Defensive style in the families of schizophrenics and controls.

Biological parents of groups of Good and Poor Premorbid schizophrenics and neurotic controls were administered the Rorschach test in order to evaluate the relative level of ego maturity between parental groups. A rating schedule designed to reflect styles of defensive behavior was devised in an effort to objectify the dimension of ego maturity. It was found that this scale correlated significantly with age, intelligence, and Rorschach response total of the parents employed in the sample. The level of maturity of defensive behavior manifested by the parents was found to differ significantly. Parents of Poor Premorbid schizophrenics produced a greater amount of immature defensive behavior than parents of Good Premorbids, with the parents of neurotic controls falling intermediate between the schizophrenic groups. The difference between parents of "Poors" and neurotics approach significance, while the difference between parents of "Goods" and neurotics was clearly unreliable. (27 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interpersonal affect and conformity behavior in schizophrenics.

A group of 28 schizophrenics Ss was equated with a group of 28 normal Ss on the factors of age and education. Each S was then tested as to the number of affectual relationships he produced on 4 Thematic Apperception Test cards. A measure of his conformity to social influence was obtained by a measure of his behavior in a group situation in which he was asked to compare the length of lines in an optical illusion study. An analysis of the data by means of multiple X2 design showed a significant interaction among all 3 factors: mental health, conformity, and affect. The factors of mental health and conformity interacted to a greater extent than did any other 2 factors taken together. Conformity and affect were more closely related to the factor of mental health than they were to each other. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbal paired-associates learning in chronic schizophrenics as a function of positive and negative evaluation.

Seventy-two chronic schizophrenics (36 regressed and 36 partially remitted) and 36 normals were given paired associates of 2 levels of association strength and 2 levels of intralist response competition to learn under positive, negative, and nonevaluation conditions. Regressed schizophrenics showed maximum decrement on low-association word pairs following positive evaluation. This was especially true for those Ss with low self-esteem. These findings suggest that heightened arousal resulting from dissonance between a negative self-image and positive evaluation of performance can lead to behavioral decrement in a difficult task requiring novel associations, such decrement being congruent with the Hull-Spence behavior theory and the Yerkes-Dodson hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of operant level, interview with experimenter, and awareness upon verbal conditioning of chronic schizophrenics.

The present research attempted to (a) cross-validate N. D. Vestre's (1961, 1965) findings that medium-operant-level pronouns can be conditioned by "good" in a chronic schizophrenic population, (b) test whether or not high-operant-level pronouns can be conditioned by "good" in a chronic schizophrenic population, and (c) compare the conditionability of high-operant-level with that of medium-operant-level pronouns. It was hypothesized that schizophrenics would be more conditionable following a brief, friendly, personal interview than in the absence of any preconditioning interview. It was expected that awareness of the response-reinforcement contingency would favor conditioning. Both the operant level and interview with experimenter variables were investigated to see whether or not either differentially affected (a) the number of aware Ss and (b) the performance of aware Ss. "Good" functioned as a reinforcer for about 1/4 of the Ss in this study. The most important factor contributing to performance was awareness of the response-reinforcement contingency. Also, reinforcement tended to be more effective when Ss had no (instead of a S-min) preexperimental interview with E. Medium-operant-level pronouns were conditionable, and results of conditionability comparisons between high- and medium-preference pronouns depended upon how performance was measured. The negligible conditionability of high-preference pronouns was discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Electrodermal base level, tonic arousal, and adaptation in chronic schizophrenics.

Electrodermal arousal was studied at rest and during repetitive stimulation in chronic schizophrenics who were rated at either extreme of the Montrose Rating scale (MRS), either receiving a phenothiazine or no drugs, and in a control normal sample. Resting base level was significantly higher among Hi than Lo MRS, and among Nondrug than Drug patients: no patient sample was reliably below Control level. Nondrug patients showed no impairment in tonic arousal relative to Controls, even when such patients showed impaired phasic response (though the drug was seemingly associated with diminished tonic response). Considerable independence was demonstrated between phasic and tonic electrodermal functions. Unlike Controls (or Drug patients), Nondrug patients showed a general heightening of electrodermal arousal during repetitive innocuous stimulation. A vigilance hypothesis was offered suggesting that sensitivity to the general demands of the environment remains high among chronic patients, even where there may be a reduction in the input of specific items of information from that environment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of Tranquilizers on the Trail Making Test with Chronic Schizophrenics.

46 chronic schizophrenics with at least 3 years of continuous hospitalization, no secondary diagnosis of brain damage, age under 59, and all stabilized on their current medication were tested twice on the Trail Making Test (TMT) with 6 wk. between testings. The experimental group (N = 28) had the 2nd testing, following 5 weeks of being off all drugs. Results show: (a) previous findings that TMT is not a sensitive test for organicity with schizophrenics are true whether or not Ss are on tranquilizers, (b) no relationship between amount of drugs and performance on TMT, and (c) drug withdrawal did not affect performance on TMT. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schizophrenic intellectual impairment: uniform or differential?

The SRA Tests of Primary Mental Abilities were selected as instruments to investigate the hypothesis that differential impairment of intellectual test performance is a concomitant of schizophrenia. A wide variety of hospitalized schizophrenic and normal subjects matched roughly as to age and education were used. The results of this investigation do not support the hypothesis of differential impairment of schizophrenic test performance; however, severe overall impairment of schizophrenic intellectual performance and differential impairment of performance on certain kinds of intellectual tasks as a result of aging in normals were clearly shown. 28 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contrasting patterns of fantasy and motility in Irish and Italian schizophrenics.

Several hypotheses concerning differences in fantasy and motor activity of schizophrenics of Irish and Italian descent were developed on the basis of anthropological evaluation of cultural patterns and child-rearing practices. Schizophrenics of Irish descent were expected to be more given to imaginative behavior and motor control when compared with those of Italian descent. Psychological instruments used were the Rorschach, Barron's Movement-Threshold Inkblots, TAT, Porteus Mazes, tests of time estimation, motor inhibition, admission-denial of frustration, and ward behavior ratings. 60 male, veteran patients were used as Ss, one-half of Irish and one-half of Italian descent. The results appeared to support the hypothesis of persistent differences in motor and fantasy activity. Implications for review of psychiatric nosology, personality research, and interdisciplinary collaboration were suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A genetic approach to the interpretation and evaluation of the process-reactive distinction in schizophrenia.

The hypothesis tested was that schizophrenics manifesting the "process" syndrome show more regressive and immature thought processes than those showing the "reactive" syndrome. 24 male and 27 female hospitalized schizophrenics who were newly admitted served as Ss. Social history data were evaluated in terms of the process-reaction dimension and their psychological test results were evaluated for thought processes. Instruments used were the Elgin Prognostic Scale, Rorschach, and Benjamin Proverbs. A significant correlation was found between the Rorschach genetic level score and the Elgin Prognostic Scale for male and female Ss. Only for the male Ss was the hypothesis confirmed with the Proverbs test. 29 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The case of clinical psychology: A search for identity.

Clinical psychology presents itself in a state of chronic anxiety, great ambivalence, insecurity, and self-doubt." Clinical psychology is confused concerning its identity. The "role of the internship in the training of clinical psychologists is a crucial one." It should provide a clear example of the role model the clinician will eventually be expected to assume. "Both academic departments and internship training centers must assume fully their responsibility for training clinical students in the role society demands of them." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)