Individual differences in self-control behaviors and tolerance of painful stimulation.

Studied the relation between Ss' general repertoire of self-control behaviors and their ability to tolerate a cold pressor. In Exp I, with 40 undergraduate Ss, it was found that Ss who were instructed to think of a pleasant event while exposed to a cold pain tolerated that pain longer than a control group, thus replicating previous findings. In Exp II, with 54 undergraduate Ss, one experimental group was required to spend 5 min in self-planning of strategies to cope with the upcoming pain, and a 2nd group was merely informed on the effectiveness of self-control methods in coping with pain. Both groups did not show longer durations than Ss in a control group who were not encouraged to employ their own self-control methods. High self-control (HSC) Ss across the various treatment conditions consistently tolerated the cold pressor longer than low self-control Ss. HSC Ss also reported using self-control methods more often and more effectively while exposed to the cold pressor. The 2 self-control groups did not differ in their ratings of pain intensity. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Continued word association in hypothetically psychosis-prone college students.

White male undergraduates who scored deviantly high (2 standard deviations above the mean) on the Physical Anhedonia Scale, the Perceptual Aberration/Magical Ideation (Per/Mag) Scale, or the Nonconformity Scale were compared with controls on either a structured (n?=?63) or an unstructured (n?=?81) continued word-association task. This task has often been used as a measure of psychotic thought disorder. On the unstructured word-association task, Per/Mag Ss produced proportionately more unusual idiosyncratic responses, proportionately fewer common responses, fewer popular responses, and lower response commonality scores than did controls, and these differences were due to those Per/Mag Ss who had also scored at least 1 standard deviation above the mean on the Nonconformity Scale. These findings show mild cognitive slippage in these Ss. Results support the validity of the Per/Mag Scale as a measure of psychosis proneness and the validity of the Nonconformity Scale as a potentiator in the identification of psychosis proneness. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological profiles of purging bulimics, repeat dieters, and controls.

In Study 1, 29 female undergraduates who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) criteria for bulimia were compared with 2 nonbulimic groups drawn from the same S pool. One group consisted of 27 Ss who reported feeling dissatisfied with their weight and engaged in repeated dieting attempts but not bulimic behavior. The 2nd comparison group consisted of 27 Ss who reported feeling satisfied with their weight and not dieting within the last year. Measures included the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Personal Attributes Questionnaire, and Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. All Ss scored in the normal range, but bulimics scored significantly higher than the 2 comparison groups on a number of clinical scales. Also, the bulimics and repeat dieters reported lower self-esteem than did the nondieting group. The major discriminating variables—psychopathic deviance, mania, and physical self-esteem—separated all 3 groups and accounted for 78% of the explained variance. Study 2 was conducted with 27 current bulimic women, 12 former bulimics, 29 nondieters, and 31 repeat dieters. Results confirm the importance of physical self-esteem and psychopathic deviance in differentiating between groups. This study also revealed that bulimics engaged in sexual activities and in the adolescent acting-out behaviors of drug and alcohol use more frequently, and at an earlier age, than did the 2 comparison groups. Implications for therapeutic interventions are discussed. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anhedonia, perceptual aberration, and the Rorschach.

26 college students who scored deviantly high on a scale of physical anhedonia and 27 who scored high on a scale of perceptual aberration were compared with 26 normal control Ss on the Rorschach scored for the delta index of thought disorder and the alpha index of deviancy. The anhedonic Ss and perceptual aberration Ss gave more schizophrenic-like Rorschach responses than the control Ss. This finding indicates the importance of follow-up studies to determine whether Ss who score deviantly high on these scales are at high risk for schizophrenia and/or other psychosis. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interviewee disclosure as a function of interpersonal trust, task modeling, and interviewer self-disclosure.

