Expectancies, mood, and performance of depressed and nondepressed psychiatric inpatients on chance and skill tasks.

The learned helplessness model of depression predicts that, compared with nondepressed patients, depressed patients will demonstrate psychomotor deficits, provide lower subjective evaluations of their performance, and perceive reinforcement in skill tasks as more response independent. These predictions were tested in 32 depressed (mean age 35 yrs) and 32 nondepressed (mean age 38 yrs) psychiatric inpatients, who had been administered the Quick Test and the Beck Depression Inventory. Ss performed card- and peg-sorting tasks in which measures of performance, ratings of mood and expectancy of success, and subjective evaluations of performance were obtained under chance and skill reinforcement conditions. Although some support was obtained for the prediction that depressives provide lower evaluations of their performance than nondepressives, the other predictions were not supported. Comparisons between depressed and nondepressed schizophrenics indicate that the mood of depressed schizophrenics was especially sensitive to task outcome for both skill and chance conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differential effects of induced mood on retrieval of pleasant and unpleasant events from episodic memory.

Examined the effect of depressed mood on the accessibility of memories of past real-life experiences of a pleasant or unpleasant nature. By means of a mood induction procedure, 30 students (mean age 19.2 yrs) were made happy on one occasion and depressed on another. The 2 mood states differed significantly on self-report, speech-rate, and recall-latency measures. Stimulus words to which Ss had to associate past pleasant or unpleasant experiences were presented in each mood condition, and latency of retrieval was measured. Time to retrieve pleasant memories, relative to time to retrieve unpleasant memories, was significantly longer when Ss were depressed than when they were happy, suggesting a differential effect of mood on the accessibility of these 2 types of memory. Results are considered in relation to state-dependent learning and activation of memories, and their implications for models and treatment of depression are discussed. It is suggested that cognitive models of depression need to be extended to include a reciprocal relation between thought content and depressed mood. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response styles and the duration of episodes of depressed mood.

Examined the relationship between ruminative and distracting styles of responding to depressed mood and the duration of mood. 79 Ss kept accounts of their moods and responses to their moods for 30 consecutive days. The majority of Ss (83%) showed consistent styles of responding to depressed mood. Regression analyses suggested that the more ruminative responses Ss engaged in, the longer their periods of depressed mood, even after taking into account the initial severity of the mood. In addition, women were more likely than men to have a ruminative response style and on some measures to have more severe and long-lasting periods of depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of chronic and acute stressors on daily reports of mood.

Compared the relative impact of major life events, chronic stressors, and minor daily stressors on daily reports of mood. Analyses are based on daily diary data combined with interview data derived from a longitudinal study of 96 women (mean age 33.1 yrs) sampled from the population of persons using the services of a neighborhood health center. Ss kept daily diaries for 28 days following initial personal interviews. The Affect Balance Scale was used as a baseline measure of psychological well-being. The most important direct determinants of mood were found to be concurrent daily stressors and physical symptoms, and previous levels of psychological well-being. Life events and chronic stressors had indirect effects on mood through these other variables. Results confirm and extend previous studies on the determinants of short-term changes in mood. The advantages and disadvantages of the temporal aggregation of time-series data are discussed. (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rejection and depression: Prospective and contemporaneous analyses.

Explored the relationship of parental rejection during childhood and manifestations of depression both then and in young adulthood in 3 studies. In Study 1, 427 Ss were seen in 2 waves at the ages of 8 and 19 yrs. In the 1st wave, the parents of these Ss were also interviewed with a childrearing questionnaire that included a measure of rejection. In the 2nd wave, the Ss, then 19 yrs old, were administered the MMPI—D subscale. In the 2nd study, the contemporaneous relationship between maternal rejection and childhood depression was investigated. The identical measure of rejection used in the prospective study was administered to 245 mothers, and 4 measures of depression—peer ratings, self-ratings, teacher's ratings, and mother's ratings—were obtained for their children (mean age 10.11 yrs). The 3rd study, conducted with 508 mothers and their children (mean age 9.78 yrs) replicated the significant findings of the contemporaneous study. Findings support the hypothesis that deprivation in the generic sense ranging from the death of 1 or both parents to rejection or even parental disharmony is an etiological factor in adult depression. (47 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Memory complaint and memory performance in the depressed elderly.

