Experiments in Science Policy: An Autobiographical Note

In this paper, I offer a personal account of a journey through a world of science governance that is in flux. I reflect on three levels of experimentation: first, the intermingling of social scientists with scientists and policymakers; second, the creation of new forms of public dialogue; and third, the blurring of technical and social experiment with geoengineering as a case in point. My conclusion is that social scientists can both gain and contribute a great deal through engaging with, questioning and trying to open up such experiments.     

Sources of bias in performance evaluation: Two experiments

Attribution and stereotyping theories predicted that poor-performing black workers would receive lower evaluations than corresponding Whites, while good performance would have the reverse effect. “Dress and lifestyle” was also predicted to influence performance evaluation. Male business students, evaluating bogus employees differing in race, dress, and behaviorally described performance, provided weak support for the second hypothesis. A second experiment investigated the possibility that perceived social class, rather than race, was the relevant variable in the operation of a stereotype confirmation—contrast process. Individual differences in stereotyping were also measured. No support for the specific hypothesized process was found, but results supported the potential relevance of attribution theory to a configural performance-evaluation model. Results were also discussed in terms of worker-perceived discrimination.     

The ADAPT Program: A Developmental Approach for Serving Profoundly Disturbed Children

The need to provide educational and therapeutic services for profoundly emotionally handicapped children has been well documented in the professional literature. The purpose of this article is to describe a local program for this population of children. The program, known as ADAPT, is operated by the Hillsborough County School System in Tampa, Florida.     

Stereotype attribution in two ethnic groups

The cross-cultural generality of previously observed stereotype attribution processes was investigated. European and Maori New Zealanders, similar in age but differing in occupational status from previous American samples, rated stimulus persons varying along three dimensions: Ethnicity (European, Maori, Samoan); Origin (Urban-Rural); and Occupation/Education (manager, skilled tradesman, laborer). Response traits were 26 adjectives found in previous research to comprise ethnic stereotypes. Factor analysis of these 26 traits showed that 5 factors were plausible in each sample, although the factor structures in the two samples were not identical. Separate between- subjects ANOV As in each sample showed that stimulus occupation accounted for most of the systematic variance in the attribution of the trait factors. This was interpreted as evidence for possible occupational stereotyping. Methodological and theoretical issues relevant to this conclusion were discussed, including the likelihood that different processes may characterize attribution in different cultures and situations.