Childhood burn injuries: circumstances of occurrences and their prevention in Ribeir?o Preto, Brazil

The objectives of this study were to verify which circumstances are present in burn accidents of patients under 12 years of age and to gather information to ground strategies to prevent those accidents. Parents or guardians of 26 patients aged under 12 years, admitted to the burns unit of the Clinical Hospital of Ribeir?o Preto Medical School, Brazil, were interviewed, from March 1996 to March 1997. Fifty percent of the injured children were under 3 years of age and had suffered a scald. The kitchen and the backyard were identified as the places where the majority of accidents (84.6%) happened. At least one parent was present in 80.7% of cases. The results speak for the necessity of implementation of programs to prevent burn accidents, focusing on the domestic setting, chiefly activities in the kitchen.     

Psychology of drivers in traffic accidents.

50 automobile drivers whose driving involved them in accidents serious enough to require hospitalization were paired with 50 drivers without accident histories but matched according to sex, approximate age, race, and educational level. The Ss were compared on the basis of their driving experiences and performance on written tests. The accident victims differed from the comparison Ss in a higher incidence of previous traffic violations but were not distinguishable from the comparison Ss on any written tests. The accident Ss were similar to the "safe" drivers in describing themselves as much closer to "expert" than "very poor" on a driving performance continuum. In fixing the responsibility for the accidents and in estimating their driving competence at the time of the accidents, the accident Ss' reports are at considerable variance with police reports. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Driver judgments of relative car velocities.

In a study of the causes of rear end accidents, 11 Ss made judgments of the interval separating the car in which they were riding from a preceding car. Of 154 judgments, only 7 were potentially dangerous, although Ss "tended to underestimate the relative speed differential between their car and the one in front of it." From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4LN61O. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attributions and disability acceptance following traumatic injury: A replication and extension.

(This reprinted article originally appeared in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1977, Vol 35 [5], 351–363. The following abstract of the original article appeared in PA, Vol 62:3939.) Examined the relation between victims' attributions of causality for their accidents and their ability to cope with severe misfortune. A total of 29 individuals who had been paralyzed in serious accidents between the ages of 16 and 35 yrs were intensively interviewed. Individuals were selected who had been injured either 1–4 or 8–22 mo prior to the interview. Both quantitative and open-ended questions were used to elicit attributions of blame and causality by Ss; coping scores were obtained from a social worker and a nurse familiar with each case. Findings suggest that blaming another and feeling that one could have avoided the accident were successful predictors of poor coping; self-blame was a successful predictor of good coping. The question "Why me?" was posed by all Ss, and 28 of the 29 Ss offered to explain why the accident had happened to them. Their responses seemed to illustrate their need for meaning in explaining the selective incidence of the accident. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Affect, generalization, and the perception of risk.

Investigated the role of affect in judgments of risk in 4 experiments. 557 Ss were recruited on college campuses and read paragraphs modeled after newspaper reports that described fatal or nonfatal accidents or (Exp III) positive events. Ss were later asked to estimate the chances of specific fatal or nonfatal accidents happening to them and/or to the population in general. Experimental manipulations of affect induced by report of a tragic event produced a pervasive increase in Ss' estimates of the frequency of many risks and other undesirable events. Contrary to expectation, the effect was independent of the similarity between the report and the estimated risk: An account of a fatal stabbing did not increase the frequency estimate of homicide more than the estimates of unrelated risks such as natural hazards. An account of a happy event that created positive affect produced a comparable global decrease in judged frequency of risks. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting individual subjective responses to traffic noise.

Surveyed 1,150 Ss to relate both individual subjective responses to traffic noise (e.g., annoyance) and Ss' health to traffic noise and to other nonacoustical predictors. 16 to 25% of the variance in subjective responses was accounted for by traffic noise level. Although many of the nonacoustical predictors were related to subjective responses, canonical correlations indicated that neighborhood satisfaction, anxiety, and concern about traffic accidents were most important. Negative responses increased with anxiety and concern about accidents but decreased with satisfaction. Whereas low-anxiety Ss adapted to the noise, high-anxiety Ss did not. Ss exposed to greater noise reported poorer health (e.g., hearing loss, headaches, colds) and believed more strongly that traffic noise was harmful to their health. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accident-proneness in attempted suicide and in automobile accident victims.

The Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study was administered to 58 consecutively admitted Ss who had attempted suicide and to 30 consecutively admitted automobile accident victims matched with Ss without histories of accidents. The expectation that similar and deviant modes of handling aggression and frustration might be revealed in the suicide and accident Ss responses to the P-F Study was not supported. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptual-motor speed discrepancy and deviant driving.

Drake, using industrial accident data, proposed that individuals with better motor speed than perceptual speed are more accident-prone than those with greater perceptual than motor speed. This hypothesis was tested n the area of traffic accidents using 3 measures of perceptual and 3 measures of motor speed. The Ss were 2 groups of 70 male drivers each, matched for age, education , and driving exposure. The problem-driver group had 4 times more traffic accidents during the past 5 years than the controls. None of the 9 perceptual-motor speed discrepancies supported Drake's hypothesis. The assumption of this hypothesis are examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validity and fairness of physical ability tests for predicting performance in craft jobs.