Compared depressed and nondepressed elderly Ss recruited in the context of a large epidemiological study of health on measures of self-reported memory disturbance and an objective index of memory performance (free recall). Three groups were studied: (a) 26 Ss (mean age 71.56 yrs) meeting Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) for major depression, (b) 25 Ss (mean age 72.16 yrs) with high levels of self-reported depressive symptoms who did not meet RDC for major depression, and (c) 26 Ss (mean age 71.81 yrs) with low levels of self-reported depressive symptoms. Ss with high depression symptom levels reported significantly higher levels of memory complaint than did Ss with low symptom levels, but there were no differences in self-reported memory disturbance as a function of depression diagnosis. There were no significant differences between groups on the free-recall measure, either as a function of symptom level or diagnosis. It is argued that symptom severity rather than diagnosis of depression is important in determining impairment in depressed elderly people. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Biofeedback and relaxation therapy for chronic temporomandibular joint pain: Predicting successful outcomes.

57 patients with chronic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain were randomly assigned to receive either relaxation or biofeedback therapy. 27 Ss (mean age 35.6 yrs) listened to tape-recorded relaxation once a week at the therapist's office for 3 sessions and were encouraged to practice daily. 30 Ss (mean age 43 yrs) participated in biofeedback sessions and were instructed to practice relaxation for 20 min/day between sessions. Results show no significant differences in outcomes. However, successful Ss in the 2 conditions differed from each other. Successful relaxation Ss tended to be younger, had TMJ pain for a shorter period of time, and reported problems with other psychophysiologic disorders. Successful biofeedback Ss were older, married, had TMJ pain for a longer period of time, and had not received prior equilibration treatment. Equilibration and presence of other disorders were related to both short- and long-term outcomes, suggesting they may be useful as predictors of outcome. It is also suggested that knowledge of pretherapy factors may allow for optimal assignment to therapy conditions. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Speed in test performance in depressed patients.

Compared the performance of 2 groups of nonschizophrenic, nonorganic, psychiatric patients—25 depressed (mean age 41.4 yrs) and 25 nondepressed (mean age 37.8 yrs) Ss—on several tests, including the Quick Test, the WAIS, and 10 speed tests and measures of ambiguous figure reversal rates. The 2 groups of Ss were matched for general psychopathology, sex, age, and education. No difference in the performance on power-cognitive (i.e., intelligence) tests was found. Depressed patients performed more slowly on psychomotor speed tests, confirming an earlier study comparing depressed patients and normal controls. Findings generally confirm those of the 1st author et al (1972) and those of several earlier studies summarized by W. R. Miller (see record 1975-20082-001). (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selection of depressed and nondepressed subjects on the basis of self-report data.

Investigated whether an increase in accurate classifications could be obtained by using 2 simultaneously administered self-report measures or by several successive administrations of 1 self-report measure. 568 Ss (mean age 39.5 yrs) participated in the study. This hypothesis was supported, but the obtained increase was only moderate. A 2-stage procedure for selecting depressed Ss is recommended. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender dysphoria, gender reorientation, and the clinical management of transsexualism.

