Self-directed program for weight control: A pilot study.

Designed a treatment program to enable 16 undergraduates to lose weight through the use of self-monitored techniques for changing their eating behaviors. All Ss achieved a stable loss in weight, and their mean loss was significantly greater than the change shown by a group of similarly motivated controls. No additional effects due to a few sessions of aversive counterconditioning were demonstrated, and no general mood changes accompanied the weight loss. The Ss reported a decreased temptation to overeat. It was suggested that similar programs of gradual habit change through self-control of stimulus conditions and reinforcement contingencies might be applied to the treatment of other addictive behaviors, which are also refractory to change. (26 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reinforcement of sex-typed behaviors of two-year-old children in a nursery school setting.

Observations reveal significantly or marginally significant sex differences among toddlers on 5 of 27 play behaviors. Teachers reinforced a greater proportion of feminine behavior for both sexes. Results support a social learning view of acquisition of sex-typed behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Premorbid anomalies and risk of schizophrenia and depressive disorders in a birth cohort exposed to prenatal rubella.

In a birth cohort prenatally exposed to rubella, we assessed whether prospectively documented premorbid neuromotor dysfunction, mannerisms, deviant behaviors, and temperament during childhood and adolescence were impaired in cases who developed depressive disorder (DD) relative to rubella-exposed controls and cases who developed schizophrenia spectrum psychosis (SSP). Premorbid neuromotor dysfunction and mannerisms were not increased among DD cases compared to controls or SSP cases. With regard to temperament, approachability was greater in DD cases than in controls and SSP cases. There were numerical increases in the proportions of DD cases with premorbid deviant behaviors compared to controls, but the findings fell short of statistical significance; the proportion of subjects with deviant behaviors in DD cases was similar to that found for SSP. These results indicate that premorbid neuromotor dysfunction and mannerisms may be specific to SSP among major psychiatric disorders in this cohort, and suggest that premorbid deviant behaviors are increased in both DD and SSP. Greater premorbid approachability may be associated with an increased risk of adult DD. Implications of these findings for school psychology are furnished. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitudinal outcomes of the Life Planning Workshop.

Examined the impact of the Life Planning Workshop (i.e., a developmental outreach program designed to assist individuals with personal, social, and vocational planning for the future) on attitudes toward future planning and the self-actualizing attitudes of feeling reactivity and self-regard. It was hypothesized that (a) workshop participants would demonstrate significant gains in all 3 areas when compared to controls and that these gains would endure over a follow-up period and (b) Ss who participated in small groups generating high levels of verbal interaction would show greater attitudinal change than members of groups producing low levels of interaction. An original instrument and 2 subscales of the Personal Orientation Inventory were administered to 42 17–34 yr old Ss randomly assigned to either a pre–post or post–follow-up condition. Tape recordings were made for analysis of verbal interaction. Results show significantly higher means for experimental Ss on measures of positive attitudes toward future planning and feeling reactivity; these gains endured over a mean follow-up period of 3 wks. No significant differences in self-regard were found, nor were there significant attitudinal changes associated with verbal interaction level. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Facial gestures and subject expression of feelings.

Examined the effects of 4 levels of nonverbal facial gestures on client verbal behavior in a quasi-interview setting. Nonverbal behaviors included no expression, head nod, smile, and head nod/smile combination. Each level of treatment was presented by a male and female E. Treatments were videorecorded for standardized presentation to 72 female undergraduates. Ss produced progressively and significantly greater amounts of feeling and self-reference feeling statements for head nod, smile, and head nod/smile combination when stimuli were presented by the female E. The opposite effect was realized when stimuli were presented by the male E. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Aging mothers' and their adult daughters' perceptions of conflict behaviors.

Aging parents tend to perceive greater compatibility between themselves and offspring than do offspring, but there is little research examining differences in perceptions of conflicts. Ninety-six older mothers (M age?=?76) and their daughters (M age?=?44) together selected a conflictual incident, then individually rated the degree to which they and the other person had engaged in destructive, constructive, or avoidant conflict behaviors. Mothers and daughters reported using constructive approaches more than other approaches. Mothers claimed to engage in constructive behaviors more than daughters recognized. Daughters reported engaging in destructive and avoidant behaviors more than mothers realized. Mothers also thought daughters felt better about the incident than daughters reported feeling about it. Findings suggest older mothers' underestimate daughters' negative behaviors and feelings in conflict situations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative effects of training in external and internal concentration on two counseling behaviors.

