Multidimensional reaction to therapeutic touch in a hospital setting.

Studied the effects of interpersonal touch over a relatively long time frame, for a broad range of response dimensions, and in a nonreactive setting characterized by dependency. On an applied level, the research studied the value of touch as a concomitant of nurse–patient interactions; Ss were 48 patients who had entered the hospital for elective surgery. Specifically, a 2 (touch vs no touch) by 2 (male vs female) between-Ss design assessed the effects of nurses touching Ss during preoperative teaching on Ss' affective, evaluative, behavioral, and physiological responses. Female Ss in the touch condition experienced more favorable affective, behavioral, and physiological reactions than a no-touch control group. In contrast, males in the touch condition reacted more negatively than control Ss on these dimensions. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Persons versus situations in the real-life functioning of chronically institutionalized mental patients.

Examined the "person vs situation" controversy regarding the contribution to variance of behavior in real-life environments of 34 severely disabled psychiatric patients, using reliable and valid observational assessment of both patient behavior and dimensions of situations. Components-of-variance analyses were performed on data for 2 different behavior domains (cognitive dysfunction and social interaction) across 2 dimensions of situations (physical settings and psychological demand) on 2 occasions within 2 differing treatment environments. The relation of level of functioning to behavioral consistency was investigated by correlational analyses. Results indicate that behavioral consistency was a complex function of behavior domains assessed, differing psychological demand within situations, and the overall situational characteristics of the treatment environments in which the patients lived. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behaviorally anchored scales for assessing behavioral science teaching.

Attempted to (a) identify critical behavioral dimensions associated with teaching behavioral science courses at the university level, (b) develop a set of behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) to assess these dimensions, and (c) make a psychometric comparison of the BARS with the Student Instructional Report (SIR), a measure of student perceptions of teacher performance. Based on data obtained from 381 graduate and undergraduate students, BARS had less skewness, lower intercorrelation of ratings on various behavioral dimensions, and lower variability in ratings than the SIR. Content validity and latent factor structure of the new instrument are also reported. (French summary) (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping dimensions, life stress, and adolescent substance use: A latent growth analysis.

The relation of seven coping dimensions to substance (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana) use was tested with a sample of 1,668 participants assessed at mean age 12.5 years and two yearly follow-ups. An associative latent-growth model showed one index of engagement (behavioral coping) to be inversely related to initial level of adolescent use and growth over time in peer use. Three indices of disengagement (anger coping, helpless coping, and hangout coping) were positively related to initial levels of peer use and adolescent use and to growth in adolescent use. Moderation tests indicated that effects of coping were significantly greater at higher level of stress; behavioral coping buffered the effects of disengagement. Effects of life stress were greater for girls than boys. Results are discussed with reference to mechanisms of coping-substance use relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Personality" in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata): A correlational study of exploratory behavior and social tendency.

Differences in the exploratory behavior and social tendencies of 29 guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in 2 domains of situations involving novelty and conspecifics were investigated. Consistent individual differences were found in most behavior patterns. Two behavioral dimensions (Activity Exploration and Fear Avoidance) were identified in the novelty situations. Likewise, 2 dimensions (Sociability and Locomotion) were found in the social situations. An analysis of relationships between these 2 test domains revealed the existence of even broader behavioral dimensions (Approach, governing exploration and social attraction, and Fear Avoidance, governing responses to aversive stimulation). Thus, it was shown that "personality" may represent an important behavioral category in the guppy provided it is defined precisely and objectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Middle school improvement and reform: Development and validation of a school-level assessment of climate, cultural pluralism, and school safety.

The structure of perceived school climate and the relationship of climate dimensions to adaptation were examined in a large-scale multi-year investigation of students who attend middle-grade-level schools. Analyses of the structure, reliability, interrater convergence, and stability of school climate ratings were conducted in a large-scale sample of over 105,000 students in 188 schools. The climate scales exhibited a stable dimensional structure, high levels of internal consistency, and moderate levels of stability over 1- and 2-year time intervals. The relationship between climate ratings and students' adjustment was examined in 3 increasingly large samples of schools and students that were collected during successive years of this project. Ratings of multiple climate dimensions were associated consistently with indexes of academic, behavioral, and socioemotional adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of hospital- and community-based mental health nurses: perceptions of their work environment and psychological health

This study compares hospital- (n = 67) and community-based (n = 55) mental health nurses in relation to their perceptions of the work environment and also their psychological health. Measures include: the General Health Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Work Environment Scale. The data, obtained from self-returned questionnaires, show that community nurses rated their work environments higher for the dimensions of Involvement, Supervisor Support, Autonomy, Innovation and Work Pressure. Hospital nurses saw their environments as being higher in (managerial) Control. There were no differences between the groups for the dimensions of Peer Cohesion, Task Orientation, Clarity or (physical) Comfort. Furthermore, there were no overall differences between the two groups in relation to psychological health, although the pattern of factors associated with emotional well-being differed. Finally, analyses of the community data revealed that those nurses with 'flexitime' arrangements evaluated their work environments less positively and showed higher levels of psychological strain than did those working 'fixed-time' schedules. The findings suggest that the hospital and community environments make different demands on nursing staff, and that this should be considered when organizing nursing services if stress is to be avoided.     

