Psychology of computer use: XXVI. Computer-related stress and in-class computer usage.

Two-year college students receiving three different levels of class-based computer experiences were surveyed using Hudiburg's Computer Technology Hassles Scale. Although their academic work involved widely different types of work with computers, all groups (ns = 23, 32, and 24) appeared to perceive the same interactions with computers as unpleasant. The students selected unpleasant interactions in the same numbers and with the same intensity.     

Psychology of computer use: XXIII. Validating a measure of computer-related stress

Prediction of the final grade in a computer course using the Computer Technology Hassles Scale, a measure of computer-related stress, was investigated. A sample of 154 university students enrolled in computer courses completed questionnaires covering demographic data, information on computer use, the Computer Technology Hassles Scale, and somatic complaint items of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Pearson correlations indicated scores on the Computer Technology Hassles Scale were significantly associated .27 with somatic complaints, -.24 with computer-course grades, and -.18 with self-rated computer knowledge. Regression analysis indicated that self-rated computer knowledge and scores on the Computer Technology Hassles Scale significantly predicted computer-course grade.     

Eating disorder examination questionnaire and clinical impairment assessment questionnaire: general population and clinical norms for young adult women in Sweden

Optimal use of assessment instruments for the detection and diagnosis of eating disorders (ED) depends on the availability of normative data. The aim of this work was to, for the first time, collect norms for both the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the newly developed Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA) Scale from a general population of young women in Sweden, as well as from a clinical population of ED patients in Sweden. Participants were composed of both a randomized sample from the general population of women aged 18–30 years (N = 760) as well as from a clinical population aged 18–66 years (N = 2383). Data for the clinical population was extracted from the Stepwise database. Mean scores, standard deviations and percentile ranks for the global for the EDE-Q (as well as its subscales) and the CIA are presented. Prevalence figures of key eating disorder behaviors are also reported. Comparisons are made between the results in the present study with other existing normative studies on the EDE-Q and the CIA. The present study contributes to improving the accuracy of the interpretation of scores of the widely used self-report measure of ED, the EDE-Q, and the CIA, both of which play important roles in for diagnosis, prevention and intervention of ED.     

Psychology of computer use: V. Computer use and the experience of time

To determine whether estimates of duration are altered when people use computers, 60 undergraduates solved easy or difficult single-solution anagrams presented on paper and by computer. Subjects who solved easy anagrams presented on paper underestimated the duration of time allowed for the task, while subjects who completed the anagrams presented by computer overestimated that duration. Also, subjects who solved difficult anagrams presented on computers solved significantly fewer anagrams than did subjects who solved difficult anagrams presented on paper. Results are discussed in terms of contradictory results of past research regarding perceived complexity of events in intervals and the interaction of task type and time estimation.     

Psychology of computer use: XXIV. Computer-related stress among technical college students.

Hudiburg's Computer Technology Hassles Scale, along with a measure of global stress and a scale on attitudes toward computers, were administered to 186 students in a two-year technical college. Hudiburg's work with the hassles scale as a measure of "technostress" was affirmed. Moderate, but statistically significant, correlations among the three scales are reported. No relationship between the hassles scale and achievement as measured by GPA was detected.     

Co-occurrence of personality disorders with mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders in a young adult population

The purpose of this study was to determine the co-occurrence of DSM- III-R personality disorders (PDs) with mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders in a young adult population. The members of the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Project, living in the city of Oulu with an age of 31 years (N = 1,609) were invited to participate in a two-phase field study. The SCID I and II were used as diagnostic instruments. One hundred and seventy-seven out of 321 interviewed subjects met the criteria for mood, anxiety, or substance use disorders. Altogether 72 (41%) of the subjects with an Axis I disorder met the criteria for at least one PD. The weighted co-occurrence rate of any PD varied from 28% for mood disorders to 47% for anxiety disorders. PDs, especially those in Cluster C, are highly associated with Axis I psychiatric disorders in population.     

The reliability of a computer interview for drug use/abuse information

A computer interview was developed to collect information about drug use/abuse from high school students. Responses to this interview were compared with those obtained from an identical paper-and-pencil questionnaire given to the same students, in counterbalanced order. Results were comparable for the two methods, but missing data and logically inconsistent answers obtained with the paper-and-pencil questionnaire were not possible with the computer interview. The overwhelming majority of respondents preferred the computer interview as a means of data collection.     

Sexual behavior in young adulthood: a population-based twin study.

OBJECTIVE: With behavior genetic analyses of data from young adult twins, we evaluated theoretical perspectives that differentially emphasize biological dispositions, social/cultural factors, or universal pathways to explain individual differences in sexual behaviors. DESIGN: We fit biometric sex limitation models to three aspects of sexual behavior reported by 4,925 Finnish twins ages 23-27. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: From a postal questionnaire, we obtained self-report information on initiation/abstinence of sexual intercourse, onset age, and number of sexual partners. RESULTS: Genetic and non-shared environmental influences were significant for all three measures. There were trends for common environmental influences on initiation and, in females, age at first intercourse. Some differential effects in males and females were found. Results comparing onset age and number of partners among experienced twins from pairs concordant and discordant for initiation found genetic and environmental influences on initiation/abstinence overlapped those found for the other aspects of sexual behavior. CONCLUSIONS: These results document genetic variation in individual differences in sexual behavior of young adults. Incorporating genetic dispositions into integrated models of sexual behavior will facilitate more effective health promotion and risk taking intervention.     

The influence of peers on young adult substance use.

