Subtypes of alcohol-dependent men: a typology based on relative genetic and environmental loading

Using scales that distinguish between relative genetic and environmental loading, cluster analysis was used to identify three subtypes of alcohol dependence in Caucasian men from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study (n = 911). Although all subjects met DSM-III criteria for alcohol dependence, only the severe subtype showed evidence of substantial genetic influence. When compared on a range of clinical characteristics, the mild subtype (53% of the sample) was typically least adversely affected and the severe subtype (17%) most affected, with the dyssocial subtype (30%) falling between. Severe subtype subjects had significantly greater comorbid drug dependence and were at least four times more likely than mild subjects to have sought treatment for alcohol problems. Ratio of genetic scale score to total symptom count (genetic ratio) was highest for the severe subtype (mean = 0.37), and negatively correlated with age of first alcohol problem (rs = -0.16) and years between first intoxication and first problem (rs = 0.19). No significant correlations were found between these clinical features and genetic ratio for the mild or dyssocial subtypes. Use of these scales and subtypes may improve our ability to detect specific gene effects in genetic linkage studies and to identify environmental influences in behavioral and epidemiological studies.     

Extension of a typology of alcohol dependence based on relative genetic and environmental loading

Mild, severe, and dyssocial subtypes of alcohol dependence, previously identified among Caucasian men from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, were also identified among Caucasian men and women with DSM-IV alcohol dependence from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (n = 2,703; 1,746 respectively). These subtypes were not identified among African American and Hispanic American men or women with DSM-IV alcohol dependence. Among Caucasians with alcohol dependence, the subtypes were characterized by differential loading on three dimensions: genetic, general environmental, and dyssocial environmental symptom scales developed in a prior twin study. The mild subtype (60% of men and 66% of women) was distinguished by low mean scores on all three scales; the dyssocial subtype (24% of men and 20% of women) by low mean genetic and general environmental scores but high mean dyssocial environmental scores; and the severe subtype (16% of men and 14% of women) by high scores on the genetic and general environmental scales. These subtypes also showed the expected distinctions in clinical characteristics. The severe subtype showed greater comorbid drug dependence and major depression, more treatment seeking, and a higher prevalence of parental alcoholism. The severe subtype also showed significantly greater genetic influence adjusted for overall severity of alcohol dependence (genetic ratio). Only the severe subtype showed a pattern of scale scores and clinical characteristics suggestive of substantial genetic influence. The present study indicates a robustness of the typology originally developed among DSM-III alcohol-dependent Caucasian men by empirical extension of the subtypes to a different sample of Caucasian men and, separately, Caucasian women. The use of this typology may aid in distinguishing between Caucasian alcohol-dependent individuals on the basis of relative genetic influence, enabling genetic, behavioral, and epidemiological investigations to reduce genetic or environmental "noise" and better focus on specific aspects of alcohol dependence.     

Four types of premarital couples: An empirical typology based on PREPARE.

Identified 4 types of engaged couples from a sample of 5,030 couples, using the premarital inventory PREPARE. Profiles were derived using a 3-stage cluster-analytic procedure, including an exploratory cluster analysis, a replication of the exploratory results, and a cross-validation analysis, all of which indicated that the 4-cluster solution was robust. "Vitalized" couples (28%) reported high scores on all dimensions. "Present-oriented" couples (27%) had moderately positive relationship quality. "Future-oriented" couples (23%) had moderately low intrarelationship scores but scored higher on scales assessing planning for marriage. "Conflicted" couples (22%) were characterized by pervasively low scores. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A typology of incestuous families based on cluster analysis.

Data on abuse characteristics and family variables from 81 female adult incest survivors were subject to cluster analysis. Three clusters emerged: (1) women with the least severe abuse (as measured by type, duration, onset age, coercion, and number of perpetrators), with no severe physical family violence and the least family pathology with respect to cohesion, control, and conflict; (2) women with moderate abuse severity, more serious family problems, and families characterized by father dominance; and (3) a small group of women with severe and traumatic abuse, conflicted and controlling families, and extremely violent parents. Self-reported family variables and adjustment measures (dissociation and personality disorders) external to the cluster analysis differentiated the clusters and provided evidence of their validity. Implications for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction for range restriction: An expanded typology.

