Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Monson, Thomas C.

Abstract

The two principal areas of research addressed by this study were: a) further validation of Nowak and Vallacher's mouse paradigm, and b) comparison of literatures all theoretically derived from principles of hedonics. Validation of the mouse paradigm included examination of the instructional set and detection of individual differences in various hedonically derived measures of personality. The mouse instructions were framed in terms of approach ('less good ' versus ' more good') or in terms of avoidance (' more bad' versus ' less bad ' ). Inclusion of inventories based on the principles of approach and avoidance allowed for examination of convergent and discriminant validity. The mouse procedure was able to differentiate self-esteem, self-stability, introversion/extraversion, neuroticism/emotional stability, and Strelau's Pavlovian mobility. Depending on the prime used, some differentiation was also seen with measures of attachment. Differentiation was not found with the mouse procedure for Strelau's Pavlovian measures of strength of excitation and strength of inhibition. Two factor analyses of the questionnaires used gave rise to conceptually positive and negative components. The positive component was related to self-esteem, self-stability, extraversion, strength of excitation, strength of inhibition, mobility, and inversely related to anxiety and neuroticism. The negative component positively loaded on neuroticism, avoidance, dismissing attachment, and fearful attachment, and negatively loaded on selfesteem, self-stability, and secure attachment. These components were compared with Vallacher and Nowak's hedonically based mouse paradigm measures. They were consistently found to correlate with distance under the approach prime and variability in distance under the avoidance prime. This suggests that individuals who score highly on conceptually positive constructs (approach temperaments) have more stable absolute attitudes whereas individuals who score higher on conceptually negative constructs (avoidance temperaments) have greater variability in attitude. The approach instructions initially gave rise to lower evaluation, more variability, and less time at rest than the avoidance instructions. This trend was reflected in the increase in correlations over time under the positive hedonic condition and a decrease in correlations with time under the negative hedonic condition. These results suggest a suppression effect with negative framing.

Extent

154 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2007.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Charles E. Schmidt College of Science|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00000876

Format

pdf

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