Comparison of procedures for the assessment of psychopathy.

Compared clinical-behavioral and self-report measures of psychopathy in 274 male prison inmates (mean age 29.8 yrs). Assessment procedures included global clinical ratings, a 22-item checklist, DSM-III criteria for antisocial personality disorder, and self-report version of the 22-item checklist, the Socialization scale of the California Psychological Inventory, and the MMPI. Agreement among the various assessment procedures was evaluated with correlational analyses, discriminant function analyses, and kappa coefficients of diagnostic agreement. Results indicate that there was stronger agreement among the clinical-behavioral measures (ratings, checklist, and DSM-III) than among the self-report measures. Agreement between these 2 measurement domains was, with few exceptions, poor. Findings suggest that caution should be exercised when comparisons are made among studies in which different assessment procedures for psychopathy are used. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of several patterns of communication.

Studied amount of material recalled by 10 undergraduates in each of 4 patterns of communication: (a) a "receiver" listening to 1 "transmitter," (b) "receiver" listening to 2 "transmitters" and speaking simultaneously, (c) "receiver" talking while listening to 1 "transmitter," and (d) receiver talking and listening to 2 simultaneous "transmitters." Statistically significant results favored the "receiver" who listened to 1 rather than 2 transmitters and listened rather than talked and listened. A significant interaction also occurred. Information retained by the "receiver" from each of the 2 simultaneous "transmitters" was compared. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of closed testing procedures for pairwise testing of means.

A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to compare 9 pairwise multiple comparison procedures. Procedures were evaluated on the basis of any-pair power and all-pairs power. No procedure was found to be uniformly most powerful. A modification due to A. J. Hayter (1986) of Fisher's least significant difference was found to provide the best combination of ease of use and moderately high any-pair power in most cases. Pilot or exploratory studies can expect good power results with this relatively simple procedure. The greatest all-pairs power was usually provided by 1 of 2 partition-based versions of E. Peritz's (1970) procedure. Confirmatory studies will require such complex methods but may also need larger sample sizes than have been customary in psychological research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of several styles of typography in English.

"Five styles of typography—spaced units, vertical, square span, and arrangement of one phrase per line, and conventional—were compared using untrained subjects. This paper reports two fairly independent series of experiments: a series using a tachistoscope presentation, and a series in which the subjects read passages of about 1500 words… . The tachistoscope series suggests that there are advantages to the new arrangements, but the reading series suggests that subjects must be trained to read these new arrangements before the advantage will be fully realized." From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4LM62C. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of power rates for combined probability procedures: A simulation study.

Compared the power of 6 techniques (adding logs, adding p's, mean p, adding z's, mean z, and adding t's) for combining the significance levels from independent tests of a common conceptual hypothesis using simulation procedures. Results indicate that for large numbers of studies to be combined, all procedures provided comparable power. The techniques varied in their ease of computation, however, making some procedures more preferrable under certain conditions. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart rate and general activity alterations of dogs during several aversive conditioning procedures.

Recorded heart rate (HR), general activity, and panel pressing while 5 dogs were exposed to aversive conditioning procedures. Several operant procedures were selected in order to manipulate panel pressing and general activity during a signal paired with shock. Data are examined in terms of 3 models of HR conditioning: The substitution classical conditioning and the afferent models both predict acceleration of HR to CS+, while the cardiac-somatic model predicts that HR will correspond to the general activity changes that occur during CS+. Both accelerations and decelerations were observed. General activity changed in the same direction as HR in 18 of 19 cases. Data also indicate that panel pressing is poorly correlated with general activity or heart rate. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison among several 99mTc antibody-labeling methods

The effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition with perindopril on renal vascular structure were studied in control and streptozotocin diabetic male Sprague-Dawley rats after 3 weeks. After kidneys were perfusion-fixed at systolic blood pressure, morphometric analysis of vascular structural changes in the media of the renal vasculature at the cortico-medullary junction was performed. Vascular hypertrophy was present in the diabetic vessels, as assessed by an increase in medial cross-sectional area for a given lumen size. This relative increase in medial area was prevented by perindopril treatment, consistent with an antitrophic effect on diabetic kidney vessels by ACE inhibition. The diabetic kidney had an increased proportion of small vessels less than 50 microns diameter at the cortico-medullary junction, perhaps representing diabetes induced angiogenesis. This subpopulation of vessels was reduced in number after perindopril treatment. Our data support a role for increased activity of angiotensin converting enzyme as a mechanism for vascular hypertrophy, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic vasculopathy and nephropathy.     