Conducted 2 studies of gender dysphoria and postoperative adjustment by transsexuals. Study 1 examined the relation of gender reorientation (approximation of the status of the opposite biological sex) to psychological adjustment in gender dysphorics. Three S groups (75 heterosexual males, mean age 36.7 yrs; 85 homosexual males, mean age 29.8 yrs; and 103 biological females, mean age 27.4 yrs) were studied in multiple regression analyses, with psychological symptoms as criteria and measures of 3 roughly sequential components of gender reorientation (role changes, document changes, and physical changes), age, and education as predictors. Psychological complaints correlated negatively with the earliest phase of reorientation for females and with the later phases for males. Age and education bore little relation to current symptoms. Results suggest that psychological improvement accompanies gender reorientation in both male and female gender dysphorics; the greatest degree of improvement is seen earlier in the process for females. Ss in Study 2 were postoperative transsexuals (32 homosexual males, mean age 33.2 yrs; 9 heterosexual males, mean age 47.7 yrs; and 38 biological females, mean age 32.6 yrs) at least 1 yr after surgery. Follow-up rate was 77.5% for all Ss meeting the 1-yr criterion. Satisfaction with surgery was high, and psychosocial adjustment was acceptable for the majority. Results of both studies support the rationale for clinical intervention in aid of gender reorientation in selected cases. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some relations between pleasant and unpleasant mood-related events and depression.

Studied (a) the validity of 2 methods of identifying reinforcing and punishing events, (b) their interrelations and dimensional structure, and (c) their relation to depression. A total of 909 Ss who were screened with the MMPI and classified as depressed, nondepressed psychiatric, or normal control rated the frequency and the subjective enjoyability or aversiveness of 320 pleasant (the Pleasant Event Schedule Form III) and 320 unpleasant events (the Unpleasant Events Schedule Form I). Some Ss also monitored the occurrence of pleasant and unpleasant events and rated their mood on a daily basis (Depression Adjective Check List). Correlations between each event and mood were calculated and used to identify 49 pleasant and 35 unpleasant "mood-related events." The proportion of Ss for whom the events correlated with mood and the mean enjoyability and aversiveness of the items were hypothesized to be measures of reinforcing or punishing impact. As predicted, statistically significant correlations between these 2 measures were obtained. The mood-related events also discriminated more strongly between depressed and nondepressed groups than the non-mood-related events did. The intercorrelations between pleasant and unpleasant events yielded separate and orthogonal dimensions of punishment and of reinforcement. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Levels of functional impairment following a civilian disaster: The Beverly Hills Supper Club fire.

117 individuals (mean age 37.77 yrs) who were at the fire and 30 individuals (mean age 40.72 yrs) who were not at the fire (bereaved families and rescue workers) were assessed regarding objective stressfulness of their fire experience, subjective stressfulness, and intensity of psychological symptoms (the Psychiatric Evaluation Form, PEF) in a structured clinical interview approximately 1 yr after the fire. Ss also filled out the Symptom Checklist-90, Revised Version (SCL-90R). 88 Ss were followed-up at 2 yrs. The group as a whole was more impaired than comparison samples of normals but less impaired than outpatients. Ss at the fire were less impaired than those not at the fire, who were similar to outpatients on the PEF. The latter group improved significantly on several measures from 1 to 2 yrs postfire, whereas the group at the fire showed little change. Results are discussed in the context of the specific instruments and methodology used in the present study, impairment levels of other samples, and the nature of the particular disaster. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of depression in the spouses of stroke patients.

Examined the prevalence and correlates of depression in the spouses (SPs [mean age 61.8 yrs]) of 41 stroke patients (SPTs [mean age 65.6 yrs]). SPs reported their own mood on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and rated their partners' (the SPTs') mood using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD). A clinician evaluated the SPTs' mood using the HRSD and their cognitive/language and physical impairments using a battery of neuropsychological tests. Results indicated that 44% of the SPs were depressed. SP depression was not correlated with the severity of the SPTs' physical, cognitive, or language impairments. However, the SPs' perception of the SPTs' mood was a better predictor of the SPs' mood than was the clinicians' evaluation of the SPTs' mood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

évaluation et modification de conceptions erronées au sujet des loteries.

Studied misconceptions concerning pseudoactive lotteries among regular and occasional players, and assessed the possibility of changing these misconceptions. Ss were 100 regular and 100 occasional lottery players in Study 1 and 22 experimental (mean age 36 yrs) and 22 control (mean age 34 yrs) regular lottery players in Study 2. In Study 1, Ss completed a questionnaire assessing their beliefs and practices concerning the lottery. Differences between regular and occasional players were analyzed. In Study 2, experimental group Ss received information on the odds of winning in the lottery. The effects of this information on beliefs concerning the lottery and on playing habits were analyzed. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recall of pleasant and unpleasant words in depressed subjects.

