Perceptual biases, affect, and behavior in the relationships of dependents and self-critics.

Aspects of interpersonal, personality, and cognitive models of depression were tested in a college sample. The perceptions and actual interpersonal behaviors of dependent and self-critical women and their romantic partners were assessed during a conflict-resolution task. Dependent women were characterized by positive biases in the perception of lovingness expressed within the relationship. The partners of dependent women, however, experienced a decrease in positive affect and a trend toward increasing hostility during the conflict-resolution task. Self-critical women were objectively rated as less loving and more hostile, and their partners were also rated as less loving. Self-critics also exhibited negative biases in self-perceptions of submissiveness. The results are interpreted within a comprehensive framework integrating various elements of interpersonal, personality, and cognitive models of depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teacher preferences for service delivery: A look at attribution research.

Reviews the literature on teacher attributions and discusses the relevance of causal attributions to teacher preferences for service delivery (i.e., referral for psychoeducational assessment, consultation). Literature is reviewed in the context of B. Weiner's (see record 1979-28688-001) proposed dimensions of causality. In addition, practical implications for this literature are discussed, and future research endeavors exploring the relationship between causal attributions and preferences for service delivery are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characteristics of Air Force personnel who choose pharmacological aids for smoking cessation following an involuntary tobacco ban and tobacco control program.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare characteristics of smokers who did and did not report use of cessation aids as part of a tobacco control program in a military setting (n = 8994). Design: The study is a longitudinal epidemiological study where the relationship between smoking status at follow-up and use of pharmacologic aids to quit smoking were assessed. Main Outcome Measures: Smoking cessation, post baseline use of cessation aids to quit smoking. Results and Conclusions: Individuals remaining abstinent were 70% less likely to have used NRT/pharmacological aids compared to those that relapsed. NRT/pharmacological aid users were more likely to report plans to smoke after military training, to have friends who smoke, and to accept a cigarette from a friend. NRT/pharmacological aid users were more likely to believe that using NRT was safer than smoking and to have engaged in harm reduction strategies. Our findings suggest that selection bias related to such characteristics may explain some of the discrepancies between effect sizes reported in efficacy compared to effectiveness studies of NRT and smoking outcomes currently reported in the literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of calcium ions and 2-(alkoxy)1-((alkoyloxy)methyl)-ethyl-7-(4-heptyl-5,6)-dicarboxy-2-cyclohexene-1-yl) heptanoate on a simplified model of the stratum corneum lipids

Addition of calcium ions to a lamellar liquid crystal of sodium oleate/oleic acid/water led to crystallization of calcium soap as detected by optical microscopy. Addition of the acid of the title (the complex acid, ca) reduced the crystallization because of the calcium ions’ preferential bonding to the complex acid.     

An evaluation of parental problem-solving training in the behavioral treatment of childhood obesity.

The current investigation evaluated the efficacy of including parental problem-solving training in a behavioral weight-reduction program for obese children. Children and their parents were randomly assigned to a problem-solving, behavioral, or instruction-only weight-loss group. Children in the problem-solving group lost significantly more weight and decreased their percent overweight and body-mass indices significantly more during the 8-week treatment program than either behavioral or instruction-only subjects. These differences were maintained at the 3- and 6-month follow-up sessions. Only those parents in the problem-solving group significantly increased their problem-solving skills during the program. Child weight loss was significantly correlated with increases in parental problem-solving ability from pretreatment to posttreatment and from posttreatment to the 6-month follow-up. This evidence supports the conclusion that problem-solving training is a desirable addition to a behavioral weight-loss program for children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Esters of L-dopa: structure-hydrolysis relationships and ability to induce circling behaviour in an experimental model of hemiparkinsonism

A number of carboxylate esters of L-dopa, some of which are novel, were examined for their physicochemical and biological properties. A few esters of tyrosine and phenylalanine were included for comparison. The compounds displayed great differences in their lipophilicity and stability towards chemical and enzymatic (human plasma) hydrolysis. Within subseries, relationships exist between structural properties and rate constants of chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis. In an experimental model of hemiparkinsonism (circling behaviour in rats), some of the L-dopa esters (the isopropyl, sec-butyl and 2-(tetrahydropyranyl)methyl esters) showed an activity distinctly greater than that of L-dopa, although the difference was not statistically significant.     

Cuing attention: Disruptions following organic solvent exposure.

Covert orienting of attention was assessed in 47 persons with mild solvent neurotoxicity and compared with that in 50 persons with no history of exposure who were of similar age and education. Reaction times (RTs) were recorded to cued, miscued, and uncued targets presented in either the left or right visual field with a stimulus onset asynchrony of 100 or 800 ms. RTs for exposed Ss were significantly slower than those for controls. In addition, exposed Ss had significantly slower responses to uncued targets presented on the left side and a larger validity effect size for left-side targets (i.e., invalid left targets minus valid left targets). According to a model proposed by M. I. Posner et al (see record 1988-27097-001), the results imply a disruption in the early stages of orienting attention (the alert operation) and an impairment in the disengage operation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Misunderstanding of multiculturalism: Shouting fire in crowded theaters.

Comments on B. J. Fowers and F. C. Richardson's (see record 83-30335) article on the psychological construct of multiculturalism. It is stressed that the multicultural agenda is to stop imposing any one group's cultural values on all others, whether Eurocentric or not. The existence of separatist movements within multiculturalism should not be surprising, given a cultural context that has often been hostile to persons of color. The intercultural dialog that Fowers and Richardson advocate may be difficult to accomplish if are assumed to not desire a dialog. The interactions between the majority culture and multiculturalism have been primarily a majority monolog. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Making Sense of Self-Conscious Emotion: Linking Theory of Mind and Emotion in Children With Autism.

Self-conscious emotions such as embarrassment and shame are associated with 2 aspects of theory of mind (ToM): (a) the ability to understand that behavior has social consequences in the eyes of others and (b) an understanding of social norms violations. The present study aimed to link ToM with the recognition of self-conscious emotion. Children with and without autism identified facial expressions conscious of self-conscious and non-self-conscious emotions from photographs. ToM was also measured. Children with autism performed more poorly than comparison children at identifying self-conscious emotions, though they did not differ in the recognition of non-self-conscious emotions. When ToM ability was statistically controlled, group differences in the recognition of self-conscious emotion disappeared. Discussion focused on the links between ToM and self-conscious emotion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cued activation of relational schemas: Self-evaluation and gender effects.

In two studies, men's and women's self-evaluative responses following presentation of rejection and acceptance cues were examined. Two different conditioning procedures were utilized to associate computer-generated tones with images of social rejection or acceptance. When these tones were played later in a self-evaluative situation, women tended to respond to rejection cues by becoming more self-critical, and to acceptance cues by becoming less self-critical. On some indicators, men responded in the opposite fashion. These findings are discussed in light of recent analyses of gender differences in the sources of self-esteem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)