Dimensions of impulsive behavior in adolescents: Laboratory behavioral assessments.

Impulsivity is a multifaceted construct that defines a range of maladaptive behavioral styles. The present research aimed to identify different dimensions of impulsive behavior in adolescents from a battery of laboratory behavioral assessments. In one analysis, correlations were examined between two self report and seven laboratory behavioral measures of impulsivity. The correlation between the two self report measures was high compared to correlations between the self report and laboratory behavioral measures. In a second analysis, a principal components analysis was performed with just the laboratory behavioral measures. Three behavioral dimensions were identified--"impulsive decision-making", "impulsive inattention", and "impulsive disinhibition". These dimensions were further evaluated using the same sample with a confirmatory factor analysis, which did support the hypothesis that these are significant and independent dimensions of impulsivity. This research indicates there are at least three separate subtypes of impulsive behavior when using laboratory behavioral assessments with adolescent participants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Temporal course and structural relationships among dimensions of temperament and DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorder constructs.

The temporal stability and directional relations among dimensions of temperament (e.g., neuroticism) and selected Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) disorder constructs (depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia) were examined in 606 outpatients with anxiety and mood disorders, assessed on 3 occasions over a 2-year period. Neuroticism/behavioral inhibition (N/BI) and behavioral activation/positive affect (BA/P) accounted for the cross-sectional covariance of the DSM-IV constructs. Although N/BI evidenced the most change of the constructs examined, initial levels of N/BI predicted less improvement in 2 of the 3 disorder constructs. Unlike the DSM-IV disorder constructs, the temporal stability of N/BI increased as a function of initial severity. Moreover, N/BI explained all the temporal covariation of the DSM-IV disorder constructs. The results are discussed in regard to conceptual models of temperament that define N/BI and BA/P as higher order dimensions accounting for the course and covariation of emotional disorder psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relations between parents’ Big Five personality factors and parenting: A meta-analytic review.

To investigate the association between Big Five personality factors and three dimensions of parenting—warmth, behavioral control, and autonomy support—the authors conducted meta-analyses using 5,853 parent–child dyads that were included in 30 studies. Effect sizes were significant and robust across mother and father reports and across assessment methods of parenting (self-report versus observations) but were generally small in magnitude. Higher levels of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness and lower levels of Neuroticism were related to more warmth and behavioral control, whereas higher levels of Agreeableness and lower levels of Neuroticism were related to more autonomy support. Several factors moderated the relationship between specific personality dimensions and parenting: child and parental age, reliability of observational assessment of parenting behavior, and study design. Taken together, these results indicate that personality can be seen as an inner resource that affects parenting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

DNA.

The authors predict that in a few years, many areas of psychology will be awash in specific genes responsible for the widespread influence of genetics on behavior. As the focus shifts from finding genes (genomics) to understanding how genes affect behavior (behavioral genomics), it is important for the future of psychology as a science that pathways between genes and behavior be examined not only at the molecular biological level of cells or the neuroscience level of the brain but also at the psychological level of analysis. After a brief overview of quantitative genetic research, the authors describe how genes that influence complex traits like behavioral dimensions and disorders in human and nonhuman animals are being found. Finally, the authors discuss behavioral genomics and predict that DNA will revolutionize psychological research and treatment early in the 21st century. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of conceptual level and supervision structure on counselor skill development.

Assigned 60 female introductory psychology students to high-structured supervision, low-structured supervision, or nonsupervised controls. Experimental Ss took part in both didactic and supervisory sessions. Nonsupervised controls received didactic training only. Self-report measures generally supported the "matching model" (D. E. Hunt; see PA, Vol 52:1699) predictions for low conceptual level participants, whereas behavioral measures yielded minimal support (Paragraph Completion Method, Critical Incident Tape 1, Communication Index, Training Reaction Questionnaire). Compared with controls, supervised trainees improved minimally on quantitative dimensions and significantly on qualitative dimensions of reflection-of-feeling responses. Supervised trainees also improved their level of empathic communication beyond that achieved by controls. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of supervision in microtraining and the impact of individual differences in learning style on self-report and behavioral measures. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conceptualizations of human environments.