A common research problem is the estimation of the population correlation between x and y from an observed correlation rxy obtained from a sample that has been restricted because of some sample selection process. Methods of correcting sample correlations for range restriction in a limited set of conditions are well-known. An expanded classification scheme for range-restriction scenarios is developed that conceptualizes range-restriction scenarios from various combinations of the following facets: (a) the variable(s) on which selection occurs (x, y and/or a 3rd variable z), (b) whether unrestricted variances for the relevant variables are known, and (c) whether a 3rd variable, if involved, is measured or unmeasured. On the basis of these facets, the authors describe potential solutions for 11 different range-restriction scenarios and summarize research to date on these techniques. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender-related traits and gender ideology: evidence for a multifactorial theory

Male (n = 95) and female (n = 221) college students were given 2 measures of gender-related personality traits, the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, and 3 measures of sex role attitudes. Correlations between the personality and the attitude measures were traced to responses to the pair of negatively correlated BSRI items, masculine and feminine, thus confirming a multifactorial approach to gender, as opposed to a unifactorial gender schema theory.     

Selection based on merit versus demography: Implications across race and gender lines.

In a replication and extension of the study by M. E. Heilman, M. C. Simon, and D. P. Repper (1987), 201 undergraduates participated in a simulation in which they experienced differing selection procedures and outcome feedback. Selection procedures did not have the deleterious effects on women that were found previously. Instead, race interacted with gender to moderate this relationship, and outcome played a significant role in participant self-evaluations. Black participants rated their leadership ability highest when both chosen preferentially and given negative outcome feedback, apparently because of a desire to maintain positive self-esteem. The latter explanation was supported in a follow-up study in which undergraduates (n? = ?80) worked in groups and received negative outcome feedback from either a racially similar or racially different experimenter. Theoretical and practical implications relating to diversity and self-appraisal management are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Publicly subsidized health insurance: a typology of state approaches

Using information from case studies, published documents, and the Current Population Survey, this paper describes and classifies state approaches to providing health insurance to low-income populations (as of 1997). It examines the link between the scope of state efforts and uninsurance rates for low-income populations. Findings indicate that the breadth of state policies contributes to differences in insurance coverage for low-income persons across states.     

Accuracy of attitude stereotypes: The case of inferences based on gender.

Three studies were undertaken to assess the accuracy of people's estimates of the attitudes of men and women. In Exp 1, attitudes of male and female college students were assessed on a broad range of social and political issues. In Exp 2, 30 male and 30 female college students estimated the attitudes of typical males and females on the same statements. These estimates were used to select a set of stereotypic male statements and a set of stereotypic female statements. In Exp 3, 44 male and 53 female college students estimated the attitudes of male and female students on the 2 sets of statements. Results of the 1st 2 studies indicated that both men and women expected larger gender differences in attitudes than actually exist. In the 3rd study, this result was confirmed and it was found that people were least accurate in their estimates of the attitudes of men. Partial support was obtained for the hypothesis that in-group stereotypes would be more accurate than out-group stereotypes. Men were more accurate than women in estimating the attitudes of men but men and women were equally accurate in estimating the attitudes of women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cataract surgery from a gender perspective--a population based study in Sweden

PURPOSE: To determine the presence of any gender-related differences of preoperative subjective visual functional problems that may explain the higher frequency of cataract surgery found in women. METHODS: All patients (n=453) who, during a one-year period, underwent cataract surgery at Norrlands University Hospital, Ume?, Sweden, were included in the study. Incidence, age-distribution, visual acuity, self-estimated ability to perform vision dependent tasks as well as subjective symptoms from the cataractous eyes preoperatively and visual acuity after surgery were analyzed separately in males and females. RESULTS: Before surgery there were no statistically significant differences between men and women in visual acuity of the eyes to be operated on and the fellow eyes. Preoperatively women had significantly more subjective problems with distance-estimation for near and far (57% and 60%, respectively) compared to males (45% and 43%, respectively). Women had significantly larger problems orientating in unfamiliar surroundings. CONCLUSION: There are gender-related differences in self-assessed visual function before surgery that might contribute to the higher incidence of cataract surgery in women. Preoperatively women experience a higher degree of visual functional problems than men. Women were not found to demand cataract surgery earlier than men when preoperative visual acuities were compared.     

A physiologically based typology of batterers—promising but preliminary: Comment on Gottman et al. (1995).

