Effect of symptom change on intellectual function in schizophrenia.

20 "improved" schizophrenics were matched with 20 "unimproved" schizophrenics, all of whom had been given individual intelligence tests on admission to the hospital. After from 16 to 142 mo. from admission, the same tests were administered again. While the improved group gained an average of 7.30 points, the unimproved group lost an average of 2.65 points. While 16 of 20 improved patients gained IQ points, and 1 remained the same (p=.002), only 5 unimproved patients gained, and 2 remained the same (p=.048). These data support the view that intellectual deficit in schizophrenia is reversible, and that the magnitude of such deficit is related to the intensity and persistence of psychotic symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional psychologists' conceptualizations of intimate partner violence.

Psychologists' conceptualizations of intimate partner violence were studied by surveying practicing psychologists on their causal attributions and expectations for violence depicted in a written scenario. The perpetrator of violence was held by respondents to be most responsible for the violence, especially in severely violent cases. Although the victim was seen as less responsible for the violence, greater responsibility was attributed to her, especially to her character, in scenarios in which she had a previous history of being abused by a partner than when she had not. Violence severity had inconsistent effects on psychologists' expectations, in that respondents expected worse outcomes for the victim of more severe violence, but did not expect therapeutic interventions to be any less effective in ameliorating these outcomes. These conceptualizations point to dilemmas in treatment of intimate partner violence, such as empowerment without blame and the tension between hope and realistic assessment of risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Issues in personality conceptualizations of addictive behaviors.

This article describes the issues and implications associated with personality conceptualizations of addictive behaviors. Attention is directed toward characterizing the sociopolitical climate as it affects the identification, evaluation, and management of substance-abuse disorders. Arguments spawned by unnecessarily simplistic formulations of addiction-proneness hypotheses and by their behavioral antitheses are also reviewed within a historical perspective. In this discussion, the sometimes myopic focus of both personality and behavioral researchers is underscored. Overall, alcohol and drug use phenomena are explored in a conceptual schemata that encompasses multifactorial, reciprocal, and integrative explanations of the etiology, natural history, and progression of addictive disorders and their comorbidities. The methodological limitations of research in the areas are examined, and multidisciplinary, longitudinal research sufficiently comprehensive to target a range of drug and alcohol use types and use frequencies is encouraged. Emphasis is directed toward the understanding of possible commonalities among seemingly excessive behaviors and the implementation of treatment strategies consonant with practical endorsement of multivariate theoretical models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In support of rational conceptualizations of schizophrenia.

Comments that E. Zigler and M. Glick (see record 1988-23546-001) in their article on paranoid schizophrenia and depression, in attempting to remove "paranoid schizophrenia" from schizophrenia, ignored, misinterpreted, and failed to recognize a substantial research base bearing on the definition of schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring amount of symptom change in the diagnosis of premenstrual syndrome.

Agreement was computed between 3 methods of measuring prospectively rated symptom change in premenstrual syndrome. Ss were 87 women, ranging in age from 21 to 50 years (M?=?34.8), who visited a premenstrual syndrome clinic seeking treatment for their symptoms. All Ss made daily symptom ratings for 2 menstrual cycles. The ratings were analyzed according to 3 methods: percentage change from post- to premenstrual phases, computed with reference to an individual's minimum and maximum ratings; the effect size of post- to premenstrual change; and the analysis of trend by time series analysis. Results indicated good agreement between all methods in diagnosing premenstrual syndrome, especially between percentage change and effect size. Within each method, agreement between cycles was low. It is concluded that the choice of a method probably should depend on the investigator's circumstances rather than on the method itself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship of satisfaction to symptom change, follow-up adjustment, and clinical significance.

The relationship of client satisfaction to outcome was investigated for adult outpatients (N? = ?152) from 3 urban community mental health centers. Clients completed a problem self-rating and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) at intake, 10 weeks later, and 5 months later. Therapists' ratings of client adjustment were obtained at intake and termination. Clients' ratings of satisfaction with treatment were obtained at 10-week and 5-month follow-up. Correlations between satisfaction and client measures of outcome (client rating and BSI) based on pre-post changes, posttreatment adjustment, and Jacobson and Truax's (1991) method of measuring clinical significance were not significant. Correlations between satisfaction and therapist outcome ratings were significant but low for pre-post changes and clinical significance. The utility of client satisfaction as an outcome measure is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An investigation of synesthesia.

This study was designed to investigate relations between synesthesia (the occurrence of imagery in one sense modality in response to sensations in another) and intellectual and personality functioning. Female (n?=?204) and male (n?=?170) subjects completed a visual-auditory synesthesia battery, paper-and-pencil synesthesia tests, the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ), and a brief intelligence test. The findings indicate generalized and continuously distributed individual differences in the tendency to represent sounds as colors in accordance with empirically derived norms. However, this ability is not related to individual differences in the reported vividness of the associated imagery or to intelligence. A moderate relation was found between vividness measures, particularly vividness of visual images associated with sound, and a tendency to enjoy and become involved in imaginative experiences as measured by the Absorption scale of the MPQ. Contrary to existing beliefs, vividness of synesthetic imagery was not found to be associated with personality dysfunction or with intelligence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How does cognitive therapy work? Cognitive change and symptom change in cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy for depression.

