Contrast of frequency of positive and negative feeling state changes associated with standard and reduced cardiovascular exercise

A field investigation was conducted to assess whether cardiovascular exercise assigned at a level to maximize improvements in fitness, i.e., a standard exercise amount or 30 min. at approximately 80% maximal heart rate, differed significantly in frequency of positive exercise-induced feeling changes when contrasted with exercise that was reduced to 20 min. at approximately 65% maximal heart rate. A significantly more frequent occurrence of positive changes in feelings just after exercise (chi1(2), = 4.95, p < .05, phi(c) = .26) was noted for adults initiating programs at the reduced (n = 36; 86% positive change) vs the standard (n = 36; 64% positive change) amount of exercise. After replication, implications for adjusting exercise to increase adherence were discussed.     

Relationship of feeling states after exercise and Total Mood Disturbance over 10 weeks in formerly sedentary women

Changes in feeling states after exercise and changes in overall mood after a period of 10 weeks were correlated after participation in a supervised, moderate intensity resistance training program. 52 previously sedentary, asymptomatic women (M=56 yr.) participated. Point biserial correlations were calculated between the 10-wk. change on the Profile of Mood States using the Total Mood Disturbance score as the continuous variable, and positive or negative change in feeling states after exercise, assessed via the Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory, being the dichotomous variable. Correlations were significant for both the total sample (rpb=-.49) and participants with high initial Total Mood Disturbance based on a median split (rpb=-.55). Participants with positive changes in their feeling states after exercise also showed a significantly greater decrease in Total Mood Disturbance than those with negative changes. Changes in Total Mood Disturbance were not significantly correlated with changes in resting heart rate over the 10 weeks. Discussion included limitations and, after replication, possible application of the findings.     

Psychological frailness and strength in an AIDS-affected community: A study of seropositive gay men and voluntary caregivers

Addressed both the psychological frailness and strength in an AIDS-affected community. The gay community in Sydney, Australia, was represented by men who were seropositive (n = 60) and voluntary caregivers (n = 60). They were compared with two samples of men outside the gay community, who were ill with non-AIDS-related medical conditions (n = 30), and well (n = 30). Their psychological frailness and strength were measured by content analysis scales. Both the seropositive men and the caregivers showed the frailness of anxiety, indirectly expressed anger and helplessness, but also the compensating strength of greater personal competence and good feeling relative to the other men. The men who were seropositive or had other illnesses showed the predicted frailness of anxiety and depression but neither indirectly expressed anger nor helplessness. The seropositive men and caregivers of the gay community differed from each other only in the high levels of depression of the former.     

The influence of exercise duration and cognitions during running on feeling states in an indoor running track environment

Objectives. To examine the influence of different durations of aerobic exercise and cognitions during running on exercise-induced feeling state changes in an indoor running track environment once baseline differences in feeling states were controlled.Method. Physically active females (n=69) participated in one of three experimental conditions: a) a 25 min run at 70% heart rate reserve (HRR), b) a 40 min run at 70% HRR, or c) a 40 min no exercise control. Pre-post feeling states (EFI) were assessed and cognitions during running were recorded with 5 min left in the run.Results. Multilevel modeling analyses revealed that positive engagement and revitalization significantly increased from pre- to post-exercise in comparison to the control condition regardless of exercise duration whereas physical exhaustion was significantly reduced. However, tranquility significantly increased only in the 25 min run condition. Finally, cognitions during exercise moderated the changes in feeling states from pre- to post-exercise above and beyond exercise duration with participants reporting dissociative-external thoughts reporting greater increases in revitalization and decreases in physical exhaustion.Conclusions. Both objective demands of the exercise task (i.e., exercise duration) and subjective intrapsychic phenomena (i.e., cognitions during running) may aid in explaining exercise-induced feeling state changes.     

