Anglo-Chicano and Male-Female Differences in Disclaimed Activity

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Abstract
In order to test the hypothesis that Chicanos, as part of a more generally passive coping style, are more likely than Anglos to disclaim responsibility for actions, 374 subjects (196 Anglos and 94 Chicanos) were evaluated. Each subject was presented with 12 stories, and asked to judge the likelihood that 6 alternatives which differed in degree of disclaimed activity, were responsible for the behavior of characters in each story. These judgments provided a measure of disclaimed activity, which is defined as ascribing responsibility for one's actions to someone or something else. It was expected that Chicanos would show even greater disclaimed activity than Anglos on themes related to parents and peers than on stories which involved themes of death. Additionally, it was expected that women would show more disclaimed activity than men. Contrary to earlier studies on disclaimed activity, no significant differences were found between Anglos and Chicanos. Surprisingly, women showed less rather than more disclaimed activity than men, with the difference significant at the .01 level. Conflicts with previous literature are discussed.

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