Experiences and engagement with the design features and strategies of an internet-delivered treatment programme for generalised anxiety disorder: a service-based evaluation

Background: Outcome research has highlighted the efficacy of internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT). Some process research has examined users experiences of iCBT. Understanding the user experience provides valuable feedback to developers of internet-delivered interventions.

Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate user's experiences and engagement with the design features of an internet-delivered treatment programme for anxiety.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 participant users of the Space from Anxiety programme. A thematic analysis framework was employed to analyse the data collected.

Results: Identified themes related to participants engagement and adherence with the programme material, participant's experience of personal development through interaction with the programme content and participants experience of the social features employed in the programme. Another theme investigated the various attributes or conditions necessary for internet-delivered therapy to be helpful to an individual.

Conclusion: Considering the experiences of users of online interventions provides insight into what works for whom both in terms of technological features and the various skills and strategies that may compose the treatment intervention. Knowing more about what design features and strategies/components of the intervention are attractive and keep users involved can only enhance the delivery of effective internet-delivered interventions for anxiety disorders.     

Book reviews and book received

The most practised, the least taught David S. Werman: The Practice of Supportive Psychotherapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1984. $34.00.

Another load of research L.S. Greenberg and W.M. Pinsof (eds.): The Psychotherapeutic Process: a Research Handbook. New York: Guilford, 1986. £39.95.

Crisis of identity K. Yardley &; T. Honess (eds.): Self and Identity: Psychosocial Perspectives. Chichester: Wiley, 1987. £28.

A dig from the 'Rib' Sue O'Sullivan (ed.): Women's Health: a Spare Rib Reader. London: Pandora, 1987. £5.95.

'Weak on vision, hot on workshops' Zandy B. Leibowitz, Caela Farren and Beverley L. Kaye: Designing Career Development Systems. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1986. £30.75.

Holland not neglected in Australia Jan J. Lokan and Keith F. Taylor (eds.): Holland in Australia: a Vocational Choice Theory in Research and Practice. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research, 1986. $A24.95.

Need help getting a job? Elizabeth B. Yost and M. Anne Corbishley: Career Counseling: a Psychological Approach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1987. £24.

Children's health B. Mayall: Keeping Children Healthy. London: Allen &; Unwin, 1986. £6.95.

Educating about divorce Kathleen M. Cox and Martin Desforges: Divorce and the School. London: Methuen, 1987. £7.95.     

Games,Rules, and Practices

We present and defend a view labeled “practiceism” which provides a solution to the incompatibility problems. The classic incompatibility problem is inconsistency of: 1. Someone who intentionally violates the rules of a game is not playing the game.

2. In many cases, players intentionally violate the rules as part of playing the game (e.g. fouling to stop the clock in basketball).

The problem has a normative counterpart: 1’. In normal cases, it is wrong for a player to intentionally violate the rules of the game.

2’. In many normal cases, it is not wrong for a player to intentionally violate the rules of the game (e.g. fouling to stop the clock in basketball).

According to both formalism and informalism, the rules of the game include the formal rules of the game. Both traditional positions avoid the incompatibility problems by rejecting 1 and 1'. Practiceism rejects 2 and 2’: it maintains that the rules are the rules manifested in playing the game, not the formal rules.

Practiceism presents two theses: (a) the real rules of the game are the rules players follow: the practice determines the rules, and not vice versa. (b) the (first order) rules of a game determine what is legitimate within the game.     

Book reviews and books received

Colin Murray Parkes and Joan Stevenson-Hinde (eds.): The Place of Attachment in Human Behaviour. London: Tavistock, 1982. £14.50.

A. G. Watts: Education, Unemployment and the Future of Work. Milton Keynes: Open University Press, 1983. £5.95.

Kenneth Roberts: School Leavers and their Prospects: Youth and the Labour Market in the 1980s. Milton Keynes: Open University Press, 1984. £5.95.

Peter Herriot: Down from the Ivory Tower: Graduates and their Jobs. Chichester: Wiley, 1984. £13.25.

Edwin J. Thomas: Designing Interventions for the Helping Professions. London: Sage, 1984. £28.00 (hardback); £14.00 (paperback).

Tony Collins and Terry Bruce: Staff Support and Staff Training. London: Tavistock, 1984. £4.95 (paperback).

Helen C. Masson and Patrick O'Byrne: Applying Family Therapy. Oxford: Pergamon, 1984. £7.95.

