The rat's anticipation of two meals a day.

Studied anticipation behavior of 12 female rats that were maintained on 2 meals a day, at 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, for 1 mo while confined to activity wheels. During this time the Ss developed anticipatory running, i.e., increased activity just prior to each meal. Because the anticipation effect was found in Ss with minimal weight loss, it is interpreted as an incentive-motivation effect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Have confidence in contact.

In an article in the May–June 2009 American Psychologist, we discussed a new approach to reducing prejudice and encouraging more positive intergroup relations (Crisp & Turner, 2009). We named the approach imagined intergroup contact and defined it as “the mental simulation of a social interaction with a member or members of an outgroup category” (Crisp & Turner, 2009, p. 234). Our proposition is that simply imagining contact with outgroup members can produce more positive perceptions of outgroups. In his commentary, Honeycutt noted that our “article is excellent in its premise” (p. 129), but he was critical of our decision not to discuss his own work in imagined interactions (IIs). Imagined contact is not a magic cure, and it is not a one-shot solution to the problem of prejudice. But as a first step on the road to reduced prejudice and more positive intergroup relations, it may just turn out to be invaluable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Naughty but nice: A laboratory study of health information and food preferences in a community sample.

The influence of information about the fat content of food and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention on taste ratings and food intake in a test meal was examined. 40 adults (aged 20–55 yrs) were allocated at random to CVD information or control conditions. Ss rated 2 brands of yogurt and 2 cheese sandwiches, with one flavor of each food labeled "full-fat" and the other "low-fat." In fact, fat levels were identical, and the label-flavor pairings were counterbalanced. Overall, Ss gave lower liking ratings to the low-fat labeled foods. However, Ss in the information condition tended to eat a smaller proportion of the full-fat sandwiches. Results support the utility of a laboratory setting for evaluating the influence of health-relevant information on responses to food. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Outcome and process evaluation of a day care centre.

Used pre-and posttest scores on the Assessment of Children's Language Comprehension Test, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and the Behavioral Maturity Scale to study outcome differences in 25 children who attended a preschool day care center full-time, 25 children who attended part-time, and 25 children who did not attend at all. Ss were matched on age, sex, language ability, IQ, behavioral maturity, and socioeconomic status. Data reveal only one significant difference between groups; part-time Ss scored higher than full-time Ss on posttests of academic and emotional maturity. The Observation Schedule and Record was used to observe the behavior of the 7 teachers, and the teachers also completed a questionnaire on their goals. Results show general inconsistency between an individual teacher's goals and between observational and questionnaire findings. It is concluded that until teacher behavior and goals become more consistent, and thereby more effective, outcome evaluation is meaningless. Emphasis is placed on further teacher education and evaluation of teacher behavior. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Have code: Will travel.

Discusses the Code of Ethics of the Psychological Society of Ireland (1991) and possible changes to it. The author states that the Board of Professional Conduct is examining the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Although the author is not certain how closely the Psychological Society of Ireland will follow the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists, the Canadian code of Ethics is considered a landmark that shapes understanding of ethical issues in Ireland. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A day with a healer

The authors evaluate changes in the incidence and proportion of the life births by plurality in Mothernal Hospital in Sofia between 1991-1995 and compare it with the incidence of multiple births in other countries in the world. The influence of some factors on the incidence of multiple pregnancy are discussed.     

Work attitudes as predictors of attendance on a specific day.

Examined the relationship between the work attitudes and work attendance of 3,010 managerial employees on a specific day in a natural field setting. Job satisfaction data were obtained from the Index of Organizational Reactions (IOR). Since occasional absenteeism at the managerial level is not subject to financial penalty and is relatively free of social and work-group pressures, it represents behavior that is generally under the control of the individual employee. Moreover, because the particular day investigated in the present study followed a crippling snowstorm, attendance on that day involved considerable effort. Results show significant relationships between work-related attitudes and attendance on the specific day studied and generally support J. B. Herman's (1973) point of view that work attitudes do predict work-related behavior when such behavior is under the control of the S. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Infant development in day care.

Results from a study of 5-30 mo old day-care and home-care children matched age, N sex, and home background indicate that children experiencing high quality group day care differed little from home-reared children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Caregiver stability and day care.

Two studies examined the responses of 44 12–28 mo old children to stable and nonstable caregivers in laboratory and day-care environments. The environmental context was critical to whether children evidenced a preference between caregivers. Ss revealed a preference for stable over nonstable caregivers only in the day-care setting. In the laboratory many Ss either did not approach caregivers or approached them only as a last resort. Most preferred to spend time in proximity to the mother and were often upset when left with caregivers. At the day-care center most Ss did not become distressed or attempt to follow the mother when left with caregivers. The need for research on factors that may influence day-care quality is discussed. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characteristics of adult day care participants who enter a nursing home.

The authors sought to determine the characteristics of individuals enrolled in adult day care who are most likely to enter a nursing home. The status of 201 adult day care participants was assessed at baseline and at least 3 years after baseline evaluation. Risk factors for nursing home entry were identified on the basis of staff and family caregiver reports, participant testing, chart review, and physician evaluations. Cox regression analyses of baseline data such as medical diagnoses, affect, and demographic information were used to identify risk factors for institutionalization. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified depressed affect of the care recipient as an important predictor of institutionalization; other predictors were low frequency of socializing with relatives and friends, higher number of psychiatric diagnoses, and increased age. The findings highlight the importance of socialization and suggest that a focus on successful and reinforcing socialization should be an important component of adult day care programming. The results also suggest that addressing patient mental health variables may be important in delaying institutionalization in this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of usual and experimental patients in a psychiatric day center.

In a previously reported study by the authors (see record 1976-28530-001) of inpatient and day hospitalization, 59 seriously ill female psychiatric patients were randomly assigned to an inpatient or a day hospital setting. The present study compared the 29 seriously ill patients randomly assigned to the day hospital with a control group of 34 "usual" day patients. Ss were assessed on 14 outcome measures, some of which were derived from the Psychiatric Status Schedules and the Psychiatric Evaluation Form. The experimental group showed significantly more improvement from baseline to subsequent time periods in 3 distinct areas: global mental status, subjective distress, and family adjustment. The controls, on the other hand, spent fewer nights in the hospital, used the hospital facilities significantly less during the 1st 3 mo, and incurred a significantly lower cost for the same period. Two measures—number of social work contacts and amount of time spent in the treatment milieu—indicated that experimentals initially required more staff effort than controls, but at later time periods the reverse was true. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)