Handwriting as a correlate of extraversion

The validity of graphologists' claims that handwriting is a measure of extraversion was examined in this study. Three handwriting measures, line slope, letter slant, and letter width were chosen, and the relationship between these measures and extraversion as measured by the Eysenck Personality Inventory was studied. The subjects were 58 tertiary students. No significant correlations between the handwriting measures and extraversion were found, nor were there significant intercorrelations between the three handwriting measures. Thus the results did not support the claim that the three handwriting measures were valid indices of extraversion.     

Trait anhedonia is a transdiagnostic correlate of internalizing problems during adolescence

Developmental research documents that anhedonia, or diminished interest in usual activities, is associated with a diverse array of emotional problems in childhood and adolescence. Meanwhile, official nosologies desginate anhedonia as a more specific characteristic of major depressive disorder. Using a quantitative model of the internalizing domain, we compared the strength of transdiagnostic versus diagnosis-specific pathways from anhedonia to major depression (and other internalizing conditions) during adolescence. We recruited 241 youth ages 14–17 who completed semistructured interviews of anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as several self-report surveys of trait anhedonia and neuroticism. Confirmatory factor analysis of diagnostic correlations revealed good fit for a unidimensional model of the 10 internalizing conditions we assessed. This overarching internalizing dimension was statistically significantly correlated with trait anhedonia (r = 0.17) and neuroticism (r = 0.59). In contrast, anhedonia was virtually unrelated to major depression (r = −0.02), net the internalizing dimension. Thus, in this sample, the connection between anhedonia and major depression was explained by a transdiagnostic dimension presumed to underlie all internalizing problems. Compared to neuroticism, however, anhedonia had a more limited association with internalizing, consistent with established personality models of anxiety and depression. We conclude that these data are consistent with conceptualizing anhedonia predominantly as a transdiagnostic correlate of internalizing conditions, rather than a specific marker of major depression, in developmental psychopathology research and clinical interventions for young people.     

Spiral aftereffect duration as a correlate of impulsiveness

In a correlational analysis impulsiveness (Imp), assessed by means of a questionnaire concerned with speed of judgment and decision making, was found to be negatively related to spiral aftereffect (SAE) duration. However, this relationship was present only in a sample of subjects with high neuroticism scores. In this group SAE duration was also positively related to debilitating anxiety. A parallel was seen between Imp and Heymans' “Secondary function,” a personality dimension which was similarly operationalized in a visual aftereffect experiment. Some other SAE correlates are also discussed.     

Self-control as a correlate of an Internalizing-Externalizing symptom dimension

The construct of self-control was explored as a correlate of the Internalizing-Externalizing symptom dimension.Ss were 11–13-year-old boys including 26 Internalizers with neurotic-like behavior problems, 40 Externalizers with acting-out behavior problems, and 26 normals. Each group was equally divided on the basis of social-class status. Results of measures on delay of gratification, reflection-impuisivity, and foresight and planning indicated that the normals exhibited the greatest degree of self-control and the Externalizers the least, while the Internalizes maintained an intermediate position. Consistent social-class differences were not found, but the factor of social class did heighten the differences within the Internalizers and Externalizers.This study is based on a doctoral dissertation submitted to the Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota. Norman Garmezy gave invaluable advice and guidance at every stage of the project. The research was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grants MH-06170 and MH-14914 to N. Garmezy, and MH-21154 to S. Weintraub.     

Parental Beliefs about Anxiety as a Mediator of Parental Overcontrol and Adolescent Anxiety

Journal of Child and Family Studies - Parental negative beliefs about child anxiety (PBA; e.g., thoughts that experiencing anxiety is harmful for the child) are significantly associated with child...     

Consciousness as a guide to personal persistence

Mentalistic (or Lockean) accounts of personal identity are normally formulated in terms of causal relations between psychological states such as beliefs, memories, and intentions. In this paper we develop an alternative (but still Lockean) account of personal identity, based on phenomenal relations between experiences. We begin by examining a notorious puzzle case due to Bernard Williams, and extract two lessons from it: first, that Williams's puzzle can be defused by distinguishing between the psychological and phenomenal approaches, second, that so far as personal identity is concerned, it is phenomenal rather than psychological continuity that matters. We then consider different ways in which the phenomenal approach may be developed, and respond to a number of objections.

