Alpha-gamma angular correlations have been measured at 73 scattering angles in the reaction plane for the reaction C 12(α, α′γ 4.43) and at 40 scattering angles for the reaction Mg 24 (α, α′γ 1.37). The correlation functions were determined at each alpha-particle scattering angle by measuring the coincidence gamma-ray yield for at least 11 different gamma-ray detection angles. All of the particles in both reactions except the excited nuclei and the gamma rays are spinless, greatly simplifying interpretation of the correlation data. These data have been analysed in terms of the polarization of the excited nucleus, and show the presence of curious and distinctive behaviour in the functional dependence of the polarization parameters on scattering angle for both reactions studied. These results are compared with the predictions of reaction theories and show strong disagreement with semi-classical, plane-wave, and adiabatic theory predictions, while giving at least qualitative agreement with DWBA calculations. Predictions of compound nucleus theory are investigated, and the relevance of this type of measurement to the investigation of reaction mechanisms and their interference effects is discussed.