Results of a study with 60 undergraduates show that 1/2 of the Ss in each sex group scored 3-15 points above the mean for their sex on the Rotter Interpersonal Trust Scale, and 1/2 of them scored 3-15 points below; these were classified as high- and low-trust Ss, respectively. No disclosure differences were found between high- and low-trust Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internal-external control as a determinant of the effectiveness of modeling and instructions.

Explored the relationship between locus of control and the issue of modeling and instructional effectiveness. From 132 male and female undergraduates, 24 were designated internals and 21 externals according to scores on Rotter's Internal-External Control Scale which accorded with H. L. Mirels's (1970) factor of personal internality. Ss were randomly assigned to 1 of the following conditions: (a) instructional (Ss instructed to be highly concrete in talking about their school, social, and family life experiences); (b) modeling (Ss exposed to a model who discussed each of the above topics in a highly concrete fashion); and (c) control (Ss received only general instructions to talk on the same 3 topics). All Ss then participated in a brief monologue which was scored for concreteness. Results indicate that modeling was an effective procedure. Also, as predicted, internal-modeling Ss were more concrete than the internal-instructions Ss. Findings are discussed in relation to instructional efficacy and response class. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obesity, level of aspiration, and Rorschach and TAT measures of oral dependence.

Obese Israelis and controls were administered the Rorschach, TAT, and a level-of-aspiration task. The obese Ss scored higher on oral dependence than the control Ss on both the Rorschach (p = .01) and TAT (p = .02). There were no differences on either test for oral sadism, although the Rorschach subcategories of overwhelming figures and burdens and TAT themes of deprivation discriminated significantly between the groups. The most sensitive oral dependence subcategories were nurturers, supplicants and food organs (Rorschach), and themes of passivity, optimism, and helplessness (TAT). When only those Ss who scored above or below the median on both tests were considered, predictions regarding obesity were 90% accurate. Contrary to expectation, the obese Ss set level-of-aspiration goals more realistically than the controls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Altering a dominant response: Performance of psychopaths and low-socialization college students on a cued reaction time task.

The passive avoidance learning deficits of disinhibited Ss have been attributed to their difficulty inhibiting dominant responses. To date, evidence for this hypothesis has been derived from complex tasks. In 2 experiments, a cued reaction time (RT) task requiring no learning or memory was used to evaluate the degree to which groups of disinhibited Ss inhibit simple dominant responses. Disinhibited groups were incarcerated psychopaths identified with R. D. Hare's (1985) Psychopathy Checklist and undergraduate males who scored low on the Socialization Scale. Both disinhibited groups committed more errors than controls on trials containing misleading cues, but in both samples, findings were limited to trials in which Ss expected to make right-hand responses. Although alternative interpretations are possible, these data are consistent with the proposal that disinhibited individuals are less likely to inhibit well-established dominant responses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's loneliness: A comparison of rejected and neglected peer status.

Administered sociometric and loneliness questionnaires to 200 3rd-6th grade children to assess feelings of loneliness in 2 subgroups of unpopular Ss—those who were sociometrically rejected vs those who were sociometrically neglected. Data on popular, average, and controversial Ss were also collected. One-fifth of the the Ss were from low SES families, one-third were from middle SES families, and the rest were from upper middle or upper SES families. Results indicate that rejected Ss were the most lonely group and that this group differed significantly from other status groups. Neglected Ss did not differ from their higher-status peers. Overall, findings provide evidence of the utility of the distinction between neglected vs rejected status and provide support for earlier conclusions that rejected children are more at risk than are other status groups. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dissociative experiences, psychopathology and adjustment, and child and adolescent maltreatment in female college students.

33 female college students who scored in the upper 15% on the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) were compared with 33 female students who scored below the mean on the DES on measures of psychopathology (SCL-90), college adjustment (Student Adpatation to College Questionnaire), and child and adolescent maltreatment. Compared with controls, high-DES Ss reported more psychopathology, poorer college adjustment, and a greater extent of psychological, physical, and sexual maltreatment. On the basis of the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule, 2 high-DES Ss but none of the control Ss met criteria for a dissociative disorder (i.e., multiple personality and psychogenic amnesia). Despite the sensitivity of the DES, 8 Ss who scored in the upper 2% of the population on the DES failed to meet criteria for a dissociative disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction, control, and learned helplessness.

