This program of research is intended to analyze the nature of the coherences that characterize the social behavior of the individual and their links to the perceived dispositions and impressions of consistency formed by the observer. Theoretically, dispositions are reconceptualized in terms of probabifistic relations between types of situations and types of behaviors, rather than as overall behavioral tendencies averaged over multiple situations. Methodologically, the program utilizes a series of field studies, combined with controlled experiments, to test hypotheses about the structure and locus of behavioral consistencies and their perception. The emerging conditional reconceptualization of behavioral dispositions will be applied to a reasonably diverse sample of domains and populations to allow an evaluation of its generality and limits. Aggression, withdrawal, and prosocial behavior are the domains studied in a population with social adjustment problems, aged 6 to 17 years. Parallel studies also are conducted on conscientiousness and friendliness with college and private school students. Data from our already in-progress behavioral archives on consistency, and from new studies, provide multiple behavior samples for each subject across situations, as well as dispositional judgments, and perceptions about the situations sampled and the behaviors they require. Relevant moderator variables are assessed, with a focus on the role of competencies, both as demanded by the situation and as available to the person. Individuals judged reliably as good (prototypic) exemplars of different dispositions are compared to identify the diagnostic if then contingencies distinctive for them. Comparisons will include characteristic diagnostic contingencies obtained from intuitive descriptions of these subjects, and from observations of if then regularities in their ongoing behavior as it unfolds. Drawing on the field studies, experiments will test the predictive significance and operation of the diagnostic contingencies identified for particular dispositions. In these experiments, perceivers are exposed to information about targets actual behavior but the diagnostic contingencies are manipulated experimentally to test the effects on 1. The nature of the impressions generated in the perceiver, and 2. their utility for the accurate prediction of the targets' actual behavior as observed and judged in the field studies. Laboratory studies also will test differences between the dispositional exemplars in the accessibility of dispositionally-relevant behavior scripts, expectations, and beliefs when they are primed by exposure to the appropriate situations. A follow-up wave in our longitudinal study of self regulatory competencies will test hypotheses about specific diagnostic contingencies assessed two decades ago in preschool as predictors of the subjects' current competencies and dispositional status.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award (R37)
Project #
5R37MH039349-14
Application #
2415888
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (NSS)
Project Start
1983-09-22
Project End
1999-04-30
Budget Start
1997-05-01
Budget End
1998-04-30
Support Year
14
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Columbia University (N.Y.)
Department
Psychology
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
064931884
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10027
Whitsett, Donna D; Shoda, Yuichi (2014) An approach to test for individual differences in the effects of situations without using moderator variables. J Exp Soc Psychol 50:94-104
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Shoda, Yuichi; Wilson, Nicole L; Chen, Jessica et al. (2013) Cognitive-affective processing system analysis of intra-individual dynamics in collaborative therapeutic assessment: translating basic theory and research into clinical applications. J Pers 81:554-68
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Zayas, Vivian; Greenwald, Anthony G; Osterhout, Lee (2011) Unintentional covert motor activations predict behavioral effects: Multilevel modeling of trial-level electrophysiological motor activations. Psychophysiology 48:208-17
Smith, Ronald E; Fagan, Corey; Wilson, Nicole L et al. (2011) Internet-Based Approaches to Collaborative Therapeutic Assessment: New Opportunities for Professional Psychologists. Prof Psychol Res Pr 42:494-504
Mischel, Walter; Ayduk, Ozlem; Berman, Marc G et al. (2011) 'Willpower' over the life span: decomposing self-regulation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 6:252-6
Whitsett, Donna D; Almvig, Tai; Shoda, Yuichi (2010) Identifying the distress cues that influence support provision: a paired comparison approach. J Soc Psychol 150:503-19
Zayas, Vivian; Shoda, Yuichi; Mischel, Walter et al. (2009) Neural responses to partner rejection cues. Psychol Sci 20:813-21
Kross, Ethan; Ayduk, Ozlem (2009) Boundary conditions and buffering effects: Does depressive symptomology moderate the effectiveness of distanced-analysis for facilitating adaptive self-reflection? J Res Pers 43:923-927

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