Michael Berger, Gregory J. Jurkovic and Associates:Practicing Family Therapy in Diverse Settings. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1984. £19.95.     

The VIIIth International Congress of the Rorschach and Projective Techniques at Zaragoza,Spain, August, 1971

Henry E. Adams and William K. Boardman. Advances in Experimental Clinical Psychology. Elmsford, N. Y.: Pergamon Press, 1971, 219 pages, $11.50. Reviewed by Sol L. Garfield

L. B. Ames, R. W. Metraux, and R. N. Walker. Adolescent Rorschach Responses. Rev. Ed.) New York: Bruner/Mazel, 1971, 319 pages, $10.00. Reviewed by Donald B. Colson, Ph.D.

Rudolf Arnheim. Toward a Psychology of Art: Collected Essays. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1972, 369 pages, $3.95. Reviewed by Ray A. Craddick, PhD

Harriet Linton Barr, Robert J. Langs, and Robert R. Holt, Leo Goldberger, George S. Klein. LSD: Personality and Experience. New York: Wiley-Interscience, 1972, 247 pages, $10.00. Reviewed by Russell Eisenman

Marta Olivetti Belardinelli. Identificazione e proiezione: Natura e caratteristiche. Bologna: Cappelli Editore, 1971, 212 pages. Price not given. Reviewed by Luciano L'Abate

Henry B. Biller. Father, Child and Sex Role. Lexington, Massachusetts: D. C. Heath, 1971 xi, 208 pages, $12.50. Reviewed by A. Barclay, Ph.D.

Herbert L. Collier. The Psychology of Twins. Phoenix: Herbert L. Collier, Ph.D., Ltd. 1972. 145 pages, no price given. Reviewed by Edward S. Filicky, Ph.D.

W. Grant Dahlstrom, George S. Welsh, and Leona E. Dahlstrom. An MMPI Handbook, Volume I: Clinical Interpretation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1972. 507 pages, $18.75. Reviewed by Jerome D. Pauker, PhD

Hans J. Eysenck (Ed.). Readings in Extraversion-Introversion, 3 volumes. New York: Wiley Interscience-John Wiley, 1971, 1411 pages, $41.50 set. Reviewed by Eugene J. Loveless, PhD

Hans J. Eysenck and Sybil Eysenck. Personality Structure and Measurement. San Diego: Robert Knapp, 1972. 365 pages, no price given. Reviewed by Russell Eisenman

Charles A. Kiesler. The Psychology of Commitment. New York: Academic Press, 1971, xii + 190 pages, $9.95. Reviewed by Lita Linzer Schwartz

Edgar A. Levenson. The Fallacy of Understanding: An Inquiry into the Changing Structure of Psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books, 1972, 236 pages, $7.95. Reviewed by Lois Ann Levin, Ph.D.

Eugene E. Levitt and Aare Truumaa. The Rorschach Technique with Children and Adolescents. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1972, 146 pages, $7.95. Reviewed by Robert Allen, PhD

S. R. Maddi and P. T. Costa. Humanism in Personology. Chicago: Aldine-Atherton, 1972, 200 pages. Cloth, $7.75; Paper, $3.75. Reviewed by Ernest Kramer, Ph.D.

James F. Masterson. Treatment of the Borderline Adolescent: A Developmental Approach. New York: Wiley &; Sons, 1972, 289 pages, $13.50. Reviewed by Leo Goldberger, PhD

James F. Masterson. Treatment of the Borderline Adolescent: A Developmental Approach. New York: John Wiley &; Sons, 1972, 289 pages, $13.50. Reviewed by Irving R. Stone

Peter Mittler (Ed.) The Psychological Assessment of Mental and Physical Handicaps. London: Methuen; New York: Barnes &; Noble, 1970, 857 pages, $25.00. Reviewed by Leon J. Whitsell, MD

H. Nagera (Ed.). The Hampstead Clinic Psychoanalytic Library. Vol. IV. Basic Psychoanalytic Concepts on Metapsychology, Conflicts, Anxiety and Other Subjects. New York: Basic Books, 1970, 233 pages, $7.50. Reviewed by George Athey, Jr., PhD

A. S. Neill. Neill! Neill! Orange Peel! New York: Hart Publishing Co., 1972, 538 pages, $10.00. Reviewed by Irving R. Stone

Donald P. Ogdon. Psychodiagnostics and Personality Assessment: A Handbook. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services, 1967, paperbound, 96 pages, $7.50. Reviewed by Eleanore Kay

B. G. Rosenthal, The Images of Man. New York: Basic Books, 1971, 244 pages, $8.95.

I. Chein, The Science of Behavior and the Image of Man. New York: Basic Books, 1972, 348 pages, $12.50. Reviewed by Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi

Joseph S. Roucek (Ed.). The Slow Learner. New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1969, 373 pages, $10.00. Reviewed by Leon J. Whitsell, M.D.