Retention interval hypothesis and list lengths: Comparison of anticipation and study-test procedures.

Notes that a puzzling inconclusiveness has prevailed in the comparison of anticipation and study (reinforcement)-test (RT) procedures in verbal learning. To help to resolve this, the present study elaborated the retention interval hypothesis, applicable to both paired-associate and verbal discrimination learning. Ss were 115 undergraduates. Theoretical and empirical specifications for the effects of the list length (n) factor were supported: n determined the superiority or non-difference for the study-test method compared to the anticipation method. Performance differences between the 2 methods were significant when the list length was intermediate, but were insignificant when it was either too short or too long, where learning was, respectively, either too easy or too difficult. (French summary) (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of static and dynamic assessment procedures and their relation to independent performance.

Relationships between pretraining skills, ease of learning, and later posttest performance were assessed in both spatial (i.e., block design) and verbal (i.e., similarities) task domains. Eighty-four preschool children (M?=?4 years 11 months, range?=?4 years 0 months to 5 years 6 months) were given pretests, training, and posttests on block design and similarities tasks. Two measurement models and four structural models were tested to determine (a) if pretest, learning and posttest performances were domain specific, and (b) if paths from both pretests and learning assessments were needed to predict posttest performance. The measurement model that fit the data maintained separate verbal and spatial domains. The structural model that best fit the data included paths from both pretest and learning assessments to posttest performances within each domain. Thus, L. S. Vygotsky's (1978) claim that pretest and learning assessments together are better indicators of an individual's ability than either measure alone was supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of hypnosis and distraction in severely ill children undergoing painful medical procedures.

An ethnically diverse sample of high and low hypnotizable children (N?=?27) suffering from cancer or blood disorders and their parents were trained to use both distraction and hypnosis to reduce pain and anxiety. Measures of pain and anxiety were obtained from the children and their parents. Independent raters also judged participants' video-taped distress responses. Data were collected during painful medical procedures, for baseline, distraction, and hypnosis conditions. Supporting E. R. Hilgard's (1977, 1992) neodissociation theory, hypnotizable children showed significantly lower pain, anxiety, and distress scores in response to hypnosis in contrast to low hypnotizable children. Distraction produced significant positive effects for observer-rated distress scores for the low hypnotizable children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple comparison procedures for trimmed means.

Stepwise multiple comparison procedures (MCPs) based on least squares and trimmed estimators were compared for their rates of Type I error and their ability to detect true pairwise group differences. The MCPs were compared in unbalanced one-way completely randomized designs when normality and homogeneity of variance assumptions were violated. Results indicated that MCPs based on trimmed means and Winsorized variances controlled rates of Type I error, whereas MCPs based on least squares estimators typically could not, particularly when the data were highly skewed. However, MCPs based on least squares estimators were substantially more powerful than their counterparts based on trimmed means and Winsorized variances when the data were only moderately skewed, a finding which qualifies recommendations on the use of trimmed estimators offered in the literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Submission procedures for APA separate publications.