Data collected from 294 young adults, ages 19 to 25, and both a same- and an opposite-gender best friend or mate across 3 annual assessments were analyzed to examine the similarity to and influence of the peer on the young adult's substance use. The authors found similarity across time between both peers and the young adult in cigarette use, alcohol use, binge drinking, and, in most cases, marijuana use. In prospective analyses, peer use predicted young adult cigarette use, binge drinking, and problem use by the young adults. Results were generally consistent across gender and for both same- and opposite-gender peers. Findings emphasize peer influence contribution to young adult substance use and suggest the design of interventions that involve both young adults and their peers.     

Psychology of computer use: IV. Effects of video display units on fundamental visual processes: temporal resolution

Measures of two-pulse resolution (2PR) using foveally and peripherally viewed targets were obtained before and after reading videotext and print. Three pulse durations (25, 250, and 300 msec.) were used. The results showed that (a) 2PR on the fovea is about a fourth of that on the periphery, (b) peripheral 2PR increases following reading videotext, and (c) no appreciable effects occur following reading print.     

Selected Designs and the background interference procedure: evaluation of use with a specific population.

A combination of Selected Designs and Background Interference Procedure was administered to 31 (11 men, 20 women) adult inpatients. Only 48% of the protocols showed discriminable differences between the first and second reproductions.     

Validity of a short measure of child sexual abuse for use in adult mental health surveys

An 18-yr. follow-up of 49 children for whom presence or apparent absence of sexual abuse was independently verified by social service reports in childhood, indicated partial validity for a recently developed measure of sexual abuse. Of 19 subjects known to have been sexually abused in childhood, 74% recalled details of such abuse when young adults.     

Association of television violence exposure with executive functioning and white matter volume in young adult males

Prior research has indicated that self-reported violent media exposure is associated with poorer performance on some neuropsychological tests in adolescents. This study aimed to examine the relationship of executive functioning to violent television viewing in healthy young adult males and examine how brain structure is associated with media exposure measures. Sixty-five healthy adult males (ages 18–29) with minimal video game experience estimated their television viewing habits over the past year and, during the subsequent week, recorded television viewing time and characteristics in a daily media diary. Participants then completed a battery of neuropsychological laboratory tests quantifying executive functions and underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Aggregate measures of executive functioning were not associated with measures of overall television viewing (any content type) during the past week or year. However, the amount of television viewing of violent content only, as indicated by both past-year and daily diary measures, was associated with poorer scores on an aggregate score of inhibition, interference control and attention, with no relationship to a composite working memory score. In addition, violent television exposure, as measured with daily media diaries, was associated with reduced frontoparietal white matter volume. Future longitudinal work is necessary to resolve whether individuals with poor executive function and slower white matter growth are more drawn to violent programming, or if extensive media violence exposure modifies cognitive control mechanisms mediated primarily via prefrontal cortex. Impaired inhibitory mechanisms may be related to reported increases in aggression with higher media violence exposure.     

Psychometric evaluation of the dating anxiety survey: A self-report questionnaire for the assessment of dating anxiety in males and females

The Dating Anxiety Survey (DAS) was constructed to assess dating anxiety in males and females. Factor analysis of the survey revealed three factors: passive contact, active intentions for dating, and dating interactions. The reliabilities of the three subscales, as determined by coefficient alpha, were .87, .91, and .93 for males and .90, .90, and .92 for females, respectively. Correlations with dating history and a measure of social anxiety were generally of a low but significant magnitude, providing some support for concurrent validity. The results of the factor analysis lend support to the construct validity of the DAS. These findings suggest that the DAS is a potentially useful instrument in the self-report of dating anxiety.Portions of this paper were presented at the meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA, March 1983.     

Young males attending a family-planning clinic: some ideas about consequences of child abuse

33 young males attending a family-planning clinic were asked about the consequences of child abuse as it affects behavioral problems of teens and their interest in programs that deal specifically with these problems. Nine reported they had been victims of abuse. Most believed that drug and alcohol misuse and suicide were the major consequences of child abuse. Fifteen were interested in programs for prevention of child abuse but not for specific problems such as substance misuse and smoking cessation. This study's findings suggest that family-planning clinics with services for males must address their behavioral as well as medical needs.     

Reliability of transcranial magnetic stimulation measurements of maximum activation of the knee extensors in young adult males

Purpose

• •Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) provides an indication of changes occurring in the corticospinal pathway. This study aimed to determine the between-day (trials 1 week apart) and within-day (trials 1 h apart) reliability of TMS and peripheral nerve stimulation.

Methods

• •22 male participants (age 23 ± 4 years; height 1.80 ± 0.07 m; body mass 75.1 ± 11.7 kg; body mass index 23.1 ± 2.5 kg.m⁻²) completed 2 familiarisation sessions and 3 experimental trials (trial 2 and 3 split by 1 h). The interpolated twitch technique was used to determine TMS-assessed voluntary activations (VA-_TMS) superimposed on submaximal and maximal leg extension performed on a custom-built dynamometer. Reliability was assessed using equivalence tests, systematic error, 95% limits of agreement, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV).

Results

• •VA-_TMS was equivalent between-day (94.1 ± 4.4% versus 93.7 ± 4.9%, P < 0.01) and within-day (93.7 ± 4.9% versus 93.7 ± 4.8%, P < 0.01). Systematic error (95% limits of agreement) for VA-_TMS was −0.5% (−5.1%, 4.2%) for between-day and − 0.0% (−5.3%, 5.4%) for within-day. ICC and CV values demonstrated high reliability between-day (ICC = 0.93, CV = 2.5%) and within-day (ICC = 0.92, CV = 2.9%).

Conclusion

• •Results indicate that TMS can reliably estimate the output of the motor cortex to the knee extensors, both between-day and within-day. The findings have been used to estimate sample sizes for this technique for future research.