Personality correlates of logical and sociomoral judgment.

Examined the relation of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) to stages of logical and sociomoral judgment. Logical judgment was measured using adaptations of the pendulum and correlations tasks of B. Inhelder and J. Piaget (1958); moral judgment was scored using the standard interview of L. Kohlberg (1963). In a sample of 143 adults, logical and sociomoral judgment were correlated .30 to .50 with most of the Class I (Factor 2) CPI scales, those capturing social poise and interpersonal adequacy, and Class III (Factor 3) CPI scales, those capturing achievement potential and intellectual efficiency. The findings offer support for a cognitive interpretation of competence and ego development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial and socioeconomic factors associated with glycated hemoglobin in nondiabetic middle-aged men and women.

The authors tested associations between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c; an index of glucose homeostasis and an indicator of cardiovascular disease risk in nondiabetic populations) and socioeconomic status (defined by grade of employment) and psychosocial factors in 234 British civil servants. HbA1c concentration was inversely related to grade of employment. Higher HbA1c was associated with greater waist-hip ratio, lower control at work, lower internal locus of control, lower active coping, and lower social support. Control at work, internal and chance locus of control, and active coping were also related to socioeconomic status. The association of social support but not other psychosocial factors with HbA1c, was independent of socioeconomic status. HbA1c may complement measures of the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in studies of psychosocial factors in cardiovascular disease risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation of scholastic aptitude to socioeconomic status and to a rural-to-urban continuum.

The study was an attempt to identify factors that might bias performance on a college aptitude test. For a group of 100 southern white college freshmen, three measures were collected: ACE Psychological Examination scores, scores on a socioeconomic status scale, and scores on a residence history scale. No significant correlation was found between scholastic aptitude and socio-economic status. A significant low (.245-.308) correlation was found between residence history and scholastic aptitude, students with more urban backgrounds tending to earn higher scholastic aptitude scores. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Objective and subjective socioeconomic status and susceptibility to the common cold.

Objective: We ask whether subjective socioeconomic status (SES) predicts who develops a common cold when exposed to a cold virus. Design: 193 healthy men and women ages 21-55 years were assessed for subjective (perceived rank) and objective SES, cognitive, affective and social dispositions, and health practices. Subsequently, they were exposed by nasal drops to a rhinovirus or influenza virus and monitored in quarantine for objective signs of illness and self-reported symptoms. Main Outcome Measures: Infection, signs and symptoms of the common cold, and clinical illness (infection and significant objective signs of illness). Results: Increased subjective SES was associated with decreased risk for developing a cold for both viruses. This association was independent of objective SES and of cognitive, affective and social disposition that might provide alternative spurious (third factor) explanations for the association. Poorer sleep among those with lesser subjective SES may partly mediate the association between subjective SES and colds. Conclusions: Increased Subjective SES is associated with less susceptibility to upper respiratory infection, and this association is independent of objective SES, suggesting the importance of perceived relative rank to health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship of employment status to mental health and family variables in Black men from single-parent families.

Reinterviewed, at a 6-yr follow-up, 90 Black males (mean age 23 yrs) reared in female-headed, single-parent households and initially interviewed at ages 16 and 17 yrs (C. B. Wilkerson and W. A. O'Connor, 1977). At interview Ss completed the SCL-90, the Life Experiences Survey, a social adjustment scale, and an ecologic assessment record. They were grouped in employment categories of superachievers, average, underemployed, and unemployed. Employment status was related to social adjustment and current life experiences ratings. Superachievers felt more competent, had higher aspirations, and were more satisfied with their lives than members of other groups. Longer father presence in the home was associated with more successful employment, as was a highly educated mother. Socioeconomic differences between the groups were slight and did not account for any direct or indirect effects. Strongest predictors of employment status were high school grades and length of father presence. Age, mother's age, and family income during the preschool and high school years also entered into the predictive equation. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Facilitation of sociomoral reasoning in delinquents.

