An Experimental Evaluation of Heider's Balance Theory with Respect to Situational and Predispositional Variables

Cognitive manipulations with delinquent adolescents in group therapy.

“…The therapists at the clinic had considerable leeway in creating these situations, as long as they followed the basic paradigm of the p-o-x model. The situations were to be relevant to the patients' milieu and couched in appropriate terminology (Harari, 1967;1971).…”

“…with a change of attitude toward the other person ("Lonny is a nice guy after all"); adolescents with high SIV scores on recognitionseeking responded with a change of perception of the other's action ("Lonny did not help to win the elections"); adolescents with high SIV score on independent behavior responded with a change of attitude toward the event ("Lonny did not want to get elected anyway"); etc. (Harari, 1967).…”

“…Support-seeking individuals such as Alan, however, tend to solve such situations by changing their attitude toward the other person(s) from dislike (p-Lo) to liking (pLo). Moreover, if the message to the patient is clear that the group has the power to help, most delinquent adolescents will have a positive change in attitude toward p (Harari, 1967;1971). Accordingly, Alan was given to understand from the very moment that he attended sessions that he can expect to get help from the group, and that the group can in fact help him.…”

Interpersonal models in psychotherapy and counseling: A social-psychological analysis of a clinical problem.

“…While it appears that both of these aspects of interpersonal perception are mutually dependent (Harari, 1967;McDavid &Harari, 1968), it is nevertheless easier to give a content-bound description of what qualities one perceives in another person than, say, to analyze the inferences by which such qualities were attributed to that person. Fortunately, a number of theoretical models, notably the various "balance" theories (e.g., Festinger, 1957;Heider, 1958;Newcomb, 1961;Osgood & Tannenbaum, 1955), have given a great deal of attention to the processes involved in interpersonal perception.…”

“…He also maintained that more mature individuals are more likely to incorporate the "ought" factor in their perceptions than less mature individuals. Empirical research has sustained most of these assumptions (Harari, 1967;Shaw & Sulzer, 1964;Wolowitz, 1965). Accordingly, the general hypothesis offered here was that normal adolescents are more likely to make perceptual inferences on the basis of the stimulus person's moral obligation to act, whereas delinquent adolescents will make such inferences on the basis of the stimulus person's power to act.…”