MMPI profile constellations in incest families.

Used the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to study the personality characteristics of 4 groups of Ss from incest families: 33 natural father perpetrators (aged 21–64 yrs), 29 stepfather perpetrators (aged 21–64 yrs), 44 nonparticipating mothers (aged 25–69 yrs), and 22 daughter victims (aged 15–20 yrs). Further analyses compared each of the 4 experimental groups to control groups from nonincestuous families that were matched for sex, age, race, education, and socioeconomic status (SES). The daughter victims' mean profile was more elevated and differed significantly from the profiles of the other 3 groups on the Validity, Psychasthenia, and Schizophrenia scales. Although the natural fathers and stepfathers differed significantly, the mean profiles of each group were not pathological (T?     

Environmental factors related to schizophrenia in psychophysiologically labile high-risk males.

Research indicates that certain parameters of electrodermal functioning are related to schizophrenia and risk for schizophrenia. The present study investigated childhood environmental factors in 2 subgroups of high-risk 9–20 yr old males (offspring of schizophrenic mothers): those who showed patterns of electrodermal lability in childhood and later became schizophrenic (9 Ss), and a matched subgroup who showed similar patterns of electrodermal functioning but did not become schizophrenic (9 Ss). The variables examined were parental absence, institutionalization of the child, and quality of the home and neighborhood. The schizophrenic group had experienced significantly more paternal absence during the 2nd yr of life. Schizophrenic Ss also experienced significantly more childhood institutionalization, particularly in the 1st and 6th–20th yrs of life. The quality of home and neighborhood and maternal absence did not distinguish the 2 groups. Findings are interpreted as indicating the importance of paternal presence in ameliorating the disruptive effects of the schizophrenic mother on vulnerable male offspring. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

History of self-disclosure in females and early defection from psychotherapy.

Tested the hypothesis that females who terminate prematurely from psychotherapy are those who have greater difficulty engaging in self-disclosure, particularly with males. In Exp. I, 126 white female undergraduates completed the Adjective Check List Counseling Readiness and Masculinity-Femininity scales and the Self-Disclosure Questionnaire. The 42 Ss who would be more likely to defect from psychotherapy early had a self-rated history of greater self-disclosure than did the 84 similar Ss who would more likely continue. This difference was especially clear with male targets. In the 2nd study the 58 Ss who scored highest on femininity were tested. Terminators (n = 26) were higher self-disclosers to males whereas continuers (n = 32) were higher self-disclosers to females. Implications for a role expectancy frustration theory of premature termination of females from therapy are discussed. (31 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Father-absence and delay of gratification.

The present study adds to the gradually increasing number of investigations on the effect of the degree of presence of father in the familial configuration and personality functioning. In this study, capacity to choose a larger but temporally remote gratification as opposed to a lesser immediate one was investigated in 2 West Indian (Trinidad) Negro subcultures characterized by the general absence of father. Ss were of 2 age groups (8-9 and 11-14). The hypothesis that father absence would be related to preference for immediate gratification was found in the younger, but not the older group. Results are discussed in comparison to other research in this area. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4FG16M. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Le style parental des beaux-péres dans les familles recomposées.

Several studies have shown the importance of the stepfather-stepchild relationship in the successful adaptation of young people to stepfamilies. Indeed, when there is a good affective relationship between a stepfather and stepchild, there is a lower risk of stepchild having problems. Though it is known that the quality of this relationship has an impact, there is still a great deal of uncertainty about the best way for stepfathers to fulfill their role. This article examines how the stepfather's parenting style influences the externalised and internalised behaviour problems of young people in stepfamilies. The data were obtained from interviews with 104 adolescents (63.5 % girls; 36.5 % boys) who answered the Youth Self-Report (Achenbach, 1991), the Parental Authority Questionnaire (Buri, 1991), and the Child Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (Rohner, 1984). The results show that the majority of young people saw their stepfather as being involved in their upbringing. More than a third of the sample considered that their stepfather was authoritarian, and another third saw him as authoritative. The young people's level of adaptation was associated with the stepfather's parenting style. Young people who saw their stepfather as being authoritative or warm particularly benefited from the relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some factors affecting the amount of information sought about others.

