Age as a moderator of relations of physical self-concept and mood changes associated with 10 weeks of programmed exercise in women

Significant correlations were found between reported changes in scores on the Physical Self-concept scale of the Tennessee Self-concept Scale, with those on the Depression (r=-.34) and Total Mood Disturbance (r=-.38) scales of the Profile of Mood States, for 35 women who initiated a structured exercise program. Accounting for age in simultaneous multiple regression equations added to the explained variance in changes in both Depression (R2=.29) and Total Mood Disturbance (R2=.18) scores. Findings supported propositions of social cognitive theory and self-efficacy theory. Limitations and the need for replication and extension were discussed.     

Rorschach oral dependency in psychopaths, sexual homicide perpetrators, and nonviolent pedophiles

Rorschach Oral Dependency scores (Masling, Rabie, & Blondheim, 1967) were compared among nonsexually offending psychopaths (NSOPs, n = 32), sexual homicide perpetrators (SHPs, n = 38), and non-violent pedophiles (NVPs, n = 39) as initially reported by Gacono, Meloy, and Bridges (2000). The aggressive special scores of Gacono and Meloy (1994; Gacono, unpublished doctoral dissertation, 1998) were also scored and compared with ROD scores. Consistent with theory and predictions, NVPs were found to have significantly higher levels of oral dependency scores than NSOPs or SHPs. Additionally, there was a high degree of association between oral dependency and aggression in the SHP and NSOP groups. These Rorschach differences support the validity of the ROD as an implicit measure of dependency and add to the understanding of the dynamics that fuel sexually deviant violence.     

Relations of physical self-concept and muscular strength with resistance Exercise-induced Feeling State scores in older women

Formerly sedentary older women (M age = 62 yr.) were recruited for either a wait-list control group (n=40) or a 10-.wk., 3 days/wk. weight-training treatment group (n=48). Only the treatment group demonstrated significant before- to after-exercise improvements on the Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory scales of Positive Engagement, Revitalization, Tranquility, and Physical Exhaustion (ds = /.43/ to /.96/). For the treatment group, scores on Physical Self-concept of the Tennessee Self-concept Scale: 2 were significantly correlated (r = -.28) with after-exercise changes in Physical Exhaustion. Muscular strength was significantly correlated with after-exercise changes in scores on three Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory scales (rs= /.28/ to /.31/). Simultaneous entry of Physical Self-concept scores and muscular strength into multiple regression equations increased the explained variance in Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory score changes for each of its four scales. Statistical significance was only reached, however, on changes in the Physical Exhaustion scale (R2 = .16, p = .02). Limitations and implications for theoretical development and applied use were discussed.     

Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment Predicts Real‐World Outcomes of Critical Thinking

Although educators and employers agree that it is important to assess the critical thinking skills of students and prospective employees, few assessments have been externally validated with real‐world outcomes of critical thinking. The Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (HCTA) is a reliable measure of critical thinking skills and has been validated with multiple populations and measures of academic success. This study explored whether scores on the HCTA predicted real‐world outcomes in a wide range of domains, such as education, health, law, finance, and interpersonal relationships. Community adults (n = 50), state university students (n = 48), and community college students (n = 35) in the USA completed the HCTA and a behavioral inventory of life events. Overall, those with higher critical thinking scores reported fewer negative life events than those with lower critical thinking scores, r (131) = ?.38, p < .001. Implications for education are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Correlation for scores on Revised Test of Visual-Motor Integration and Copying Test in a South African sample

A statistically significant correlation of 0.618 was obtained between scores from 62 preschool children on the Revised Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration and the Copying Test. Merely 38% of Copying Test variance was associated with changes in Test of Visual-Motor Integration variance, so in practice these tests should not be substituted for one another.     

Identifying schizophrenia by means of scale 8 Sc of the MMPI

A sample of 38 schizophrenic inpatients was found to achieve significantly higher mean scores on Scale 8 of the MMPI relative to 38 schizophrenia-spectrum and 38 control patients regardless of whether K- or non-K-corrected scores were used. However, when patients were individually classified by means of a cutting score (greater than or equal to 70), only K-corrected scores accurately discriminated between schizophrenic and control patients at a statistically significant level.     

Using the impact of event scale to evaluate distress in the context of genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility

The data obtained with two forms of the Impact of Event Scale were compared, one referring to a BRCA1/2 test result (IES-T) and another to cancer (IES-C). The sample consisted of 272 women with a family history suggestive of a BRCA1/2 mutation who underwent genetic testing and received results: noncarrier, carrier, or inconclusive. Globally, mean scores on the IES-C form were higher than those obtained on the IES-T form. Among carriers of a BRCA1/2 mutation, mean scores on the two forms were similar and agreement was good, as measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (.83; 95% 95% CI=.72, .91). Agreement between the forms was poor to fair among noncarriers (ICC= .38; CI= .15, .57) and women with an inconclusive result (ICC= .40; 95% CI= .26, .52). Having had cancer increased total scores but had little influence on agreement between scores on forms. These findings highlight the importance of carefully selecting the form of the Impact of Event Scale in the context of genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility.     