Aron W. Siegman and Benjamin Pope (Eds.) Studies in Dyadic Communication. New York: Pergamon Press, 1972, 336 pages, $13.50.

Joseph D. Matarazzo and Arthur N. Wiens. The Interview: Research on its Anatomy and Structure. Chicago: Aldine·Atherton, 1972, 183 pages, $9.75.

Albert Mehrabian. Nonverbal Communication. Chicago: Aldine·Atherton, 1972, 226 pages, $9.75. Reviewed by David C. Murray     

Thyroid chondroplasty: Smoothing the thyroid cartilage— A retrospective study of thyroid chondroplasty for feminine neck appearance

Background: Thyroid chondroplasty is a surgical intervention for reduction of the Adam's apple, performed in trans women to achieve a more feminine appearance of the neck. This procedure is necessary since hormonal therapy given as part of gender affirming medical interventions has no effect on the mature larynx.

Objectives: We aim to describe our thyroid chondroplasty surgical technique and outcome of all thyroid chondroplasties performed during the study period.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of all thyroid chondroplasty procedures performed in a tertiary referral center between 2006 and 2015. Patients' clinical characteristics and surgical outcome were recorded and analyzed.

Results: Twenty-seven trans women underwent thyroid chondroplasty in our institution. Post-operative complications included a single patient who suffered from false vocal fold (ventricular folds) hematoma that resolved spontaneously. Five other patients had an erythematous scar. No other complications were observed.

Conclusion: Thyroid chondroplasty is a safe procedure for achieving a feminine neck contour in trans women.     

Sex,germs, and health: pathogen-avoidance motives and health-protective behaviour

Objective: Recent work suggests that the psychology of pathogen-avoidance has wide-reaching effects on how people interact with the world. These processes – part of what has been referred to as the behavioural immune system – are, in a way, our ‘evolved’ health psychology. However, scholars have scarcely investigated how the behavioural immune system relates to health-protective behaviours. The current research attempts to fill this gap.

Design: Across two cross-sectional studies (N = 386 and 470, respectively), we examined the relationship between pathogen-avoidance motives and health-protective behaviour.

Outcome Measures: The studies used self-reported measures of attitude and intention as indicators of health-protective behaviour.

Results: Data collected in Study 1 revealed that pathogen-avoidance motivation related to participants’ attitude and intention towards sexually transmitted infections screening. High levels of pathogen-avoidance motivation were also related to having had fewer sexual partners, which partially mediated the effect of pathogen-avoidance variables on testing motivation. Study 2 extended these findings by showing moderate associations between pathogen-avoidance motivation and a broad range of health-protective behaviours, including but not limited to pathogen-related health concerns.

Conclusion: We argue that understanding and targeting pathogen-avoidance psychology can add novel and important understanding of health-protective behaviour.     

Genetic causal beliefs about obesity,self-efficacy for weight control,and obesity-related behaviours in a middle-aged female cohort

Objective: Obesity is a heritable condition with well-established risk-reducing behaviours. Studies have shown that beliefs about the causes of obesity are associated with diet and exercise behaviour. Identifying mechanisms linking causal beliefs and behaviours is important for obesity prevention and control.

Design: Cross-sectional multi-level regression analyses of self-efficacy for weight control as a possible mediator of obesity attributions (diet, physical activity, genetic) and preventive behaviours in 487 non-Hispanic White women from South King County, Washington.

Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported daily fruit and vegetable intake and weekly leisure-time physical activity.

Results: Diet causal beliefs were positively associated with fruit and vegetable intake, with self-efficacy for weight control partially accounting for this association. Self-efficacy for weight control also indirectly linked physical activity attributions and physical activity behaviour. Relationships between genetic causal beliefs, self-efficacy for weight control, and obesity-related behaviours differed by obesity status. Self-efficacy for weight control contributed to negative associations between genetic causal attributions and obesity-related behaviours in non-obese, but not obese, women.

