Robert V. Heckel

Psychological factors that predict reaction to abortion

Investigated demographic and psychological factors related to positive or negative reactions to legal abortions performed during the first trimester of pregnancy in 62 females in an urban southern community. Results suggest that the social context and the degree of support from a series of significant persons rather than demographic variables were most predictive of a positive reaction.

The Effect of Race of Model and Response Consequences to the Model on Imitation in Children

Summary Eighty Negro boys and girls, ages 3 to 5, were assigned to one of eight conditions. Race of model (Negro vs. white), type of consequence to model (reward vs. punishment), and percent of rewarded or punished responses (20 vs. 80 percent) were varied. The Ss viewed a television tape of a model (M) performing a simple two-choice discrimination task with either verbal reward or verbal punishment administered. After watching M make his choice, the S then made his own choice. When Ss choice was the same as Ms, imitative behavior was said to have occurred. There were significant effects of both race of M and type of consequence to M. Negro S imitated the white M more than the Negro M and imitated the rewarded M more than the punished M. The punished white M was imitated at approximately the same level as the rewarded Negro M. No significant effects of percent of reinforcement were found. Possible explanations of the experimental results were discussed.

Factor analysis of the Adolescent Reinforcement Survey Schedule (ARSS) with college freshmen

A factor analysis of the Adolescent Reinforcement Survey Schedule (ARSS) with a male and female college freshman (N = 231) population yielded 10 interpretable factors: Heterosexual Dating, Peer Interaction, Sibling/Family Interaction, Sexual Pleasure, Anti-School/Work, Leisure/Work Activity, Drugs/Acting Out, Entertainment/Social Activity, Home Avoidance, and Romantic Fantasy Activity. The first three factors are similar to a Positive Social interaction factor identified in a study that used the adult form of the Reinforcement Survey Schedule with a male and female college population. Suggestions are made from the ARSS responses of the college freshmen re interventions to facilitate social skill competency and the relationship aspects of sexual activity. A recommendation is made to replicate the current study with groups of early and mid-adolescents in order to study reinforces during different periods of adolescent development.

Normative data on the Kagan Matching Familiar Figures test for adult male incarcerates

This study presents normative data on the Kagan Matching Familiar Figures test, a measure of impulsivity/reflection, for 200 adult male incarcerates (108 Black, 92 White) in a state correctional system. Also presented are t-tests between groups and correlations between the MFF and a series of demographic and test measures. Low, significant correlations were found between the MFF scores (time, number correct) and race, IQ, education, and reading levels. A comparison with college male and female norms is provided. The value and use of the MFF as a measure of cognitive style are discussed.

PREDICTING VERBAL BEHAVIORAL CHANGE IN GROUP THERAPY USING A SCREENING SCALE

A factored 10-item scale composed of demographic and behavioral data derived from a group screening session was used in an attempt to predict verbal response level and verbal change in group psychotherapy. 23 male neuropsychiatric patients were seen for periods ranging from 8 to 18 sessions and their verbal responsivity measured using a modification of group process rating scales. Rank-order correlations between screening scale scores and the verbal response categories ranged from .64 to −.64. Scores on the scale were useful in predicting certain response classes but less so in predicting change in response categories over time.

Emergence of Distinct Verbal Phases in Group Therapy

This study attempted to ascertain whether discrete stages emerged in the group therapeutic process. Ss were drawn from four different groups using similar therapeutic techniques. Results indicated that individual Ss develop similar patterns of response over time. The data supported a two-stage development of several of the response measures but with a greater number of sessions a different pattern may evolve.

Tactile communication of winners in flag football

This study examined the touching behaviors of winning team members in flag football. 800 players in 100 games were observed and the number and location of interpersonal touches given and received were recorded. Winners initiated significantly more touches to losers than they received from losers. Handshakes were most frequent, then hands, back or shoulders.

Analysis of process data from token groups in a summer camp

Forty-two campers who were attending a summer camp for disturbed children were treated by a combined group therapy-token economy approach in which peer judgments were the basis for tokens awarded for behaviors that occurred during the preceding 24-hour period. Process behaviors were studied to determine whether this approach would produce positive verbal behavioral change. Four variables changed significantly. Environmental (irrelevant) responses declined, group responses increased, leader-directed responses declined, and decision-making, reflected by summarizing, testing feasibility and concensus, increased.

“Awareness” in Chronic Schizophrenics: II. Awareness of Causal Factors in Recent Events

The present study investigated whether chronic schizophrenics utilized primitive or precausal thought processes in explaining verbally the causes of non-affective events learned under extra-laboratory conditions and displayed deficit in explaining verbally the causes of non-affective events learned under the same conditions. The results suggest that, when Ss are carefully matched with normals on relevant demographic variables, differences in learning and the reporting of non-affective events disappear.

A factor analytic study of the demographic characteristics of incarcerated males.

Produced 10 identifiable factors in a factor analytic study of demographic and behavioral variables on female (N = 100) inmates of an adult correctional facility in the South. While the items were those frequently cited as contributory--abuse, neglect, etc.--they did not cluster as expected, but took on a more unitary structure, except for behavioral data from the interviews that were highly interrelated either positively or negatively.