Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Gaul, Donna G.; Craighead, Edward; Mahoney, Michael J.

doi: 10.1037/h0076522pmid: 1120822

Compared the eating behaviors of 50 obese and 50 nonobese adults in a naturalistic setting (a hamburger eating establishment). Observations revealed that obese Ss took more bites, performed fewer chews per bite, and spent less time chewing than did nonobese Ss. Clinical implications of these data are discussed.

Dershowitz, Zecharia; Frankel, Yaakov

doi: 10.1037/h0076498pmid: N/A

Analyzed data from previous studies on the WISC performance of Jewish children, and conducted a WISC study with 185 5-15 yr old Israeli children. Results reveal a highly consistent and stable WISC pattern, characterized by relatively low scores on Picture Completion, Picture Arrangement, Block Design, and Object Assembly. It is suggested that some of these findings might best be understood by reference to relative weakness of Jewish Ss on tasks related to psychological differentiation. The results point to (a) the need to temper clinical interpretation of WISC score profiles by reference to the culture group under study and (b) the danger of oversimplified adjustment of WISC norms when dealing with different cultural or subcultural groups. Evidence from other previous studies suggests that this pattern may be equally true with regard to adult performance on the WAIS. (30 ref)

Kaufman, Alan S.

doi: 10.1037/h0076502pmid: N/A

Factor analyzed the 1974 WISC revised version (WISC-R), using the standardization sample of 200 children at each of 11 age levels from 61/2 to 161/2 yrs. The factor structure was remarkably consistent across the age range, with 3 factors emerging for each group: Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, and Freedom from Distractibility. These factors resembled the factors identified for the 1949 WISC, although the WISC-R structure was more stable and in closer agreement with D. Wechsler's Verbal-Performance dichotomy than was the structure of its predecessor. Results are discussed in terms of their clinical applications, particularly the interpretation of WISC-R profiles. (15 ref)

Sarason, Irwin G.

doi: 10.1037/h0076507pmid: 1120823

Selected 200 female undergraduates with high or low scores on the Test Anxiety Scale. High- and low-anxiety groups performed a learning task after receiving either achievement-orienting or neutral instructions. Ss were grouped further in terms of opportunities afforded the S to observe the E engage in self-presentation. Different groups were exposed to the E's serving as models who either (a) admitted to experiencing test anxiety but described ways of coping with it, (b) admitted to test anxiety but did not indicate an ability to cope with it, or (c) did not admit to anxiety. There were 2 other conditions, in one of which the E talked about life on the university campus. The other was a control condition. While results show an overall superiority of low- to high-test-anxiety groups, there was a significant Test Anxiety * Instructions interaction. A significant Test Anxiety * Modeling Conditions interaction was due to the facilitative effect of exposure of high-test-anxious Ss to an E whose self-description dealt with the experience of test anxiety and adaptive ways of coping with it. Results are interpreted in terms of attentional blocks that characterize highly anxious individuals.

Sappington, John

doi: 10.1037/h0076520pmid: 1120824

Starting with a pool of 47 male hospitalized schizophrenics for whom MMPIs were available, the Phillips Symptom Checklist was used to sort Ss along the process-reactive prognostic continuum. High positive correlations were found between ego defensive style and measures of psychotic disturbance. The more disturbed the S, the more attuned he was to external threat (perceptual sensitization). A smaller but significant relationship was detected between prognostic status and defensive style, with process types tending to be repressers and reactives tending to be sensitizers. Findings support the results of previous studies emphasizing the role of external threat as a strong determinant in schizophrenic perception as opposed to a pervasive unitary organic deficit.

Zemore, Robert

doi: 10.1037/h0076534pmid: 235579

The Fear Survey Schedule identified 20 male and 20 female college students who were fearful of both public speaking and testing situations. Experimental Ss were treated for one or the other of their fears with either a standard or modified version of systematic densensitization. Relative to a no-treatment control group, both treatment methods produced significant reductions in both the treated and untreated fears, with the amount of anxiety reduction of the untreated fear practically equivalent to that of the directly treated fear. Implications of these findings for 2 alternative conceptions of systematic desensitization are briefly discussed.

Klusman, Lawrence E.

doi: 10.1037/h0076468pmid: 1120825

Used the Institute for Personality and Ability Testing (IPAT) Anxiety Scale and 3 anxiety-related scales from Schaefer and Manheimer's Pregnancy Research Questionnaire (PRQ) to measure fear and anxiety before and after courses in childbirth education and childcare for 42 primiparas (mean age = 26 yrs) in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. A groups * trial analysis of variance indicated that both kinds of instruction significantly reduced 2 of 3 pregnancy-related anxieties, as determined by PRQ Fears for Baby and Irritability and Tension scores. Only the childbirth education course (Lamaze method) succeeded in reducing general anxiety level, as measured by the IPAT Anxiety Scale. Anxiety level was found to exert a significant effect on self-ratings of pain during the transition stage of labor. It is concluded that childbirth education can reduce fear and anxiety and that pain perception is enhanced by high anxiety.

Elion, Victor H.; Megargee, Edwin I.

doi: 10.1037/h0076369pmid: N/A

Conducted 3 studies to investigate the validity of the MMPI Psychopathic Deviate (Pd) and Pd + .4K scales in discriminating levels of social deviance among young black men. Study 1 established that 102 black inmates at a federal correctional institution had significantly higher scores on both scales than 120 culturally deprived black male university students. Study 2, using Ss from Study 1, demonstrated that (a) among the inmates recidivists had significantly higher scores than first offenders, and (b) among the students there were significant differences in the expected directions among subgroups differing in self-reported delinquency. Study 3 showed that the black Ss from Study 1 had higher scores than comparable samples of 60 white male college students and 51 white male prison inmates. It is concluded that Pd and Pd + .4K both validly differentiate levels of social deviance among young black men but that the norms for the scales appear to show racial bias. (19 ref)

Wolk, Stephen; Kurtz, John

doi: 10.1037/h0076470pmid: 1120826

Analyzed data from a total of 92 60-85 yr old males and females to ascertain level of expectancy for control as well as the relationship between internal control and adaptive behavior. Assessments were made with Rotter's Internal-External Control Scale, indices of developmental adjustment and active involvement, and the Life Satisfaction Index measure of emotional adaptation. In several analyses it was found that (a) the elderly of the present sample manifested an exceptionally internal level of locus of control relative to most contemporary, younger groups; (b) degree of internal control related positively to all 3 indices of adjustment to the later years; and (c) for the variable of involvement, external females displayed the lowest level of adjustment, with a trend in the interaction between sex and degree of internal control similarly apparent in other variables as well. Verification of the theory of locus of control is discussed for later stages in the life span, as well as potential avenues for research to delineate the developmental nature of locus of control. (19 ref)

Conger, Anthony J.; Coie, John D.

doi: 10.1037/h0076513pmid: 1120827

Reanalyzed data reported by T. S. Langner et al on the prevalence of psychological disturbances in children from welfare and cross-section homes. Results indicate that the data show no meaningful differences in means or skew and a paradoxical greater heterogeneity among welfare children. Some of the difference in variance is clearly attributable to the differential reliability of final scores, and perhaps the remaining difference is due to between-rater differences. Unless other factors were operating, 2 possible conclusions are tenable: Either welfare children manifest both more health and more disturbance than cross-section children or there are no differences in disorder between the populations. A 3rd conclusion is also offered: The populations do actually differ, but the manner in which the disturbance was viewed, rated, and compared necessarily obscured any differences.