Conclusion: Self-efficacy is an important construct to include in studies of genetic causal beliefs and behavioural self-regulation. Theoretical and longitudinal work is needed to clarify the causal nature of these relationships and other mediating and moderating factors.     

Book reviews and books received

Helping interventions John Heron: Helping the Client: a Creative Practical Guide. London: Sage, 1990. £9.95.

A person-centred perspective on school counselling John McGuiness: A Whole School Approach to Pastoral Care. London: Kogan Page, 1989. £8.95.

How to relate effectively Richard Nelson-Jones: Human Relationship Skills (2nd edition). London: Cassell, 1990. £11.95.

Ripe for research? Dave Mearns and Windy Dryden: Experiences of Counselling in Action. London: Sage, 1989. £9.95.

Issues in action Windy Dryden (ed.): Key Issues for Counselling in Action. London: Sage, 1989. £7.95.

The meaning of death Rosemary Dinnage: The Ruffian on the Stair: Reflections on Death. London: Viking, 1990. £14.99.

The empty cradle Irving G. Leon: When a Baby Dies: Psychotherapy for Pregnancy and Newborn Loss. London: Yale University Press, 1990. £20.

Children against themselves Israel Orbach: Children Who Don't Want to Live: Understanding and Treating the Suicidal Child. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1988. £17.95.     

Book reviews and books received

Thinking about doing some research? Dorothy Stock Whitaker and J. Lesley Archer: Research by Social Workers: Capitalizing on Experience. London: Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work. 1989. €8.

Changing careers Stewart Ranson and Peter Ribbins: Servicing Careers in the Post-Employment Society. Lewes: Falmer, 1988. €18.95 (hardback); €9.95 (paperback).

Assessing the Careers Service Michael Carley: Performance Monitoring in a Professional Public Service: the Case of the Careers Service. London: Policy Studies Institute, 1988. €7.95.

The school's role in guiding adolescents Judith Ryder and Lesley Campbell: Balancing Acts in Personal, Social and Health Education: a Practical Guide for Teachers. London: Routledge, 1988. €11.95.

Abused women Derek Jehu, Marjorie Gazan and Carole KJassen: Beyond Sexual Abuse: Therapy with Women Who Were Childhood Victims. Chichester: Wiley, 1988. €34.95.

A psychological view of General Practice Eric Button: Psychological Problems in Primary Health Care. London: Croom Helm, 1988. €12.95.     

Variation of meningioma in response to cyproterone acetate in a trans woman

Background: Meningiomas express estrogen and progesterone receptors, suggestive of hormonal responsiveness. So far, eight cases of trans women with a meningioma have been reported in the literature.

Methods: Detailed report of the symptoms, treatment, and follow-up of an individual transgender patient with a meningioma.

Results: A trans woman treated long-term with gender affirming hormone therapy, including cyproterone acetate, a synthetic progestin and anti-androgen, was diagnosed with a meningioma, significantly expanding in volume over 10 years. After stopping cyproterone acetate a substantial volume decrease of the meningioma was noticed within 3 months.

Conclusion: This addition to the literature demonstrates that a conservative approach with interruption of cyproterone acetate may be a sufficient intervention, obviating the need for additional neurosurgical treatment.     

The experience of receiving a kidney transplant from a deceased donor: Implications for renal services

Objective: The study aimed to explore the psychological experiences of receiving a kidney transplant from a deceased donor and to examine resulting implications for renal services.

Design: A qualitative design was utilised within an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) framework.

Main outcome measures: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six adults (male = 5, mean age = 45 yrs) on their experiences of receiving a kidney transplant from a deceased donor. All participants had their transplant within the preceding 21 months. Data were analysed using IPA.

Results: The four elicited themes incorporate recipients’ positive feelings about receiving a transplant, mainly arising from the newfound freedom that this entails, in addition to strong feelings of gratitude towards their donors. They also capture challenges, such as the uncertainty of living with a transplanted kidney, and highlight the increased dependence on others throughout the transplant process.

Conclusion: The findings indicate a range of psychological, social and occupational experiences for participants. It is concluded that optimal care in renal services would incorporate a holistic approach to pre and post-transplant care; identifying and supporting the needs of transplant recipients. A biopsychosocial model of care may enhance service user well-being. Potential areas of future research are explored.     

Book reviews and books received

A.W. Bolger (ed.): Counselling in Britain: a Reader. London: Batsford, 1982. $7.95.

