Personality characteristics of eating-disordered outpatients as measured by the Hand Test

The Hand Test was administered to 34 eating-disordered and 26 noneating-disordered college-age women to determine discriminating projective personality features. Eating-disordered women scored higher on response time, overall pathology, and passivity. Anorexics present more tension, aggression, and acting out potential whereas bulimics demonstrate significantly more passive responses. The more severely affected women scored higher on crippled, passive, and withdrawal variables. Similarities as well as differences between the groups may have important implications for the diagnosis of subgroups of eating-disordered women and for treatment planning.     

Personality Characteristics of Eating-Disordered Outpatients as Measured by the Hand Test

The Hand Test was administered to 34 eating-disordered and 26 noneating-disordered college-age women to determine discriminating projective personality features. Eating-disordered women scored higher on response time, overall pathology, and passivity. Anorexics present more tension, aggression, and acting out potential whereas bulimics demonstrate significantly more passive responses. The more severely affected women scored higher on crippled, passive, and withdrawal variables. Similarities as well as differences between the groups may have important implications for the diagnosis of subgroups of eating-disordered women and for treatment planning.     

Real and ideal self-images in second- and fifth-grade children: Reliability,validity and factorial structure

The reliability, construct validity, and factorial structure of three self-image instruments were assesses in a total of 80 second- and fifth-grade children. Both real self-images (children's current views of themselves) and ideal self-images (the self views to which children aspire) were assessed. the split-half and test—retest reliabilities of the instruments were adequate even for children's as young as second graders. Stronger evidence of construct validity was found for the older children, although the intercorrelation patterns for both age groups were characterized by larger correlations between assessments of real and ideal self-images using the same instrument than between assessments of the same component of the self-image across the three instruments. Contrary to predictions gener ated by developmental theory, the factor analyses provided non evidence of increasing differentiation of the self-image with age. They did, however, reveal that second and fifth graders distinguish distinctly different functional domains within their self-images.     

Perceptions of parental relationships in the eating disorders: the relevance of depressed mood

Recent studies have suggested that subtypes of eating-disordered persons differ in their perceptions of their family environments. This study used Benjamin's (1983) Structural Analysis of Social Behavior to examine how depressed mood influenced eating-disordered subjects' ratings of their parental relationships. The results indicated that when level of mood disturbance was statistically controlled, there were no significant differences in parent ratings among restricting anorexics, bulimic-anorexics, bulimics, and normal control subjects. The results are discussed in terms of the possible relations of mood, eating disorder, and perception of family relationships.     

Gender differences in eating attitudes,body concept,and self-esteem among models

Eating attitudes, body concept, and self-esteem were investigated among professional fashion models and controls. Samples were predominantly Caucasian and from upper and middle class backgrounds. Women displayed significantly more eating-disordered behavior and lower levels of body satisfaction and self-esteem than men. Whereas the self-esteem of female models was higher than that of female controls the self-esteem of male models and male controls did not differ. Female undergraduates displayed the lowest self-esteem among the groups. Finally, despite findings that the majority of female models were underweight while the majority of female undergraduates were within recommended weight ranges, both groups displayed similar levels of eating-disordered behavior. Results suggest that the slender figures of professional fashion models are best viewed as lying at one extreme of the normal distribution of body types rather than as the product of purposeful dieting behavior to be attained by average women.We wish to thank Thomas Boone, Peter Conrad, Susan Mcdonald, and Malcolm Watson for their support of this project. This research was funded in part by a Brandeis University Undergraduate Fellowship. Requests for reprints should be sent to either author at Department of Psychology, 125 Brown Social Science Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254-9110.     

Self-images and related autobiographical memories in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness, which affects sense of identity. While the ability to have a coherent vision of the self (i.e., self-images) relies partly on its reciprocal relationships with autobiographical memories, little is known about how memories ground "self-images" in schizophrenia. Twenty-five patients with schizophrenia and 25 controls were asked to give six autobiographical memories related to four self-statements they considered essential for defining their identity. Results showed that patients' self-images were more passive than those of controls. Autobiographical memories underlying self-images were less thematically linked to these self-images in patients. We also found evidence of a weakened sense of self and a deficient organization of autobiographical memories grounding the self in schizophrenia. These abnormalities may account for the poor cohesiveness of the self in schizophrenia.     

Suicide prevention for high-risk persons who refuse treatment.

A program was developed to exert a suicide prevention influence on high-risk persons who decline to enter the health care system. There were 3,006 patients admitted to a psychiatric in-patient service because of a depressive or suicidal state who were contacted to determine if the post-discharge plan was followed. Half of those who refused their treatment program were contacted by telephone or letter on a set schedule. The contact was limited to expressing interest in the person's well-being. Mortality in the contact group was compared with the no-contact subjects and with the subjects who had accepted treatment, after 1, 2, 3, and 4 years. Suicidal deaths were found to diverge progressively in the three groups, the treatment subjects showing the highest rates, the no-contact group coming next, and the contact subjects showing the lowest. The observed divergence between the contact and no-contact groups provides tentative evidence that a high-risk population for suicide can be identified and that a system-atic approach to reducing that risk can be applied.     

