Effect of external cues on the thinking behavior of obese and normal subjects.

Hypothesized that the thinking behavior of obese Ss is externally controlled to a greater extent than that of normals. 36 normal weight and 36 obese male undergraduates served as Ss. It was predicted that obese Ss would spend more time than normals thinking about an assigned topic of thought if there were topic-relevant external cues available, and less time than normals if there were no topic-relevant external cues available. With thinking measured directly by self-report and indirectly by distraction from pain, these predictions were confirmed. It is concluded that differences in eating behavior between obese and normal Ss can be explained by differences in thinking behavior. Therapeutic implications of the cognitive style of the obese are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of external and covert food stimuli on insulin secretion in obese and normal persons.

Exposure to food produces an increase in insulin secretion that is more pronounced in obese than in normal persons. The present study tried to replicate this finding as well as to determine whether insulin secretion could be influenced by thoughts about food and eating. Six normal-weight and 4 obese (120–250% of ideal weight) Ss (mean ages 31 and 30.8 yrs, respectively) were presented in counterbalanced order with an external food stimulus or instructions to think about food and eating. Levels of insulin, salivary output, and hunger ratings were obtained before and after stimulus presentation. All Ss displayed higher insulin levels following stimulus presentation, with the values for the obese higher than for normals. Although the insulin secretion of the obese was greater in response to the covert as opposed to the external stimulus, the difference was not significant. Salivary output following stimulus presentation was higher for the obese than normals, with hunger ratings increasing in both groups. Data support an expanded role of insulin as an appetite-inducing mechanism. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internal and external moderators of the effect of variety on food intake.

Many factors contribute to how much we eat. One such factor is the variety of different foods available. The current article reviews the variety literature with a specific focus on the factors that moderate the effects of variety on food intake and that moderate the processes that may underlie the variety effect (i.e., sensory-specific satiety and monotony). The moderators have been categorized as being of either an internal nature or an external nature. The literature suggests that internal moderators, including characteristics such as gender, weight, and dietary restraint, do not act as moderators of the variety effect. One possible exception to the absence of internal moderators is old age. Alternatively, external moderators, such as particular properties of food and the eater’s perception of the situation, appear to affect the strength of the variety effect on intake to some degree. An evolutionary hypothesis may account for the distinct roles that internal and external variables play in moderating the variety effect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Naltrexone's effects on reactivity to alcohol cues among alcoholic men.

The mechanisms of naltrexone's effects on urges to drink during abstinence are unclear. Naltrexone may suppress either urges to drink specifically or appetitive responses in general. The effects of naltrexone on cue reactivity to alcoholic and sweet nonalcoholic beverages were investigated. Alcohol-dependent men (N ?=?53) in treatment received naltrexone (50 mg) or placebo. Four hours later, they received baseline assessment, exposure to fruit juice, and exposure to their usual alcoholic beverage in 3-min trials. Naltrexone reduced urge to drink and self-reported attention to the alcohol cues, not at the initial exposure but after repeated exposures to alcohol cues. Naltrexone reduced negative affect across baseline and alcohol trials. No effects of naltrexone on responses to the nonalcoholic appetitive beverage cues were found, suggesting that general appetite suppression does not mediate the effects of naltrexone on urges. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internal and external motivation to respond without prejudice.

Empirical evidence is presented from 7 samples regarding the factor structure; reliability; and convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity of separate measures of internal and external motivation to respond without prejudice. The scales reliably measure largely independent constructs and have good convergent and discriminant validity. Examination of the qualitatively distinct affective reactions to violations of own- and other-based standards as a function of the source of motivation to respond without prejudice provides evidence for the predictive validity of the scales. The final study demonstrated that reported stereotype endorsement varies as a function of motivation and whether reports are made in private or publicly. Results are discussed in terms of their support for the internal–external distinction and the significance of this distinction for identifying factors that may either promote or thwart prejudice reduction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Death expectancies in alcoholic and nonalcoholic persons

The Do-It-Yourself Death Certificate (DIYDC) was administered to a group of alcoholic inpatients (N = 39) and to a group of university employees (N = 39). The groups were matched on age, sex, and race. Both alcoholics and nonalcoholics projected unrealistic expectations about their deaths when compared with actuarial cause of death data, but this was somewhat more true of those in the alcoholic group, who expected to live longer than would be expected and who only infrequently attributed their deaths to drinking. Strong preferences were expressed for a quick death, and some differences were observed between the groups with regard to seasonal expectations of time of death and attitudes toward life-prolonging techniques. The DIYDC appears to be a useful adjunct to existing methods of death research, and it may have practical applications with some clinical groups, provided that certain ethical considerations are observed.     

Self-reinforcement: A continuum of external cues.

