Effects of a supportive or an unsupportive audience on biological and psychological responses to stress.

Although social support is related to substantial benefits for health and well-being, research has uncovered qualifications to its benefits. In a test of the psychological and biological impact of an audience on responses to laboratory stress challenges, 183 participants going through the Trier Social Stress Test experienced either (a) an unsupportive audience, (b) a supportive audience, or (c) no audience. Both audience conditions produced significantly stronger cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure responses to the stress tasks, relative to the no-audience control, even though the supportive audience was rated as supportive. Contrary to hypotheses offered by several theories, these effects were not moderated by self-esteem, individual differences in psychological resources, or baseline social support. Psychological resources and baseline social support were, however, tied to more beneficial biological and psychological profiles at baseline and at recovery in some cases. It was concluded that when one must perform stressful tasks in front of an audience, evaluative concerns may outweigh the potential benefits of a supportive audience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The trouble with assumptions: A reply to Jago and Ragan.

Comments on the work of A. G. Jago and J. W. Ragan (see record 1987-12114-001) that conducted a computer simulation to compare the 2nd author's (1964) contingency model of leadership with the Leader Match training program. It is argued that Jago and Ragan's computer simulation was guided by several theoretically and operationally incorrect assumptions that greatly reduce its meaningfulness. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The trouble with cognitive subtraction

The mechanism(s) by which zinc is transported into cells has not been identified. Since zinc uptake is inhibited by reducing the temperature, zinc uptake may depend on the movement of plasma membrane micoenvironments, such as endocytosis or potocytosis. We investigated the potential role of potocytosis in cellular zinc uptake by incubating normal and acrodermatitis enteropathica fibroblasts with nystatin, a sterol-binding drug previously shown to inhibit potocytosis. Zinc uptake was determined during initial rates of uptake (10 min) following incubation of the fibroblasts in 50 micrograms nystatin/mL or 0.1% dimethylsulfoxide for 10 min at 37 degrees C. The cells were then incubated with 1 to 30 microM 65zinc. Michaelis-Menten kinetics were observed for zinc uptake. Nystatin inhibited zinc uptake in both the normal and AE fibroblasts. Reduced cellular uptake of zinc was associated with its internalization, not its external binding. In normal fibroblasts, nystatin significantly reduced the K(m) 56% and the Vmax 69%. In the AE fibroblasts, nystatin treatment significantly reduced the Vmax 59%, but did not significantly affect the K(m). The AE mutation alone affected the Vmax for cellular zinc uptake. The control AE fibroblasts exhibited a 40% reduction in Vmax compared to control normal fibroblasts. We conclude that nystatin exerts its effect on zinc uptake by reducing the velocity at which zinc traverses the cell membrane, possibly through potocytosis. Furthermore, the AE mutation also affects zinc transport by reducing zinc transport.     

Social referencing: The infant's use of emotional signals from a friendly adult with mother present.

Previous studies have demonstrated that 1-yr-old infants look toward their mothers' facial expressions and use the emotional information conveyed. In this study, 46 1-yr-olds were confronted with an unusual toy in a context where an experimenter familiar to the infants posed either happy or fearful expressions and where their mothers were present but did not provide facial signals. Results indicate that most of the Ss (83%) referenced the familiarized stranger. Once the adult's facial signals were noted, the S's instrumental behaviors and expressive responses to the toy were influenced in the direction of the affective valence of the adult's expression. It is suggested that infants may be influenced by the emotional expressions of a much broader group of adults than has previously been recognized. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Paradoxical effects of supportive audiences on performance under pressure: The home field disadvantage in sports championships.

Predicted, on the basis of recent research on self-presentation and self-attention, that the presence of supportive audiences might be detrimental to performance in some circumstances. Specifically, the imminent opportunity to claim a desired identity in front of a supportive audience might engender a state of self-attention that could interfere with the execution of skillful responses. Archival data from championship series in 2 major league sports supported this reasoning. It was found that in baseball's World Series, home teams tend to win early games but lose decisive (final) games. Supplementary analyses suggested that the pattern occurs when the home team has the opportunity to win the championship and that it does involve performance decrements by the home team. Similar patterns were found in semifinal and championship series in professional basketball. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The trouble with pitfalls: A reply to Weiner's critique of attribution research.

