Establishing a human resource development (HRD) program for HRD practitioners frequently results in problems of organizational change. The author has applied the theories of three contemporary sociologists--Talcott Parsons, Lewis Coser, and Peter Blau--to a hypothetical case study of an HRD consulting firm faced with developing its own human…

Examined the circumstances surrounding marriage termination in relation to the aftermath of marital separation. Collected data from a nonprobability sample of 205 individuals. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that 41 percent of the variance in acceptance of marital termination can be explained by marital history variables. (Author/RC)

Assessed the value of "noncontractual social exchange" (NSE) to describe leader behavior. Results of an experiment using an in-basket memo device showed that subordinate competence best predicted the intentions of such behavior by a sample of working adults: subjects were more likely to initiate NSE with highly competent subordinates. (Author)

Investigated the extent to which Swedish couples (N=128) share domestic tasks using a mail survey. Suggests Swedish couples shared household chores more evenly than American couples. Results indicated variables measuring social exchange theory, family life-cycle stage, and socialization had the greatest influence on role sharing behavior.…

Describes a group exercise based on the idea that people implicitly attempt to elicit (or pull) certain reactions from people in their everyday lives. Emphasizes the potential for adapting such an exercise to a variety of purposes. (Author)

Describes training and supervisory components of a doctoral level, pre-internship clinical experience, designed to teach PhD candidates a contextual approach to therapy. Training occurred in a university-based departmental clinic which balanced interdependent areas of training, service, and research. Training was designed to view and treat…

Proposes a social-psychological model of the dissolution decision in marriage based on prior theoretical formulations. Sequential in character and emphasizing the duality of the marital relationship, the model modifies and refines previous theoretical efforts, and seeks to extend their explanatory power by incorporating various principles of…

Childless spouses were significantly more liberal toward divorce than were spouses with children, with childless wives being the most liberal of all. Husbands were more influenced by the perceived quality of the marital relationship, in support of cognitive dissonance theory. (Author)

This game focuses on techniques for identifying coalitions or subgroups within larger social systems; and generates a wealth of data that not only serve to dramatize social dynamics, but also can be used to identify the structure of coalitions and the degree to which particular individuals exert interpersonal influence. (Author/CMV)

Social exchange theory was employed to predict instigative helping behavior as a function of two types of resources available to the recipient for reciprocation (social and non-social). The possibility of influencing reciprocation of both types of resources produced significant increases in subjects' helping. (Author)

Applies assumed similarity and reward-cost theories to problem of low rates of utilization of mental health and social service programs by rural Alaska Native populations. Recommends strategies of service delivery to increase utilization of needed services. Recommendations may be applicable to other rural areas. (Author/TES)

Three theories of commitment were tested by surveying 92 nursing students 3 times during their first year. The social exchange approach and unmet expectations about nursing careers influenced commitment during the latter eight months. The circumstances surrounding the decision to enter nurse training (behavioral approach) predicted commitment only…

An exploration of the rhetorical contract--i.e., the expectations for appropriate interaction--as it develops in human-computer interaction revealed that direct manipulation interfaces were more likely to establish social expectations. Study results suggest that the social nature of human-computer interactions can be examined with reference to the…

The psychological study of moral development has expanded greatly, both in terms of the diversity of theoretical perspectives that are represented in the field, as well as in the range of topics that have been studied. This "Handbook of Moral Development" represents the diversity and multidisciplinary influences on current theorizing about the…