Alcoholism research has independently focused on background characteristics and alcohol-related expectations, e.g., social and physical pleasure, reduced tension, and increased assertiveness, as important variables in identifying high risk individuals. To assess the utility of alcohol reinforcement expectations as predictors of drinking patterns,…

Attribution theorists have argued that if an intrinsically motivated activity is extrinsically reinforced, the activity will be devalued and extinguished when the reward is removed. Hypothesizing that activities performed for their instrumental outcome are valued less than activities not so externally oriented, and that activities performed for…

The question of whether adolescents turn to arcade video games for gratifications similar to those met by television viewing was investigated with 244 children 10 to 14 years old, who were attending a statewide summer sports camp. A questionnaire required subjects to rate the importance of 17 need statements and provide basic demographic…

The majority of studies of adolescent parenthood have focused on the relationship between fertility behavior and various social, economic and demographic factors rather than the role of psychological processes in wanting a child. To study the role that motivational factors play in the experiences and processes associated with adolescent…

To test whether the number of times viewers watch a television program correlates positively with (1) original expectancy-value measures (EV)--expectations of pleasant outcomes--or (2) changes in EV measures of gratifications, 117 Australian boys in grade 7 were interviewed and given a questionnaire on their responses to specific television…

Research on helping behavior has focused on help to elderly individuals rather than help by elderly individuals. To investigate the determinants and consequences of helping by older adults, 117 adults, from five Detroit senior citizen residences, with a mean age of 75.6 (67 percent female) completed a personal/demographic questionnaire, including…

Job dissatisfaction may manifest itself in frustration for the teacher and defense mechanisms for the employer. Previous research suggests that unfulfilled needs, goals, and value expectations, as well as the lack of achievement of outcomes, account for job dissatisfaction. Other variables include demography, disillusionment with life, lack of…

To determine if purposes in reading differ with sex, grade level, and nationality, a 16-item "Functions of Reading Scale" (developed from content analysis of student essays on why they like to read) was administered to 459 Irish (Dublin, Ireland) and American (Windham, Connecticut) students in grades three, five, and eight. Data…