Physiological and subjective effects of Zen meditation and demand characteristics.

Undergraduates studied a Zen meditation exercise under 3 demand conditions: deactivation (modeling and suggesting relaxation outcome), neutral (no specific outcome), and activation (arousal outcome). Results show that Zen meditation produces small physiological changes in naive, unpracticed Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Etiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Vietnam veterans: Analysis of premilitary, military, and combat exposure influences.

43 Vietnam veterans seeking psychological services at a VA medical center were assigned to positive and negative groups of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based on the DSM-III. The average S was a 33-yr-old White male with 13 yrs of education. Ss were extensively assessed to examine the relative contributions of premilitary adjustment, military adjustment, and extent of combat exposure to the development of combat-related, chronic PTSD. In addition, groups were compared on profiles from the MMPI and a psychological problem checklist. Results of multiple regression analyses demonstrated that combat exposure and, to a lesser degree, military adjustment were significantly related to PTSD symptomatology, whereas premilitary adjustment was not. Discriminant function analyses showed that the MMPI had moderate ability to correctly classify Ss on the basis of PTSD diagnosis. However, problem checklist items indicative of anxiety-based disorders, particularly generalized anxiety and pervasive disgust, formed a discriminant function that correctly classified more than 90% of Ss. Results are discussed in terms of complications for an empirically derived conceptualization of PTSD. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical psychology programs in the universities.

Questions G. W. Albee's (see record 1971-08263-001) conclusions concerning the desirability of training clinical psychologists in arts and sciences graduate schools; the psychiatric setting as inappropriate for apprenticeships; and the incompatibility of scientist-professional models. Rather, the proper meld of scientist-professional characteristics may offer the greatest hope for clinical psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coercion in participation as a research subject.

Reports an unsuccessful replication of a previous study by J. C. Ascough and C. N. Sipprelle (see pa, vol. 43:2682) of operant verbal cardiac conditioning. It was hypothesized that the ss of the original study were volunteers while the replication ss were coerced into participation as part of the requirements of a course. Replication was significant (p =     

A psychologist in the Arctic.

In this article I recount a 1-month consultant visit to Barrow, Alaska. I tell why the trip came about, how it was arranged and financed, and what activities transpired. I offer this account in the belief that some readers may be stimulated to arrange similar experiences for themselves. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Shaping and reinforcing transference.

Patient statements can be categorized as referring to the external environment (E), the patient (P), or the therapist (T). It is proposed that by selective shaping and reinforcement of T statements and nonreinforcement of E and P statements, the incidence of T statements can be increased. The emission of T statements is seen as an operational definition of transference behavior in which the patient is conditioned to emit T statements in the abstract but must draw from experience to supply the content of those statements. This direct conditioning procedure has been shown to lead to the rapid emergence of the transference relationship. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Demand characteristic effects on the subtle and obvious subscales of the MMPI

The MMPI was administered to 40 undergraduate students with 20 subjects asked to imagine that they were applying for a job and 20 subjects asked to imagine that they were applying for psychotherapy. Subjects in the job group dissimulated (faked good) and those in the therapy group malingered (faked bad) as evidenced by differences between the subtle and obvious scores. The combined subtle and obvious score was higher for the psychotherapy group. It was concluded that the subtle, obvious, and combined subtle and obvious scores on the MMPI were a function of the demand characteristics of the testing situation.