The effects of changes in depression-relevant cognition were examined in relation to subsequent change in depressive symptoms for outpatients with major depressive disorder randomly assigned to cognitive therapy (COT; n?=?32) vs those assigned to pharmacotherapy only (NoCT; n?=?32). Depression severity scores were obtained at the beginning, middle, and end of the 12-wk treatment period, as were scores on 4 measures of cognition: Attributional Styles Questionnaire (ASQ), Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (S. D. Hollon and P. E. Kendall; see record 1981-20180-001), Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS), and the Hopelessness Scale (HS). Change from pretreatment to midtreatment on the ASQ, DAS, and HS predicted change in depression from midtreatment to posttreatment in the COT group, but not in the NoCT group. It is concluded that cognitive phenomena play mediational roles in COT. However, data do not support their status as sufficient mediators. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Authoritarian ideology and attitudes on parent-child relationships.

"The relationship between authoritarian ideology and attitudes about parent-child relationships was investigated by testing 172 native-white, Christian university students." Findings indicate a relationship in females that could be related to personality dispositions. It was proposed that strong authoritarian beliefs may be maladjustive in a democratic society since such beliefs are associated with attitudes similar to those held by parents of problem children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A qualitative study of experts' conceptualizations of supervisee reflectivity.

Reflectivity in its most basic sense is focused contemplation and has been touted as an important skill for professionals in practice. As part of an effort to form an integrated theory of reflectivity as it occurs in clinical supervision, 5 experts in practitioner development were interviewed about the attributes of supervisee reflectivity. Respondents' statements from initial interviews were categorized and presented to respondents for discussion in a 2nd set of interviews. Grounded theory analysis (A. Strauss & J. Corbin, 1990) was used to derive a set of final categories. These categories included (a) causal conditions of new information and uncertainty; (b) intervening conditions of supervisee personality, supervisee cognitive capacity, and supervision environment; (c) the process of the supervisee's search for understanding of phenomena in the counseling session; and (d) change in the supervisee's perception, behavior, or long-term growth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Early parent-child interactions of educational-vocational and emotional-social clients.

Investigated 80 emotional-social and 40 educational-vocational undergraduate counseling clients using data from interviews and psychological tests. Responses were analyzed with respect to perceived family atmosphere to determine if Ss differed in their perceptions of the dominant parent. Results reveal significant relationships between perceived home atmosphere and both types of clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perception of faulty parent-child relationships and illness behavior.

Asked 73 healthy male undergraduates and 106 reporting hay fever, sore throat, asthma, or neurotic symptoms to describe the quality of their family experiences while growing up. Questionnaire and interview techniques were employed. 3 clusters of faulty parent-child interaction were examined: mother seen as demanding, cold, and harsh; mother seen as overprotective and ineffective; father seen as inadequate, cold, and harsh. As expected, healthy Ss evidenced the least signs of these clusters, while those who sought help for "neurotic" complaints were highest on each variable. 2 patterns associated with respiratory illness were observed. Ss who had sought care for allergic symptoms described their mothers as overprotective and ineffective, whereas those Ss who presented acute infectious respiratory symptoms were more likely to perceive their mothers as demanding, cold, and harsh. Results are discussed in terms of treatment-seeking behavior. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The parent-child connection.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 31(2) of Canadian Psychology Psychologie Canadienne (see record 2007-08913-001). In the October 1989 issue (Vol. 30, No. 4, p. 697), Arnold Rincover's affiliation with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education was incorrectly given as Associate Professor. He has been an Extramural Instructor at O.I.S.E.] Reviews the book, The parent-child connection by Arnold Rincover (1988). The parent-child connection is a well written book that offers valuable advice to help parents of young children evaluate and understand their children's behaviour. It also offers useful suggestions on managing child behaviour, although these parenting tips are most likely to be useful to those parents who least need them (i.e., those with numerous personal and social resources, whose children are presenting only minor behavioural difficulties). The two general themes of the book, child behaviour as communication and developmental norms as guidelines for deciding if behaviour is problematic, are well-suited to the purposes of a parent reference book. They offer an appropriate framework for discussing specific child behaviours and helping parents to determine if these behaviours are problematic in their children. This book is a welcome addition to the list of available parenting books, and may prove particularly useful for younger parents in need of accurate and understandable information about normal child development and behaviour. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cardiac tamponade as a clinical symptom of systemic lupus erythematosus

Upper lid closure in facial nerve paresis induced lagophthalmos is often improved by implantation of gold weights. However, the tolerability of gold implants has not always met expectations. We therefore investigated whether results could be improved by implantation of well-tolerated platinum implants. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three patients with lagophthalmos received pretarsal platinum-iridium implants in the upper lid. The implants were primary in two patients and secondary in one. In this patient, the previous gold implant had led to marked swelling and redness of the upper lid 6 weeks after surgery. The platinum implants were prefabricated with a radius of 20 mm and weighed between 1.3 and 1.4 g. During implantation, they were individually contoured to fit lidcurvature and attached pretarsally with nonresorbable thread. RESULTS: Postoperatively, the upper lid of all three patients could be closed completely. The implants healed without irritation. No lid swelling occurred during 2-to 6-month follow-up. Because platinum-iridium alloys have a higher specific gravity (Ptlr 90/10 = 21.65 g/cm3) than gold (18.43 g/cm3), they can attain equal weight at smaller size. CONCLUSIONS: Our first results show that platinum implants are a feasible alternative to gold implants in treating lagophthalmos due to better biocompatibility and higher specific gravity.     