Discusses 2 behaviors variously stressed by different counselors: the ability to have empathic understanding of the client and the ability to respond selectively to client statements during a counseling interview. The training procedure of Zen Buddhist monks in meditative deep breathing and external concentration was examined as a technique for developing these behaviors. Compared to 20 controls, the 37 undergraduates trained in the Zen techniques significantly increased their ability in these 2 counseling behaviors. (16 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Word associations of socially isolated adolescents.

246 10th and 11th graders completed a social interaction questionnaire about the frequency, variety, and intimacy of their interpersonal interactions. Based on their scores, 32 socially isolated and 32 non-isolated adolescents (16 males and 16 females/group) were selected as Ss. Ss performed 2 word association tasks; each required giving a series of associations to stimulus words. Isolates emitted a significantly greater proportion of idiosyncratic associates than did nonisolates, and isolates emitted an idiosyncratic associate significantly earlier in a series of associations than did nonisolates. These differences, which were particularly clear for girls, suggest that social isolation is correlated with acquisition of deviant behaviors. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Primary process thinking in dream reports as related to creative achievement

Compared 11-day logs of night dreams recorded by 38 paid high-school males who were considered creative (according to teachers' reports and Remote Associates Test scores) to those kept by 38 noncreative high-school males. Dream reports of creative Ss were rated by clinical psychologists as exhibiting greater primary process thinking than those of matched controls; their dream protocols also included a significantly greater proportion of symbolism, condensations, and unusual combinations but a smaller proportion of contradictions. The relative frequency of specific primary process mechanisms appeared to be the same for both creative and control Ss, but in both, the presence of primary process thinking, globally and in terms of specific mechanisms, was significantly related to creativity level. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Crypt hyperplasia related to increased lymphocyte activation in the rectal mucosa of children with ulcerative colitis

The presence of cells positive for interleukin-2 receptors (CD25) and the proportion of Ki-67 positive dividing cells in the crypts were studied with monoclonal antibodies using sensitive immunohistochemical techniques in the rectal biopsy specimens taken from 13 children with inflammatory bowel disease (4 Crohn's disease and 9 ulcerative colitis) and 10 controls. In all specimens, but one, from patients CD25+ cells were found in the surface and crypt epithelium, while in none of controls were seen such cells. The mean percentage of dividing crypt cells was significantly higher in ulcerative colitis (36.0%) and in Crohn's disease (34.6%) than in controls (18.4) (p < 0.001 in both comparisons). In ulcerative colitis, a correlation between CD25/CD3 ratios in the surface and crypt epithelium and the percentage of dividing crypt cells was found. We conclude that activated lymphocytes have a role in the crypt hyperplasia of ulcerative colitis.     

Alterations in behavioral responses to stressors following excitotoxin lesions of dorsomedial hypothalamic regions

The dorsomedial hypothalamus is important for regulation of cardiovascular responses associated with emotional arousal. This region has also been identified as a component of neural circuitry involved in fear/anxiety, yet clear evidence as to the effects of lesioning on stress-related behaviors is missing. In this study, we lesioned the dorsomedial hypothalamic region with the neurotoxin, ibotenic acid (IBO; 2.0 micrograms in 0.2 microliter), and studied the impact on spontaneous and unlearned behavioral responses to stressors. In the open field test, we observed non-generalized increases in motility parameters in the IBO rats with the differences occurring in the latter two-thirds of the test. In the elevated plus-maze, the IBO rats displayed a classic anxiolytic response with a greater proportion of entries into (and greater time spent in) the open arms of the maze. In the environment-specific social interaction (SI) test, the IBO rats showed a normal familiar/unfamiliar environment discrimination with respect to Total SI; however, the composition of the behaviors ('curiosity' vs. physical contact) by the IBO rats was markedly altered, with there being a 2-fold increase in non-violent physical interactions. Additionally, the differences in these traditional indices of anxiety were associated with lesioned animals exhibiting greater acoustic startle responsiveness than controls as a function of prepulse intensity. Overall, the results following IBO lesions indicate an altered responsiveness to sudden stressors, particularly as relates to novelty or exploration-oriented behaviors. The hypothalamic lesion may, therefore, have resulted in a disinhibition of normally suppressed responding to innate fear or challenging stimuli. This study contributes to those that have begun to define neural interactions that are essential for integrated stress responses.     