Social perception as induction and inference: an integrative model of intergroup differentiation, ingroup favoritism, and differential accuracy

Three general properties of social stereotypes are the perception of differences between ingroups and outgroups (intergroup differentiation), the perception of ingroups as having more desirable attributes than outgroups (ingroup favoritism), and the greater accuracy of ingroup perceptions (differential accuracy). We present and test an inductive-reasoning model that accounts for all 3 phenomena, and we explicate the relations among them. Based on empirical evidence, the model assumes that most people have a positive self-image, that they project these self-images more strongly to ingroups than to outgroups, and that their self-images are valid cues for judgments about social groups. Two minimal-group experiments using a crossed-categorization paradigm support the model and provide new evidence for underlying psychological processes.     

Examining Gender with General Creativity and Preferences for Creative Persons in College Students within the Sciences and the Arts

The purpose of the research was to investigate gender similarities and differences in general creativity constructs with their preferences for creative persons. Data were collected from 247 participants (87 engineering, 24 psychology students with a psychology major, 51 psychology students with a major other than psychology, 30 English, and 55 music students) from a large Mideastern Big 10 university. All participants completed measures of general creativity (creative personality, creative temperament and cognitive risk tolerance) and a demographic questionnaire with the request to list 10 creative persons and their given field. Results indicated that males and females tended to have similar levels of general creativity, yet the most frequently listed creative eminent persons tended to be male. The most frequently listed creative person selections were in science and art, with the three most frequently selected eminent persons being in the science domains. The most frequent creative person selections, consistently selected by at least 10 participants, were Caucasian males.     

Explorations of silence in the religious rituals of Buddhists and Quakers

This paper is a participant-observation-based study of one Quaker and three Buddhist groups. Using a sociological framework, it explores silence as actively practiced in religious ritual. It demonstrates the usefulness of employing multiple continuums to analyze practices, including a speech–silence continuum, a body movement–body stillness continuum, and a thinking–not thinking continuum. Even when silence is seen as active, it may be construed as functioning to turn people inward and away from each other. Instead, this paper demonstrates how silence for these groups is not necessarily socially isolating. For instance, participants not only learned, practiced, and reflected on silence together, but drew connections between the practice of silence and changes in everyday social interactions, including bringing compassion into these. Some persons referred to realizing a sense of interconnectedness in the silence akin to a Meadian fusion.     

Sex-role perceptions among black female athletes and nonathletes

This study compared sex-role perceptions of Black female college athletes and nonathletes, and examined the relationship between sex-role perceptions and socioeconomic, demographic, familial, and psychological variables. The study replicated, in part, similar research by Snyder and Kivlin, who found differences in sex-role perceptions between athletes and nonathletes. Statistical treatment of data included chi-square technique, correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Interpretation of data indicated no significant differences in sex-role perceptions between Black female athletes and nonathletes. Independent variables influencing sex-role perceptions to a significant degree included age and body weight for both subgroups, with lesser influence derived from parental education level and psychological variables. Athletes' perception of their ability and the age they began their training influenced sex-role perceptions significantly. Athletic experiences for Black females appears distinct from that of White females, as perceived by the athlete and community, and this distinction influences sex-role perceptions of female athletes.This article is a revision of a paper presented at the meeting of the Mid-South Sociological Society, Shreveport, La., October 1981.     

The relationship between dual-career and post-sport career transition among elite athletes in South Africa,Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe

The primary objective of this study was to get an in-depth account of the role of dual careers on elite athletes' post-sport career transition and to examine these issues cross-culturally between South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. This study also examined the availability of support services for student-athletes’ dual-careers in their respective countries. Lastly, this study examined the retirement transition experiences of dual-career elite athletes compared to non-dual career elite athletes. To achieve the study objectives, the study used online survey, semi-structured interviews and focus groups to collected data on retired athletes from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. A total of 17 retired athletes (12 males and 5 females) from various sports (athletics-6, swimming-2, Boxing-2, rowing-2, field hockey-2, gymnastics-1, triathlon-1, biking-1) in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe participated in the study. All athletes had competed at the Olympic games except one athlete who competed at world championships and the commonwealth games. The study observed three major themes (type of retirement, dual-career, and challenges) as crucial in elite athletes' retirement transition and post-sport career. Consistent with the literature on retirement transition, the study observed that athletes' experiences in elite sport are crucial in explaining not only their retirement transition, but also their post-sport career adaptation.     

