Nonverbal cues for anxiety: An examination of emotional leakage.

20 silent 1-min video segments of psychiatric patients ranging in anxiety levels were shown to 46 psychology seniors serving as raters. Results show that raters were able to identify the presence of anxiety and discriminate varying intensities of anxiety on the basis of nonverbal cues alone. Nonverbal cues identified as most salient in communicating anxiety were the hands, eyes, mouth, and torso. Additional microanalysis examined how these body areas cued anxiety. Discussion of nonverbal cues for anxiety is presented in terms of P. Ekman and W. V. Friesen's (1969) theorizing regarding nonverbal masking and leakage. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social and emotional messages of smiling: An ethological approach.

Naturalistic observation at a bowling alley (N?=?1,793 balls) shows that bowlers often smiled when socially engaged, looking at and talking to others, but not necessarily after scoring a spare or a strike. In a 2nd study, bowlers (N?=?166 balls) rarely smiled while facing the pins but often smiled when facing their friends. At a hockey game, fans (N?=?3,726 faces) smiled both when they were socially involved and after events favorable to their team. Pedestrians (N?=?663) were much more likely to smile when talking but only slightly more likely to smile in response to nice weather than to unpleasant weather. These 4 studies suggest a strong and robust association of smiling with a social motivation and an erratic association with emotional experience. (29 ref) (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)     

An examination of the discriminant validity of the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale.

Examined the discriminant validity of D. Watson and R. Friend's Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD) using the SAD, M. Patterson's Interpersonal Anxiety (IA) scale, and scales measuring affiliation, extroversion, and social desirability. Previous studies had shown high correlations between the SAD and affiliation (r = -.76), IA and extroversion (r = -.66), and an interest correlation of approximately .70 between SAD, IA, affiliation, and extroversion. Results for 209 Ss on the 5 tests indicate 3 factors: (a) social approach-avoidance (majority of SAD, affiliation, and extroversion items); (b) social anxiety (1/2 the IA scale items and the remaining SAD items); and (c) social desirability. Results indicate that the SAD measures primarily social approach-avoidance and secondarily social anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Biodata determinants of vocational typology: An integration of two paradigms.

Integrated 2 paradigms of research—J. L. Holland's (1976) model of vocational typology and W. A. Owen's (see record 1969-06090-001) use of biodata for the assessment and classification of individuals—by investigating the nature of the relationship between life history and vocational preferences. Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory and Owen's Biographical Questionnaire were administered to 816 undergraduates. Multiple discriminant analysis, regression analysis, and ANOVA were used to determine the relationship between past life experiences and vocational preferences. Results indicate that significantly different personal history experiences differentiated the lives of members of the various vocational types. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social comparison and adjustment to breast cancer: An experimental examination of upward affiliation and downward evaluation.

In a study designed to evaluate the divergence of social comparison activities under health threat, breast cancer patients (n?=?94) were assigned randomly to listen to an audiotaped interview in which the target's psychological adjustment and disease prognosis were manipulated to reflect good, poor, and unspecified psychological and physical health status. Results supported hypotheses regarding downward self-evaluative and upward affiliative comparison activity, as well as predictions regarding the influences of comparison dimension. With regard to desire for affiliation, participants demonstrated a greater desire for information and emotional support from the well-adjusted target than from the poorly adjusted target. Self-evaluation of adjustment and prognosis varied as a function of target characteristics, although a pervasive tendency toward downward comparison in self-evaluation also was noted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social facilitation and inhibition of emotional expression and communication.

Does the presence of others facilitate or inhibit emotional expression? Female "senders" (n?=?45) viewed 12 emotionally loaded slides either alone or with another sender while responses were secretly videotaped. In Study 1, 14 "receivers" guessed the type of slide viewed by dyads more accurately (n?=?.366). In Study 2, 42 receivers viewed 10 senders with friends, 10 with strangers, and 10 alone. One dyad member was covered so that only 1 sender was visible. Analysis revealed significant effects of condition (alone, friend, or stranger; n?=?.456), slide type (sexual, scenic, unpleasant, or unusual; n?=?.325), and the Condition?×?Slide Type interaction (n?=?.350). Strangers had overall inhibitory effects on others. Thus, both social facilitation and inhibition of expression occurred on the basis of the emotional stimulus and personal relationship involved. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social and emotional development from a cultural perspective.