In Exp I, 20 clinically depressed inpatients (mean age 39.9 yrs), 20 nondepressed inpatients (mean age 42.65 yrs), and 20 nonpatients (mean age 44 yrs) were shown a word list containing pleasant and unpleasant words. One-half of Ss in each group were given free-recall instructions, the other half were asked to rate each word on a pleasantness scale prior to recall. Results show that only depressed Ss given free-recall instructions recalled more unpleasant words than pleasant words. In Exp II, 30 clinically depressed inpatients (mean age 39.33 yrs) were shown a word list consisting of either (1) pleasant and unpleasant words, (2) unpleasant words, or (3) pleasant words. Results show that only Ss receiving the mixed list recalled more unpleasant than pleasant words. Findings support the hypothesis that depressed Ss selectively process unpleasant words and that this processing is at the expense of attention to pleasant words. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Memory and metamemory: A study of the feeling-of-knowing phenomenon in amnesic patients.

Tested accuracy of the feeling of knowing in 2 experiments, using 8 patients with Korsakoff's syndrome (mean age 54 yrs), 8 electroconvulsive shock therapy (ECT) patients (mean age 46.5 yrs), 4 Ss (mean age 47 yrs) with other causes of amnesia, 2 alcoholic control groups (7 Ss with a mean age of 47.6 yrs and 19 Ss with a mean age of 48.5 yrs), and 18 healthy controls (mean age 49 yrs). In Exp I, feeling-of-knowing accuracy for the answers to general information questions that could not be recalled was tested. Ss were asked to rank nonrecalled questions in terms of how likely they thought they would be to recognize the answers and were then given a recognition test for these items. Only Korsakoff's syndrome Ss were impaired in making feeling-of-knowing predictions. The other amnesic Ss were as accurate as control Ss in their feeling-of-knowing predictions. In Exp II, these findings were replicated in a sentence memory paradigm that tested newly learned information. Results show that impaired metamemory is not an obligatory feature of amnesia, because amnesia can occur without detectable metamemory deficits. The impaired metamemory exhibited by patients with Korsakoff's syndrome reflects a cognitive impairment that is not typically observed in other forms of amnesia. (50 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do people do what they say? Further studies on the situational interview.

In Study 1, an interview consisting of 20 situational questions plus 5 past-experience questions was administered to 29 female clerical workers who had worked for the company an average of 6 yrs, and responses were correlated to the observations of supervisors and peers collected by means of an on-the-job appraisal instrument. S responses and appraisals correlated significantly; however, no relationship was found between what Ss said they had done in the past and current appraisals. In Study 2, the predictive validity of the situational interview with 157 entry-level employees (mean age 28.51 yrs) was tested by comparing interview ratings with performance appraisals 3 yrs later. Results show a significant relationship but, since hired Ss performed no differently than the 192 Ss (mean age 29.76 yrs) who were not hired on the situational interview, it had no practical significance. A follow-up study with 29 of the hired Ss who were reinterviewed showed that the original interviewers had not used the situational interview correctly. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Meaning of daily mood assessments.

21 30–66 yr old community residents used abbreviated forms of the Mood Adjective Checklist (MAC) to self-report their moods 4 times daily (9 AM, 1 PM, 4 PM, and 7 PM) and for the entire day (10 PM) for 14 days, to investigate how Ss' daily mood score was related to moods throughout the day. The 4 momentary reports and 2 derived summary indices, average and peak mood, were compared to determine which index best approximated daily mood reports. Peak momentary mood best mimicked absolute levels of daily mood reports within Ss, whereas average momentary mood achieved the highest day-to-day correlation with daily mood. Single momentary mood reports were relatively poor predictors of daily mood. It is concluded that daily mood reports reflect mood throughout the day with reasonable accuracy when assessed by the MAC. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)