Effects of day care and maternal teaching on child educability

Two groups of matched mother-child pairs, a day care sample (N = 38) and a home reared sample (N = 38) participated in a study testing mothers for degree of decentred teaching and children for degree of decentred educability. The children were seven years old. Mother and child were tested in separate settings, thus preventing interdependency among scores. The study used a matched-pair design with control of five background variables; age of the child, mother's educational level, mother's occupational status, family SES level, and type of family. The results showed strong positive effects of both day care experience and maternal teaching on child educability. Day care experience improved the educability of children independent of the mother's teaching strategy and gender of the child.     

Generalization in a child's oppositional behavior across home and school settings

A 9-year-old clinic-referred boy, his mother, and his teacher were observed in 38 home and 38 school sessions on the same days. Categories of the boy's oppositional behavior and the inappropriate social attention of his mother and teacher were graphed to visually inspect changes during baseline, a parent-training phase, a follow-up phase, and a final parent-training booster phase. Parent-training phases produced reductions in the mother's inappropriate attention and in the boy's oppositional behavior, whereas the follow-up and baseline phases were associated with higher rates of these categories. Generalization occurred in the school across these home phases, as seen in the increase in rates of the boy's problem behavior, despite the lack of change in his teacher's attention. Correlational analyses of proportion scores reflecting the boy's home-school oppositional behavior and mother-teacher social attention suggested his responsiveness to relative changes in adult social contingencies across settings.     

Moderating effects of physical self-appraisal on relations of weight with energy changes for obese women initiating a supported exercise and nutrition information program

Significant linear bivariate correlations were found between changes in ratings of Vigor and Fatigue, and weight change over 24 weeks (rs = -.34 and .46, respectively) for 48 obese women who had initiated a supported physical activity and nutrition information program. However, after controlling for changes in Body Areas Satisfaction scale scores, the correlations decreased and were not significant. After controlling for changes in Physical Self-concept scale scores, correlations for changes in weight and Vigor scores were not significant. When changes in Body Areas Satisfaction and Physical Self-concept were simultaneously entered into separate multiple regression equations along with changes in the mood factors, significant portions of the variance in weight change (R(2)s= .36 and .29, respectively) were accounted for. Results suggested that perceptions of improvement in one's body, physical self-concept, and energy may be important predictors of weight loss in obese women and have implications for both health behavior theory and weight management treatments.     

Relationship between reported motives for exercise and age of women attending a community fitness facility

38 new, women exercisers completed the 1989 Personal Incentives for Exercise Questionnaire-Version 4 by Duda and Tappe to estimate the correlation between age and various motives for exercise. No statistically significant relationship was found between age and scores on the subscales of Health Benefits, Appearance, and Affiliation. A significant negative relationship was found between age and scores on the Mental Benefits subscale (r=-.51, p<.01). After replication, findings may help tailor exercise promotion methods.     

Effects of active alert and relaxation hypnotic inductions on cold pressor pain

We contrasted relaxation and active alert hypnotic inductions with or without a specific suggestion for cold pressor pain analgesia. Groups of high (n = 38) and low (n = 27) hypnotizable subjects were tested; hypnotizability had been determined from results of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C. Cold pressor pain data were obtained after counterbalanced exposure to relaxation and active alert inductions. Highly hypnotizable subjects demonstrated lower pain scores than did low hypnotizable ones. Pain reports did not differ between induction conditions. Highly hypnotizable subjects given an analgesic suggestion showed lower pain scores than did those exposed only to hypnosis. The findings, conceptualized within E.R. Hilgard's (1977a) neodissociation theory, show that relaxation is not necessary for hypnotic analgesia.     

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in eating disorders

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms were measured in a consecutive series of new referrals with anorexia nervosa (n = 29) and bulimia nervosa (n = 77). In contrast with previous reports, there was no significant difference on MOCI scores between eating disorder groups and normal controls. A consecutive series of 38 patients with bulimia nervosa then entered a structured treatment programme. Poor outcome cases had a higher score on the MOCI-doubting sub-scale. However, there was no significant difference in obsessive-compulsive scores between those who were binge-free and those who were bingeing daily at the end of treatment and there was no significant in outcome between high and low-scorers on the MOCI. This study fails to support the view that the eating disorders are a subtype of OCD. Previous conflicting results are attributed to selection bias and the effects of low body weight.     