In recent years the number of volumes published by APA under its Separates Program has increased, as has the number of proposals from individual members and APA boards and committees. Currently, the APA Separates Program publishes three broad categories of material: program-related separates, separates that provide a service, and separates about psychology. The procedures for submitting and preparing proposals and the Association's proposal review process are presented here for members' information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of automated and traditional minimum inhibitory concentration procedures for microbiological cosmetic preservatives

Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is used to test resistance of microorganisms against antibiotics and to test cosmetic preservatives. This research expanded traditional MIC with automation and application of colorimetric endpoint MIC. All experiments included common cosmetic preservatives and microorganisms used in testing preservative efficacy. An autodilutor using three 96-well microtiter plates processed 6 preservatives against 1 microorganism in 15 min. The unique tip design made it possible to accurately deliver viscous test materials that cannot be dispensed accurately with vacuum or fluid-filled systems. Tetrazolium violet, a redox indicator, provided a visual color change from clear to purple at the MIC. Optimum concentration of tetrazolium violet was 0.01% with addition of 0.2% glucose to Mueller-Hinton broth for both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The colorimetric endpoint was evident after 24 h from previously cryogenically stored organisms that were thawed before use and after 4 h for 18-24 h broth cultures subcultured from agar plates. The autodilutor accurately pipetted viscous cosmetic products such as hand lotion and shampoo, which cannot be pipetted with a traditional micropipetter.     

Comparison of remifentanil in combination with isoflurane or propofol for short-stay surgical procedures

There are few data in the literature that describe the use of remifentanil when administered as a component of an inhalation or total i.v. anaesthetic (TIVA) technique. We studied 251 male and female patients, aged 18-75 years, ASA I-II, undergoing inguinal hernia repair, arthroscopic knee surgery or varicose vein surgery of at least 30 min duration without premedication. Patients were randomized to receive a remifentanil loading dose of 1.0 microgram kg-1 followed by a continuous infusion of 0.5 microgram kg-1 min-1 in combination with isoflurane (end-tidal concentration 0.6%), (Group I, n = 115) or propofol (initial infusion rate 9 mg kg-1 h-1 reduced to 6 mg kg-1 h-1 after 10 min), (Group P, n = 118). The remifentanil infusion rate was reduced by 50%, 5 min after tracheal intubation. Intraoperative stresses were treated with a remifentanil bolus (1 microgram kg-1) followed by an increase in the remifentanil infusion rate. At the insertion of the last suture, the remifentanil infusion and concomitant anaesthetic were switched off simultaneously. Times to spontaneous respiration, adequate respiration and tracheal extubation were significantly shorter in group I compared with group P (6.4 min vs 7.6 min, P < 0.01; 7.6 min vs 9.3, P < 0.003; 7.8 min vs 9.5 min, P < 0.015). Overall mean systolic blood pressures during surgery were greater in group P compared with group I (P < 0.05) but the absolute differences were clinically insignificant (4-5 mm Hg).     

On the use of inverted factor analysis for generating typologies.

Inverted, or Q-, factor analysis has been 1 of the most frequently employed methods in numerical typology. Its application to a sample of 52 manic-depressives using data from a battery of tests, including the MMPI and structured clinical interview, yielded 5 types which seemed to make clinical sense. Examination of the data, however, pointed to the existence of just 1 type of depressives and either 1 or 2 types of manics. It is concluded that the data must be examined for heterogeneity before an exercise in numerical typology is undertaken. If the univariate and multivariate distributions on all variables for a sample are unimodal and symmetric, then the sample is most likely homogeneous as far as the variables employed are concerned, and it would be hard to justify using the given data for generating types. If the data suggest the existence of types, then a method other than inverted factor analysis might better be used to find them. Some problems in validating numerically derived typologies are discussed. (25 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reinforcement procedures.

Comments on S. Feshbach's (1976) discussion of ethical issues in behavior modification and argues that it is not a matter of whether reinforcement procedures are used, but of how and to what ends. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Control theory interpretation of psychological mechanisms of depression: Comparison and integration of several theories.

Several psychological theories of depression (including learned helplessness, behavioral theories, and ego-analytic theories) are reviewed in terms of a control theory interpretation of depression. Psychological theories of depression belong to a common family: They differ in terms of the goals implicated in the cause of depression (goals are hierarchically arranged) and control mechanisms that differentiate depressives from nondepressives. Three explanations are advanced for the uniformity of depressive deficits despite multiple causes of depression. Symptomatological differences between subtypes based on goals rather than deficits are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)