The typology of male battering based on accelerating versus decelerating heart rates presented by J. M. Gottman et al. (1995) is promising in its connections to both individual and interactional characteristics of batterers and its fit with other recently proposed typologies. This comment develops the theoretical context for the heart rate variable within the literature on arousal and attention. The meaning of directional heart rate changes is examined in view of anticipatory reactions, biphasic responses, and the complexities of studying heart rate during an interactional sample. It is argued that a physiologically based typology must be considered in the context of sociopolitical perspectives on men's battering and with attention to the role of cognitions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of social isolation, gender, strain, and prior novelty on plus-maze behaviour in mice

Behavioural baseline is a critical determinant of response to drugs and other manipulations. In the present study, the influence of several organismic and procedural variables on basal plus-maze profiles in mice were examined. The methodology incorporated traditional behavioural parameters as well as novel measures derived from ethological analysis. Experiment 1 showed that social isolation for 1-3 weeks enhanced aggression in male DBA/2 mice but did not substantially alter their behaviour on the maze. A reduction in stretch attend postures did, however, suggest a minor reduction in anxiety in socially isolated animals. In Experiment 2, males of both DBA/2 and T1 strains exhibited higher levels of general activity on the maze than their female counterparts. Although additional evidence suggested that DBA/2 (but not T1) females were less anxious than males, no major sex differences were noted. Experiment 3 revealed a significant strain difference in plus-maze profiles, with T1 males showing a lower basal level of anxiety than DBA/2 males. This study also demonstrated that DBA/2 and T1 males react very differently to prior novelty experience, with enhanced anxiety evident in the former and reduced anxiety in the latter. Together, these findings point to a range of organismic and procedural variables that may account for inconsistencies in the literature on the elevated plus-maze.     

A typology of alcohol abusers: Correlates and implications.

Used data from 725 individuals (mean age 38.1 yrs) seeking help for alcohol-related problems who had been administered the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test; the Social Readjustment Rating Scale; the Personality Research Form; Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale; the Standard Progressive Matrices; the Vocabulary and Digit Symbol subscales of the WAIS; and measures of alcohol use, lifetime drinking history, basic personality, SES variables, and response styles to cluster analyze for types of drinkers. Analysis yielded 3 types: Type 1 Ss (early-stage problem drinkers) represented a fairly heterogeneous group, Type 2 Ss (affiliative, moderately dependent drinkers) were more socially oriented and drank on a daily basis, and Type 3 Ss (schizoid, severely dependent drinkers) were socially isolative, tended to drink in binges, and reported the most severe symptoms of alcoholism. A speculative model is proposed that consists of the 3 types superimposed on an underlying continuum of alcohol dependence; it is suggested that the model has heuristic value for stimulating further research on the etiology and differential treatment of alcohol abuse. (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The health care experience and health behaviour of the Chinese: a survey based in Hull

With regard to the increasing use of tcPO2-measurements for the assessment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease, the variability of the method needs more consideration. We studied the reproducibility of tcPO2 measured at 37 degrees C and 44 degrees C, especially under the influence of provocation tests, in 21 patients with severe claudication (ankle artery pressures (AP) 30-100 mmHg) without skin lesions. On 6 days within 2 weeks tcPO2 was recorded on the forefoot at 37 degrees C and 44 degrees C electrode core temperatures a) in supine position, b) in sitting position, c) during O2-breathing, d) during reactive hyperemia (RH). In measurements at 37 degrees C variation coefficients (VC) were high (mean +/- S.D.: 74 +/- 27%) and could not be improved by oxygen inhalation nor by the sitting position. Only during RH, VC decreased significantly to 49 +/- 23%. At 44 degrees C VC were still quite high (mean: 42 +/- 24%) and were inversely correlated with AP. Mean tcPO2 increased under all provocation maneuvers. However, only in the sitting position VC decreased significantly to 18.7 +/- 8.4% (p < 0.001). Single tcPO2 measurements, both at 37 degrees C and 44 degrees C, are of low value in patients with severe claudication. For the evaluation of the individual patient repeated measurements are demanded. Reduced variability may be achieved by measurements at 44 degrees C in a sitting position.     

Autonomy and gender: Some questions for therapists.

Discusses the nature of autonomy and explores how autonomy as a therapeutic goal relates to clinical practice and the conduct of psychotherapy. Autonomy has been defined as the power to determine one's own best interests, and it has been criticized for promoting selfishness and reflecting upper-class values and gender bias. It is suggested that issues of autonomy are involved in the process of psychotherapy as well as its aim. In therapy, there is a dynamic tension between the principle of autonomy, the right of clients to determine their own interests, and the principle of beneficence, the therapist's obligation to protect the client's welfare. Whether autonomy is an appropriate ideal in psychotherapy for women or for men is considered. Feminist theorists have criticized aspects of masculine autonomy, contrasting it with feminine relatedness; however, the idealization of relatedness is questioned. It is concluded that the present conceptualizations of autonomy do not fully encompass the complexity of human interaction. It is argued that (a) autonomy and relatedness are not essential aspects of male and female nature but depend on power and status and (b) without social change, autonomy may not be a realistic goal of therapy for women. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)