An investigation of phonetic symbolism.

Investigations concerning the accuracy of matching English words with their foreign equivalents showed that English could be matched with both the Japanese and Croatian equivalents at a level beyond chance expectancy. However, the correct equivalents among Japanese and Croatian word pairs were not matched at a significant level. "The latter finding was interpreted as being contrary to the hypothesis of the gestalt organization of trace systems, and the related hypotheses of phonetic symbolism and physiognomic language." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Therapist competence in cognitive therapy for depression: Predicting subsequent symptom change.

Objective: The efficacy of cognitive therapy (CT) for depression has been well established. Measures of the adequacy of therapists' delivery of treatment are critical to facilitating therapist training and treatment dissemination. While some studies have shown an association between CT competence and outcome, researchers have yet to address whether competence ratings predict subsequent outcomes. Method: In a sample of 60 moderately to severely depressed outpatients from a clinical trial, we examined competence ratings (using the Cognitive Therapy Scale) as a predictor of subsequent symptom change. Results: Competence ratings predicted session-to-session symptom change early in treatment. In analyses focused on prediction of symptom change following 4 early sessions through the end of 16 weeks of treatment, competence was shown to be a significant predictor of evaluator-rated end-of-treatment depressive symptom severity and was predictive of self-reported symptom severity at the level of a nonsignificant trend. To investigate whether competence is more important to clients with specific complicating features, we examined 4 patient characteristics as potential moderators of the competence-outcome relation. Competence was more highly related to subsequent outcome for patients with higher anxiety, an earlier age of onset, and (at a trend level) patients with a chronic form of depression (chronic depression or dysthymia) than for those patients without these characteristics. Competence ratings were not more predictive of subsequent outcomes among patients who met (vs. those who did not meet) criteria for a personality disorder (i.e., among personality disorders represented in the clinical trial). Conclusions: These findings provide support for the potential utility of CT competence ratings in applied settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Marital quality and gender differences in parent-child interaction.

This microanalytic study of family interaction establishes links among marital quality, gender, and parent–child relationships. Dyadic conversational exchanges between 38 mothers and fathers and their 3.5-yr-old 1st-born son or daughter were analyzed. Marital quality was related to gender differences in both parent and child behavior, with less maritally adjusted fathers of daughters showing the most negativity toward their children. Sequential analyses showed that gender differences in parents' and children's responses to one another were also mediated by marital quality. Mothers in less satisfied marriages were the least accepting of daughters' assertiveness and were more likely to reciprocate the negative affect of sons. Daughters of parents lower in marital satisfaction were less compliant with their fathers. Implications of these findings for understanding gender differences in the effects of marital conflict on parenting and child development are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reciprocal relation between parent-child distance and pubertal maturation.

Previous research on adolescents and their parents has indicated that pubertal maturation, independent of chronological age, is associated with increased distance in the parent–child relationship, but the cross-sectional nature of these studies leaves open questions concerning the direction of effects. Using short-term longitudinal data, this study examines the reciprocal relation between parent–child distance and pubertal maturation in a sample of 157 male and female firstborn adolescents and their parents. Twice over a 1-year period, independent raters assessed each youngster's pubertal status, and parents and adolescents independently completed questionnaire measures of autonomy, conflict, and closeness in the parent–child relationship. Regression analyses indicate that puberty increases adolescent autonomy and parent–child conflict and diminishes parent–child closeness. Analyses also indicate that parent–child distance may, in turn, accelerate pubertal maturation among girls. Both proximal and distal explanations for the relation between parent–child distance and pubertal maturation are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Components of aggression in chickens and conceptualizations of aggression in general.

A refined analysis of the peck order in chickens is offered as a test of the notion that, for this species, different responses such as leaping and various types of pecking need not be interchangeable indexes of aggression. Tests showed that particular response types of the birds were differentially mediated by organismic or environmental factors. 36 pairs of male and female White Leghorn chicks were assigned to large cages, and 48 pairs were assigned to small cages. In large cages pecking at the body was most frequent by Ss that had a home-cage advantage. Contrarily, rates of aggressive leaping were independent of this influence, with males having an advantage over females. Males showed more head pecking than females, but the profile for this sex difference did not resemble the profile for leaping. Correlational analyses revealed that whereas head pecking between testmates was not matched in frequency, leaping was positively related. The behavior of Ss in small cages differed from that of large-cage Ss. Although there was more head pecking in small cages, males did not have an edge, and leaping was infrequent. Results indicate that these responses cannot be viewed as interchangeable indicators of aggression in fowl. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)