Stephen Murgatroyd and Ray Woolfe: Coping with Crisis: Understanding and Helping People in Need. London: Harper & Row, 1982. $7.95.

Warren Gribbons and Paul R. Lohnes: Careers in Theory and Experience: a Twenty-Year Longitudinal Study. New York: State University of New York Press, 1982. £14.95.

David H. Montross and Christopher J. Shinkman (eds.): Career Development in the 1980s: Theory and Practice. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas, 1981. £29.75.

Eileen T. Nickerson and Kay S. O'Laughlin (eds.): Helping through Action-Oriented Therapies. Amherst, Massachusetts: Human Resources Development Press, 1982. £15.95.

Gary Hermansson (ed.): Guidance in New Zealand Secondary Schools: Issues and Programmes. Palmerston North: New Zealand Counselling and Guidance Association, 1981.

Harry Black and Patricia Broadfoot: Keeping Track of Teaching: Assessment in the Modern Classroom. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982. $5.95.

D. Galloway, T. Ball, D. Blomfield, and R. Seyd: Schools and Disruptive Pupils. Harlow: Longman, 1982. $5.50.

Arthur M. Home and Merle M. Ohlsen: Family Counseling and Therapy. Itasca, Illinois: Peacock, 1982. $10.15.     

Book reviews and books received

Support for parenthood: a rising cottage industry C. F. Zachariah Boukyclis (ed.): Support for Parents and Infants: a Manual for Parenting Organisations and Professionals. London: Routledge &; Kegan Paul, 1986. £15.95.Reviewed by Professor Richard Whield, Gloucestershire College of Artsand Technology and the National Family Trust.

Transition and growth in adult learners Laurent A. Daloz: Effective Teaching and Mentoring: Realizing the Transformational Power of Adult Learning Experiences. San Francisco:Jossey-Bass, 1986, f27.50.

Nice girls do Anne Hooper:Women and Sex. London: Sheldon Press, 1986,1284.95. Reviewed by Dr Martin Cole, Institute for Sex Education and Research, Birmingham.

Casting some light C. MacDonald and H.D. Black: A Window on the Workplace?: Pupils' and Employers' Views of a Work Experience Scheme. Edinburgh: Scottish Council for Research in Education, 1987. 1283.30.

Incest: the abuse of power Sarah Nelson: Incest: Fact and Myth (2nd revised edition). Edinburgh: Stramullion, 1987. f4.95. Reviewed by Christine P. Dancey, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths'College, Universiry of London, and Louise Coleman, ex-Warwick University.

Tales on the dole queue Stephen Fineman (ed.):Unemployment: Personal and Social Consequences. London: Tavistock, 1987. f8.95. Reviewed by Julia Fergwon, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths' College, University of London.     

Book reviews and books received

Counselling and spirituality Lyall, D. 1995 Counselling in the Pastoral and Spiritual Context Buckingham, Open University Press ISBN 0-335-19162-2 £10.99

Career counselling Seligman, L. 1994 Developmental Career Counseling and Assessment (2nd ed.) London, Sage ISBN 0-8039-5804-8 £19.95

Women's careers Walsh, W.B. &; Osipow, S.H. (Eds), 1994 Career Counseling for Women Hove, Erlbaum ISBN 0-8058-1035-8 £53.50

Crisis? what crisis? Dattilio, F.M. &; Freeman, A. (Eds), 1994 Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies in Crisis Intervention New York, Guilford ISBN 0-89862-221-2 £25.00

Guidance on research methods McLeod, J. 1994 Doing Counselling Research London, Sage ISBN 0 8039 7804 9 £10.95

Barker, C. Pistrang, N. &; Elliott, R. 1994 Research Methods in Clinical and Counselling Psychology Chichester, Wiley ISBN 0-471-93612-X £29.95

Research into creative therapies Gilroy, T. &; Lee, C. (Eds), 1995 Art and Music Therapy and Research London, Routledge ISBN 0-415-10045-3 £37.50 (hardback); £15.99 (paperback)

Treating stress Palmer, S. &; Dryden, W. 1995 Counselling for Stress Problems London, Sage ISBN 0-8039-8863-X £12.95

Breast cancer Batt, S. 1994 Patient No More: the Politics of Breast Cancer London, Scarlet Press ISBN 1-85727-167-3 £10.99

Supervision Feltham, C. &; Dryden, W. 1994 Developing Counsellor Supervision London, Sage ISBN 0-8039-8939-3 £9.95     

Investigating the social integration and wellbeing of transgender individuals: A meta-synthesis

Introduction: There is growing literature about the experiences of social integration and wellbeing of transgender individuals. However, there has been no synthesis across this body of research. Accordingly, the aim of this review was to aggregate, interpret, and synthesize findings from qualitative studies pertaining to the social integration and wellbeing of transgender individuals.