The study of social and emotional development is recognized for its complexity. To better understand developmental norms, and deviations thereof, researchers typically focus on individual (e.g., temperament), interactional (e.g., parenting behaviors), and relational (e.g., attachment, friendship) levels of analysis. Often forgotten, however, is the extent to which cultural beliefs and norms play a role in the interpretation of the acceptability of individual characteristics and the types and the ranges of interactions and relationships that are likely or permissible. This special issue comprises four sections in which culture is examined insofar as it relates to the aforementioned levels of social analysis: "Emotional Development," "Parenting and Parent–Child Relationships," "Social Cognition and Social Relationships," and "Social and Emotional Adjustment and Maladjustment." Each section is followed by a commentary. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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)     

Social support versus companionship: Effects on life stress, loneliness, and evaluations by others.

In recent years, much interest has focused on delineating and contrasting specific functions of social relationships that contribute to psychological well-being. Five studies contrasted the roles of companionship and social support in buffering the effects of life stress, in influencing feelings of loneliness and social satisfaction, and in affecting others' judgments. Study 1 analyzed data from a community survey and found that companionship had a main effect on psychological well-being and a buffering effect on minor life stress, whereas social support had only a buffering effect on major life stress. Studies 2, 3, and 4 analyzed data from two college student samples and a different community survey to evaluate how companionship and social support contributed to relationship satisfaction and feelings of loneliness. The results of these studies indicated that companionship was the strongest predictor of these dimensions of social satisfaction. Study 5 used an experimental design to test the hypothesis that a deficit of companionship elicits more negative reactions from others than does a deficit of social support. This hypothesis received partial support. Considered together, the results of these studies suggest that companionship plays a more important and more varied role in sustaining emotional well-being than previous studies have acknowledged. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social and emotional patterns in adulthood: Support for socioemotional selectivity theory.

Explored 2 hypotheses derived from socioemotional selectivity theory: (1) Selective reductions in social interaction begin in early adulthood, and (2) emotional closeness to significant others increases rather than decreases in adulthood even when rate reductions occur. Transcribed interviews with 28 women and 22 men from the Child Guidance Study, conducted over 34 yrs, were reviewed and rated for frequency of interaction, satisfaction with the relationship, and degree of emotional closeness in 6 types of relationships. Interaction frequency with acquaintances and close friends declined from early adulthood on. Interaction frequency with spouses and siblings increased across the same time period, and emotional closeness increased throughout adulthood in relationships with relatives and close friends. Findings suggest that individuals begin narrowing their range of social partners long before old age. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social support as a predictor of variability: An examination of the adjustment trajectories of recent widows.

The variability pattern of emotional well-being in recent widows across a 98-day period beginning in the first month post-loss has previously been modeled by dynamical systems and shown to be an oscillating process that damps across time. The goal of the present study was to examine how variables that comprise the social support network predict characteristics of these emotional shifts in 28 recent widows. In the present study, emotional support seeking led to a steeper overall trend, whereas perceived control for social support led to a shallower overall trend. When examining intraindividual variability, instrumental support seeking predicted a slower damping rate. Understanding the individual differences in the variability patterns of recent widows is a necessary step in identifying the etiology of adjustment to widowhood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement and statistics: An examination of construct validity.

Uses principles of latent trait theory to derive conditions under which mean differences on an observed variable are indicative of mean differences on an underlying construct, focusing on the logistic curve as a model for describing the relation between the observed variable and construct. In this situation, and with normally distributed scores on the construct, a t test comparing groups on the observed variable produces correct inferences at the construct level only if group variances on the construct are homogeneous or the difficulty level of the test equals the mean ability level of the examinees. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conscientiousness and longevity: An examination of possible mediators.

Objective: Conscientious individuals tend to experience a number of health benefits, not the least of which being greater longevity. However, it remains an open question as to why this link with longevity occurs. The current study tested two possible mediators (physical health and cognitive functioning) of the link between conscientiousness and longevity. Method: We tested these mediators using a 10-year longitudinal sample (N = 512), a subset of the long-running Health and Retirement Study of aging adults. Measures included an adjective-rating measure of conscientiousness, self-reported health conditions, and three measures of cognitive functioning (word recall, delayed recall, and vocabulary) included in the 1996 wave of the HRS study. Results: Our results found that conscientiousness significantly predicted greater longevity, even in a model including the two proposed mediator variables, gender, age, and years of education. Moreover, cognitive functioning appears to partially mediate this relationship. Conclusions: This study replicates previous research showing that conscientious individuals tend to lead longer lives, and provides further insight into why this effect occurs. In addition, it underscores the importance of measurement considerations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Marital conflict and child adjustment: An emotional security hypothesis.