Investigated the role of external influences in children's self-regulatory behavior under stringent-demand (SD) and lenient-demand (LD) conditions. The abilities of the SD condition (in the form of stringent instructional sets and criterion setting), the LD condition (in which lenient instructions were provided), and a control condition to maintain 33 male and 29 female 3rd and 4th graders' performance on an arithmetic task were examined. Following 5 trials in which Ss self-administered prizes, all Ss in the SD group performed significantly better, during both the incentive and the extinction conditions, on all 3 dependent variables than did Ss in both the LD and control groups. Factors contributing to the differential performances of Ss under the LD and SD conditions are discussed in light of the self-reinforcement literature. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reciprocal social influence of obese and normal-weight persons.

Measured the influence of obese and normal-weight models on the compliance of 64 obese and 64 normal-weight male undergraduates. Under the guise of an investigation of the effects of distraction on studying efficiency, Ss observed modeling or no modeling of compliance to a request for volunteers. Analysis of results suggested that the obese may not be generally more susceptible to social influence than normals, as might be predicted from S. Schachter's (1971) externality hypothesis. Both obese and normal Ss demonstrated a reciprocal influence on one another with greater imitation of different weight models than similar weight models. This finding is interpreted as resulting from attitudes toward obesity as a form of social deviance. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experience-dependent recovery of visuospatial functioning in older alcoholic persons.

Exposed 2 groups of alcoholic males to verbal and visuospatial paired-associate learning tasks known to be sensitive to alcohol dysfunction. Group 1, with 16 Ss (mean age 52.19 yrs), received 4 task administrations 3–4 days apart, beginning 4 days after drinking stopped. Group 2, with 14 Ss (mean age 49.79 yrs), received identical administration beginning 16 days after drinking stopped. An alternate form of the tasks was administered at the final session to assess transfer of training. Two matched nonalcoholic control groups of 12 Ss each (mean age 50.79 yrs) established normative performance on both forms of the tasks. Although the alcoholic Ss' verbal learning was unimpaired, visuospatial functioning was equally impaired initially in both alcoholic groups despite differing periods of abstinence, indicating the lack of time-dependent recovery. However, practice with the visuospatial task resulted in improved visuospatial performance and positive transfer of training not significantly different from normal Ss. It is suggested that since alcoholism treatment outcome is related to neuropsychological status, rehabilitation of cognitive functioning may improve treatment success. (41 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inescapable shock and attention to internal versus external cues in a water discrimination escape task.

In these experiments we examined discrimination learning in a water escape task following exposure to escapable, yoked inescapable, or no electric shock. Inescapable shock did not have an effect on swim speeds in any of the experiments. Inescapable shock interfered with the acquisition of a position (left–right) discrimination when an irrelevant brightness cue (black and white stimuli) was present. However, inescapable shock did not affect the acquisition of the position discrimination when the irrelevant brightness cue was removed. Inescapably shocked Subjects showed facilitated learning relative to escapably shocked and nonshocked subjects when the brightness cue was included as a relevant cue. These data may resolve discrepancies between studies that did, and did not, find inescapable shock to interfere with the acquisition of discriminations. Moreover, they point to attentional processes as one locus of the cognitive changes produced by inescapable shock and suggest the exposure to inescapable shock biases attention away from "internal" response-related cues toward "external" cues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internal–external expectancies and health-related behaviors.

Reviews research on internal–external (I–E) locus of control expectancies and health attitudes and behaviors. The theoretical background of the I–E construct is described. Topics include I–E relation to health knowledge, precautionary health practices, reactions to physical disorders, psychological responding, psychological disturbances, and responses to psychological treatment. (5? p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internal versus external control in reactive and process schizophrenia.

Administered the Rotter Internal-External Control Scale to 25 reactive schizophrenics, 25 process schizophrenics, and 25 nonschizophrenic psychiatric controls. Process schizophrenics scored as significantly more external than the reactives (p     

A test of heightened external responsiveness in an alcoholic population.

In an effort to extend S. Schachter's stimulus-bound hypothesis from obesity to alcoholism, comparisons among 45 alcoholic, obese, and nonalcoholic normal-weight outpatients at a VA hospital were made on 4 measures of externality. It was predicted that alcoholics and obese persons would be significantly more responsive to external stimuli than control Ss, and alcoholics and obese persons would not differ significantly from each other. The predictions were confirmed on 2 measures, 1 of which (a reaction time task) was a replication from Schachter and J. Rodin (1974). The methodological adequacy of the other 2 tests is questioned, especially with respect to their validity in measuring externality. Results lend some support to the hypothesis that alcoholics, like the obese, exhibit a differential reliance on external and internal cues. The implications of heightened external responsiveness for understanding craving and loss of control, 2 defining symptoms of alcoholism, and recent treatment strategies are discussed. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internal and external mediators of women's sexual abuse in childhood.

