Roy S. Lilly

Resource conservation as a strategy for community psychology

Conservation of resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 1988, 1989) was applied to social intervention and research. COR theory depicts resource loss as disproportionately weighted in comparison to resource gain. COR theory further posits that to prevent resource loss or establish resources, other resources must be invested. Resources contribute to further resource gain, whereas lack of resources contributes to ongoing resource loss. Consequently, people, groups, or organizations that are endowed with strong personal or social resource reserves should better resist the deleterious effects of stress and withstand everyday challenges. One of the basic principles of the theory—that loss is disproportionately weighted compared to gain—was tested in two samples and strongly supported. Implications of the model for intervention were discussed.

What are African American children afraid of

Abstract Fears are a part of normal childhood development. However, little is known about the fears experienced by African American children. In this project, 109 African American and 124 white children aged of 6–12 (grades 1–6) were administered the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R). A principal components analysis was performed, which yielded a five-factor solution for the white children and a three-factor solution for the African American children. After varimax rotations, some similarities were noted between the three-factor solution for African Americans and the five-factor solution for whites. The most notable difference was the absence of a school-fears factor for African American children. The 11 most common fears for both groups were obtained. Eight of the 11 fears were the same. Contrary to previous reports, it would appear that childrens fears transcend race.

Culture-specific models of men's sexual aggression: Intra- and interpersonal determinants.

The role of intra- and interpersonal variables was examined in samples of Asian American (N = 91) and European American (N = 377) men. A path model for Asian American men suggested 2 interpersonal paths and 1 intrapersonal path to sexual aggression. For Asian Americans, concern about social standing is a risk factor among those who hold misogynous beliefs and who use alcohol before sex. Concern about the negative reputational impact of sexual aggression is a protective factor among Asian Americans who do not hold these negative attitudes. A European American model suggested only an intrapersonal path to sexual aggression consisting of misogynous beliefs, with interpersonal variables not being predictive of sexual aggression. These results suggest both individualist and collectivist determinants of Asian American sexual aggression, whereas only individualist determinants were found for European American sexual aggression.

A LABORATORY ANALOGUE FOR THE STUDY OF PEER SEXUAL HARASSMENT

The purpose of this study was to develop a laboratory analogue for the study of peer sexual harassment, and to examine person and situational factors associated with male on female peer sexual harassment. One hundred twenty-two male participants were given the opportunity to tell jokes to a female confederate from a joke list that included sexually offensive jokes, as well as other types of jokes. Participants were exposed to either a sexist laboratory environment or a neutral laboratory environment during the study. Eighty percent of participants told at least one sexually offensive joke to a female confederate. Higher scores on a measure of adversarial sexual beliefs were associated with telling a greater number of sexually offensive jokes. The results suggest that the joke-telling analogue may be a useful means for laboratory explorations of person and situational factors associated with peer sexual harassment.

The qualification of evaluative adjectives by frequency adverbs

All possible combinations of positive and negative frequency adverbs with 15 evaluative adjectives were rated as to favorableness by 150 college students. The ratings were analyzed by the scaling method of successive intervals and subsequently analyzed to reveal the relationship between the component words and the scale value of the combination. A multiplicative function previously proposed by Cliff was found to fit the data very adequately.

Therapy improvement in two out-patient mental health clinics.

This study describes clients, therapists, treatment characteristics, and therapy outcomes for 551 consecutive, first-time clients at two out-patient mental health clinics. Significant improvement was found on target problems, global outcome ratings, and Hopkins Symptom Checklist scores for clients who mutually terminated therapy. The target problem and outcome ratings remained higher for this group than for dropouts at a six-month follow-up interview. Clients who improved most were those who were initially most uncomfortable and disturbed. Improvement was also strongly related to the number of therapy sessions. The implications of these and other results are discussed.

Multiplying values of intensive probabilistic, and frequency adverbs when combined with potency adjectives

The stability of the multiplying values of nine intensive, ten probabilistic, and ten frequency adverbs was assessed by comparing previous results, which involved ratings on an evaluative dimension, with results obtained when the ratings were on a potency or strength dimension. Three different groups of over 100 college students made the potency ratings for the three different classes of adverbs in combination with 14 adjectives. The results largely supported the multiplicative function proposed by Cliff (1959) and indicated that the multiplying values were highly similar across these two dimensions.

Effects of the 45-Second “Shot Clock” on Selected Men's Basketball Statistics in the Mid-American Conference

This study examined the effect of instituting a 45-sec. “shot clock” on mens basketball games in the Mid-American Conference in the 1985 season. Basketball statistics for the 1985 season were compared with those for 1984 season for home and visiting teams, 90 games in total. Introducing the 45-sec. “shot clock” increased scoring for the home and visiting team, although the increase was somewhat larger for the home team. Factors contributing to the increased scoring were discussed.

Adverbial qualification of adjectives connoting activity

Nine intensive, 10 probabilistic, and 10 frequency adverbs were combined with 14 adjectives connoting activity. Three groups of 140 college students, a different group for each class of adverbs, rated the word combinations as to the degree of activity implied. The results supported a multiplicative function, relating the successive-interval scale value of an adverb-adjective combination to its component words. The multiplying values of the adverbs were also found to be stable across three different types of adjectives—evaluative, potency, and activity.

Scale Values of the Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives as a Function of the Basic Form Scale Values

The basic, comparative, and superlative forms of 16 adjectives of three types—evaluative, potency, and activity—were rated as to intensity by 3 independent groups of approximately 115 college students. The mean ratings of the adjectives in the comparative and superlative forms when plotted against the mean ratings of the adjectives in the unmodified form followed a linear function. The results suggest that the comparative and superlative forms of an adjective vary the connotative meaning of that word in a multiplicative fashion, an average multiplying value of .97 for the comparative and 1.43 for the superlative, that is consistent over the three classes of adjectives.