An intervention involving 60 incarcerated juvenile delinquents (ages 14–18 yrs) yielded significant gains in sociomoral reasoning that were attributable to a dilemma-discussions treatment. The treatment consisted of 8 weekly small-group discussions of sociomoral dilemmas. Ss were pretested on the Sociomoral Reflection Measure (SRM) and the Dilemma Decisions Survey and were assigned to either consensus dilemma-discussion, nonconsensus dilemma-discussion, or no-discussion groups. Pretest results show that Ss initially differed in both sociomoral stage and dilemma opinion. Of the dilemma-discussions Ss, 87.5% were pretested at Modal Stage 2 on the SRM and shifted to Modal Stage 3 on the posttest, whereas only 14.3% of the Modal Stage 2 control Ss did so. Pretest Modal Stage 3 Ss remained at Stage 3 on the posttest. Across the experimental groups, no difference was found between groups where a consensus was required for the discussion and groups having no consensus requirement. Investigations of the possible in-program and postrelease behavioral ramifications of the dilemma-discussions treatment are recommended. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross-modal transfer in infants: Relationship to prematurity and socioeconomic background.

Compared 94 full-term middle class, full-term lower-class, and preterm infants on cross-modal and visual intramodal functioning. In the cross-modal tasks, infants were familiarized either orally or tactually; in the intramodal tasks they were familiarized visually. Visual recognition memory was assessed by the paried-comparison technique. All 3 groups demonstrated comparable visual–visual intramodal functioning, whereas only the full-term, middle-class group was able to transfer information across modalities. Failure in cross-modal transfer was discussed from the perspective of (a) a specific deficit in tactual sensory processing, (b) a general deficit in rate of information processing, and (c) a deficit in sensory integration per se. It is suggested that cross-modal functioning in infants may provide a sensitive index for assessing cognitive deficit in the early years. (53 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychological deficit, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

The results of a community study dealing with the ecological distribution of intellectual and various perceptual-motor deficits, presumed to be functionally related to neurological status, are presented. Ss were 158 White and 60 Black 3rd graders of public and parochial schools. Measures included a parents' questionnaire, school achievement data, behavioral ratings, and such tests as the Culture Fair Intelligence Test, Wepman Auditory Discrimination Test, and the Bender Gestalt Test. Results suggest that levels of neurological integrity vary along a socioeconomic gradient and between ethnic groups. An environmentally based model of social causation is presented as the most appropriate explanation of the patterned distribution of neurological pathology across social class and ethnic-group lines. This model focuses on such factors as malnutrition/undernutrition, adverse conditions of environmental stimulation, inadequate obstetrical and pediatric care, and environmental deterioration. (105 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement.

Using meta-analysis techniques, almost 200 studies that considered the relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and academic achievement (AA) were examined. Results indicate that as SES is typically defined and used, it is only weakly correlated with AA. With aggregated units of analysis, typically obtained correlations between SES and AA jump to .73. Family characteristics, sometimes incorrectly referred to as SES, are substantially correlated with AA when individuals are the unit of analysis. Factors such as grade level at which the measurement was taken, type of AA measure, type of SES measure, and the year in which the data were collected were significantly correlated with the magnitude of the correlation between AA and SES. Variables considered in the meta-analysis accounted for 75% of the variance in observed correlation coefficients in the studies examined. (6 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perinatal complications in births to low socioeconomic status schizophrenic and depressed women.

Pregnancy and birth complications in births to 57 schizophrenic, 28 depressed, and 31 well women were studied. The sample was of low socioeconomic status (SES) and predominantly African-American. The study extended earlier work on the perinatal status of infants born to schizophrenic women by including measures of severity of maternal disturbance; mother's age, IQ, and premorbid social competence; and family composition. The results show that maternal competence and the mother's diagnosis of schizophrenia were significant variables in determining the likelihood of less adequate prenatal care and more complicated births. The results indicate the importance of an assessment not only of a disturbed woman's diagnosis but also of her personal background and social competence in determining the likelihood of obstetrical complications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Socioeconomic status within social class and mortality: a prospective study in middle-aged British men

