Biomedical subjects

S M Boland

Publications and source records attributed to S M Boland.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1987

Type A behavior pattern and self-evaluation of abilities: empirical tests of the self-appraisal model.

The self-appraisal model proposes that Type A behavior reflects active attempts to generate diagnostic information about abilities, particularly in situations that evoke high uncertainty. In Study 1, subjects were provided feedback indicating high or low uncertainty about underlying abilities in two domains. When subjects were more uncertain of their ability in one domain than in the other, Jenkins-Activity-Survey-defined Type As (but not Type Bs) subsequently constructed tests that were biased to assess the more uncertain domain. Study 2 examined postfailure performance. The model holds that Type As perform poorly because they suspend information gathering when faced with evidence that requisite abilities are absent. Results indicated that deficits emerged only if Type As believed that a second task assessed the same abilities as the initial task on which they failed. A final study examined social comparison among Type As and Bs. Results indicated that Type As engaged in social comparison to obtain diagnostic information, primarily when they were uncertain of their ability levels.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

Postperformance attributions and task persistence among type A and B individuals: a clarification.

We examined task persistence and postperformance attributions by Type As and Bs on tasks that varied in level of difficulty. On the basis of past research, we hypothesized that Type As would be more self-serving than Type Bs in their attributions for success and failure. We also hypothesized that task persistence would differ among Type As and Bs and would be dependent on task difficulty and perceived task diagnosticity. Type As and Bs attempted multiple sets of anagrams that were either easy or difficult. We measured persistence by the number of anagram sets attempted, and, after task performance, we assessed attributions for success and failure. Results supported both hypotheses. Type As took more credit for success than for failure, whereas Type Bs did not provide reliably different attributions for success and failure. Furthermore, Type As persisted longer at the task when it was difficult and when it was viewed as relatively low in information value. Type Bs persisted longer at the task when it was difficult but viewed as relatively high in information value. Results are discussed in the context of current debates regarding the responses of Type As and Bs to performance settings.

Achievement↗

PubMed1986

Structure of perceptions of older adults: evidence for multiple stereotypes.

We examined the possibility that people hold multiple stereotypes of the elderly. Subjects were male and female university students. In the first phase of our study, stereotype content was sampled by asking subjects to describe the typical old person. In the second phase of the study, different subjects sorted traits from Phase 1 descriptions into one or more groups. Each group contained those traits that subjects felt could be found in one and the same older adult. Attitudes toward the stereotypes were also assessed. A distance matrix, based on the number of subjects who sorted each pair of traits into different groups, was analyzed by hierarchical cluster analysis. Evidence for multiple stereotypes was found both in the presence of contradictory traits given in Phase 1 descriptions and in the structure of the clusters. Different attitudes are identified for the cluster-defined stereotypes.

Adolescent↗