Accuracy of interpersonal perception: A general trait?

After viewing filmed interviews, judges made predictions in regard to behavior which would be subsequent to certain stated conditions, personality traits, how an opinion might be expressed by the observed S, and how the observed S might complete certain sentences. A general ability to perceive others accurately was isolated, and seen to be related to the factor of "sensitivity to the generalized other" and "interpersonal sensitivity." The relationship to related empirical and theoretical work is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Temporary activation of perceptual–motor associations: A stimulus–response interpretation of automaticity.

Some types of automaticity can be attributed to simple stimulus–response associations (G. D. Logan, 1988). This can be studied with paradigms in which associations to an irrelevant stimulus automatically influence responding to a relevant stimulus. In 1 example, the irrelevant and relevant stimuli were presented successively with the 1st, irrelevant, stimulus masked. Although this stimulus was not phenomenally visible, it influenced responding to the 2nd, visible, stimulus. This influence was substantial only if associations to the 1st stimulus had been activated by recent responding (S. T. Klapp & B. W. Haas, 2005). These associations were not processed deeply; instead, they only relate specific stimuli to specific responses. Whereas these conclusions were demonstrated previously with masking so that participants were not aware of the irrelevant stimulus and thus had no basis to permit control of its influence, the present research demonstrated the same principles when all stimuli were visible. Furthermore, activation of the associations was not subject to substantial intentional control. These findings imply that association-based automaticity occurs independently of, and uninfluenced by, awareness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptual–motor sequence learning of general regularities and specific sequences.

Participants viewed digit strings and typed them on a computer keyboard. When they used the same key configuration across training and test, they typed test strings that adhered to the same sequence rule as training strings faster than test strings that adhered to the opposite rule (general-regularity [GR] learning), and they typed test strings that were processed repeatedly during training faster than test strings that were not (specific-sequence [SS] learning). However, when they used different key configurations at training and at test, GR learning, but not SS learning, was observed. Conversely, when they did not type but spoke the strings aloud during training, SS learning, but not GR learning, was observed. Results suggest that in addition to declarative memory for specific sequences, relatively independent subsystems underlie procedural learning of perceptual-motor sequence components (producing GR effects) and sequence wholes (producing SS effects). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Life reflection: A social–cognitive analysis of life review.

Life review and reminiscence are 2 concepts used to describe the phenomenon of people reflecting on their lives. Rather than used synonymously, these 2 concepts need to be distinguished on the basis of a social–cognitive process analysis. For that purpose, life reflection is introduced as a new term. Evidence shows that life reflection is a social–cognitive process that begins in adolescence and continues across the life span. It serves different functions across the life span, but at all ages it contributes to self-insight and a self-critical perspective. Striving for new insights about oneself and about life in general is challenging and taxing. Reflecting together with a trusted person, thus, may facilitate the process. A study testing and supporting some of these propositions is reported. Results are discussed in the context of lifespan theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bridge employment and retirees’ health: A longitudinal investigation.

The present study examined the relationship between bridge employment and retirees’ health outcomes (i.e., major diseases, functional limitations, and mental health). We used a nationally representative sample of 12,189 retirees from the first 4 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that compared with full retirement, engaging in bridge employment either in a career field or in a different field was associated with fewer major diseases and functional limitations, whereas engaging in career bridge employment was associated with better mental health. The findings highlight the health benefits of engaging in bridge employment for retirees. The practical implications of this study are discussed at both the individual and policy levels. Limitations of the current findings are also noted in conjunction with future research directions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive–behavioral therapy helps prevent relapse and recurrence of panic disorder following alprazolam discontinuation: A long-term follow-up of the Peoria and Dartmouth studies.

The present research evaluated patients from 2 previous studies (1 conducted in Peoria, the other at Dartmouth) during a 2- to 5-year posttreatment period. Results showed that 75% of the Peoria sample and 76% of the Dartmouth sample were able to discontinue alprazolam therapy, remain abstinent of any type of treatment for panic disorder, and maintain their acute-treatment clinical gains over this follow-up period. The degree to which patients' anxiety sensitivity declined during treatment predicted relapse versus survival during the 1st 6 months of follow-up, when most relapses occurred. Implications of these findings for benzodiazepine discontinuation, combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, and relapse prevention in panic disorder are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pain demands attention: A cognitive–affective model of the interruptive function of pain.