Victim entitlement to behave selfishly.

Three experiments demonstrated that feeling wronged leads to a sense of entitlement and to selfish behavior. In Experiment 1, participants instructed to recall a time when their lives were unfair were more likely to refuse to help the experimenter with a supplementary task than were participants who recalled a time when they were bored. In Experiment 2, the same manipulation increased intentions to engage in a number of selfish behaviors, and this effect was mediated by self-reported entitlement to obtain positive (and avoid negative) outcomes. In Experiment 3, participants who lost at a computer game for an unfair reason (a glitch in the program) requested a more selfish money allocation for a future task than did participants who lost the game for a fair reason, and this effect was again mediated by entitlement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prospective analysis of personality and behavioral vulnerabilities and gender influences in the later development of disordered eating.

This article presents the 2-year findings of a prospective investigation of the precursors to the later development of an eating disorder in adolescents. The sample consisted of 852 girls and 815 boys who began the study in Grades 7–10 and participated for 3 consecutive years. For both genders, the strongest predictors of Year 3 risk status were Years 1 and 2 risk scores. When the effects of Year 1 and Year 2 risk were controlled, race (Caucasian) and poor interoceptive awareness at Year 2 were significant predictors of disordered eating at Year 3 for girls. Previous risk status was the only significant predictor of Year 3 risk for boys. Gender difference evaluations in the risk score components indicated that a significantly greater proportion of girls than boys endorsed behaviors that were similar to eating disorder diagnostic criteria. Poor interoceptive awareness may provide a vulnerability for eating disorders; possible pathways were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dear Sheila: An experimental study of the effectiveness of written communication as a form of psychotherapy.

42 college students who responded to an announcement for a writing therapy study were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups. The writing therapy group wrote letters describing their problems to a psychotherapist whose written replies contained behaviorally oriented responses. Reassuring responses were written to the problem letters of Ss in a reassurance control group. A 2nd control group was asked to count the frequency of occurrence of specific problem behaviors and mail them to the therapist, who did not reply. 10 Ss in the writing therapy group and 8 in each of the control groups completed the 4-mo treatment period. The decrease in the number of problems (as measured by the Mooney Problem Check List) was significantly greater in the writing therapy group than in the 2 control groups. Analysis of demographic data revealed that more males than females dropped out of the study, and a significantly greater proportion of the dropouts were from lower-class families. It is concluded that writing therapy may be useful and appeal to students who do not feel able to use traditional student counseling services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Postpartum adjustment in first-time mothers: Relations between mood, maternal attitudes, and mother-infant interactions.

Self-report data were obtained from a middle-income sample of first-time mothers during pregnancy and at 1 and 3 months postpartum, and behavioral interactions between the mother and her infant were observed at 3 days and 1, 3, and 16 months postpartum. The main analyses revealed that pregnancy and postpartum mood states together explain a high proportion of the variance in mothers' maternal attitudes during the postpartum, although postpartum mood has the greater predictive power. Additionally, prior experience with children is significantly associated with maternal attitudes at all time points. Moreover, at both 1 and 3 months postpartum, depressed mothers, relative to nondepressed mothers, exhibit fewer affectionate contact behaviors toward their infants and are less likely to respond to infant vocalizations by vocalizing themselves, and, at 3 months, a higher proportion of the depressed mothers had started bottle-feeding their infants. Finally, differences in maternal behavior between depressed and nondepressed mothers during the early postpartum period were no longer apparent at 16 months postpartum. The implications of these findings are discussed with particular reference to the interrelations between prior child-care experience, mood, and maternal responsiveness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial adjustment and educational outcome in adolescents with a childhood diagnosis of attention deficit disorder

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a retrospective follow-up study of psychosocial adjustment and educational outcome in adolescents with a childhood diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and a group of clinical controls. METHODS: Groups included male and female subjects aged 14 to 18 years at time of follow-up with childhood diagnosis of ADD (cases; n = 48) versus other neurodevelopmental disorders (clinical controls; n = 37). Cases were also subdivided based on the presence of conduct disorder (CD) at follow-up. All groups were compared on measures of academic performance, self-esteem, behavior, alcohol and substance use, and adaptive functioning. RESULTS: Cases had significantly lower academic performance and poorer social, emotional, and adaptive functioning than clinical controls. Cases with CD had significantly lower academic performance, greater externalizing behaviors and emotional difficulties, and lower adaptive functioning than cases without CD. Cases with CD fared worse than clinical controls on self-report measures of behavior, socialization skills, and alcohol and substance use. CONCLUSIONS: These academic and psychosocial problems in adolescents with a childhood diagnosis of ADD suggest potential long-term ramifications for vocational and psychological functioning into adulthood. In addition, the presence of CD in some of these cases during adolescence appears to further increase the risk for maladaptive outcome.     