Presents a summary of the major methods by which human environments have been assessed and characterized. 6 general types of dimensions are identified: (a) ecological dimensions, which include both geographical-meterological and architectural-physical design variables; (b) behavior settings, the only units thus far proposed which are characterized by both ecological and behavioral properties; (c) dimensions of organizational structure; (d) dimensions identifying the collective, personal, and/or behavioral characteristics of the inhabitants; (e) dimensions related to psychosocial characteristics and organizational climates; and (f) variables relevant to the functional or reinforcement analyses of environments. These categories are nonexclusive, overlapping, and mutually interrelated. Their common characteristic is that each has been conceptualized and shown to have important effects on individual and group behavior. The overview presented is necessarily incomplete and sketchy but serves to illustrate the broad range of dimensions relevant to this area. Implications for a robust and socially relevant environmental psychology are considered. (2 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of rating format on goal-setting dimensions: A field experiment.

Atotal of 10 managers and their 62 subordinates participated in a field experiment that examined the effects of performance appraisal feedback deriving from two rating formats—behavioral observation scales (BOS) and graphic rating scales—on three goal-setting dimensions. Multivariate analyses of variance and a priori t tests revealed, as hypothesized, that the BOS format yielded significantly higher levels of goal clarity, goal acceptance, and goal commitment, the three goal-setting dimensions. Results are discussed in terms of systemic characteristics, that is, a "built-in" focus on specific behaviors, rather than a translation of generic performance dimensions into specific work behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The manifestation of problem behaviour in ten age groups of Canadian school children.

Conventional applications of the Bristol Social Adjustment Guides (BSAG) are based on the premise that dimensions of manifest problem behavior have generality across age groups represented in the normative population and that the scale's various behavioral syndromes reflect distinct types of maladjustment. To test these assumptions, the BSAG's standardization sample of 2,463 randomly selected Canadian schoolchildren was partitioned into 10 subsets of 1-yr age intervals from 5 to 14 yrs. For each independent subset, Ss' scores on the BSAG's 6 core syndromes and 2 associated groupings of malbehavior were subjected to principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation of selected factors. A similar 2-factor model emerged at every age level, with 1 factor defining a dimension of General Overreaction and the other a dimension of General Underreaction. Findings support the practice of using the BSAG's composite over- and underreactive adjustment scales as primary indicators of maladjustment and, furthermore, illuminate the cross-age patterns of continuous and varying specificity of the scale's component behavioral syndromes. (French abstract) (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of behaviorally anchored scales for the evaluation of faculty teaching.

Presented a procedure and rationale for evaluating college teaching using behaviorally anchored rating scales. In Stage 1 (n = 38 undergraduates), 9 independent dimensions important for teaching evaluation and representative behavioral incidents were identified. In Stage 2 (n = 54 undergraduates), incidents were allocated to dimensions. In Stage 3 (n = 139 undergraduates), incidents were evaluated on a scale representing effective teaching. Items with low standard deviations were retained for the final scales. The underlying notions of the resulting scales and the advantages of using the behavioral expectation procedure relative to other procedures are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A multitrait-multimethod study of academic and social intelligence in college students.

Two multitrait-multimethod studies of academic and social intelligences show that cognitive and behavioral aspects of social intelligence (Experiment 1) and several cognitive aspects of social intelligence (i.e., social perception, social knowledge, and social insight; Experiment 2) can be discriminated. Verbal, nonverbal, self-, and other-report measures were administered to 134 female college students (Experiment 1) and to 227 male and female college students (Experiment 2). Convergent and discriminant validities were established for cognitive and behavioral dimensions of social intelligence (Experiment 1) and for two dimensions of cognitive social intelligence (social knowledge and social perception; Experiment 2). In both studies, the cognitive social intelligence factors had poor convergent validities, and research participants were college students attending a highly selective university. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nicotine patch and self-help video for cigarette smoking cessation.

A total of 424 smokers were randomized in a 2?×?2 factorial experiment. A pharmacologic factor contained 2 levels: transdermal nicotine patch (TNP; 21 mg) and placebo. A self-help behavioral treatment factor contained 2 levels: video-enhanced self-help treatment manual and self-help treatment manual only. At 2 months, TNP produced a higher level of abstinence (36%) than placebo (20%), p?     

Experimental investigation of selective memory and the concept of repression and defense: A theoretical synthesis.

A review of the experimental literature on selective recall has failed to support the psychoanalytic hypotheses that (a) repression and defense involve an active memory inhibition independent of selective learning or interfering anxiety, (b) the content of the defense persists in the unconscious. These findings in conjunction with further analysis of ambiguous aspects of the psychoanalytic concept have led to the adoption of a level of awareness model of defensive behavior. In this model defense was conceived as an absence of reflective awareness of esteem-reducing feelings affected primarily through the learning of behavioral habits which influence expectancy and attentional processes. A program for research into the relation of level of awareness to defense was outlined. The development of appropriate techniques and procedures to assess level of awareness was emphasized. The potential contribution of combined criterion measures of level of awareness and of behavioral response dimensions such as selective recall for clarifying the relationship of successful and unsuccessful defense to anxiety was discussed. (77 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)