Examined the independent effects of perceived control over and perceived predictability of an aversive event on 100 undergraduates' performance on a memory task and depressive affect. All Ss completed the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List and the Desirability of Control Scale. Ss who received noise blasts that were both uncontrollable and unpredictable displayed performance decrements and depressive affect relative to a no-noise group, whereas Ss who were able either to control or to predict the aversive event did not. The perception of control or predictability concerning the aversive event was thus sufficient to mitigate learned helplessness, suggesting the functional equivalence of perceived control and predictability. Finally, results reveal that Ss high in the "desire for control over events" reacted to the aversive noise more than did Ss low in the desire for control. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Disinhibited eating by resourceful restrained eaters.

Restrained eaters who reported consistent use of a variety of self-control skills were expected to avoid disinhibited eating in a high-risk situation better than were restrained eaters, who reportedly used fewer self-control skills. 80 women were selected as Ss on the basis of their scores on the Revised Restraint Scale (C. P. Herman, 1978) and the Self-Control Schedule (M. Rosenbaum (see record 1980-04499-001). A 2?×?2 design was used: Restraint (high, low)?×?Self-Control (high, low). Ss participated in the usual "preload?+? taste-test" restraint paradigm. Restrained eaters who reported high self-control skills disinhibited their eating significantly more (not less, as expected) than all other groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loneliness, social drinking, and vulnerability to alcohol problems.

Investigated the relationship between dispositional loneliness (representing deficient social skills, absence of supportive social relationships, and negative introspection), vulnerability to alcohol problems, and locus of control. 99 Ss (mean age 26.12 yrs) completed the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA) measures of drinking and locus of control (i.e., fatalism, self-control, social system control). UCLA scores were strongly related to adverse consequences of drinking, perceived problem-drinker status, and coping functions. Both loneliness and alcohol problems were related to external locus of control over personal consequences and impulses. Loneliness is discussed as a source of differential vulnerability to alcohol problems among relatively heavy drinkers due to a lack of social supports and different perceptions of social pressures. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acculturation experiences, appraisal, coping, and adaptation: A comparison of Hong Kong Chinese, French, and English students in Canada.

42 Chinese students from Hong Kong, 43 French-Canadian students, and 42 English-Canadian students completed questionnaires pertaining to various aspects of their lives and personalities, their coping styles, their psychological and physical health, and their satisfaction with their coping abilities. All 3 groups reported their 3 most serious problems at university to be uncertainty for the future, academic difficulties, and loneliness. However, the Chinese Ss experienced higher Trait Anxiety, more prejudice, more adaptation and communication problems, lower English language competence, and lower perceived social support of friends than the French and English Ss. In addition, the Chinese reacted to their problems with less positive-thinking and less tension-reduction coping responses than the French and English Ss, respectively. The Chinese Ss also experienced poorer health and lower coping satisfaction. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hopelessness, depression, and suicidal intent among psychiatrically disturbed inpatient children.

The Hoplessness Scale for Children was developed and administered to 66 8–13 yr old children along with the Children's Depression Inventory, Bellevue Index of Depression, Depression Symptom Checklist, and the Self-Esteem Inventory. As predicted, Ss who scored high on the Hopelessness Scale showed significantly more severe depression and lower self-esteem than those who scored low on the scale. Ss who evinced suicidal attempt or ideation, independently assessed at intake diagnosis, showed greater hopelessness than Ss with no such intent. Suicidal intent was more consistently correlated with hopelessness than with depression, a finding parallel to results obtained with adults. Overall, findings suggest that negative expectations toward oneself and the future can be assessed in children and are related both to depression and suicidal intent. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Counselor-subject sex variables in systematic desensitization.

