index of Self-Actualization

Jones and Crandall (1986) have reported initial psychometric data on the Short Index of Self-actualization. Included in their study was a principal components analysis. The authors reported that the instrument was characterized by four factors and a fifth uninterpretable factor. The present authors submitted the Jones-Crandall model to a confirmatory factor analysis using the confirmatory factor analytic model. The results showed substantial agreement with the Jones-Crandall model—a five-factor model with the fifth considered uninterpretable. The main difference in the findings was in the factor correlations. Jones and Crandall used an orthogonal rotation whereas the present study determined that an oblique solution is more in harmony with the data.

FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE SHORT FORM MEASURE OF SELF-ACTUALIZATION IN A BLACK SAMPLE

The present study sought to assess the factor invariance of Jones and Crandalls short form measure of self-actualization on a sample of 213 black undergraduates. A principal components analysis followed by a varimax rotation yielded five factors, four of which were interpretable. The obtained structure essentially replicated that of Jones and Crandall; however, there were differences that indicate the test cannot be assumed to be invariant across ethnic groups.