This investigation examined the effects upon the amount of information that Ss would seek about others of: (a) the sex of the S; (b) whether the information was all positive, all negative, or ambivalent; and (c) the sex of the other person. The results indicate that female Ss seek more information than males, that Ss seek more ambivalent than univalent information, and that less information is sought when the other person is a woman than when the other is a man. The valence of the final impression was clearly related to the valence of the information that Ss received, although male Ss formed a highly negative impression of women who were described in ambivalent terms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term psychosocial adjustment following very severe closed head injury.

Examined the cognitive, psychological, and social functioning of 18 community-dwelling male patients who had experienced a severe closed head injury (CHI) at least 18 mo previously and still required contact with rehabilitation services. Results from Ss with CHI were compared with those from 27 normal control Ss. Information on Ss' behavior was also obtained from their significant others. Results show that Ss with CHI exhibited deficits in their cognitive and social functioning but showed no signs of emotional or psychiatric disturbance. Attempts to find a relationship between the cognitive impairment and social functioning of Ss with CHI were partially successful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Problem solving in triads composed of varying numbers of field-dependent and field-independent subjects.

Investigated the interactive effects of situational task demands and interpersonal group environment on small group performance. High-structure and low-structure tasks were solved by 3 types of small groups: 3 field-dependent Ss; 3 field-independent Ss; and triads with both field-dependent and field-independent Ss. Ss were 231 male college students who were tested with the Group Embedded Figures Test. The lower and upper third of the test distribution were defined as field dependent and field independent, respectively, and assigned to 1 of the 3 small groups. It was hypothesized that field-dependent Ss would perform tasks more efficiently than would field-independent Ss when the task environment provided structure. This hypothesis was not supported. The field-independent Ss had the fastest completion times, whereas the field-dependent Ss had the slowest times of all. It was also hypothesized that the difference in performance attributable to task structure would be greater for field-dependent Ss than it would be for field-independent Ss. This hypothesis was supported. Results demonstrate the relative ability of field-independent Ss to solve the tasks and the potential for coalition formation within the mixed triads. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Who wants the children?: Some relationships among attitudes toward children, parents, and the liberation of women.

Investigated the relationship between attitudes toward child rearing, the quality of childhood experiences, and agreement with women's liberation. A self-report measure of these variables was administered to 101 male and 117 female undergraduates and to 42 women in a continuing education program (CEWs). Results show that (a) CEWs had the most positive attitudes toward child rearing and males had the least positive; (b) no relationship was found between desire to have children and having a father who was home during most of childhood or a working mother; (c) Ss with positive attitudes toward children ranked child rearing as more creative and of more value to society and remembered more nuturant mothers and fathers; (d) males had the least favorable attitudes toward women's liberation, while CEWs had the most; (e) the most child-oriented men had more favorable attitudes toward women's liberation than males with moderately or unfavorable attitudes; and (f) proliberation women were less eager to have children, remembered less attention from their parents, and had more positive feelings toward mothers than fathers. (27 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multidimensional reaction to therapeutic touch in a hospital setting.

Studied the effects of interpersonal touch over a relatively long time frame, for a broad range of response dimensions, and in a nonreactive setting characterized by dependency. On an applied level, the research studied the value of touch as a concomitant of nurse–patient interactions; Ss were 48 patients who had entered the hospital for elective surgery. Specifically, a 2 (touch vs no touch) by 2 (male vs female) between-Ss design assessed the effects of nurses touching Ss during preoperative teaching on Ss' affective, evaluative, behavioral, and physiological responses. Female Ss in the touch condition experienced more favorable affective, behavioral, and physiological reactions than a no-touch control group. In contrast, males in the touch condition reacted more negatively than control Ss on these dimensions. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family characteristics and elementary school achievement in an urban ghetto.