Brief cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program for high-risk adolescents outperforms two alternative interventions: A randomized efficacy trial.

In this depression prevention trial, 341 high-risk adolescents (mean age = 15.6 years, SD = 1.2) with elevated depressive symptoms were randomized to a brief group cognitive-behavioral (CB) intervention, group supportive-expressive intervention, bibliotherapy, or assessment-only control condition. CB participants showed significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms than did supportive-expressive, bibliotherapy, and assessment-only participants at posttest, though only the difference compared with assessment controls was significant at 6-month follow-up. CB participants showed significantly greater improvements in social adjustment and reductions in substance use at posttest and 6-month follow-up than did participants in all 3 other conditions. Supportive-expressive and bibliotherapy participants showed greater reductions in depressive symptoms than did assessment-only controls at certain follow-up assessments but produced no effects for social adjustment and substance use. CB, supportive-expressive, and bibliotherapy participants showed a significantly lower risk for major depression onset over the 6-month follow-up than did assessment-only controls. The evidence that this brief CB intervention reduced risk for future depression onset and outperformed alternative interventions for certain ecologically important outcomes suggests that this intervention may have clinical utility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived risk of female infidelity moderates the relationship between objective risk of female infidelity and sexual coercion in humans (Homo sapiens).

Female extrapair copulation (EPC) can be costly to a woman's long-term romantic partner. If a woman has copulated recently with a man other than her long-term partner, her reproductive tract may contain the sperm of both men, initiating sperm competition (whereby sperm from multiple males compete to fertilize an egg). Should the woman become pregnant, her long-term partner is at risk of cuckoldry—investing unwittingly in offspring to whom he is not genetically related. Previous research in humans (Homo sapiens) and in nonhuman animals suggests that males have evolved tactics such as partner-directed sexual coercion that reduce the risk of cuckoldry. The current research provides preliminary evidence that mated men (n = 223) at greater risk of partner EPC, measured as having spent a greater proportion of time apart from their partner since the couple's last in-pair copulation, more frequently perform partner-directed sexually coercive behaviors. This relationship is moderated, however, by men's perceived risk of partner EPC, such that the correlation between the proportion of time spent apart since last in-pair copulation and sexually coercive behaviors remains significant only for those men who perceive themselves to be at some risk of partner EPC. Discussion addresses limitations of this research and highlights directions for future research investigating the relationship between female EPC and men's partner-directed sexual coercion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

External validity of laboratory fear assessment: Implications from two case studies.

Exposed 1 snake-phobic woman and 1 spider-phobic woman to a live snake or spider after they received systematic desensitization. In one assessment condition the 2 Ss were asked to approach and handle a caged snake or spider as in the traditional behavioral approach test, whereas in the other condition the Ss were exposed to the uncaged phobic stimuli. Both Ss manifested substantially greater physiological and cognitive distress while looking at the uncaged stimuli from a distance of 30 ft than when actually touching the caged snake or spider. Although both Ss were able to touch the caged snake or spider, they still reported being unable to engage in behaviors that were previously inhibited because of their phobia. Both Ss emphasized the importance of feeling in control when the phobic stimulus was caged but feeling out of control when the phobic stimulus was uncaged. Implications for the external validity of the behavioral approach test are discussed. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Career-Sustaining Behaviors, Satisfactions, and Stresses of Professional Psychologists.

A random sample of licensed psychologists from Illinois (N=286) responded to a survey about career-sustaining behaviors (CSBs) and about satisfactions and stresses they experience at work. The highest rated CSBs were spending time with partner/family, maintaining a balance between personal and professional lives, and maintaining a sense of humor. Overall, more satisfied respondents reported greater importance of CSBs. Female respondents reported significantly greater use of CSBs than male respondents and were more likely to endorse behaviors that were relational or educational in nature, such as participating in personal therapy, spending time with friends, discussing work frustrations with colleagues, seeking case consultation, maintaining regular contact with referral networks, participating in continuing-education programs, reflecting on positive experiences, and engaging in quiet leisure activities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)