A community sample of 111 women's retrospective reports of childhood sexual abuse was examined in an effort to understand the circumstances and coping strategies that mediated the immediate and lasting effects of those stressful experiences. Aspects of single or multiple abuse incidents were captured in 11 variables, each reflecting 1 of 3 domains: circumstances of abuse, mediators, and outcomes (the negative effects of abuse). Observed variable simultaneous path analysis models revealed several direct and mediated influences on the outcomes. Long-term negative outcomes of abuse were directly affected by a close relationship to the perpetrator and severity of abuse from the circumstances of abuse domain, and immediate negative responses, self-blame, and nondisclosure regarding the incident from the mediational domain. The importance of examining factors that mediate the negative effects of child sexual abuse is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internal and external components of emotionality in restrained and unrestrained eaters.

Compared the affective responsiveness of dieters and nondieters. 47 male college students rated the emotional impact of projected slides in a situation similar to that used by P. Pliner et al (see record 1974-27296-001) with obese and normal Ss. The present findings show that dieters, like the obese, were more extreme emotional responders. When Ss were given an internal source of arousal (i.e., caffeine), nondieters became more emotional and dieters became less emotional. These results are discussed in terms of S. Schachter's (1971) "externality" model of obesity and S. Schachter and J. E. Singer's "external–internal" theory of emotion. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pharyngeal patency in response to advancement of the mandible in obese anesthetized persons

BACKGROUND: During anesthesia in humans, anterior displacement of the mandible is often helpful to relieve airway obstruction. However, it appears to be less useful in obese patients. The authors tested the possibility that obesity limits the effectiveness of the maneuver. METHODS: Total muscle paralysis was induced under general anesthesia in a group of obese persons (n = 9; body mass index, 32 +/- 3 kg[-2]) and in a group of nonobese persons (n = 9; body mas index, 21 +/- 2 kg[-2]). Nocturnal oximetry confirmed that none of them had sleep-disordered breathing. The cross-sectional area of the pharynx was measured endoscopically at different static airway pressures. A static pressure-area plot allowed assessment of the mechanical properties of the pharynx. The influence of mandibular advancement on airway patency was assessed by comparing the static pressure-area relation with and without the maneuver in obese and nonobese persons. RESULTS: Mandibular advancement increased the retroglossal area at a given pharyngeal pressure, and mandibular advancement increased the retropalatal area in nonobese but not in obese persons at a given pharyngeal pressure. CONCLUSION: Mandibular advancement did not improve the retropalatal airway in obese persons.     

Affect regulation and food intake in bulimia nervosa: Emotional responding to food cues after deprivation and subsequent eating.

Emotional responding to salient food cues and effects of food deprivation and consumption were investigated in 32 women with bulimia and 32 control women. One half of each group was food deprived before viewing unpleasant, neutral, pleasant, and food-related pictures. Then participants could eat from a buffet before viewing a parallel picture set. Women with bulimia showed a substantial potentiation of startle responses during viewing of food cues relative to control women. This startle potentiation was attenuated by food deprivation and augmented by increased food consumption. These data support the affective regulation model suggesting that food cues prompt negative affective states in women with bulimia, who are overwhelmed by fasting. The resulting deprivation increases the incentive value of food cues and may thus trigger binge eating. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conditional discriminations based on external and internal cues in rats with cytotoxic hippocampal lesions.

Septal-hippocampal system lesions, mostly using aspiration techniques, have been reported to impair performance of conditional tasks. Rats with axon-sparing cytotoxic, hippocampal lesions were therefore tested in a range of instrumental conditional paradigms. They did not differ from controls in their ability to choose the appropriate object in a conditional object discrimination cued by internal state (hunger or thirst) or on performance of conditional visuospatial object discriminations. Acquisition of a conditional visuospatial discrimination with black and white boxes as stimuli was also unimpaired. In contrast, lesioned rats were profoundly impaired on an open T-maze task when cued by either their internal state (reference memory task) or their previous response (working memory task). The results indicate that perception or use of spatial cues, rather than conditional responding per se, is impaired by cytotoxic hippocampal lesions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between absolute body-fluid deficits and fluid intake in the rat.

In 5 experiments acute absolute body-fluid deficits were induced in a total of 36 male albino Sprague-Dawley rats by injection of the diuretic drug furosemide, which caused up to 20% reduction of extracellular fluid volume and up to 2% reduction of intracellular fluid volume. Water and .3 M NaCl were subsequently made available to allow the Ss to replace their body fluids by drinking. The Ss increased their intake of both fluids, but replaced less than half of the total deficit, thereby tolerating larger and larger voluntary body-fluid deficits as the size of the diuretic fluid loss increased. Plasma measures showed that the Ss sustained hypovolemia after drinking, while intracellular fluid volume was apparently restored. Fluid-depleted Ss drank normally in response to intracellular dehydration induced by a sodium chloride load. Results demonstrate that incomplete restoration of body-fluid balance after body-fluid depletion is due to a failure to drink in response to extracellular dehydration. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)