Personality research and psychophysiology: General considerations

A general discussion of psychophysiological methods in relationship to personality research is presented for the investigator without an extensive knowledge of psychophysiology. The paper is organized in four sections: (a) advantages inherent in the use of psychophysiological measures (e.g., continuous measurement, sensitivity to sublimal responses); (b) psychophysiological constructs that are particularly well suited to personality research (e.g., different kinds of physiological arousal, normal/pathological distinctions, perceptual states); (c) how to choose a set of psychophysiological measures and special considerations involved with their use (e.g., obstrusiveness, context and timing of measurement, costs, and capabilities); and (d) whether or not to “psychophysiologize” personality research. Within each section, illustrative applications of psychophysiology to personality research are described.     

Behavior Treatment: General Considerations

The principal goal of behavior treatment for retarded clients is that of modifying behavior as it occurs in a given environment in such a manner that it becomes more appropriate to that environment. The therapeutic or change agents can involve a variety of persons other than the counselor, teacher, and client--this may include parents, peers, work supervisors and others who can provide supportive influences. Education and rehabilitation programs should be tailored to the occupational and social environment of the retarded client and designed to teach those behavior patterns that are relevant to that environment. Additionally, the work tasks for which retarded clients are trained should be highly structured and routine. Excessive demand for adaptability or decision making is a major cause of training failure for retarded clients.     

Modification of children's gender-stereotyped behavior: General issues and research considerations

This paper reviews some recent studies that have attempted to change gender-stereotyped behavior or attitudes in children. While such efforts have often been successful, at least on a short-term basis, enough inconsistency exists to suggest that more detailed theoretical analyses are required to increase the efficacy of such modification attempts. The review suggested at least four factors that needed additional empirical and theoretical attention as factors in susceptibility to counterstereotyping manipulations. These included: (a) the child's developmental level, (b) the relationship between sex role cognitions and behavior, (c) the degree of situational consistency of gender-stereotyped behavior, and (d) the role of individual initial differences in determining modification outcomes. The importance of these factors are discussed in the context of the existing literature.     

The Baby and Toddler Behavior Questionnaires: Empirical studies and conceptual considerations

The article discusses the conceptual basis of two parental questionnaires, each measuring six dimensions of infant behavior differences and developed on large representative samples of Swedish infants, aged 3 to 10 months ( N=791 ) and 11 to 15 months ( N =357). Empirical validation data are presented and discussed as well as evidence for a constitutional basis for some dimensions. A second order variable identified in the older age group is suggested to be related to the construct of difficult temperatment. Finally, suggestions for use of the two questionnaires are put forward.     

Markovian processes with identifiable states: General considerations and application to all-or-none learning

It often happens that a theory specifies some variables or states which cannot be identified completely in an experiment. When this happens, there are important questions as to whether the experiment is relevant to certain assumptions of the theory. Some of these questions are taken up in the present article, where a method is developed for describing the implications of a theory for an experiment. The method consists of constructing a second theory with all of its states identifiable in the outcome-space of the experiment. The method can be applied (i.e., an equivalent identifiable theory exists) whenever a theory specifies a probability function on the sample-space of possible outcomes of the experiment. An interesting relationship between lumpability of states and recurrent events plays an important role in the development of the identifiable theory. An identifiable theory of an experiment can be used to investigate relationships among different theories of the experiment. As an example, an identifiable theory of all-or-none learning is developed, and it is shown that a large class of all-or-none theories are equivalent for experiments in which a task is learned to a strict criterion.This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under grant GB-319.     

Online mental health treatment: concerns and considerations.

Concerns and considerations have emerged as mental health professionals contemplate the provision of mental health treatment over the Internet. This paper identifies perceptions of online mental health treatment among a national sample of 2,098 social workers, psychologists, and other professionals. These professionals were unlikely to provide online mental health treatment, although some used the Internet as an adjunct to clinical practice. They noted specific concerns related to the provision of mental health treatment online, including confidentiality of client information and liability issues. We explore these issues and discuss implications for professionals who provide mental health treatment.     

The treatment of sexual dysfunction: Some theoretical considerations

Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy -     

Discriminant validity of the General Behavior Inventory: an outpatient study

Recent studies have provided strong support for the convergent validity of the General Behavior Inventory (GBI), a case identification inventory for chronic subsyndromal affective disorders (cyclothymia and dysthymia). Fewer data are available, however, on the ability of the GBI to distinguish chronic subsyndromal affective disorders from other forms of psychopathology. In order to address this issue, outpatients with cyclothymia (n = 9), dysthymia (n = 26), nonchronic major depression (n = 16), and nonaffective psychiatric disorders (n = 30) were compared on the GBI. Diagnoses were derived blind to GBI scores using structured diagnostic interviews and DSM-III criteria. The inventory significantly discriminated cyclothymes and dysthymes from patients with nonchronic major depressions and nonaffective disorders. Using the cutoff score that maximized GBI-diagnosis concordance, the inventory correctly classified 88% of the sample. All of the cyclothymes, 92% of the dysthymes, 87% of the patients with nonaffective psychiatric disorders, and 75% of the nonchronic major depressives were correctly classified by the inventory. These data provide strong support for the discriminant validity of the GBI.     

