This document reports a study conducted to test the hypothesis that the level of abstraction of agreements and disagreements influences evaluations of and behavioral intentions toward other persons with the most abstract the most important. A "level of abstraction" theory, which predicts importance effects, holds that values, norms, roles, and…

Suggests that while doubting that the dichotomy introduced by Subbotsky can cover the entire domain of motivation, he should applaud the emphasis on the neglected but critical importance of motivation in developmental psychology, and the attempt to distinguish different types of motivation, even as contributors to a single behavior. (AA)

Examines two different types of human motivation, pragmatic and nonpragmatic. Experimental studies in preschool-age children in both the former Soviet Union and Western cultures are presented. Suggests that the two contrasting conceptions of human motivation lead to totally different practical strategies for transforming human motivation in…

In order to choose among several strategies of cross-cultural training, a standard experimental paradigm is needed to inexpensively generate reliable and valid data. The research presented in this document provides what appears to be such a paradigm. It involves the presentation of intercultural conflict to subjects, under standardized conditions.…