Methods: This study synthesized findings from 18 qualitative and mixed method studies which had explored the social integration and wellbeing of transgender individuals, using Noblit and Hare's meta-ethnography method. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme was also used to appraise the 18 included studies.

Results: Data from the included 18 individual studies ranged from moderate to strong in quality. Data analysis revealed five major themes which influenced transgender individuals' daily lives. These were gender transition and disclosing gender identity, health and self-isolation, living with stigma and discrimination: health care, leisure and work, the importance of relationships, and last, overcoming adversity: stories of what can work.

Conclusion: This meta-synthesis reinforces many preconceived notions about transgender individuals. These include being at high risk of social exclusion, experiencing discrimination and stigma across many social situations, and last, being at high risk of poor wellbeing. This study also found that there is further need for studies that investigate the self-isolation of transgender individuals as well as this group's relationship and experiences with health care professionals and providers.     

Resilient,Undercontrolled, and Overcontrolled Personality Prototypes Among Persons With Spinal Cord Injury

Brendan Maher (Ed.). Clinical Psychology and Personality (The Selected Papers of George Kelly). New York: Wiley, 1969. 361 pages + viii, $8.95. Reviewed by Wilson H. Guertin

L. J. Bischof. Interpreting Personality Theories. New York: Harper &; Row, 1970. 653 pages, $10.95.

L. A. Pervin. Personality—Theory, Assessment and Research. New York: Wiley, 1970. 632 pages, $9.95. Reviewed by Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi

Michael Cole &; Irving Maltzman, Editors. A Handbook of Contemporary Soviet Psychology. New York and London: Basic Books, Inc., 1969, 832 pages, $25.00. Reviewed by Irving R. Stone

Edwin I. Megargee and Jack E. Hokanson. The Dynamics of Aggression. (Individual, Group and International Analyses) New York: Harper &; Row, 1970. 271 pages, $3.95. Reviewed by Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi

Pat Powers and Wade Baskin (Eds.) New Outlooks in Psychology. New York: Philosophical Library, 1968, 512 pages, $12.00. Reviewed by Spencer B. Sterne

Salo Rosenbaum and Ian Alger, (Eds.). The Marriage Relationship, Psychoanalytic Perspectives. New York: Basic Books, 1968. 366 pages, $10.00. Reviewed by S. G. Vandenberg

Rudolph Wittenberg. Postadolescence: Theoretical and Clinical Aspects of Psychoanalytic Therapy. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1968. 138 pages, $6.50. Reviewed by Sarah A. Alleman

Liam Hudson. Frames of Mind. New York: Norton, 1968. 134 pages, $5.50. Reviewed by Russell Eisenman

Irving L. Janis, George F. Mahl, Jerome Kagan, &; Robert R. Holt. Personality: Dynamics, Development, and Assessment. New York: Harcourt, Brace, &; World, 1969. 859 pages, $9.95. Reviewed by Andrew M. Barclay     

Positive affect and physical activity: Testing effects on goal setting,activation, prioritisation,and attainment

Objective: The present research tested whether incidental positive affect promotes pursuit of physical activity goals. Four key features of goal pursuit were examined – setting physical activity goals (Study 1), goal activation (Study 2), and goal prioritization and goal attainment (Study 3).

Design: Participants (N_s = 80, 81, and 59, in Studies 1–3, respectively) were randomized to positive affect (joy, hope) or neutral affect (control) conditions in each study.

Main Outcome Measures: Questionnaire measures of goal level, goal commitment, and means selection (Study 1); a lexical decision task indexed goal activation (Study 2), a choice task captured goal prioritization and MET minutes quantified goal attainment (Study 3).

Results: Study 1 showed that positive affect led to a greater number of intended physical activities, and that joy engendered greater willingness to try activities. In Study 2, a positive affect induction led to heightened activation of the physical activity goal compared to the control condition. The joy induction in Study 3 led to greater physical activity, and a trend towards greater goal prioritization.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that positive affect enhances the pursuit of physical activity goals. Implications for health behavior theories and interventions are outlined.