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Results for “Semantic Differential”

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PubMedDate not supplied

[Osgood's semantic differential in psychopathology: a differential study].

The aim of this paper is to analyze the meanings differences in the temporal perspective of two clinic groups. Some of them showed dysthymic disorders and the other group were found to be paranoiac schizophrenic patients. An differential semantic was used (ACTUAL SELF, IDEAL SELF, NEGATIVE SELF) to analyze to structure of the self-concept and to determine differences in the concepts for temporal perspective (PRESENT, PAST, FUTURE). The results obtained by means of the measurement of meaning correspond to the clinic data. The authors attempt to begin the study of the differences in psychic processes in several clinical groups.

Depressive Disorder↗

PubMed1975

The usefulness of the semantic differential with "mild grade' mental defectives.

Although the semantic differential has been quite widely used with mental defectives, its usefulness (in its traditional form) with such a population has not been conclusively demonstrated. The semantic differential was developed and shown to be valid as an index of representational mediation processes. However, there is also evidence of a mediational deficiency among retardates which, therefore, ought to be reflected in retardates' responses to the semantic differential. Thus, the present study was designed to test two hypotheses: (a) that mild grade retardates, in comparison with subjects of average intelligence, would show less discrimination in the use of the semantic differential, and (b) that such discriminative deficiencies would in turn predispose toward a polarized response bias among the retarded. The results, which support both hypotheses, are discussed in terms of their implications for the usefulness of an unmodified semantic differential with the mentally subnormal.

Adult↗

PubMed1976

The California Psychological Inventory and the Semantic Differential dimensions.

The feasibility of describing first order factors and scales of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) by using the factors of the semantic differential and rated adjustment and introversion-extraversion was investigated in samples of 150 male and 80 female college students. Results indicated that both the semantic differential and the ratings significantly overlapped with the CPI, but that the degree of the relationship was not large enough to support the contention that the semantic differential factors are sufficient to describe completely what is being measured by the CPI. The relationships did prove useful, however, in further clarifying the nature of the CPI.

Dependency, Psychological↗

PubMed1978

Simplified use of the semantic differential to measure psychotherapy outcome.

To initially establish the validity and utility of a simplified use of the Semantic Differential to measure psychotherapy outcome, 14 clients were administered, before and after 15 sessions of individual psychotherapy, the Semantic Differential and a symptom checklist. As predicted, results indicated that change of clients' self-constructs in a positive direction was associated with symptom reduction. Implications for psychotherapy research are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Psychotherapeutic treatments evaluated with two instruments: clinical questionnaire and semantic differential.

We evaluated about 100 psychotherapeutic treatments on the Freudian model with two independent instruments: a clinical questionnaire (assessed globally and intuitively) and a semantic differential (processed through various mathematic analyses). The results obtained with the two instruments were compared, and we also compared the semantic evolution of patients with that of normal subjects. Both instruments show an undeniable average improvement among patients. The semantic differential also shows that the various 'zones' tested by the inducive words are neither equally affected by neurosis nor equally modified by treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed1976

Addicts' attitudes toward drugs: a semantic-differential study.

The Drug Rating Scale, an adaptation of the Osgood semantic-differential technique, was devised to measure the connotative aspects of attitudes toward drugs. Sixty-two heroin-addict clients and fourteen staff members of the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic completed the Scale. The Addict group tended to regard heroin in a negative light, possibly consistent with their own lack of self-esteem. Amphetamines and LSD had the greatest distance from heroin in the addicts' "semantic space"; this was consistent with addicts' relative preference for alternative drugs to heroin. The evaluative and activity dimensions provided a plausible assignment of the eight drugs inquired about into four quadrants.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

A factor analyzed semantic differential form useful to the clinical or community psychologist.

Administered a 20-item semantic differential three times (week 0, week 4, and week 10) to 110 junior and senior level psychology undergraduates. Each S evaluated six concepts. After collapsing across concepts, each administration was factor-analyzed separately to obtain a relatively stable factor structure. Three factors emerged. They were labeled: General-evaluative (factor one), active-independence (factor two), and passive acceptance (factor three). Utility of this particular device for the applied clinical psychologist was discussed.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1977

Attitudes of young drug users towards significant life concepts as measured by the semantic differential.

Thirty young drug users were matched for age and sex with thirty young orthopaedic outpatients. All completed an Osgood Semantic Differential. Results suggested that drug users see Drug Laws and Present Attitudes to Drug Use as bad. In the user group a poor perception of self is combined with concepts of ideal self which appear unattainable.

Adult↗

PubMed1977

Extremity of semantic differential ratings in deaf and hearing subjects.

A comparison was made separately by sex of 19 deaf and 19 hearing Ss on mean semantic differential ratings of contradictory concept-pairs. There were nine deaf males, 10 deaf females, 11 hearing males, and eight hearing females with mean ages of 23.00, 21.90, 20.73, and 19.75, respectively. It was hypothesized that the deaf would make less extreme ratings of concept-pairs than hearing Ss and that they would shift their ratings of contradictory concept-pairs closer to the mean of the original ratings of the single concepts comprising the pairs. It was found that both predictions were true only for deaf males. Deaf females did not differ from hearing Ss.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

Effects of anxiety on attitudes--a semantic differential study.

Eighteen female out-patients suffering from chronic anxiety states and 25 normal women matched for age filled in an anxiety inventory and completed semantic differential forms on 21 concepts grouped into four areas: characters, locations, human interactions and abstractions. Each concept was rated on 15 scales grouped into four types: evaluation, activity-potency, sex evaluation and danger. The normal subjects were divided into high anxiety and low anxiety subgroups on the basis of their trait anxiety scores. Anxious patients rated themselves with lower self-esteem and confidence. They reacted with apprehension to unfamiliar locations and perceived danger in other people. Sexual activity and the human body were viewed negatively. Anxious patients' apprehension were particularly raised by vague abstractions.

Adult↗

PubMed1975

Scale-checking styles on the semantic differential among older people.

Two groups of older (60 plus) respondents, matched on age but differing in educational level, and a group of young university undergraduates were compared for scale-checking styles on the Semantic Differential. Subjects rated six concepts pertaining to stages of life on 27 pairs of bipolar adjectives. Although the three groups did not differ in frequency of endorsing extreme scale positions, the less well-educated older group showed a greater tendency to use fewer intermediate scale positions and more neutral midpoint positions than either the undergraduates or the group of retired professors emeriti. Data were interpreted as a propensity for older people to emphasize concrete, well-anchored scale positions in making ambiguous multiple-point scale discriminations, a tendency related to educational background but not to age per se.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

Psychological aspects of dialysis: a semantic differential study.

As a consequence of technological advances over the last 15 years, patients suffering from terminal renal failure are now being kept alive for considerable periods of time, either by renal haemodialysis or, where appropriate and possible, by renal transplantation. The former necessarily imposes restrictions on the patients' lives which may be manifest at various levels. The basic aim of the study to be reported was to conduct an exploratory investigation of the psychological impact of dialysis on such patients, together with some of the factors that may influence their reactions to it. Using a Semantic Differential technique, 21 patients on dialysis were compared with a group of 21 healthy control subjects in terms of the personal meaning of selected concepts. Both groups were then subdivided on the basis of age, sex and, in the case of the patients, in terms of length of time on dialysis. Subgroup comparisons were then conducted. The findings suggest various hypotheses which have both theoretical and clinical implications.

Adult↗

PubMed1976