The effect of perceptual skill of RFT scores : a cross-cultural study
- Authors: Marais, W F
- Date: 1977
- Subjects: Witkin, Herman A , Personality , Personality and culture -- Cross-cultural studies , Cross-cultural studies , Perception
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3285 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012838
- Description: The increasing need to select individuals for tasks suited to their personality make-up, has added to the challenge psychology faces of developing tests which can be applied to subjects from different cultures and environments. Many attempts at such designs litter the history of industrial and cross- cultural personality research. Among those to have survived years of reassessment, is the cognitive style approach developed by Herman Witkin. Intro., p. 1.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1977
A cross cultural study of eidetic imagery and short term memory
- Authors: Lewis, William Michael
- Date: 1974
- Subjects: Cross-cultural studies , Eidetic imagery , Short-term memory
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3141 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007182 , Cross-cultural studies , Eidetic imagery , Short-term memory
- Description: The complexity of behaviour necessitates a clear and concise approach in order to comprehend its functioning. An example of such an approach is highlighted by the field of cybernetics. Cybernetic models have been used extensively throughout the various fields of Psychology but perhaps never more so as in the case of short term memory (STM). This particular field abounds with behavioural models and research workers are constantly developing new models or testing the universality of existing models. Universal validity is essential to the strength of the behavioural principles inherent in any model but unfortunately such validity tends to be neglected. The present study attempts to reconcile this position with reference to specific models of STM, with relation to the phenomena of eidetic imagery (EI). Certain studies concerning the incidence of EI in illiterate Africans have produced results which are contradictory to those obtained in the Western culture. Two of the most important contradictions concern the fact that the illiterate Africans experienced the absence of an age parameter on the occurrence of such imagery and the fact that the incidence of imagery was more extensive in the African culture. A reason for these contradictions was sought and it was reasoned that as eidetic images have been closely linked with memory images, it may, therefore, be assumed that these particular cultures may use EI as an aid to memory in the absence of written material. Further, it would not be unreasonable to assume that this visual imagery may tend to dominate the STM process and thereby challenge the universality of those memory models that proposed acoustic domination of this process. No work has been done in investigating the memory process of the Africans. Thus, a study which did so would not only test the universality of specific memory models but would also possibly throw more light on the memory process itself. In this particular study there were three specific aims; (a) to ascertain the relative incidence of EI on a cross-cultural level, (b) to assess the influence of EI on the memory process, and (c) to ascertain the extent to which principles of STM developed in the West applied to the African groups. The groups concerned in the study comprised two Xhosa groups and a European group. The European group (WS) was drawn from a White Student population at Rhodes University and was regarded as a control group. The equivalent literate Xhosa group (BS) was drawn from a Black Student population at the University of Fort Hare. The illiterate Xhosa group (RX) was drawn from a population of Red Xhosa people in the Transkei. Four tasks were administered to the groups with the cross-cultural variable carefully controlled as much as possible. The following comprised the four tasks; (a) eidetic imagery (b) auditory serial recall (c) visual serial recall and (d) an acoustic confusable task. Each subject commenced with the eidetic imagery task and was then confronted with a random presentation of the other three tasks. The EI task began with an after image task which was foIlowed by three selected pictures which comprised the EI task. After each picture presentation the subject was closely questioned as to the presence of imagery. Scoring was of a subjective nature. The visual and acoustic confusion tasks constituted serial presentation of ten items over six randomized trials. Each item was presented for 0,75 seconds with a negligible inter-item interval. The presentation order of the items was randomized throughout the trials. Presentation was by means of a preprogrammed 16mm colour film. Items were scored for correct serial position. The auditory task consisted of the serial presentation of ten items over six randomized trials. The items were once again randomized throughout the trials with regards to presentation order. The presentation speed was one word per second. The presentation was by means of a pre-programmed tape. Items were scored for correct serial position. The visual task was common to both language groups whilst the other two tasks correlated with the language group. Thus, the items in the auditory and acoustic confusion tasks were different for each language but an attempt was made to control this variable. The tasks were conducted in the subjects home language which was either Xhosa or English. It was assumed that the RX group would demonstrate a greater incidence of EI, irrespective of the age of the subject, and that imagery would be reflected in the recall performance of the memory tasks. It was suggested that imagery may determine or encourage the mode of storage that the subject employed, which, in this case, would be the visual modality. If so then it would be expected that visual storage would circumvent the detrimental influence of acoustic confusability. The Xhosa university group (BS ) was an unknown quantity but was included to ascertain whether there were any marked differences between the group and the other two. The results revealed that imagery was in fact more prevalent in the Xhosa groups whilst the WS group demonstrated a complete lack of EI but did report the presence of pictorial imagery (PI). However, imagery did not appear to function as an aid to memory. It seemed, however, that in certain instances it correlated with visual encoding. Generally the Xhosa subjects, especially with regards to the visual tasks, tended to encode visually whilst the WS group encoded auditorily. With reference to recall performance, it was found that in all instances the WS group demonstrated superior recall followed by the BS and RX groups in that order. There was a significant difference in the strength of recall between each of the groups. The results of the auditory and visual