Acute and chronic low back pain: Cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions.

Despite strong suppositions concerning differences between patients suffering acute and chronic low back pain, relatively few data-based comparisons have been made. In this study, affective, cognitive, behavioral, and demographic contrasts were conducted. Chronic patients were divided into those who demonstrated signs and symptoms that were either congruent or incongruent with underlying anatomical and physiological principles. Low SES, compensation claims, use of opiate analgesics, greater disability, catastrophizing cognitions, stronger emotionality, and passive coping were more characteristic of both acute and chronic incongruent patients than chronic congruent patients. A relatively stereotyped, spontaneous facial expression of pain was observed in all groups when responding to painful movements during a physical examination. The similarities between acute and chronic incongruent patients have implications for the assessment and treatment of low back pain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Congruency proportion reveals asymmetric processing of irrelevant physical and numerical dimensions in the size congruity paradigm.

When the proportion of congruent trials in conflict tasks is manipulated (e.g., Stroop, Simon), the typical result is that the magnitude of the conflict effect increases as the proportion of congruent trials increases. The present experiment investigated the influence of Congruency Proportion in the context of the Size Congruity Paradigm. Congruency Proportion had a significant impact on the Numerical Judgement Task (judging which of two numbers is numerically larger), but not on the Physical Judgement Task (judging which of two numbers is printed in a larger font). These data support the inference that physical size information is processed before, and more fluently than, numerical size information. The implications of this asymmetry are discussed in terms of the relative role of semantic and physical size information in representations of magnitude, and the role they play in both of these tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender similarities still rule.

Replies to comments made by Archer (see record 2006-11202-012), Lippa (see record 2006-11202-013), and Davies and Shackelford (see record 2006-11202-014) on the current author's original article (see record 2005-11115-001). The current author addresses the criticisms put forth by each of these commenting authors, and concludes that the best available scientific evidence continues to support the gender similarities hypothesis, that males and females are similar on most, but not all, psychological variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Value scales and dimensions.

The techniques of psychometric scaling analysis and factor analysis are applied here to the problem of measuring human values. With respect to the "Ways to Live" document, which aims to embody basic human values, the main results of the analysis are: (1) The ratings of the 13 ways are scalable, the scales obtained for the five groups being similar enough to justify the formation of a common scale on which quantitative comparisons can be made within and across the cultures. (2) Evidence for the existence of a value structure holding across cultures is given in the similarity of the results of the Indian and the United States orthogonal factor solutions. To the extent that the result obtained in these two cultures holds for other cultures, it appears possible to compare quantitatively the value patterns of different cultures in terms of common value dimensions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applied dimensions of comparative psychology.

Relatively little attention has been paid to potential applications of comparative psychology during the recent review and reevaluation of the discipline. Yet, problems arising from the human–animal relationship most often demand solutions that call upon both a knowledge of naturalistic behavior patterns and familiarity with the principles of learning and behavioral analysis, a combination uniquely characteristic of comparative psychology. Applications of comparative psychology are well established in zoos, in attempts to preserve endangered species, small animal veterinary practice, in agriculture, and in animal welfare. Applied comparative psychology is likely to establish itself as a valuable adjunct to more traditional activities in all of these areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive dissonance.

This article reviews critically the experimental evidence in support of cognitive dissonance theory as applied to complex social events. The criticisms which can be made of this literature fall into 2 main classes. 1st, the experimental manipulations are usually so complex and the crucial variables so confounded that no valid conclusions can be drawn from the data. 2nd, a number of fundamental methodological inadequacies in the analysis of results—as, e.g., rejection of cases and faulty statistical analysis of the data—vitiate the findings. As a result, one can only say that the evidence adduced for cognitive dissonance theory is inconclusive. Suggestions are offered for the methodological improvement of studies in this area. The review concludes with the thesis that the most attractive feature of cognitive dissonance theory, its simplicity, is in actual fact a self-defeating limitation. (44 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychological dimensions of arthritis.

Reviews the literature on the psychological assessment and therapy of persons with arthritis, focusing primarily on the diagnostic category of rheumatoid arthritis. Assessment has involved attempts to define an arthritic personality using psychoanalytic concepts, but more recently it has included the identification of stressors as precursive and exacerbative of disease and the measurement of the impact of arthritis on psychosocial and functional variables. Psychological or behavioral therapy strategies for pain and stress management, psychotherapy in group settings, and attention to medical compliance are among the sparsely reported treatment techniques. It is concluded that therapies that initially address the physical condition, as opposed to mental health needs, are likely to be most acceptable to the patient and most successful in outcome. (72 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The useful dimensions of sensitivity.

"The variables of sensory discrimination are radically different from the variables of perceptual discrimination… . Perception involves meaning; sensation does not." The "useful dimensions of sensitivity are those that specify the environment and the observer's relation to the environment… . The sense organs are all capable of motor adjustment." There are 2 kinds of organismic action, exploratory and performatory, and 2 kinds of feedback. Every sense is a pattern sense "capable of delivering a sequence or stream of neural inputs or changes in the simultaneous pattern. Every sense is therefore a transformation sense as well as a pattern sense… . The crux of the theory… is the existence of certain types of permanence and underlying charge. These invariants are in the stimuli at least potentially." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive dissonance.

Notes an incidence of cognitive dissonance that Benjamin Franklin experienced in 1736 at age 30 yrs before the hypothesis of cognitive dissonance was stated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Resolving task rule incongruence during task switching by competitor rule suppression.