Pain interrupts and demands attention. The authors review evidence for how and why this interruption of attention is achieved. The interruptive function of pain depends on the relationship between pain-related characteristics (e.g., the threat value of pain) and the characteristics of the environmental demands (e.g., emotional arousal). A model of the interruptive function of pain is developed that holds that pain is selected for action from within complex affective and motivational environments to urge escape. The implications of this model for research and therapy are outlined with an emphasis on the redefinition of chronic pain as chronic interruption. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The longitudinal structure of general and specific anxiety dimensions in children: Testing a latent trait–state–occasion model.

In an 8-wave, 4-year longitudinal study, 787 children (Grades 3–6) completed the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale (C. R. Reynolds & B. O. Richmond, 1985), a measure of the Physiological Reactivity, Worry–Oversensitivity, and Social Alienation dimensions of anxiety. A latent variable (trait–state–occasion) model and a latent growth curve model were applied to each of the 3 anxiety dimensions and to a general anxiety factor consisting of the 3 dimensions. Although the general anxiety factor reflected a significant stable trait process, the Worry–Oversensitivity and Social Alienation dimensions reflected an autoregressive process more than a stable trait dimension. In contrast to the other 2 anxiety dimensions, Physiological Reactivity reflected a significant stable trait process, suggesting that the longitudinal structure of anxiety in children depends upon the dimension assessed. In children as early as age 9 or 10, Physiological Reactivity (more than other anxiety dimensions) manifested a stable trait component. Structural findings were consistent across gender and race; however, mean differences in gender and race emerged for general anxiety and its 3 dimensions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive behavior modification of hyperactivity–impulsivity and aggression: A meta-analysis of school-based studies.

Cognitive behavior modification (CBM) has been used for the past 25 years to mitigate maladaptive behaviors through the use of covert self-statements. Yet few reviewers have examined the use of CBM in school settings to reduce hyperactive–impulsive and aggressive behaviors in children and youth. This meta-analysis examined the outcomes of 23 studies. The mean effect size across all the studies was 0.74, and 89% of the studies had treatment participants who experienced greater gains than their control counterparts on posttest and maintenance measures when exposed to a treatment with a cognitive component. These results are discussed in terms of study characteristics and design, and recommendations for future research are made. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are health and happiness the product of wisdom? The relationship of general mental ability to educational and occupational attainment, health, and well-being.

This study tested a structural model explaining the effects of general mental ability on economic, physical, and subjective well-being. A model was proposed that linked general mental ability to well-being using education, unhealthy behaviors (smoking and excessive drinking), occupational prestige, and health as mediating variables. The sample consisted of 398 individuals, from whom measures were collected across 4 periods. The results supported a model that includes direct and indirect (through unhealthy behaviors and occupational prestige) links from mental ability to physical well-being (i.e., health) and economic well-being. Furthermore, the results supported the relationships of economic well-being and physical well-being to subjective well-being. Overall, the study underscores the importance of general mental ability to work and nonwork outcomes, including physical, economic, and psychological well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Processing lexical ambiguities in word triplets: Evidence of lexical–semantic deficits following dominant nonthalamic subcortical lesions.

Lexical–semantic function was investigated in 10 participants with lesions of the dominant nonthalamic subcortical (NS) region and a matched normal control group. Participants performed speeded lexical decisions on the 3rd member of auditorily presented word triplets. The 4 critical triplet conditions were concordant (coin–bank–money), discordant (river–bank–money), neutral (day–bank–money), and unrelated (river–day–money). When the interstimulus interval (ISI) between the words in the triplets was 100 ms, patients with NS lesions obtained priming that indicated nonselective lexical access; at 1,250-ms ISI, however, there was no significant priming effect. This pattern of results is consistent with the view that patients with NS lesions can automatically access lexical-semantic information but may be unable to sustain lexical activation through controlled or attentional forms of processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Empirically supported psychological treatments: A natural extension of the scientist–practitioner paradigm.

The impact on Canadian professional psychological treatment practices of the American Psychological Association's Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) Task Force's development of criteria and listings for empirically supported psychological treatments, along with other industrial efforts to standardize the identification of treatments with established efficacy is described in the article by J. Hunsley et al (see record 1999-01869-001). C. M. Morin voices comments on some aspects of the article which may need further thought. The reasons for, and utility of such a movement toward empirically supported treatment (ESTs) is investigated. The defining characteristics of an EST (from the Task Force's perspective) are subject for debate. Why have only 2 categories of ESTs (well established empirical support vs probably efficacious)? The implications of the adoption of EST-based systems will reverberate throughout training, practice, and public health policies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social–cognitive beliefs, alcohol, and tobacco use: A prospective community study of change following a ban on smoking in public places.

