"Chaos" theory is a revolutionary new paradigm developed by scientists to study the behavior of natural systems. "Chaos" refers to the tendency of dynamic non-linear systems toward irregular, sometimes unpredictable, yet deterministic behavior. Major tenets of the theory are presented. The precedent for use of models developed…

Reference group theory suggests that a perceived similarity between interacting individuals leads to future interaction, increased source credibility, and more frequent agreement on specific issues. This study shows how the reference group theory applies to the authoritarian television character Archie Bunker and television viewers that watch…

Video-taped samples of two help-oriented groups were rated for six leader and participant facilitating behaviors and therapeutic process (self-exploration). As manifested by leaders and participants, two help-oriented behaviors were significantly correlated. Four leader behaviors were positively correlated with participant self-exploration,…

Provides data indicating that development occurs in cycles, with behavioral competencies appearing and developing and then disappearing only to reappear again in a more complex form at a later age. Data on conservation and auditory-manual coordination in infancy are used to support this theory. (ED)

Recent theoretical and empirical work suggests that precipitating and individual susceptibility factors are involved in the development of depression. This etiological issue was reexamined within a college population. A comprehensive assessment technique, the behavioral-analytic methodology, was used to collect over 1,000 written descriptions of…

A study was conducted to investigate the practical management of interactions sustaining close friendships. Ten pairs of close friends were interviewed individually on two occasions and together on a third occasion. An interpretive analysis of subjects' remarks identified a dialectical principle governing the communicative organization of…

Attributions of causes of successful task performances as a function of task and sex of the performer were investigated. Introductory psychology students (N=157) were presented with closed-circuit, videotaped episodes in which a male or female stimulus person performed a card-guessing task for 10 trials. Subjects heard the task described to the…

The association between usage of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana and other behaviors was investigated among ninth graders in 40 schools in Ontario. A sample of 1008 boys and 1040 girls gave information on a range of behaviors and activities. Results indicated that drug usage was strongly associated with delinquent, sexual and social behavior. Both…

Individuals interacting with an unfamiliar target person behave according to prior impressions of the target. A perceiver's pre-interaction expectancy can mediate both his and the target person's behavior, resulting in behavioral confirmation or compensation. Male subjects (N=96) participated in dyadic interactions in which one subject (perceiver)…

High social anxiety subjects switched from assuming greater personal responsibility for success than for failure to assuming greater responsibility for failure than for success when told that their attributions would be scrutinized by others. Low social anxiety individuals did just the opposite. Additional studies of response among high and low…

Data on demographics, physical capability and social-emotional behavioral variables for 134 residents between the ages of 50 and 96 were collected in four nursing homes to examine the dimensions related to problem behaviors. Social-emotional behaviors related on six scales of reliabilities ranging from .90 to .74. The scales included depression,…

The role of attitudes in the conduct of buyer behavior is examined in the context of two competitive models of attitude structure and attitude-behavior relationship. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to compare the Fishbein and Sheth models on the criteria of predictive as well as cross validities. Data on both the models were…

After the development and distinctions of the concept of deindividuation are given, a single dimension of morally relevant behavior is outlined with aggression and altruism viewed as the two extremes. This dimension is divided accoring to degree of external reinforcement control. The result is a 2x2 scheme for classifying morally relevant behavior…

The relationship of architecture to human behavior is a topic of increasing concern both to designers and behavioral scientists. To further evaluate the extent of the relationship a series of preliminary investigations has been undertaken. The primary means of measurement was informal conversations of dental students as related to the…

This paper contends that human organisms are not qualitatively different from infra-human ones. The same principles apply to the acquisition, maintenance and weakening of complex verbal skills as mathematics as to rats pressing bars or pigeons pecking windows. Two aspects of child research are assessment and training. Assessment involves…