INTERPERSONAL TRUST, INTERNAL-EXTERNAL CONTROL, AND THE WARREN COMMISSION REPORT

PREDICTED ACCEPTANCE OF THE WARREN COMMISSION REPORT AMONG STUDENTS FROM 2 MEASURES OF PERSONALITY PRESUMABLY INDEPENDENT OF POLITICAL ATTITUDES: INTERPERSONAL TRUST AND BELIEF IN INTERNAL VS. EXTERNAL CONTROL OF REINFORCEMENT. BOTH ARE CONCEPTUALIZED IN SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY AS BROAD GENERALIZED EXPECTANCIES. EACH PERSONALITY TEST AND THE WARREN COMMISSION QUESTIONNAIRE WERE GIVEN TO STUDENTS AT WIDELY SPACED TIMES BY DIFFERENT ES. SS WITH CONSISTENT ATTITUDES OF DISBELIEF OF THE WARREN REPORT WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS TRUSTING AND MORE EXTERNAL. WITHIN SEXES, TRUST IS A PREDICTOR FOR MALES AND FEMALES, BUT INTERNAL-EXTERNAL CONTROL ONLY FOR MALES. THE STUDY ADDS TO THE LITERATURE ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF PERSONALITY VARIABLES TO UNDERSTAND PUBLIC REACTIONS TO SOCIOPOLITICAL EVENTS. (19 REF.)