Problems relating to performance, accidents, and turnover in outdoor telephone craft jobs stimulated 2 experiments aimed at developing and validating a physical test battery. Based on job analysis results, a battery of 9 measures was administered to a sample of 128 Ss (83 males and 45 females) in Exp I. A 2-test battery (dynamic arm strength and reaction time), valid for predicting job task performance and turnover, was selected. Regression equations for males and females were not significantly different. Exp II included a sample of 210 Ss (132 males and 78 females). A 3-test battery consisting of a body density measure, a balance test, and a static strength test was selected based on relationships with training performance. No significant differences were found in the regression equations for males compared to females. The Exp II battery was also significantly related to field performance, training completion, and accidents and was valid for the Exp I criteria. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality dynamics and accident proneness in an industrial setting.

"Two groups of Ss… [17 men with a total of 47 accidents over 2 years, and 17 accident-free men] were [compared] by means of a sentence completion test… . the high accident Ss, in comparison with the non-accident Ss, were significantly lower on the socially desirable personality dispositions of optimism, trust, and sociocentricity. In general, there were no statistically significant differences… on several negative personality dispositions, but there was a slight indication of positive association between high accident proneness and high scores on a cluster composed of the socially undesirable personality dispositions of egocentricity, anxiety, and resentment. There was highly significant association between high accident proneness and projective responses indicative of a negative attitude toward employment." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationships among criteria of job performance.

Because intercorrelations between 5 criteria of job performance were low, "overall performance" seems to be of less value than previously thought. Ss were 975 individuals in 27 units of a delivery service firm. The 5 measures of job performance were: overall effectiveness, productivity, chargeable accidents, unexcused accidents, and errors. "Measurement and use of job performance criterion variables will remain at a primitive and empirical level until there is created some complex theory of job performance which takes into account systems of causal and conditioning variables." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of atmospheric electricity on some substrates of disordered social behavior.

Epidemiological data indicate that increased small positive air ionization due to changing weather conditions is associated with increases in industrial and automobile accidents, suicide, crime, depression, irritability, and interference with CNS function. Laboratory research is less consistent, with several studies reporting no effects on mood or performance indicative of CNS disturbance. The present study (85 college students 18–60 years) examined individual differences in response to small positive air ions. Data indicate that whereas mood changes (Mood Adjective Check List, Sharav Questionnaire) were present for most Ss when exposed to positive ions, assessment of individual differences in susceptibility was essential for detecting effects on performance and physiological activation. For most Ss, mood changes induced by ion exposure were characterized by increased tension and irritability. For susceptible (ion-sensitive) Ss, skin conductance measures showed depressed activation, and RT increased during exposure to ions. For non-sensitive Ss, skin conductance measures revealed only increased activation. (63 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of visual deprivation on depth discrimination of hooded rats.

In a study with hooded rats (N = 530), Ss raised in the dark were compared to light-reared controls. 21-day-old dark-reared (DR) Ss were not different from controls in the discrimination of 4-in depths, but 30-day-old DR Ss were deficient. 60-day-old DR Ss were deficient in discriminating 4-, 6-, and 8-in depths. 30-day-old DR Ss recovered the loss in depth discrimination after 48 hrs in the light. 60-day-old DR Ss had no noticeable recovery to the 4-in depth discrimination, but they did recover discrimination of the 6-in depth after 72 hrs in the light. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relative efficacy of self-reward, self-punishment, and self-monitoring techniques for weight loss.

Randomly assigned 48 female and 5 male obese adults to 5 groups: (a) self-reward, (b) self-punishment, (c) self-reward and self-punishment, (d) self-monitoring, and (e) information control. All Ss were given information on effective stimulus control techniques for weight loss. Self-monitoring Ss were asked to weigh in twice per week for 4 wks and to record their daily weight and eating habits. Self-reward and self-punishment Ss, in addition to receiving self-monitoring instructions, were asked to award or fine themselves a portion of their deposit contingent on changes in their weight and eating habits. After 4 wks of treatment, self-reward Ss lost significantly more weight than either self-monitoring or control Ss. At a 4-mo follow-up, Ss who had received self-reward instructions continued to show greater improvement than either the self-punishment or control Ss. Findings provide a preliminary indication that self-reward strategies are superior to self-punitive and self-recording strategies in the modification of at least some habit patterns. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accelerating entry into supported employment for persons with severe psychiatric disabilities.