The influence of perceived parental responsiveness on athletes’ goal accomplishment,trait cognitive sport anxiety,and thriving: A semi-longitudinal study

The purpose of this study was to examine temporally distal influence at a three-month interval of perceived parental responsiveness on athletes’ goal accomplishment, trait cognitive sport anxiety, and thriving. Young players (154 males, 51 females, M = 12.50 years, SD = 0.65) involved in rugby, basketball, and handball participated in the study. Initially, participants set three goals to accomplish over the next three months and completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of their parents’ responsiveness, perceived self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Three months later, participants completed questionnaires assessing their goal accomplishment, worry about sport performance, and thriving. The results showed that athletes’ perceptions of their mother’s/father’s responsiveness, mediated by perceived athletes’ self-efficacy to accomplish their goals, influenced their goal accomplishment and trait cognitive sport anxiety three months later. The results also showed that athletes’ perceptions of their mother’s/father’s responsiveness, mediated by athletes’ self-esteem, influenced athletes’ thriving and trait cognitive sport anxiety three months later. Overall, the present study uniquely contributes to the understanding of parent-athlete relationships by showing that athletes’ perceptions of their mother’s and father’s responsiveness influence certain distal outcomes three months later (i.e., goal accomplishment, sports anxiety, and thriving) while mediated by self-efficacy and self-esteem.     

Inducing an interpretation bias changes self-imagery: a preliminary investigation

Prior work suggests that variations in self-imagery can influence the emotional interpretations people make about social situations. The current experiment investigated the converse possibility: that inducing an inferential bias can change the content of self-related images. The effects of repeated practice in accessing either negative or positive social outcomes was tested by having participants report on self-images generated during subsequent experience with ambiguous social situations. Participants and independent judges rated the content of participants’ self-images as being more negative after prior practice in accessing negative rather than positive social outcomes. Furthermore, participants who practiced accessing negative outcomes rated their anticipated anxiety in an imagined stressful social situation as being greater, and their expected social performance as poorer than participants in the positive outcome group. Groups did not differ in state anxiety levels when making their ratings, so it is unlikely that any observed differences between groups can be attributed to mood effects. We suggest that this finding is consistent with the hypothesis that inferential biases and content of self-images can interact with each other and may together serve to maintain social anxiety.     

Exploring the retirement from sport decision-making process based on the transtheoretical model

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to complement and extend the current knowledge of the particular stages of athletes’ career transition process through employing the transtheoretical model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1984) as a theoretical framework. More specifically, the current study aimed to explore Korean elite tennis players’ career transition process through focusing on their retirement decision-making process, including their cognitive and behavioral changes and internal and external influences for their decisions during the final stages of their sport careers and the retirement decision-making process.DesignWe employed focus groups.MethodsA total of 12 participants took part in one of three focus groups (i.e., four current players, five retired players, and three coaches) that focused on the process of athletes' retirement decision-making. All participants (seven males and five females; Mean age = 31.25, SD = 3.49 years) were either current or former Korean elite-level tennis players. The data were thematically content analyzed.ResultsThe results revealed three themes: (a) readiness for retirement, (b) psychological and emotional responses during the decision-making process, and (c) coping strategies; and showed that athletes’ decision-making at the end of their sports careers is a dynamic process, accompanied by various emotional responses requiring different coping strategies at different stages.ConclusionFindings indicated that the transtheoretical model helped to explain athletes’ decision-making in retiring from sport and suggested to the need to provide different interventions at different stages. Identifying detailed aspects of readiness for retirement and examining the effectiveness of interventions grounded in the transtheoretical model are recommended as future research directions.     

How Did the Sport Make You Feel? Looking at the Three Dimensions of Emotion through a Gendered Lens

Emotional responses to mediated messages are dependent on the viewer and the content of the message. In this experiment, self-reported emotional responses of undergraduate females (N = 43) to gendered sports portrayals featuring male and female athletes were measured on the self-assessment mannikin. Female viewers felt more positive, aroused and dominant while watching sports broadcasts featuring female athletes rather than broadcasts featuring male athletes. These finding suggest that female viewers have these emotional responses due to the fact that these female athletes are surpassing the expectations their participation held in a traditionally masculine area. Also, feelings of positivity and arousal toward male athletes participating in feminine sports shows an acceptance of male athletes exhibiting characteristics traditionally thought exclusive to females.     

Peer ratings of males and females possessing different sex-role identities

Two investigations were conducted to explore peer ratings of males and females exhibiting different sex roles. In the first study, 160 males and females representing four sex-role groups were rated by close, same sex friends on Gough's Adjective Check List. The results indicated that for both males and females, the four sex-role groups were perceived differently by their friends. I n the second investigation, peer rated adjectives which differentiated between the sex-role groups in Study I were evaluated on a positive/negative dimension; self-rated adjectives differentiating between the four sex-role groups in an earlier study (Baucom, 1980) were evaluated similarly. The findings showed that the peer-rated and self-rated adjectives which differentiated androgynous males and females from the other sex-role groups were viewed more positively than adjectives describing any other group: peer-rated and self-rated adjectives describing undifferentiated persons were consistently viewed negatively. Significant differences between the evaluations of the peer-rated and self-rated adjectives suggest that conclusions about the effects of sex roles are likely to vary, depending upon whether self-report inventories or peer ratings are investigated. Cautions are presented regarding generalizations from only one method of measurement.