An emotional security hypothesis that builds on attachment theory is proposed to account for recent empirical findings on the impact of marital conflict on children and to provide directions for future research. Children's concerns about emotional security play a role in their regulation of emotional arousal and organization and in their motivation to respond in the face of marital conflict. Over time these response processes and internalized representations of parental relations that develop have implications for children's long-term adjustment. Emotional security is seen as a product of past experiences with marital conflict and as a primary influence on future responding. The impact and interaction of other experiential histories within the family that affect children's emotional security are also examined, with a focus on parent–child relations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social and emotional effects of geographical relocation on elderly retirees.

Compared the adjustment of retired persons who had relocated in South Florida to that of retired persons who had resided in South Florida prior to retirement. A 93-item interview schedule was administered to 314 Ss who had retired 1.5–20 yrs previously. There was a strong tendency for relocaters to move into retirement communities and for nonrelocaters to live in traditional housing. Type of residence interacted with relocation status on the main measure of adjustment, the Srole Anomia Scale. For most Ss, retirement was not well planned, and only a minority had received retirement counseling. Life perceptions were remarkably optimistic. About 75% of the Ss felt that retirement was mostly good, over 75% rated their health as good or excellent, and over 90% were satisfied with their life situation. Only 15% were classified as anomic. Retirement planning was the most important predictor of adjustment, and a combination housing type/relocation variable was the second best predictor. Other important predictors were aspects of support networks, current health status, change in income, and education. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Close encounters: An examination of UFO experiences.

Ss who reported UFO experiences were divided into those whose experiences were nonintense (e.g., seeing lights and shapes in the sky) and those whose experiences were intense (e.g., seeing and communicating with aliens or missing time). On a battery of objective tests Ss in these 2 groups did not score as more psychopathological, less intelligent, or more fantasy prone and hypnotizable than a community comparison group or a student comparison group. However, Ss in the UFO groups believed more strongly in space alien visitation than did comparison Ss. The UFO experiences of Ss in the intense group were more frequently sleep-related than the experiences of Ss in the nonintense group. Among the combined UFO Ss, intensity of UFO experiences correlated significantly with inventories that assessed proneness toward fantasy and unusual sensory experiences. Implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gay-related stress and emotional distress among gay, lesbian and bisexual youths: A longitudinal examination.

The longitudinal relations between gay-related stress (i.e., gay-related stressful events, negative attitudes toward homosexuality, and discomfort with homosexuality) and emotional distress (i.e., anxious symptoms, depressive symptoms, and conduct problems) were examined at 3 assessment periods (baseline, 6 months, and 12 months) among 140 gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) youths. Although some findings were consistent with the hypothesis that stress would be associated with subsequent distress among GLB youths, the larger number of nonsignificant relations and the presence of relations between distress and subsequent gay-related stress indicate that the hypothesis was unsupported. The authors discuss the potential reasons for the lack of hypothesized relations and offer suggestions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Team negotiation: An examination of integrative and distributive bargaining.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 70(3) of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (see record 2010-03549-001). Susan E. Brodt's department affiliation was listed incorrectly on p. 66. Her correct affiliation is The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. It appears correctly in this record.] Two experiments compared the effectiveness of team and solo negotiators in integrative and distributive bargaining. When at least 1 party to a negotiation was a team, joint profit increased. Teams, more than solos, developed mutually beneficial trade-offs among issues and discovered compatible interests. The presence of at least 1 team increased information exchange and accuracy in judgments about the other party's interests in comparison with solo negotiations. The belief by both teams and solos that teams have a relative advantage over solo opponents was not supported by actual outcomes. Unexpectedly, neither private meetings nor friendships among team members improved the team's advantage. Teams of friends made less accurate judgments and reached fewer integrative agreements compared to teams of nonfriends. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Territorial cognition: Assessing Altman's typology.

The empirical validity of I. Altman's (1975) typology of human territories was assessed using a modified Role Construct Repertory Grid. Urban and suburban Ss, matched on several variables, were interviewed in their homes. It was expected that suburban Ss, as compared to urban Ss, would perceive more control over secondary and public territories. Results confirm the validity of Altman's typology and the importance of the dimensions of centrality and temporal duration. The expected urban vs suburban differences were obtained. Results also indicate that primary and secondary territories, by providing the setting for interaction at varying levels of formality and exclusion, possessed role-structuring properties. Future research on human territoriality should take a multimethod approach and explore the covariation of territorial cognitions and behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)