Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Best, J. Allan

doi: 10.1037/h0076325pmid: 1114219

Used concentrated cigarette smoke as an aversive agent in the treatment of 89 habitual cigarette smokers. A factorial design assessed the incremental efficacy of 3 procedures, hypothesized to increase treatment durability, as a function of client characteristics. The 1st, treatment focus, contrasted procedures considered optimal for internal vs external locus of control clients (measured with Rotter's Internal-External Control Scale). The 2nd, punishment, assessed an instruction to punish postclinic smoking with stimulus satiation conditions. The 3rd, timing of attitude change, presented an attitude change manipulation either before or after behavior change. The Eysenck Personality Inventory and C. S. Keutzer's effective cognitive dissonance measure were also administered. Changes in smoking behavior were monitored over a 6-mo period. 2 of the 3 treatment factors, treatment focus and timing of attitude change, interacted significantly with client characteristics in determining treatment outcome. Findings support the principle of tailoring therapeutic procedures to individual differences. (25 ref)

Mehryar, A. H.; Khajavi, F.; Helmat, H.

doi: 10.1037/h0076296pmid: 1114246

Administered Eysenck's Psychoticism, Extraversion, and Neuroticism Inventory and the Psychological Screening Inventory (PSI) to 178 male and 297 female undergraduates. Included in the study was an 18-item Lie scale taken from the Eysenck Personality Inventory. A factorial analysis of the intercorrelations showed that 3 major factors could account for the bulk of correlations among the 9 differently labeled characteristics covered by the 2 inventories. These 3 factors were identified as Psychological Disturbance, Extraversion, and Defensiveness, respectively. The 1st factor was characterized by alienation, psychoticism, discomfort, and neuroticism. The 2nd factor was mainly identified by high loadings on Eysenck's Extraversion and the PSI Expression scales. The Defensiveness factor was mainly marked by the Lie scale and the PSI Defensiveness scale. The PSI Social Nonconformity scale loaded equally moderately on both the Psychological Disturbance and Defensiveness factors for both male and female groups. In the case of the male group, its highest loading was on the Extraversion factor. (16 ref)

Chaikin, Alan L.; Derlega, Valerian J.; Bayma, Benjamin; Shaw, Jacqueline

doi: 10.1037/h0076294pmid: 1114237

49 male undergraduates identified as either "normal" or "neurotic" by their scores on the Maudsley Personality Inventory were exposed to a confederate who disclosed either intimate or superficial information about himself, as part of an "impression formation" study. Normal males reciprocated disclosure at a level of intimacy similar to the confederates, but neurotics disclosed at a moderate level regardless of whether the confederate's initial disclosure was intimate or superficial. Results suggest that neuroticism may be related to inappropriate or nonnormative disclosure, rather than characteristically high or low levels of disclosure. (26 ref)

Neuringer, Charles; Goldstein, Gerald; Gallaher, Richard B.

doi: 10.1037/h0076299pmid: 1114238

Hypothesized that the "normal range" of field dependency may be associated with minimal levels of undiagnosed brain damage. Data from 54 undergraduates given the Rod-and-Frame test and the Halstead Neuropsychological Test Battery suggest that there is a small but significant relationship between field dependency and performance on tests sensitive to brain dysfunction.

Tavormina, Joseph B.

doi: 10.1037/h0076328pmid: 1114239

Evaluated the relative effectiveness of behavioral and reflective group parent counseling. Ss were 51 mothers of mentally retarded children who were assigned to behavioral, reflective, or waiting-list control groups. 6 success criteria, including direct observations, attitudinal scales, maternal reports, and frequency counts, were used to measure outcome (e.g., Hereford Parent Attitude Survey and the Missouri Behavior Problem Checklist). Both types of counseling had a beneficial effect relative to the untreated controls, but the behavioral method resulted in a significantly greater magnitude of improvement. The consistency of these results across measures strongly suggests that the behavioral technique was the treatment of choice for counseling parents of the retarded. (29 ref)

Hoffmann, Norman G.; Butcher, James N.

doi: 10.1037/h0076315pmid: 234624

Compared 3 MMPI short forms, the Mini-Mult, T. Faschingbauer's 166, and the MMPI-168, which were constructed by different methodologies, using 1,028 male psychiatric patients as Ss. Although the short- to standard-form correlations for all 3 short forms were generally high (ranging from .74 to .96 for the MMPI scales), the success in accurately predicting the code type was quite low. The hit rates in predicting to the 58 code types used in the study were 36.7% for the Mini-Mult, 40.4% for the MMPI-168, and 49.4% for Faschingbauer's 166 form. An analysis of false positive and false negative test misses showed further weaknesses in MMPI short forms. Results question the use of MMPI short forms for clinical interpretation based on usual profile interpretation procedures (code-type analysis). (25 ref)

D'Augelli, Judith F.; Cross, Herbert J.

doi: 10.1037/h0076274pmid: 1114240

Used the Mosher Forced-Choice Guilt Inventory, the Sex Experience Inventory, and Kohlberg's Moral Dilemmas Questionnaire in Exp I to assess 119 unmarried college women with regard to sex behavior, sex guilt, and moral reasoning. Categories of sexual expression were developed which were useful in predicting behavior. Guilt was a better predictor of sex than morality. Maintaining virginity and losing it were multidetermined. Exp II assessed 76 unmarried college couples on the same variables. Sex guilt and sex experience were associated with moral reasoning for men and for couples. Results suggest that the male partner is more influential than the female in setting standards for the couple.

Kroger, Rolf O.; Turnbull, William

doi: 10.1037/h0076266pmid: N/A

Tested the hypothesis that Ss fake personality tests by enacting a specific social role, rather than by responding in terms of personality constructs, and that such role faking cannot be detected by validity scales. In Exp I, 22 male undergraduates were able to reproduce without detection the MMPI profile of an Air Force officer but not that of a creative artist. The latter was attributed to the Ss' inaccurate conception of the artist role. However, when 10 of 21 Ss in Exp II were given an accurate conception of the artist role, they succeeded in reproducing the MMPI artist profile without detection as well. Results favor the hypothesis, provided that the Ss possess an accurate conception of the role to be simulated. (17 ref)

Rotter, Julian B.

doi: 10.1037/h0076301pmid: N/A

Research involving perceived internal vs external control of reinforcement as a personality variable has been expanding at a rapid rate. It seems clear that for some investigators there are problems associated with understanding the conceptualization of this construct as well as understanding the nature and limitations of methods of measurement. This article discusses in detail (a) the place of this construct within the framework of social learning theory, (b) misconceptions and problems of a theoretical nature, and (c) misuses and limitations associated with measurement. Problems of generality-specificity and unidimensionality-multidimensionality are discussed as well as the logic of predictions from test scores. (35 ref)

Horan, John J.; Baker, Stanley B.; Hoffmann, Alan M.; Shute, Robert E.

doi: 10.1037/h0076329pmid: 1114241

Assigned 40 overweight female Ss to 1 of 8 treatment combinations in a 2 * 2 * 2 matrix. The use of positive coverants produced significantly (p < .005) more weight loss than negative coverants. No differences were found between those Ss employing highly probable eating and noneating behaviors. Group counseling enabled a larger percentage of Ss to lose at least 1 lb/wk than did individual intervention followed by self-management. It is suggested that L. E. Homme's paradigm should be shortened to 3 steps when applied to the problem of weight loss since certain treatment combinations were nearly 100% effective. (15 ref)