Contends that while some of B. Weiner's (see record 1983-32685-001) criticisms of conceptual and methodological concerns regarding the proper testing of hypotheses in attributional research are well founded, his use of presumed methodological shortcomings as an explanation for the nonconfirmation of predictions flowing from his cognitive theory of achievement motivation is considered to be debatable. It is concluded that the study of achievement behavior is enhanced by the addition of motivational, noncognitive assumptions, which has been done by the present authors. (3 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The many faces of character.

This article discusses the many definitions of character in the psychological and nonpsychological literature. A comprehensive, working definition for character is offered that integrates these definitions, the key points of the authors in this issue, and previous treatments of this topic. The major elements of this model include character (a) as a component of personality, (b) as capacities of the self, (c) as the exercise of good judgment, and (d) as the display of moral development. Finally, reasons are provided to underscore the importance for consulting psychologists to have the skills to assess and develop character and to intervene when character-related issues emerge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The many faces of literacy.

Reviews the book, Literacy, language, and learning by D. R. Olson, N. Torrance, and A. Hildyard (1985). Literacy, Language, and Learning has something to offer all students of language. Its breadth is achieved through an interdisciplinary analysis of both written and spoken forms of language. The focus is on the differences between these two language modalities and on the impact, on both society and the individual, of acquiring reading and writing skills. In a very real sense the book highlights the embarrassingly narrow appreciation of language shown by much work in cognitive psychology, particularly the work using an information processing orientation. This book has no lack of breadth, yet offers considerable depth of analysis in many chapters. Arguments are well supported with research and historical findings. The book is not particularly easy to read, but it is worth the effort, in this reader's view. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The trouble with caring: a review of eight arguments against an ethic of care

Trisomy 22 is the most frequent trisomy, after trisomy 16, of the trisomies present in miscarriages. The children born with trisomy 22 have usually unbalanced translocations 11; 22 or mosaicisms. In a recent review Bacino et al. [1] were able to find 17 cases of children born with trisomy 22 including only 3 cases confirmed by molecular cytogenetics. We report a patient with an extra chromosome 22q- without mosaicism. This chromosomal anomaly was defined with FISH studies. The phenotype include microcephaly, microtia with pre auricular tags, hypertelorism, epicanthus, palatal cleft, short neck, winging scapulae, hypoplasia of the distal phalanges, pulmonary stenosis and mental retardation.     

The three faces of Evelyn: A case report. IV. A postscript to "The three faces of Evelyn".

In his contributions to this series of articles, and more extensively in his forthcoming book, Jeans stresses the fact that multiple personalities (rather than the classic three) seem to be the rule rather than the exception. This was clearly the case for Evelyn, but also for Eve. Unlike the two semantic differential testings (several months apart) of each personality in the well-known "Three Faces of Eve" case, in the present case the patient took the semantic differential test at only one time in each of her three personalities, and this close to the termination of therapy. Taking into account the constraints on validity checking implied by the above, we decided on a multiple strategy: first, to ask the ex-patient herself about the facts of her life as she recalled them; second, to ask Jeans to react explicitly to a list of questions about specifics in our interpretation of the semantic-differential-based blind analysis. Even in clinical cases of multiple personality, like those of Eve and Evelyn, it appears that there is a real personality that is aware of all of its roles. It is only the roles that are dissociative with respect to each other, presumably because, affectively, they are deeply incongruent with each other. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The obstinate audience: The influence process from the point of view of social communication.