Investigated the relationships of sex, father absence, family size, and birth order to factor scores representing "general academic achievement" in a sample of 149 urban black ghetto 5th graders. Significant main effects were found for sex (with girls showing higher achievement levels than boys) and family size (with the highest achievement in small families). A significant Birth Order * Family Size interaction was found: Firstborn Ss did best in small families, lastborn Ss did best in intermediate (4-5 children) families, and there was no birth order differentiation in large families. No significant effect on achievement was found for father absence. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of personal values, perceived surveillance, and task labels on task preference: The ideology of turning play into work.

In Exp I, with 34 male and 26 female undergraduates, Ss who endorsed the work ethic spent more free-choice time performing the target activity that had been labeled as work than did Ss who opposed the work ethic. The effect was eliminated or reversed if the activity had been labeled as a leisure pastime. Exp II, with 19 male and 21 female undergraduates, demonstrated that the relation between personal values and task preference was mediated in some Ss by a belief that the experimenter would know what they did, whereas other Ss seemed unaffected by that belief. Implications for intrinsic motivation and for attitude-behavior consistency are discussed. In particular, "turning play into work" by means of explicit labels may increase intrinsic motivation among persons who truly value work. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Change in obsessive-compulsive and avoidant personality disorders following time-limited supportive-expressive therapy.

24 patients with avoidant personality disorder (AVPD) and 14 patients with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD; all Ss 20–65 yrs old) were assigned to 52 sessions of time-limited Supportive-Expressive dynamic psychotherapy. At intake, most Ss had least 1 concurrent depressive and/or anxiety disorder. OCPD Ss lost their personality disorder diagnoses significantly faster than did AVPD Ss. By the end of treatment, 39% of AVPD Ss still retained their diagnosis while only 15% of OCPD did so. Using hierarchical linear modeling, both patient groups improved significantly across time on measures of personality disorders, depression, anxiety, general functioning, and interpersonal problems. OCPD Ss remained in treatment significantly longer and tended to improve more than did AVPD Ss. Alliance ratings from both Ss and therapists increased significantly over time, expect for those OCPD Ss who remained constant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The sexual preferences of incest offenders.

Inclusive fitness theory suggests that discriminative solicitude and inbreeding avoidance are important mechanisms regulating parent–children interactions. From an inclusive fitness perspective, sex with one's biological children is paradoxical. The authors hypothesized that incest can occur when these mechanisms are not activated (e.g., if a father is uninvolved in child rearing) or are overwhelmed by another factor, such as pedophilic interest. They predicted that biological fathers, who presumably have been the most involved in the rearing of their victims, would show greater phallometrically measured pedophilic interest than would other incest offenders against children (e.g., grandfathers, uncles, stepfathers). The prediction was not supported. A testable alternative hypothesis to explain biological father incest is presented and the importance of assessing pedophilic interest among incest offenders is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnic group perceptions of mental health service providers.

Assessed 121 male and 118 female Chicano, 124 male and 123 female Black, and 126 male and 125 female Anglo college students' perceptions of 100 characteristics of 6 service-provider groups and the likelihood that Ss would discuss 9 problem areas with professional groups. Analysis revealed main effects for race, sex, and provider groups; factor analysis of the 9 problem topics revealed personal-social and educational-vocational dimensions. Females were more likely than males to discuss both problem areas with provider groups. Blacks and Chicanos were more likely than Anglos to take personal problems to professionals. Ss preferred to consult psychiatrists and clinical psychologists for the same types of problems more than counseling psychologists, who in turn were preferred more than college counselors, high school counselors, and advisers. For educational-vocational concerns, Ss generally expressed a stronger probability of consulting providers other than psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. Methodological issues, previous findings, and implications for service providers are discussed. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examiner sex, subject sex, and Rorschach productivity.