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that mortality differences between groups in society may be greater than are indicated by social class based on occupation. We have examined the relationship between social class and mortality using home and car ownership as additional indices of socioeconomic status within social class. DESIGN: A prospective study of a cohort of men representative of the social class distribution of middle-aged men in Great Britain. SETTING: One general practice in each of 24 towns in England, Wales and Scotland. SUBJECTS: Five years after the initial screening of 7735 men aged 40-59 years, 7262 men (94% of the original cohort) provided information on housing tenure and car ownership by completing a postal questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Deaths from all causes, cardiovascular, cancer and other non-cardiovascular causes during an average follow-up of 9.8 years (range 8.5-11.0 years) after the postal questionnaire. RESULTS: During the follow-up period there were 946 deaths from all causes among the 7262 men. The lowest mortality rates for all causes, cardiovascular, cancer and other non-cardiovascular causes were seen in non-manual social classes I and II. Manual social classes III and IV+V showed a significant 40% increase in risk of death compared to social classes I+II, even after adjustment for a wide range of risk factors (relative risk [RR] = 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2-1.7 and RR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.7 respectively). Within all social class groups, those owning both home and car showed lower rates than those who owned neither, even after adjustment for a wide range of risk factors and employment status. Compared with social classes I+II owning both home and car, all those not owning home and/or car, in each social group, showed a significant approximately twofold increase in risk of death. Adjusted RR for non-manual I+II = 2.1 (95% CI: 1.5-2.9), non-manual III RR = 2.0 (95% CI: 1.3-2.9), manual III RR = 1.8 (95% CI: 1.4-2.4) and manual IV+V RR = 1.8 (95% CI: 1.3-2.5). Similar relationships were seen in all major geographical regions of Great Britain. CONCLUSION: Mortality differences within society are greater than indicated by social class based on occupation alone. Irrespective of social class, men with greater material assets have lower rates of mortality from all causes than men less well endowed, independent of a wide range of lifestyle and biological factors. These findings suggest that mortality differences within our society are closely related to relative wealth.     

Relation of cigarette smoking to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma among middle-aged men

Because of previous inconsistencies in the observed relation of cigarette smoking to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, this association was investigated in the Selected Cancers Study, a population-based case-control study of 1,193 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases and 1,903 controls, conducted between 1984 and 1988. Study subjects were men, and the median age of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases was 50 years (range, 32-60 years). As compared with the risk among men who had never smoked cigarettes, the risk among ever smokers was not increased (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05, p approximately 0.50), but the risk was significantly elevated among men who reported smoking > or = 2 1/2 packs per day and among men who had smoked for 30-39 years (OR = 1.45 in each group, p < 0.05). The estimated odds ratio among the 350 heavy smokers (> or = 50 pack-years) was 1.41 (95% confidence interval 1.08-1.85) after controlling for educational achievement, various occupational and medical exposures, and other potential confounders. The observed associations, however, tended to vary by age, with the odds ratio among heavy smokers decreasing from 2.8 among 32- to 44-year-olds to 1.1 among men over 55 years of age. These age-related differences, which may account for some of the inconsistencies seen in previous studies of cigarette smoking and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, should be considered in future investigations.     

Age-associated statural loss and socioeconomic status

Association between socioeconomic score (SES) and age-related statural loss were investigated in a cross-sectional sample of 718 adults from rural Colombia. Estimates of statural aging were calculated by estimating the maximum statural attainment of each subject from statural relationships with subischial length. Statural loss was correlated with SES, r=-0.06 (not significant) for men, and r=-0.14 (p less than 0.01) for women. Subjects with a high SES tended to lose stature at a slower rate than those with a low SES. For women, the difference in rates of statural loss between the low SES groups was significant (p less than 0.05).     

Ethnic and socioeconomic status differences in human figure drawings.