That with which the consciousness of this present thinking thing can join itself, makes the same person, and is one self with it, and with nothing else; and so attributes to itself and owns all the actions of that thing, as its own, as far as that consciousness reaches, and no farther; as every one who reflects will perceive.

Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding [II.xxvii.17]     

Purpose as personal

Ethics and Education R. S. Peters London: George Allen &; Unwin, Ltd., 1966 Pp. 333, $4.50     

Anxiety as a primary symptom in cycloid psychosis

Psychotic anxiety has not been systematically included in standard psychopathologic and diagnostic literature, presumably because anxiety is implicitly perceived to be an emphatically comprehensible consequence of the cognitive symptoms of psychosis. This review gives an overview of neurophysiologic studies that indicate different pathogenic mechanisms for different types of psychosis. Convergent and complementary structural and functional imaging findings, biochemical and neuropsychological data allow conjecture as to neurophysiologic-psychopathologic links in cycloid psychosis. Intriguing results suggest that in cycloid psychosis, a generalized hyperasousal related to the tonus of the noradrenergic system may be the basic disturbance causing the delusionary and perceptual psychotic distortions. The findings are specific for cycloid psychoses, which are diagnosed as polymorphous psychosis in the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Edition. Furthermore, these findings are consistent with the author's hypothesis that the emotional derailment is the primary disturbance in cycloid psychosis (anxiety-elation). In contrast, cognitive disturbances are secondary and remit after the exceptional emotional state is rebalanced.     

Science Anxiety as a Function of Gender and Experience

This study examined the influence of gender and various background factors on science anxiety. Students (50 women, 37 men) took the Science Anxiety Scale (Mallow, 1994), provided information about high school and college academic accomplishments, described gender-role stereotyping in the home, and evaluated their science teachers and science experiences. Most participants were Caucasian and from an upper-middle class background. Women were not uniformly more science anxious and had a relatively similar science background to men, although they had higher science grades in high school and did report less stringent sex-role socialization in the home. However, students with high science anxiety took fewer science courses in college, had lower SAT-Q scores, and reported that their high school science teachers were not helpful. The findings regarding gender- and anxiety-linked differences are discussed in terms of women's and men's differential interpretations of their abilities, the influence of parental gender typing on pursuit of science, and the gender-appropriateness of studying science.     

Social class as a correlate of gender identity among lesbian women

Traditionally, researchers have portrayed butch and femme identities among lesbian women as gender roles. To complicate matters, rather than ask lesbian women to define butch and femme within the context of their own culture, researchers defined the terms themselves. This study adds to the literature in two ways: (1) lesbian women are asked to define butch and femme on their own terms and (2) social class is considered as a correlate to the formation of butch and femme gender identities. A snowball sample of 235 women participated in the study. Ninety-three percent of the participants are white, 7% are women of color. Social classes, as measured by income and education, are diverse within the sample. Findings indicate that lesbian women define butch and femme differently than have researchers, and that social class is a significant determinant of whether or not a lesbian woman defines herself as butch or femme.Part of this paper was presented at the American Sociological Association 1995 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. I thank Dr. Leonard Beeghley and two anonymousSex Roles reviewers for their valuable comments on earlier drafts.     

Discrepant Achievement in College as a Function of Anxiety and Repression

An entering freshman class was divided into 9 subgroups based on conjoint anxiety and repression scores (high, medium, and low) after being dichotomized by sex. Predictions of first-semester achievement (GPA) were based on SAT verbal and mathematical scores. A discrepancy score was calculated for each student by relating predicted to actual achievement. Repression (Welsh R) was found to be significantly and positively related to achievement for males. A moderate level of anxiety (Welsh A) was observed to be related to achievement for female students.