Investigated the number of Rorschach responses given by 64 male and female clients to 41 male and female graduate students serving as Es. 2 tests were made of the hypothesis that more responses would be given in the female S-male E situation than in any other sex combination. The hypothesis was supported. When a male E tested both a male and female S, the female gave more responses (p = .02); when the sample included male Es who tested either a male S or female S, female Ss again gave more responses than males (p = .05). No such differential effects were found for female Es with male and female Ss. Results are consistent with R. Rosenthal's (see 41:7, 41:8) findings that the male E-female S situation produces unique results. (21 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Native American college students' preference for counselor race and sex and the likelihood of their use of a counseling center.

39 female and 23 male Native American college students completed questionnaires assessing their preference for counselor race and sex and the likelihood of their using a counseling center. Both females and males demonstrated a strong preference for Native American counselors, regardless of problem situation. Males preferred male counselors, but females expressed a preference for female counselors only if they had a personal problem. Likelihood of using the counseling center increased as counselor preference increased. Likelihood of using the counseling center increased if Ss could be seen by a counselor of the same race regardless of problem situation. Only in the personal-problem situation did likelihood ratings increase if Ss could be seen by a counselor of the preferred sex. Ss were less likely to indicate they would go to the counseling center with a personal problem if they would be seen by either their 3rd- or 4th-choice counselors. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of alcohol on aggression in male social drinkers.

Assigned 96 male undergraduates to 1 of 8 groups in a 2 * 2 * 2 factorial design. To control fully for expectation effects, 48 Ss were led to believe that they would be drinking alcohol (vodka and tonic), and 48 believed they would be drinking only tonic water. Within each of these 2 groups, 24 Ss actually received alcohol, but 24 were given only tonic. Following the beverage administration, 48 Ss were provoked to aggress by exposing them to an insulting confederate, whereas control Ss experienced a neutral interaction. Aggression was assessed by the intensity and duration of shocks administered to the confederate on a modified version of A. H. Buss's aggression apparatus. The only significant determinant of aggression was the expectation factor: Ss who believed they had consumed alcohol were more aggressive than Ss who believed they had consumed a nonalcoholic beverage, regardless of the actual alcohol content of the drinks. Ss receiving alcohol, however, showed a significant increase in a reaction time measure, regardless of the expectation condition. Provocation to aggress was also a significant determinant of aggression, but it did not interact with the beverage conditions. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Body weight and gastric acid secretion in rats with subdiaphragmatic vagotomy and lateral hypothalamic lesions.

Investigated the role of the vagus in the lateral hypothalamic (LH) syndrome to body weight loss in 80 male Sprague-Dawley albino rats. Ss were divided into 4 groups: (a) Ss with bilateral LH lesions that were subsequently given a bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomy, (b) LH Ss that received a control vagotomy operation, (c) nonlesion Ss that were given a subdiaphragmatic vagotomy, and (d) nonlesion Ss that received a control vagotomy operation. Both LH lesions and vagotomy reduced body weight levels, though the effects differed in terms of the length of time required to reach initial maximal loss, the time required to reach chronic levels of maintenance, and the severity of body weight reduction. Fasting gastric acid secretion was lowered by LH lesions, and the extent of this reduction was positively correlated with the reduction in body weight. Gastric contents after a 24-hr fast were greater in vagotomized than in nonvagotomized Ss. These data are discussed in relation to the role of the vagus in maintaining body weight levels and in relation to the changes in gastric functioning after LH lesions and vagotomy. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of marijuana on divergent and convergent production cognitive tests.

In a study of the effects of cannabis on cognitive functioning, several cognitive and psychomotor tests were administered to 4 groups of male college Ss (84 Ss): (a) a high-dose group [equivalent to 6 mg of Δ–9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)], (b) a low-dose group (equivalent to 3 mg of THC), (c) a placebo group, and (d) a control group. Cannabis was smoked in the form of marihuana. Even Ss who received the low dose showed impairment on the WAIS Block Design test and the Memory-for-Designs Test. High-dose Ss gave an impaired performance on several other cognitive tests; however, on some cognitive tests, mainly those measuring divergent production and oral fluency, low-dose Ss performed the best and high-dose Ss performed the worst. Consequently, there is a possibility, requiring further exploration, that cannabis at low dose levels can act as a stimulant and can improve performance on certain tests. (69 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)