Papers by warren thorngate
An experiment was conducted to test the adequacy of three models of game playing behavior in acco... more An experiment was conducted to test the adequacy of three models of game playing behavior in accounting for choices made by eighteen females in three non-zero sum games. Data were obtained for testing a Markov model, a Subjective Expected Utility model and a Rational Motive Pursuit (ne" Stochastic Choice) model. Results indicated some support for all models, however the Markov model appeared to predict the data most accurately, the R.*!.P. model less accurately and the S.E.U. model least accurately. Much of the data were interpreted In terms of each model and a theoretical synthesis of them was proposed. Ii
Routledge eBooks, Jul 5, 2005
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1979
... 37, No. 2, 203-220 Prediction and Perception of Social Motives Judith E. Maki Warren B. Thorn... more ... 37, No. 2, 203-220 Prediction and Perception of Social Motives Judith E. Maki Warren B. Thorngate University of California, Santa Barbara University of Alberta Edmonton, Canada Charles G. McClintock University of California, Santa Barbara ...
Mind & Society, Oct 15, 2020
The present essay describes how one small, rural, Canadian town relied on its community sprit to ... more The present essay describes how one small, rural, Canadian town relied on its community sprit to support locals affected by the current pandemic. Such spirit might increasingly attract people, now working from home in large cities, who seek a sense of community beyond what work offers. The attraction could bring new life to small towns.
Canadian journal on aging =, 1993
RESUME Les scientifiques font de nombreuses recherches quantitatives dans l'espoir d'influencer l... more RESUME Les scientifiques font de nombreuses recherches quantitatives dans l'espoir d'influencer l'esprit des gens, c'est-a-dire leur vision de ce qui est vrai ou faux, et d'obtenir ainsi qu'ils prennent de meilleures decisions. Toutefois, les recherches indiquent qu'il est plus important d'atteindre le coeur, c'est-a-dire les valeurs, leur vision de ce qui est important ou ne Test pas. La recherche qualitative est plus efficace que la recherche pour influencer les valeurs des gens, parce qu'elle tend a attirer et a inspirer un public plus large et parce qu'elle peut communiquer des exemples pratiques plus aisement. Des applications possibles de la recherche qualitative pour des politiques en gerontologie sont examinees.
Simulation & Gaming, Jan 15, 2008
C lassrooms symbolize knowledge; professions represent action. The distance between knowledge and... more C lassrooms symbolize knowledge; professions represent action. The distance between knowledge and action can be seen in various ways: as a gap to fill, as corridors to move between, or as intertwined processes that are mutually supportive. Arthur Koestler's (1945) dichotomous characterization of the Yogi (seeker of truth) and Commissar (action and adventure) nicely captures the tension between action and knowledge. Koestler himself was a man of immense knowledge and effective action. Following Koestler, our job as educators, trainers, researchers, and practitioners is to understand the complex relationship between action and knowledge. The distinction between knowledge and action has long been studied by epistemologists and sociologists, but more from an academic angle, less from the perspective of improving human performance in action. Some early work (e.g., Polanyi, 1958; Ryle, 1949) looked at the distinction between knowledge that (declarative, propositional) and knowledge how (procedural, skill). Since then, the knowledgeaction distinction has become a prominent part of education and of industry, and their separation can lead to dysfunction and even to tragedy. This symposium examines the ways in which learners and trainees can be encouraged to use their knowledge to become more effective actors, and to generate knowledge from their action. It is a two-way interaction. In some countries-France is a prime example-one widespread method, sometimes imposed by law, that aims to bring knowledge and action closer together for students, is to require them to spend time on the other side of the "gap." The various systems are known by several terms: on-the-job training, internship, work placement, and others. Simulation/games and internships share a number of features. Both provide experience that can be processed through reflection (debriefing). Both are relatively inexpensive, compared to the 'real' thing, especially in terms of error consequence, often inappropriately termed low risk; it is not so much the level of risk that changes but the severity of the impact on the non-simulation world (see, e.g., discussions in
contemporary Psychology, Apr 1, 1994
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2010
This paper introduces a project for improving career-related websites in Canada. The findings rep... more This paper introduces a project for improving career-related websites in Canada. The findings represent job seekers' experiences with career-related websites including the type of career information they want on a website and their preferred means of packaging and distributing the desired information. The implications of this research are discussed for developing career-related websites and for improving their quality.
Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, Jun 1, 2001
This article illustrates how some of the core concepts of social psychology can increase understa... more This article illustrates how some of the core concepts of social psychology can increase understanding of the practice of policy analysis. Policy analysis is shown to be a form of rhetoric subject to social psychological principles of attitude change. The article argues that policy analysts are primarily concerned with changing policymakers' beliefs about the consequences of alternative policies, but that preferences for alternative policies are largely the result of values. Values are formed and modified primarily by social comparison processes, conformity pressures, and the dynamics of group decision making rather than by rational argument. As a result, policy analysts could become more effective by addressing issues of values in their analyses or by mediating the social processes that might interfere with good policy choices.
Evaluation, Apr 1, 2003
Evaluators of an organization whose programmes or policies are under evaluation frequently encoun... more Evaluators of an organization whose programmes or policies are under evaluation frequently encounter anxiety and resistance from the evaluees. Literature abounds with suggestions for developing collaborative interactions. Few studies, if any, show circumstances where the evaluees' need for cooperation and support transcends the inherent anxiety and resistance and triggers for the evaluees' desire for moral support and advice. An analysis of the socio-psychological factors involved in the circumstances described in this study may shed light on how the evaluator can develop the evaluation process to enhance the collaboration with the evaluees. Here we report and analyse three case histories of such evaluations to determine the critical features of the evaluations that made them collaborative rather than conflictual. The common issues raised shed light on practices that alleviate anxiety in the evaluation process.
Simulation & Gaming, Feb 6, 2009
Many simulations are undertaken in hopes of forming or changing the beliefs and policies of polic... more Many simulations are undertaken in hopes of forming or changing the beliefs and policies of policy makers. A simulation used for this purpose becomes a rhetorical device, a tool of social influence. The authors review some of the important principles of attitude change incorporated in modern rhetoric and show how they might be employed to increase the influence of simulations in policy-making processes.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Jun 1, 1975
ABSTRACT Critically examines the currently popular belief that social behavior is governed by inv... more ABSTRACT Critically examines the currently popular belief that social behavior is governed by invariant processes. The literature is reviewed, and evidence is presented indicating that processes vary considerably and unpredictably. It is proposed that the most valid conceptions of social behavior are those that characterize it as having local organization and general disorganization. It can be expected, as a result, that different process models will adequately account for specific behaviors in local settings. It can also be expected that no tractable account of the variables affecting process variability will emerge. Social psychology, however, is as much a descriptive science as it is a deductive one, and the description of process variance must be seen as the legitimate end of its research efforts. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Springer eBooks, 1976
About a quarter of a century ago Edmund Whittaker (1949) wrote a fascinating series of lectures o... more About a quarter of a century ago Edmund Whittaker (1949) wrote a fascinating series of lectures on the history and implications of recent developments in theoretical physics. Almost parenthetically, he outlined therein a means of viewing scientific progress which is at once both unorthodox and profound. It is a means founded on what Whittaker terms “postulates of impotence,” which he defines as assertions of “… the impossibility of achieving something, even though there may be an infinite number of ways of trying to achieve it.” He continues: A postulate of impotence is not the direct result of an experiment or of any finite number of experiments; it does not mention any measurement, or any numerical relation or analytical equation; it is the assertion of a conviction that all attempts to do a certain thing, however made, are bound to fail. (p. 59)
contemporary Psychology, Jun 1, 1980
Recent research in psychology, 1990
Adjudicated contests are often held to determine who merits a limited resource. Attempts to emplo... more Adjudicated contests are often held to determine who merits a limited resource. Attempts to employ consistent and fair criteria of merit are vitiated by increases in the contestant population; as fair contests grow, they eventually devolve into unfair ones. Contestants can use any of three strategies to adapt to this devolutionary circumstance. Psychological aspects of these strategies are outlined, and their limitations discussed.
Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, 2014
Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Jan 31, 2000
Programming languages for social simulations are rapidly proliferating. The result is a Tower of ... more Programming languages for social simulations are rapidly proliferating. The result is a Tower of Babel effect: Many of us find it increasingly effortful to learn and to teach more programming languages and increasingly difficult to sustain an audience beyond the programming dialect of our choice. We need a programming lingua franca. Here I argue why Matlab might be worth our
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Papers by warren thorngate