tasks were interpreted within the STM principles developed in the West. It was found that the WS group adhered to these principles thereby justifying its position as a central group. The BS group followed a similar pattern with exception to the recency effect which was much weaker in their case. The RX group reported the absence of any storage and rehearsal strategies and this was reflected in their poor recall performance. They too were characterized by a very weak recency effect. The interesting point arose, however, when the auditory and visual recency effects were compared. According to Crawder and Norton (1969) the influence or the precategorical acoustic store (PAS) on recall should be reflected by a comparatively stronger auditory recency effect. This trend was observed in relation to the WS group but not to the Xhosa groups who tended to demonstrate a stronger visual recency effect. It was therefore, suspected that PAS did not operate with the same effectiveness with the Xhosa subjects. In fact it was suggested that in the case of the Xhosa subjects the visual peripheral store may be stronger than PAS. Contrary to expectation all three groups exhibited acoustic confusion. This was expected of the WS group as the subjects preferred auditory storage , but not of the Xhosa subjects who preferred visual storage. It was suggested however, that in the case of the Xhosa subjects the visual storage technique would have to be abandoned immediately prior to or during recall as recall was necessarily in the auditory modality. The outcome of the experiment generally confirmed Doab's conclusions as to the incidence of imagery and its relation with memory. However, due to the Xhosa preference for visual storage and their stronger visual recency effect, Sperling's model was slightly modified. Conrad 's findings were, of course, substantiated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1974
An investigation of the determinants of the spatial characteristics of figure placements
- Authors: Edwards, David J A
- Date: 1973
- Subjects: Characters and characteristics , Psychology, Applied , Cross-cultural studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3205 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011739 , Characters and characteristics , Psychology, Applied , Cross-cultural studies
- Description: The doll placement technique is a projective instrument which yields objective measures from which inferences may be drawn. Subjects place pairs of dolls to represent social encounters described to them by the experimenter. When the dolls have been placed, the distance between them and the angles at which they stand can serve as a source of information either about the personality of the placer or about the way in which he perceives the relationship between the interactors represented. Most experimental work employing figure placements has used flat felt figures which subjects have mounted on a flannel graph. This method limits an investigator to one dependent variable, the inter-figure distance. However if three dimensional dolls are placed three dependent measures can be derived from a placement, one of distance and two of orientation. It has been demonstrated that a reliable correlation exists between the spatial relations between figures placed by a person and the spatial relationships between real interactors. The theoretical analysis of the determinants of interpersonal distance and orientation in social encounters which has been worked out by students of non-verbal behaviour is therefore able to serve as a basis for the interpretation of the spatial characteristics of doll placements. Previous work with the doll placement technique has concentrated on the distance between dolls. The present study explored the determinants of figure orientations. Firstly an analysis was made of the types of orientation pattern that can occur when two persons are involved in a social encounter. Secondly, an experiment was performed which was designed to explore whether asymmetry in an orientation pattern might act as a cue to determine how individual figures in a pair were perceived. Thirdly, two doll placement studies were performed which were designed to investigate the conditions giving rise to asymmetrical orientation patterns and the determinants of direct and indirect orientations. The confidence or anxiety attributed to an interactor represented by a figure proved to be a major determinant of its spatial position. The results of the study indicate that the use of the angle measures in the analysis of doll placements considerably enhances the value of the technique. It is argued that the doll placement method could be profitably employed both as a clinical instrument and as a research tool for cross-cultural psychology.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1973
A cross-cultural study of susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer and Ponzo illusions
- Authors: Smith, T V G
- Date: 1970
- Subjects: Personality and culture , Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology , Visual perception , Optical illusions , Cross-cultural studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3239 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013235
- Description: In order to investigate certain anomalies evident in the literature, the performances of three Xhosa groups (rural dwellers, urban dwellers, and undergraduates) of varying degrees of acculturation and a White undergraduate group, each group consisting of 30 subjects, were measured on tests of mode of field approach and susceptibility to the Müller- Lyer and Ponzo illusions. In addition, the effect of the introduction of a mental set, which facilitated the perception of perspective in the Ponzo figure, on susceptibility to the illusion was ascertained. Mode of field approach was measured by a portable version of the Rod-and-Frame Test. Susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer illusion was measured by a conventional movable- slide, subject-adjustable device, while a piece of apparatus which also worked on the movable slide principle and was subject-adjustable was developed to measure susceptibility to the Ponzo illusion. The set to facilitate the perception of perspective in the Ponzo figure was introduced by having subjects match the length of Ponzo contrast lines embodied in a photograph and a line-drawing of a bridge, both of these pictures having strong perspective cues. The subjects were required to perform the tasks in prescribed order. Standardised English or Xhosa instructions were ensured by the use of "programmed" worksheets for each task. Prior to each experimental task, the more unacculturated subjects performed comprehension checks to ensure that they understood the concepts of equal length and verticality. The results of the study suggested that: (i) When groups of differing acculturation levels are tested, there may be a pronounced negative association of field dependence with susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer and Ponzo illusions. In general, the more unacculturated the subject, the more field dependent and the less susceptible to illusions he was. However, there was no evidence which either strongly supported or refuted the relationship between these attributes at the intra-group level. (ii) There is no intra- group association between susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer and to the Ponzo illusions. This would indicate that they are not necessarily generated by similar inference habits or by similar contour properties. (iii) The introduction of a "perspective set" increases susceptibility to the Ponzo illusion only among acculturated subjects, who have well-developed pictorial depth perception skills and who habitually infer depth in inverted - V configurations. (iv) There is a significant association between acculturation and field independence. The unacculturated subjects, presumably because they lack the skills of visual analysis which are engendered by Western culture, were more field dependent than the acculturated subjects. (v) Provided that their degrees of acculturation are more-or-less equivalent, as were those of the two undergraduate groups, there are no differences in mode of field approach or susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer and Ponzo illusion among Xhosa and White subjects. Summary, p. 112.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1970
The measurement of group differences in social concepts
- Authors: Morsbach, Gisela W L
- Date: 1968
- Subjects: Ethnic groups -- Psychology -- South Africa , Racism -- South Africa , Stereotypes (Social psychology) , Cross-cultural studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3218 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012907
- Description: The present study attempted a cross-cultural investigation of ethnic and national stereotypes in South Africa, a land inhabited by a heterogeneous population. In this country, real or imagined differences due to racial characteristics profoundly influence social interaction. Moreover, such differences are entrenched and underscored by the prevailing legal system while supplying the rationale for many actions of the goverru:tent in power. On the basis of relevant literature it was assumed that differentiation between stereotypes would be based mainly on colour, but that further distinctive differentiations would be present inside the ensuing major groupings ("White and "Non-White"). It was furthermore attempted to show that various groups differed significantly in their judgment of an ethnic stereotype only if they had a dissimilar relationship with the group to be judged. Altogether 760 subjects were tested. These belonged to the six major ethnic and cultural groups in South Africa (Africans, Afrikaners, Coloureds, English-speaking White Gentiles, Indians, and Jews). They were all asked to judge each one of ten concepts by means of the semantic differential technique, which consisted of twenty adjective pairs. Six of these concepts were the names of the South African groups mentioned above, while another three concepts represented the names of groups outside South Africa ("the Americans", "the Germans", and "the Russians") which play an important role in the thinking of South Africans. Finally, the subjects were asked to rate themselves ("Me"- concept). For the sake of better comparison, only first-year students were tested at various universities. The results were analyzed with the aid of a computer (the ICT computers at the University of Cape Town and at Rhodes University). Since a cross-cultural study rests on the theoretical assumption that any tests used for the purpose of comparison are reliable and valid in all cultures to be investigated, a few additional questions had to be asked. The checks undertaken confirmed that in the present study:- 1) The motivation of the subjects as well as their comprehension of the test's basic aims did not differ to any great extent. 2) The six groups did not differ appreciably as regards the social desirability of adjectives used, the semantic structure of the adjective pairs, and the range of scores on the adjective pairs. Furthermore, it was established that male-female differences in attitudes in each of the six groups tested were negligible. The stereotypes were compared with each other inside every one of the groups tested, as well as being compared between all the groups. These comparisons were carried out on the single adjective pairs separately (by means of the Sign Test and the Median Test), and then undertaken in the context of the factorial structure of the concepts. The major results showed that:- 1. The 'colour line' is an important criterion of evaluation in all groups but the Coloureds and the Jews. a) Apart from a 'Black Factor', on which the concepts "the Africans" and "the Coloureds" obtained high loadings, there appeared to be two factors dealing with the evaluation of the White groups. b) The evaluation of the 'Black Factor' by the African subjects was much more positive than the 'Black Factor' found in other groups. c) The Indian subjects did not regard themselves as belonging to the ' Non-Whites' ; neither were they regarded as such by the other subjects tested. 2. The criterion of colour was of less importance in the Coloured and Jewish groups tested. 3. The Jewish subjects appeared to possess the most differentiated stereotype structure, since, in their case, there were four, instead of the usual three factors to be extracted. Moreover, they tended to regard the Non-'White groups more positively than did the other two White groups. 4. The Afrikaans subjects held the most negative opinion of "the Africans"; conversely, "the Afrikaners" were also rejected more strongly than the English-speaking Whites by the Non-Whites tested. 5. Of all groups rated, "the Americans" were the most liked. 6. The stereotypes of "the Russians" and "the Germans" were fairly similar, except in the case of the Afrikaans subjects, who had an exceptionally positive regard for "the Germans". 1. Ratings of the subjects' own group were generally very much more positive than the ratings of the same group by members of other groups, except in the case of the English-speaking White Gentiles. 8. When any two groups rated a concept differently, this could generally be traced back to, on the one hand, differences in the relationships between each one of the judging groups, and, on the other, the group being judged. In conclusion it can be stated that differences between the groups as regards any one stereotype were generally smaller than the differences between the stereotypes of different concepts as held by any one group tested. Where no special relationships existed between a judging group and one being judged, ethnic and national stereotypes tended to be relatively similar in the various cultures and sub-cultures investigated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1968