Evaluated the human figures drawn by 216 psychiatric patients for differences associated with ethnic group, socioeconomic status, and sex. It was hypothesized that differences in performance, particularly differences reflecting a lower level of cognitive maturity, would be associated with the sociocultural background variables, and that these differences might well be such as to be misinterpreted as psychopathologically deviant behavior. Results generally support the hypothesis. Socioeconomic background differences were of greater importance than ethnic group membership in determining differences in cognitive maturity. Drawing size and placement were associated with ethnic group status, and drawing intergration was related to ethnic and social class background, as well as to sex. (23 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross-sectional study of gender role conflict examining college-aged and middle-aged men.

This study examined gender role conflict in college-aged and middle-aged men. 88 college-aged men and 89 middle-aged men completed 5 measures that assess gender role conflict and psychological well-being. Multivariate analysis of variance results indicated that, compared with college-aged men, middle-aged men were less conflicted about success, power, and competition, but were more conflicted between work and family responsibilities. Canonical analysis indicated two significant roots between (a) gender role conflict and psychological well-being and (b) age group, gender role conflict, and psychological well-being. The discussion focuses on implications for counseling, limitations, and future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Life satisfaction and identity structure in late middle-aged men and women.

A total of 32 retirement-age subjects (17 men and 15 women) provided information about their lives by rating each of their identities in terms of a list of self-generated features. They also rank-ordered their currently enacted identities in terms of time spent in each and completed a life-satisfaction questionnaire. The Identities?×?Features matrices were analyzed by algorithms that generated a hierarchical model of identity structure for each subject based on feature ratings. The hierarchical levels of identities were combined with time-spent rankings to obtain an index of personal style, a measure that reflected the unique organization of identities for each subject. Personal style indices were then correlated with life-satisfaction scores. Results confirmed the prediction that life satisfaction in this age group is a function of the amount of time spent in identities that give expression to multiple aspects of the self. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between socioeconomic status, hostility, and blood pressure reactions to mental stress in men: Data from the Whitehall II study.

This study investigated the relationship among blood pressure reactions to mental stress, cynical hostility, and socioeconomic status (SES) in 1,091 male public servants. Occupational grade served to index SES and cynical hostility was assessed using the Cook-Medley scale. (Cook & Medley, 1954). The magnitude of systolic, but not diastolic, blood pressure change scores to stress was positively associated with occupational grade: the higher the grade, the greater the reactions. Mental stress task performance also varied with occupational grade but was unrelated to reactivity. Ratings of task difficulty did not vary with occupational grade. Cynical hostility was negatively related to occupational grade, and, contrary to previous findings, negatively related to systolic blood pressure reactivity. Cynical hostility was also negatively related to mental stress task performance but unrelated to ratings of task difficulty. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differentiation of abilities, socioeconomic status, and the WISC.

The study investigated the effect of an increase in age on the factor structures of the subtests of the WISC, and the relationship between subtest scores and socioeconomic status (SES). The scores of 70 Ss, tested at ages 10 and 12, were factor analyzed and structures at the 2 age levels compared. The sample was also divided into high and low SES groups, and subtest means calculated for each group. At both age levels, between-group mean differences were significant at or beyond the .05 level of confidence in the case of verbal subtests, while factor structures, which were similar, indicated a trend towards integration of abilities. The structures defined 2 main factors, identified as verbal and performance IQ, respectively. (31 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of socioeconomic status on children's classification and free recall.

29 kindergarten and 29 1st-grade children were divided into 3 SES levels based on their parents' education level (college, high school, or less than high school) and given 2 sort/recall tasks on sets of pictures that could be organized on the basis of familiar taxonomic or complementary relations. On 1 task, Ss sorted pictures into identical groupings on 2 consecutive trials prior to recall; on the other task, Ss sorted the pictures only once. It was found that Ss from college-educated families were more apt to sort items on the basis of taxonomic relations than Ss from high-school-educated and less-than-high-school-educated families. However, there were no significant differences in levels of recall or clustering. Results indicate that young children from low-SES homes will demonstrate high levels of memory performance when tasks are constructed so that they are familiar with the relations among the to-be-remembered items. The appropriateness of distinguishing children's cognition in terms of A. R. Jensen's (see record 1969-09740-001) Level I vs Level II dichotomy is discussed in light of recent research examining the role of knowledge base on children's memory functioning. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)