The Perception of Social Conventionality by Children and Adults

Numerous studies have found that by late childhood individuals recognize conventional norms as social contrivances that are arbitrary, relative, and changeable. However, this conclusion conflicts with other evidence that children and adults "reify" social formations by apprehending them as something other than social products. For example, it is difficult to reconcile the phenomenon of ethnocentrism with the image of people who perceive their social worlds as arbitrary and relative. Most of the studies have questioned respondents about comparatively "transparent" rules, that is, those whose arbitrary human origins are evident. Moreover, the customary questions used to measure perceived conventionality are often simplistic indicators of a complex phenomenon. The result is an exaggerated portrayal of children's and adults' awareness of the conventionality of the social world.     

Some Practical Considerations When Converting a Linearly Administered Test to an Adaptive Format

"We seek the truth and will endure the consequences." Charles Seymour President of Yale (1937–1950)     

Mechanization of library procedures in the medium-sized medical library. 8. Computer applications in hospital departmental libraries

To test the hypothesis that a standard library system could be designed for hospital departmental libraries, a system was developed and partially tested for four departmental libraries in the Washington University School of Medicine and Associated Hospitals. The system from determination of needs through design and evaluation, is described. The system was limited by specific constraints to control of the monograph collection. Products of control include catalog cards, accessions list, new book list, location list, fund list, missing book list, and discard book list. Sample data form and pages from a procedure manual are given, and conversion from a manual to an automated system is outlined.The question of standardization of library records and procedures is discussed, with indications of the way in which modular design, as utilized in this system, could contribute to greater flexibility in design of future systems.Reference is made to anticipating needs for organizing departmental libraries in developing regional medical library programs and to exploring the role of the departmental library in a medical library network.     

Personality and Intelligence Characteristics of Selected High School Athletes and Nonathletes

Abstract

Selected high school athletes (junior and senior lettermen in baseball, basketball, football, swimming, and wrestling) were compared with nonathletes from the same population for differences in selected profile scales, as indicated by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and intelligent quotients (I).

Personality characteristics in terms of MMPI categories of hypochondriasis (Hs), depression (D), hysteria (hy), psychopathic deviation (Pd), femininity (Mf), paranoia (Pa), and psychasthenia (Pt) distinguished betweeen athletic and nonathletic groups. Femininity and intelligence were significantly lower for all athletic groups when compared with the nonathletic group. Hypochondriasis was significantly higher for all athletic groups, except swimmers, when compared with the nonathletic group. Only hypomania (Ma) and the validity scale (K) failed to differentiate between athletic and nonathletic groups.