Task switching requires maintaining readiness to execute any task of a given set of tasks. However, when tasks switch, the readiness to execute the now-irrelevant task generates interference, as seen in the task rule incongruence effect. Overcoming such interference requires fine-tuned inhibition that impairs task readiness only minimally. In an experiment involving 2 object classification tasks and 2 location classification tasks, the authors show that irrelevant task rules that generate response conflicts are inhibited. This competitor rule suppression (CRS) is seen in response slowing in subsequent trials, when the competing rules become relevant. CRS is shown to operate on specific rules without affecting similar rules. CRS and backward inhibition, which is another inhibitory phenomenon, produced additive effects on reaction time, suggesting their mutual independence. Implications for current formal theories of task switching as well as for conflict monitoring theories are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relations among dimensions of self-attribution, dimensions of self-concept, and academic achievements.

Replicated an earlier study by the present author and colleagues (see record 1984-14773-001) on self-attribution and dimensions of self-concept. 559 Australian 5th graders were assessed for (1) multiple dimensions of self-attribution for causes of academic outcomes, (2) multiple dimensions of self-concept, (3) multiple dimensions of inferred self-concept (by teachers and peers), and (4) achievements in reading and mathematics. Results show that the empirically derived dimensions of academic self-attribution yielded findings similar to the earlier study—no bipolar dimensions (e.g., internal–external) were found. Ss who attributed failure to lack of ability or lack of effort were found to have (1) better academic self-concepts (based on self-reports and teacher and peer inferences) and (2) better academic achievement (based on test scores and teacher ratings). (51 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interaction between synesthetically corresponding dimensions.

This article presents findings of cross-sensory dimensional interaction for the visual dimension of vertical position and the auditory dimension of pitch. Subjects were simultaneously presented with attributes from both dimensions and performed speeded classification of one dimension. There were four task conditions. The irrelevant dimension was varied orthogonally or held constant, and attributes were always synesthetically congruent or always synesthetically incongruent. Subjects displayed reaction time (RT) interference when the second dimension varied orthogonally (a failure of selective attention). In addition, redundancy gain was asymmetric. Reaction time facilitation was only present when attributes were synesthetically congruent. Negatively correlated redundancy (incongruence) yielded neither facilitation nor interference. Interaction was unaffected by changes in the spatial origin of signals (Experiment 3) and was still evident when signals were temporally separated (Experiment 4). Several explanations for these results are considered. It is argued that these results may represent a new form of dimensional interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived dimensions of attributions for loneliness.

Examined the applicability of B. Weiner's (1974, 1979) model of causal attributions to lay explanations for the causes of loneliness. Weiner posits 3 dimensions (internality, stability, and controllability) along which causes vary, and links each dimension to distinct consequences for the actor. To test the salience of these dimensions in perceptions of causality, 180 college students made judgments about the causes of loneliness. Multidimensional scaling analyses confirmed that Ss perceived dimensions of internality and stability. Contrary to recent theorizing, controllability was not independent of the other 2 dimensions; instead, controllable causes were both internal and unstable. Confirmation of internality and stability as dimensions underlying attributions for loneliness supports the extension of Weiner's model to the domain of affiliative behavior. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological dimensions of goal-oriented interpersonal situations.

200 undergraduates were presented with all possible pairs of 20 cooperative and competitive situations, and Ss' dissimilarity judgments were analyzed using a multidimensional scaling technique. Four group analyses and 2 analyses that made provision for individual differences indicated that 7 distinct and replicable dimensions were used to differentiate among goal-oriented interpersonal situations. These 7 dimensions were interpreted as pleasant–unpleasant, accidentally caused/involved vs intentionally caused/uninvolved, physically vs socially oriented, sensitive–insensitive, nonintimate–intimate, nonintimate/uninvolved vs intimate/involved, and work- vs relaxation-oriented. Only 3 of these dimensions were found to have clear generality across different situational domains. Although significant interindividual variability in perception was found, there was also substantial communality in perception (as evidenced by the finding of 7 common and replicable dimensions of perception). Implications for interactionism, the development of taxonomies of situational perception, and the social psychology of cooperative vs competitive situations are discussed. (51 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Primacy of dimensions in color perception.

Used a procedure called selective/individual rotation to investigate the role of dimensions in the perception of color. Ss performed either selective-attention or divided-attention tasks to paired dimensions created from each of 3 orientations of axes in color space: 0°, 22.5°, and 45°. The authors evaluated a Euclidean hypothesis, namely, that speeded classification of interacting dimensions is invariant to rigid rotation of stimulus axes. All experiments obtained evidence against this Euclidean hypothesis. Exps 1–4 showed that selective attention was best at the orientation corresponding to saturation and brightness, suggesting primacy of these dimensions. The results were replicated with the pairs hue–saturation (Exp 7) and hue–brightness (Exp 8). The authors conclude that interacting dimensions can be primary and that dimensional primacy characterizes much of perceptual experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Potential hostility and dimensions of anger.

Examined the construct validity of Potential for Hostility ratings derived from the Structured Interview by correlating PH scores with 21 scales from 4 anger/hostility measures: the Buss-Durkee Guilt-Hostility Inventory, Multidimensional Anger Inventory (J. M. Seigel, 1985), Anger Self Report, and R. W. Novaco's (1975) anger inventory. Ss were 82 male college students (mean age 20 yrs) and 50 male faculty, staff and older students (mean age 40 yrs). Factor analyses yielded 3 components (Experience of Anger, Expression of Anger, Suspicion-Guilt). PH was correlated with the Expression of Anger factor in a 2-factor solution and was equally correlated with the Expression of Anger and Experience of Anger factors in a 3-factor solution. Implications for assessment of hostility are noted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)