Tested the hypothesis that Ss with severe mental illnesses would achieve better vocational outcomes with an accelerated approach to supported employment (AASE), as compared to gradual approaches (GA) with prevocational training. 86 Ss (mean age 35.1 yrs) with a diagnosis of a serious mental illness, were randomly assigned to either the AASE, or the GA, which included a minimum of 4 mo prevocational training. Data were obtained on indicators of vocational outcomes over 2 yrs, and for a limited number of Ss (n=36), during the 4th yr of inception into the program. Initially, only 5% of Ss preferred prevocational training. After 1 yr, AASE Ss showed better outcomes for a range of indicators, including achievement of competitive employment, duration of employment and mean earnings. During the 4th yr, 59% of these Ss were competitively employed, as compared to only 6% of GA Ss. Rehabilitation is more effective using AASE than GA. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stability and change in aggression and withdrawal in middle childhood and early adolescence.

Examined stability and change in aggression and withdrawal in the context of both normal and deviant behavioral development. The design included 3 age cohorts with a total of 653 Ss separated in age by 3 yrs. Aggression and withdrawal were measured using the Peer Evaluation Inventory initially when the Ss were in Grades 1, 4, and 7 and a 2nd time when the Ss were in Grades 4, 7, and 10, respectively. Members of 4 classification groups were included in the sample: 183 Ss in an aggressive group, 219 Ss in a withdrawn group, 251 Ss in an aggressive-withdrawn group, and a nondeviant control group consisting of 1,103 Ss. The stability of aggression was found to be moderately high, regardless of sex of S or grade at time of initial assessment. Moderate stability was found for withdrawal for both boys and girls when initial assessments were conducted at Grades 4 and 7. The withdrawn Ss became more withdrawn over the 3-yr period. It is concluded that, for many children, the problems of aggression and withdrawal do not appear to be transitory. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hypnotically created pseudomemories: Further investigation into the "memory distortion or response bias" question.

In order to study whether pseudomemories represent actual memory distortions or are a result of response bias, 60 highly hypnotizable Ss and Ss from the general population were divided into 4 experimental groups and were tested for pseudomemory manifestation after receiving a false suggestion. Of the 4 groups of Ss, 3 were offered a monetary reward as a motivation to distinguish false suggestion from actual occurrence. Pseudomemory manifestation was found to be significantly higher among Ss not offered a reward than among Ss who were offered such a reward. The implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experimental prevention of underachievement among intelligent impulsive college students.

64 impulsive freshmen with Scholastic Aptitude Test scores of 1000 or more were assigned to 1 of 4 conditions: (a) paid counseling Ss were paid each time they attended a weekly counseling session; (b) paid math Ss were paid for passing a weekly math quiz; (c) paid control Ss were paid weekly with no contingent effort required; and (d) unpaid control there were no experimental interventions. 64 nonimpulsive freshmen served as controls in each of the 4 conditions. Results were that paying Ss to attend counseling sessions significantly improved their final grades. Paying Ss to study mathematics was only effective among the brighter impulsive students. It is concluded that both treatment conditions forced impulsive Ss to pay attention to their school progress on a continuing basis. (20 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validity and fairness of physical ability tests for predicting performance in craft jobs: Correction to Reilly, Zedeck, and Tenopyr.

Reports an error in the original article by Richard R. Reilly, Sheldon Zedeck, and Mary L. Tenopyr (Journal of Applied Psychology, 1979, Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 262-274). In the Results section of Experiment 2 several results were reported incorrectly. The corrected results are provided. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1980-26872-001.) Problems relating to performance, accidents, and turnover in outdoor telephone craft jobs stimulated 2 experiments aimed at developing and validating a physical test battery. Based on job analysis results, a battery of 9 measures was administered to a sample of 128 Ss (83 males and 45 females) in Exp I. A 2-test battery (dynamic arm strength and reaction time), valid for predicting job task performance and turnover, was selected. Regression equations for males and females were not significantly different. Exp II included a sample of 210 Ss (132 males and 78 females). A 3-test battery consisting of a body density measure, a balance test, and a static strength test was selected based on relationships with training performance. No significant differences were found in the regression equations for males compared to females. The Exp II battery was also significantly related to field performance, training completion, and accidents and was valid for the Exp I criteria. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role of olfactory bulbectomy and DSP4 treatment in avoidance learning in the rat.

In 3 experiments with 101 male Sprague-Dawley rats, olfactory bulbectomized Ss and N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP4)-treated Ss were studied on a 2-way active avoidance task as well as on step-down passive avoidance and fear conditioning and retention tasks. The DSP4-treated, but not olfactory bulbectomized, Ss were impaired in acquiring 2-way avoidance; bulbectomized, but not DSP4-treated, Ss showed notable passive avoidance and fear retention deficits. Bulbectomized Ss treated with DSP4 did not show passive avoidance and fear retention deficits, nor did these Ss evidence the 2-way avoidance impairment of the DSP4-treated Ss. No alteration of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity in the frontal cortex and hippocampus as a result of the bulbectomy operation was indicated. The double dissociation between bulbectomized and DSP4-treated Ss is discussed in terms of opponent behavioral processes, influenced by olfactory bulbectomy and DSP4, which may permit insights into experimental investigations of stress, anxiety, and depression. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)