Objective: To examine social–cognitive change associated with behavior change after the introduction of a smoke-free public places policy. Design: Adults (N = 583) who use public houses licensed to sell alcohol (pubs) completed questionnaires assessing alcohol and tobacco consumption and social–cognitive beliefs 2 months prior to the introduction of the smoking ban in England on July 1, 2007. Longitudinal follow-up (N = 272) was 3 months after the introduction of the ban. Main outcome measures: Social–cognitive beliefs, daily cigarette consumption, and weekly alcohol consumption. Results: Smokers consumed considerably more alcohol than did nonsmokers at both time points. However, a significant interaction of Smoking Status × Time showed that while smokers had consumed fewer units of alcohol after the ban, nonsmokers showed an increase over the same period. There was a significant reduction in number of cigarettes consumed after the ban. Subjective norms concerning not smoking, and perceived severity of smoking-related illness increased across time. Negative outcomes associated with not smoking were reduced among former smokers and increased across time among smokers. Regression analyses showed that changes in subjective norm and negative outcome expectancies accounted for significant variance in change in smoking across time. Conclusion: Results suggest that the smoking ban may have positive health benefits that are supported by social–cognitive change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of pain in spinal cord injury: A case–control study.

Objective: To examine the impact of pain on functioning across multiple quality of life QOL) domains among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: A case–control design that matched 2 groups (i.e., extreme pain interference and no pain interference) case for case on age (i.e., within 10 years), education, gender, race, marital status, primary occupation, and impairment level. Etiology of SCI and injury duration, although not specifically matched, were the same in 84% and 91% of the cases, respectively. Participants: Individuals with traumatic-onset SCI from the National Spinal Cord Injury database (n?=?86 matched pairs). Outcome Measures: Satisfaction With Life Scale, Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique, and Short Form SF-12. Results: The extreme pain interference group reported a significantly lower overall QOL and had higher total handicap scores than the no pain interference group. Areas of handicap most influenced by pain were mobility, social integration, and economic self-sufficiency. The extreme pain interference group also reported significantly lower physical and mental health than the no pain interference group. Conclusions: Pain has a consistent detrimental impact on functioning across multiple QOL domains even after controlling for multiple demographic and medical characteristics known to be associated with self-reported QOL. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A common-coding account of the bidirectional evaluation–behavior link.

Three experiments tested the influence of approach- and avoidance-related lever movements on the perception of masked affectively positive and negative stimuli. A motivational account of the bidirectional evaluation–behavior link predicted an enhanced detection of response-compatible stimuli, whereas a common-coding model predicted a reduced evaluative sensitivity toward such stimuli due to feature binding conflicts. The results consistently supported the common-coding explanation. In Experiment 1, detection (d′) of positive and negative stimuli was selectively impaired by the generation of congruent approach- and avoidance-related lever movements, respectively. This effect, referred to as action-valence blindness, was replicated in Experiment 2 and shown to depend on the evaluative meaning of the generated movement rather than on the movement per se. Experiment 3 revealed that action-valence blindness depends on a temporal overlap between movement generation and stimulus evaluation. A common-coding link between evaluation and motor behavior is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitudes toward adoption of evidence-based practices: A comparison of autism early intervention providers and children’s mental health providers.

Across the country, states are reporting increases in the number of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) served each year in the early intervention system. Research examining factors impacting the successful dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) into service systems for these children is limited. Preliminary information indicates that adoption of EBPs is variable. Provider attitudes toward the adoption of EBPs may be one factor that limits or facilitates implementation of efficacious treatments and these attitudes vary by organizational context and provider individual differences. The current study examines cross-context differences in provider attitudes toward EBPs by comparing the attitudes of 71 education-based early intervention providers working with children with ASD to the attitudes of 238 mental health providers in the public mental health system. This provides the first examination of ASD early intervention provider attitudes toward EBP. Results indicated that early intervention providers reported significantly more favorable attitudes toward adopting EBPs than did mental health providers. Early intervention providers with extended experience in the field perceived less divergence between their current practice and EBPs. Implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A general method of habit plane determination in bainitic steels—II. Habit plane determination of the bainite

A new method is given for the determination of the bainite habit plane in specimens of a 35NiCr18 steel. The transformation of this steel is complete on cooling to room temperature. That is, no austenite is retained in the structure. Therefore, the new method is based on the orientation determination of the austenite prior to the bainite transformation using non-parallel {111} twin intersections, as described in Part I. Results of measurements of the bainite habit plane are reported. These results are compared with those obtained from two-surface analyses employed to the same bainite plates.