Suchergebnisse

Inferences about the meaning of opinion data & predictions of subsequent behavior based on such data require a systematic conceptualization of processes of opinion formation & change. A theoretical model that may be useful for this purpose is presented & its implications for the analysis of PO spelled out. The model is based on a distinction between 3 processes of behavior change resulting from soc influence: compliance, identification & internalization. Each of these processes is characterized by a distinct set of antecedent conditions & a distinct set of consequences. The 3 processes & the antecedents & consequents associated with each are described. Finally, 3 lines of res, conducted within the framework of this model are reviewed: (1) exp'al tests of the antecedent-consequent relationships postulated by the model, (2) application of the model to the study of personality factors in soc influence, & (3) application of the model to a study of the att'inal effects of a stay in a foreign country. AA.

In the decade following WWII there was much public concern with security & the pol'al opinions & associations of Coll professors. To determine how the feelings, subjective experiences, & expectations of 2,451 soc sci`'ts were affected by the events of these `difficult yrs' was the purpose of THE ACADEMIC MIND (See SA 7494) which is esp reviewed here. The basic value assumption of the study was that to be productive soc sci'ts need an atmosphere of free enquiry & full-expression. The key analytical tool was the index of apprehension which is based on the extent of `worry' & the `precautions' professors had taken against criticism. While the absolute extent of worrying (40%) & precautionary behavior (9%) is of interest, its signif is difficult to evaluate. High & low levels of apprehension, however, are related to characteristics of individual soc sci'ts & their situations. For individual sci'ts the pivotal variable is the Index of Permissiveness: the willingness to have unorthodox views freely presented on campus. Permissive professors more often tended to engage in controversial issues be members of controversial org's, be concerned about civil liberties, &, consequently, the most apprehensive. The key situational factor is the quality index of the Sch. The higher the quality of the Sch, the greater the number of attacks on its soc sci faculty who were usually highly permissive. However, the higher the Sch quality the stronger was admin've defense of the faculty. Apprehension was thus greatest among the relatively permissive faculties of medium quality Sch's which did not provide the kind of protection available in the top Coll's. The finding that the most apprehensive professors remain activists in belonging to controversial org's, etc, the reviewer sees as depending on the extent to which the permissive teacher is grossly confronted with a conflict between his principles & the realities of the situation. This interpretation is at variance with that proposed by Lazarsfeld & Theilen. Perhaps it is the unconscious avoidance of the subtle conflicts which eventually become persistent patterns of behavior that underlies the claims of other reviewers that the issues raised in THE ACADEMIC MIND now are dead. C. M. Coughenour.

A study of the determinants of attitude changes produced by communications on soc issues, assuming that changes in alt's & actions may occur at diff levels corresponding to diff's in the process whereby the individual accepts influence. 3 diff processes of influence are distinguished: (1) compliance, in which influence is accepted because of the hope of achieving a favorable reaction from another person or group, (2) identification, in which influence is accepted because of the desire to establish or maintain a satisfying self-defining relationship to another person or group, & (3) internalization, in which influence is accepted because the content of the induced behavior is intrinsically rewarding. The determinants of these 3 processes can be differentiated in terms of the nature of the anticipated effect, the source of the influencing agent's power, & the manner in which the induced response has become prepotent. Each of 4 communications was presented to a diff exp'al group of Negro freshmen in a border state Coll, while a control group was not exposed to any communication at all. The communications, presented prior to the Supreme Court desegregation decision, were concerned with segregation in Sch's & were differentiated as follows: in the first, the communicator was presented as possessing high means-control; in the second, he had high attractiveness; in the third, he had high credibility; & in the fourth, he had low power, ie, was low in means-control, attractiveness, & credibility. After exposure to the communication, the S's responded to att questionnaires designed to measure the extent of their agreement with the communicator. The following hyp's were tested: (a) att's adopted from a communicator whose power is based on means-control will tend to be expressed only under conditions of surveillance by the communicator; the mediating process here is compliance, (b) att's from a communicator whose power is based on attractiveness will tend to be expressed only under conditions of salience of the S's relationship to the communicator; the mediating process is identification, & (c) att's from a communicator whose power is based on credibility will tend to be expressed under conditions of relevance of the issue, regardless of surveillance or salience; the mediating process is internalization. All 3 hyp's were confirmed by the data. I. Taviss.

As part of a larger res program, questionaires were admin'ed to a group of Scandinavian students shortly after their arrival in the US for a yr of study, & again shortly before their departure. On the basis of responses to a key item, 2 groups were distinguished: 'down-raters,' who showed a decrease in their perceptions of opportunities in their countries, & 'up-raters,' who showed an increase. Examination of other changes manifested by the 2 groups revealed 2 distinct patterns of change in nat'l image: the down-raters tended to show an increased differentiation, while the up-raters tended to change in a global, undifferentiated way. Down-raters approached the experience in a relatively open way: they were more actively motivated for the trip, more accepting of US patterns (though not uncritically), more likely to compare & explore diff's, more likely to become involved with US culture & people they met, & more likely to regard the experience as an opportunity for personal development. Up-raters manifested a relatively resistant approach to their US experiences: they were more likely to be entirely negative to US patterns, less likely to compare, more likely to adjust superficially & avoid personal involvement, more oriented toward work, & less oriented toward personal development & interpersonal relations. Changes in images of their own countries were congruent with these diff approaches to the experience. The study suggests some of the possible relationships between the nature of a person's experience in a foreign country, & the nature of the effects engendered by the trip on his image of his own country. AA.

Comments on an article entitled, "Prejudice in American society," by William Petersen, published by Commentary, Oct., 1958; reply by William Petersen.