44 male and female undergraduates who scored above the 80th percentile on the Suinn Test Anxiety Behvior Scale (STABS) were used in a test anxiety survey conducted by a state university counseling center. Ss were screened for appropriateness and were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups led by the counselor who had conducted their screening interviews. Treatment groups consisted of 5 male and 5 female Ss, and control groups of 6 male and 6 female Ss. Treatment consisted of accelerated massed desensitization of text anxiety using a standard hierarchy in 4 treatment blocks of 1 hr each, massed in 2 sessions. Outcome measures were the STABS and the Symptom Check List. Treatment was administered by experienced counselors. A 3-factor analysis of variance showed a significant treatment effect by both male and female counselors and a significant effect by the male counselor with female Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depression, interpersonal standard setting, and judgments of self-efficacy.

Investigated the relationship between standard setting and judgments of self-efficacy in the domain of interpersonal functioning for depressed and nondepressed Ss. Consistent with a self-control model of depression, a large discrepancy between personal standards and judgments of personal efficacy for performance was postulated to be related to depression. Undergraduate students who scored above 13 on 2 administrations of the Beck Depression Inventory composed the depressed group. 39 depressed and 39 nondepressed students rated their minimal standards for adequate interpersonal performance, its importance to them, and their judgments of self-efficacy for the same tasks, using the Interpersonal Concerns Questionnaire. Depressed Ss showed a larger discrepancy between strength of interpersonal standards and strength of self-efficacy than did normal Ss. Depressed Ss expressed a lower strength of self-efficacy than did nondepressed Ss, but they did not differ on their interpersonal standards. Importance and the strength for standards are consistent with recent extensions of P. M. Lewinsohn's (1974) model of depression, which suggests that disruptions in self-evaluation are related to lowered judgments of self-efficacy for depressed Ss. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An attempt to reverse performance deficits associated with depression and experimentally induced helplessness.

The learned helplessness model of depression predicts that any effective treatment for reactive depression should also reverse performance deficits associated with experimentally induced helplessness, and vice versa. A study was conducted to test this prediction. Ss were 62 college students who were exposed to experimental manipulations designed to induce helplessness or who scored above a group mean on the Beck Depression Inventory. Depressed and helpless Ss were randomly assigned to 4 groups. The 2 treatment groups received either E. Velten's (1968) mood statements for the induction of elation or a set of simple anagrams to solve. The 2 remaining groups were exposed to no-treatment conditions. All Ss were tested for helplessness on a series of concept formation problems. Results fail to confirm the predictions of the learned helplessness model of depression. Although treatment was effective with helpless Ss, the performance of treated depressed Ss was not enhanced. Also, depressed Ss given anagrams performed more poorly than depressed Ss given mood statements. Several possible explanations for the findings are considered. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Low-anxious, high-anxious, and repressive coping styles: Psychometric patterns and behavioral and physiological responses to stress.

A long-standing problem in stress research has been that individuals' reports of their tendencies to become anxious are often inconsistent with relevant behavioral and physiological indices. This study investigated the distinction between (a) truly low-anxious Ss, who report low trait anxiety on the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale and low defensiveness on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and (b) repressors, who report low anxiety but high defensiveness. These groups were compared with a moderately high-anxious one. Heart rate, spontaneous skin resistance responses, and forehead muscle tension were recorded from 40 male college students during a phrase association task. Significant differences in the 3 physiological measures as well as in 3 behavioral ones (reaction time, content avoidance, and verbal interference) all indicated that the repressors were more stressed than the low-anxious Ss despite their claims of lower trait anxiety. The high-anxious group exhibited a 3rd pattern suggesting an intermediate level of anxious responding. These data document the need to distinguish between repressors and truly low-anxious persons in research concerned with relations between self-reported anxiety and behavioral and physiological responses to stress. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)