Personality differences in high risk sports amateurs and instructors

This study investigated the personality differences of 21 amateurs and 20 instructors who participated in the high risk sports of skydiving, hang-gliding, paragliding, scuba diving, microlighting, and rock climbing, versus those who did not. 38 men and 28 women (M age=32.6 yr., SD= 10.0) were assessed using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised, the General Health Questionnaire, the Generalised Self-efficacy Scale, and a Type A/B personality measure. Instructors and Amateurs scored significantly higher on Extroversion and lower on Neuroticism than Nonparticipants; however, they differed from each other on the General Health Questionnaire and Type A/B personality scores. Amateurs scored significantly higher on Psychoticism and Self-efficacy than Instructors and Nonparticipants. In conclusion, these test scores suggest that people who are attracted to high risk sports tend to be at the extroverted and emotionally stable end of the scale, with a tendency to exhibit Type A characteristics; however, Instructors' scores on Psychoticism and Self-efficacy are more akin to those of Nonparticipants.     

Rorschach assessment of changes following psychotherapy: a meta-analytic review

I examined Rorschach assessment of personality changes following psychotherapy. I conducted a comprehensive literature search to find all studies using the Rorschach method at least twice for the same participant in connection with psychotherapy. I conducted meta-analyses for 38 samples, and I performed regression analyses to identify moderating factors. Across all Rorschach scores, the total weighted sample effect size was r = .26, and nearly half the variables obtained effect sizes higher than .30. Several moderating factors were found. Most important, effect sizes increased with longer and more intensive therapy. More concern for interscorer reliability was associated with larger effect sizes, whereas a higher degree of scorer blinding was associated with smaller effect size magnitudes. Predicted levels of change based on the regression models indicated substantial increases in effect size with longer therapies. The data indicate that many elements in the Rorschach are valid indicators of change despite the poor reputation the method has acquired within psychotherapy research.     

Self-Reported Anger Among Traumatized Children and Adolescents

This investigation sought to establish if anger is associated with PTSD among children and adolescents or with trauma exposure in the absence of PTSD. The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) was administered to youth with PTSD (n=24), traumatized youth without PTSD (n=58), and a non-traumatized control group (n=38). In the absence of potentially confounding major comorbid disorders, the PTSD group had significantly higher scores on the STAXI State, Trait, and Angry Temperament scales. Trauma exposure in the absence of PTSD was not associated with higher anger scores.     

Risk-taking, death anxiety, and dreaming

Dream characteristics of 29 women from a graduate program were correlated with scores on the Sensation-Seeking and Death Anxiety scales. Significant positive correlations were obtained between Sensation Seeking and dream frequency (.38), meaningful dreams (.38), and Openness and depth of dreaming (.39) as well as between Thrill-seeking and dream frequency (.41) and meaningful dreams (.41). Death Anxiety scores positively related to the occurrence of nightmares (.37), representations of death in dreams (.55), and recurring nightmares (.38), but no support was found for a relationship between death anxiety and Sensation Seeking.     

Measuring values with the Short Schwartz's Value Survey

The reliability and validity of the Short Schwartz's Value Survey (SSVS) was examined in 4 studies. In Study 1 (N = 670), we examined whether value scores obtained with the SSVS correlate with those obtained with Schwartz's Value Survey (SVS; Schwartz, 1992, 1996) and the Portrait Values Questionnaire (Schwartz et al., 2001) and whether the quasi-circular structure of values can be found with the SSVS. In Study 2 (N = 3,261), we replicated the quasi-circular structure in a more heterogeneous sample and assessed whether the SSVS can differentiate appropriately between gender, religiosity, students from different fields, and supporters of left- and right-wing political parties. In Study 3 (N = 112), we examined the test-retest reliability of the SSVS and in Study 4 (N = 38), time saving gained by the SSVS compared to the SVS. The results show that the new scale had good reliability and validity and that the values measured by the SSVS were arrayed on a circle identical to the theoretical structure of values. We also provided equations that can be used in future studies to measure individuals' scores on the 2 main value dimensions, Self-Transcendence and Conservation.     

Attitude and knowledge changes in collegiate dancers following a short-term, team-centered prevention program on eating disorders

Eating knowledge, nutritional knowledge, and psychological changes among female collegiate dancers were examined before and after a 4-wk. team-centered program on sport nutrition, exercise, and disordered eating consequences. Collegiate female dancers from two NCAA Division I institutions participated in a control (n = 19; M age = 19.1 yr., SD = 1.0) or intervention (n = 21; M age = 19.2 yr., SD = 1.2) group. Measures were administered to both groups before and after intervention to assess eating disorders, depression, and nutritional and disordered eating knowledge. There was a statistically significant increase in scores on nutritional and overall eating disorder knowledge in the intervention group compared to the control group. Mean scores on depression, drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and maturity fears decreased in the intervention group.