The social model of man and the scientific model(s) of man and "the relationships of these 2 models in the area of social communication" are discussed. Major findings of research on attitude change are summarized. Communication, given a reasonably large audience, varies in its impart. The audience exercises much more initiative outside the laboratory than it does in the experimental situation. The audience in effect influences the communicator by the role it forces on him. Individuals process new information as a function of their perceived relationship to future audiences. The audience selects from what is offered. "The process of social communication and of the flow of influence in general must be regarded as a transaction. The argument for using the transactional model for scientific purposes is that it opens the door more fully to exploring the intention and behavior of members of the audience and encourages inquiry into the influence of the audience on the communicator by specifically treating the process as a 2-way passage." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The making of a user friendly MAOI diet

BACKGROUND: Many monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) diets are considered to be excessively restrictive and founded on poor scientific evidence. We present a safe and practical MAOI diet based on the related clinical and analytic data. METHOD: We used a critical review of the literature and our own tyramine assay results to categorize foods to be restricted absolutely, taken in moderation only, or unrestricted. RESULTS: We recommend that users avoid aged cheese; aged or cured meats (e.g., air-dried sausage); any potentially spoiled meat, poultry, or fish; broad (fava) bean pods; Marmite concentrated yeast extract; sauerkraut; soy sauce and soy bean condiments; and tap beer. Wine and domestic bottled or canned beer are considered safe when consumed in moderation. Other foods not mentioned are considered unrestricted. CONCLUSION: The concerns about perpetuating an overly restrictive MAOI diet include the avoidance by prescribers of a potentially useful treatment option, excessive limitations on lifestyle for patients, and increased risk to patients secondary to noncompliance with the diet. We propose an MAOI diet that has a solid scientific and clinical basis and that is, above all, practical.     

The two faces of gestalt psychology.

Argues that there are fundamental discrepancies between the principles of gestalt theory as laid out in the writings of its leading proponents and their presentation in much of the current literature. When attention is limited to rules for the combination of shapes and purely morphological differences between levels of formal complexity, the importance of dynamic processes in field situations is unduly neglected. A one-sided emphasis on minimization fails to acknowledge the countertendency that effects articulation and meets tension reduction with tension enhancement. A more adequate characterization of the term pr?gnant is proposed. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The many faces of analytic interaction.

The patterns of interaction between analyst and analysand are discussed with special reference to the participation of both analyst and analysand in the analytic dialogue. The analyst's participation and interaction with the analysand can take place in one or all of the threefold constituents of the analytic relation—transference (and countertransference), real relation, and alliance. Although these components are continually present and mutually interactive in the analytic process, they can be differentiated in the diversity of patterns of interaction and their implications for technical aspects of the analytic process. Although transference and countertransference hold the primary place in analytic interest, other aspects deserve proper emphasis and exploration insofar as they make substantive and significant contributions to the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the analytic process. The nature and quality of their influence on patterns of interaction are discussed as well as implications of their respective roles in the analytic process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recognizing familiar faces: The role of distinctiveness and familiarity.

Examined the claim of J. C. Bartlett et al (see record 1985-11281-001) that the effect of distinctiveness in recognition memory for previously unfamiliar faces can be accounted for in terms of the differential perceived familiarity of distinctive and typical faces. In judging 12 photographs of male psychology department staff for distinctiveness and familiarity, 20 postgraduates and staff from other departments produced results indicating independent effects of distinctiveness and familiarity in the recognition of highly familiar faces. Results are inconsistent with the familiarity hypothesis of Bartlett et al and are explained better in terms of a facial prototype. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The two faces of transformational leadership: Empowerment and dependency.

Followers' identification with the leader and the organizational unit, dependence on the leader, and empowerment by the leader are often attributed to transformational leadership in organizations. However, these hypothesized outcomes have received very little attention in empirical studies. Using a sample of 888 bank employees working under 76 branch managers, the authors tested the relationships between transformational leadership and these outcomes. They found that transformational leadership was positively related to both followers' dependence and their empowerment and that personal identification mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and followers' dependence on the leader, whereas social identification mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and followers' empowerment. The authors discuss the implications of these findings to both theory and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)