Discriminant Validity of the General Behavior Inventory: An Outpatient Study

Recent studies have provided strong support for the convergent validity of the General Behavior Inventory (GBI), a case identification inventory for chronic subsyndromal affective disorders (cyclothymia and dysthymia). Fewer data are available, however, on the ability of the GBI to distinguish chronic subsyndromal affective disorders from other forms of psychopathology. In order to address this issue, outpatients with cyclothymia (n = 9), dysthymia (n = 26), nonchronic major depression (n = 16), and nonaffective psychiatric disorders (n = 30) were compared on the GBI. Diagnoses were derived blind to GBI scores using structured diagnostic interviews and DSM-III criteria. The inventory significantly discriminated cyclothymes and dysthymes from patients with nonchronic major depressions and nonaffective disorders. Using the cutoff score that maximized GBI-diagnosis concordance, the inventory correctly classified 88% of the sample. All of the cyclothymes, 92% of the dysthymes, 87% of the patients with nonaffective psychiatric disorders, and 75% of the nonchronic major depressives were correctly classified by the inventory. These data provide strong support for the discriminant validity of the GBI.     

A General Measure of Ecological Behavior1

Measurement of ecological behavior across different domains has been troublesome. The present paper argues that the lack of agreement in measuring general ecological behavior may be due to the measurement approach that is commonly used. An ecological behavior measure should be grounded on a probabilistic measurement approach that takes the important features of ecological behavior into consideration. Such a measure was developed in a survey study of 445 members of 2 Swiss transportation associations. Three types of ecological behavior measures were included: a general measure, 3 multiple-item measures, and 3 single-item measures. Results are controlled for social desirability effects. Reliability, internal consistency, and validity scores indicate that a probabilistic measurement approach can measure general ecological behavior accurately and unidimensionally.     

The Proposition of a General Version of the Theory of Planned Behavior: Predicting Ecological Behavior1

The present paper explores whether the theory of planned behavior (TPB) must abandon the notion that perceived behavioral control (PBC) has a direct influence on behavior. In a cross‐sectional survey of 895 Swiss residents, our hypothesis was tested by means of structural equation models. Applied specifically, PBC turned out to be a significant direct predictor of one's performance. A general version of the TPB based on aggregated measures, however, revealed PBC's direct influence on behavior to be nonsignificant and, presumably, a non‐universally applicable and thus nongeneralizable part of the theory. Intention determined 51% to 52% of people's ecological behavior, which supports the claim of a strong attitude‐behavior relation. Attitude, subjective norms, and PBC, the 3 TPB components, account for 81% of intention's variance.     

Narcissistic characters with obsessive features: Diagnostic and treatment considerations

Conclusion In sum, in this article a mixed personality disorder is described that combines narcissistic and obsessive-compulsive features. These features include extreme perfectionism, narcissistic cathexis of the intellect, and obsessive-compulsive defenses against underlying narcissistic issues. In therapy, narcissistic characters with obsessive features frequently struggle between a need for engagement with and fear of engulfment by the therapist. Thus, while they may appear extroverted, they often remain aloof, and while they have a strong need to be understood, they frequently reject the therapist’s empathic statements. Therapy of the narcissistic character with obsessive features consists of two stages. In the first phase of treatment, the therapist addresses the patient’s narcissistic issues and provides an appropriate selfobject relationship. In the second phase of treatment (after greater self-development is established), the therapist begins to address the obsessive-compulsive issues of affective expression and control by assuming a more engaged, initiating, and personal stance with the client.     

Engaging the severely dysfunctional family in treatment: basic considerations

The severely dysfunctional family is a clinical phenomenon that includes families with a wide range of serious symptoms. These families have been characteristically difficult to engage in treatment, and many do not respond well to traditional family therapy techniques. Some of these families do respond to innovative approaches such as paradox. However, many agencies do not have the capability to implement such highly specialized procedures, nor do all severely dysfunctional families respond well to these techniques. Thus, this paper presents a generic approach to the severely dysfunctional family; the emphasis is on facilitating engagement and maintaining sensitivity to the family's need for stability.     

Assessing People's General Ecological Behavior: A Cross‐Cultural Measure1

The present study aims to further develop the General Ecological Behavior (GEB) scale in order to apply it cross‐culturally. The scale is proposed to be relatively open, neither bound to a particular set of ecological behaviors nor to a particular questionnaire response format. Questionnaire data from 686 California students were compared with the original Swiss calibration data. Reliability, internal consistency, and discriminant validity revcal that the GEB could be applied to the California students as well as to the Swiss sample, which consisted of older adults. Because the GEB measure makes use of behavior difficulties–caused by situational influences‐the proposed approach also guides the search for political actions that could promote changes in more ecologically behaving societies.     

A probability model for errors of classification. I. General considerations

This paper seeks to meet the need for a general treatment of the problem of error in classification. Within an m-attribute classificatory system, an object's typical subclass is that subclass to which it is most often allocated under repeated experimentally independent applications of the classificatory criteria. In these terms, an error of classification is an atypical subclass allocation. This leads to definition of probabilitiesO of occasional subclass membership, probabilitiesT of typical subclass membership, and probabilitiesE of error or, more generally, occasional subclass membership conditional upon typical subclass membership. In the relationshipf: (O, T, E) the relative incidence of independentO, T, andE values is such that generally one can specifyO values givenT andE, but one cannot generally specifyT andE values givenO. Under the restrictions of homogeneity ofE values for all members of a given typical subclass, mutual stochastic independence of errors of classification, and suitable conditions of replication, one can find particular systemsO =f(T, E) which are solvable forT andE givenO. A minimum of three replications of occasional classification is necessary for a solution of systems for marginal attributes, and a minimum of two replications is needed with any cross-classification. Although for such systems one can always specifyT andE values givenO values, the solution is unique for dichotomous systems only.With grateful acknowledgement to the Rockefeller Foundation; and to the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, for N. I. M. H. Grant M-3950.