PSYC 191 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Judith Rodin, Field Experiment, 18 Months

• School: University of Victoria
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 191
• Professor: Stephen Lindsay

Document Summary

The effects of choice and enhanced personal responsibility for the aged: a field experiment in an institutional setting. Journal of personality and social psychology, 34, 191%198. Tendency to resist attempts to limit freedom is called reactance. Esear(cid:272)h prior to la(cid:374)ger & odi(cid:374)(cid:859)s stud(cid:455) showed. Negative effects of stress can be reduced if people believe they have control over their stress. People who feel in control of their environment are experience less stress about environmental factors. People are happier when they are in control and have choices. Developmentally, people have less ability to make choices in older age. Many people experience stress when entering a nursing home. Participants were residents in an upscale nursing home in connecticut. Two floors were randomly selected for treatment conditions: 4th floor: 8 men, 39 women increased responsibility, 2nd floor: 9 men, 35 women - unchanged responsibility. Policy followed for three weeks; questionnaires given before and after treatment. 95% of independent group experienced a change.