Suppressor effects in the relations of psychological variables to resting blood pressure

The role of suppressor effects in obscuring the relation of psychological variables and blood pressure was studied. Forty-five nonmedicated patients in a family practice rated themselves relative to their peers on a series of characteristics. Two of these, trapped and lonely, exhibited marked suppressor effects in their relationship with each other and resting blood pressure. Self-ratings of lonely exhibited a moderately strong positive association with ratings of trapped (r = .63) while only ratings of lonely showed a significant correlation with resting systolic blood pressure (r = .31). Yet when the suppressor effects of the ratings on feeling lonely were removed in the regression analyses, the ratings on feeling trapped showed a significant positive association with resting systolic pressure (r = .42). Similarly, while neither ratings on feeling lonely or on feeling trapped showed separately a significant association with resting diastolic pressure, when suppressor effects were removed in the regression analyses, the ratings of trapped were significantly associated with diastolic pressure in a positive direction (r = .34) and ratings of lonely were significantly associated in a negative direction (r = .33). The significance of this specific suppressor effect and the implications of suppression for psychosomatic research are discussed.     

Sustained attention in adulthood: a unique, large-sample, longitudinal and multicohort analysis using the Mackworth Clock-Test

A cross-sectional sample of men (n = 177) tested in 1962-1964, and men (n = 188) and women (n = 113) tested in 1980-1984, and a longitudinal sample (n = 53) of men tested in 1962-1964 and 1980-1984, were used to investigate age differences and 18-year age changes on a 62-min sensory vigilance task that made virtually no demand on memory, the Mackworth Clock-Test. Age differences and changes in the vigilance decrement were also examined. No age differences or changes were obtained for detection accuracy. Target response time showed significant age-related 18-year longitudinal changes and one significant cross-sectional age difference; the overall age effect was of a U-shaped function with a minimum at middle age. Age differences and changes were obtained in a measure of arousal: skin potential response latency; the overall age effect was also consistent with a U-shaped function. There was little consistent evidence of a differential effect of age on the vigilance decrement. Outcomes contradictory to Surwillo and Quilter (1964) and Quilter, Giambra, and Benson (1983) are reconciled through additional statistical analyses.     

Effects of alcohol abuse and familial alcoholism on physical health in men and women

Detoxified alcoholic men (n = 76) and women (n = 72) and nonalcoholic control men (n = 50) and women (n = 51) were given a structured interview that assessed five categories of physical health: medical history, alcohol-related disorders, trauma history, drug use history, and, for females, female-related disorders. Approximately half the subjects in each group were family history positive for alcoholism. Significant differences between alcoholics and controls were found for all five categories; family history effects were significant for four of the five categories, and sex differences were present in two categories. The results indicate that (a) alcoholics suffer pervasive physical health difficulties, (b) a family history of alcoholism is predictive of health problems in both alcoholics and controls, (c) the effects of alcohol abuse and family history of alcoholism on health appear to be independent and additive, and (d) women may be more "illness prone" than men and exhibit an increased vulnerability to the adverse effects of alcoholism.     

Other race recognition: a comparison of black American and African subjects

The ability of black American and black African men to recognize previously seen white male faces was assessed. Relationships between recognition, performance scores and quality of interracial experience were also examined. Black American participants (n = 10) performed significantly better and made fewer false responses than the Nigerian participants (n = 10). Significant positive relationships were found between performance scores and interracial experience. Differential use of cues for discriminating white male faces by both groups was also found.     

Attitudes toward empathy in domestic dogs and cats

This exploratory study included 524 undergraduate students (360 women, M age = 21.1 yr., SD = 6.1; and 164 men, M age = 20.0 yr., SD = 3.6) enrolled in introductory psychology sections who completed the Empathy in Pet Dogs and Cats Scale to assess their attitudes regarding how much domestic dogs and cats show vicarious experiencing of the thoughts, feelings, or attitudes of their owners. A principal components analysis followed by varimax rotation extracted five factors accounting for 60.85% of the total variance as follows: (1) Pets' empathy for owner, (2) Cats' empathy for owner, (3) Dogs' empathy for owner, (4) Souls in humans and pets, (5) Owners' empathy for pets. Women gave significantly higher ratings than men regarding dogs' and cats' knowing when their owners are happy, sad, or angry. Women also gave significantly higher ratings than men regarding dogs' and cats' feeling love and compassion for their owners. Specific instances of empathy in pets underscore the need for contemporary research to be inclusive of operational definitions of measures of empathy.     

Parent–child gender interaction in the relation between retrospective self-reports on parental love and current self-esteem

A retrospective questionnaire study investigated the relation between current self-esteem in adult men ( n =34) and women ( n =99) and self-reported experience of parental "unconditional positive regard" during childhood. For both men and women the perception of the father's unconditional regard was significantly related to self-esteem. For women only a weak relation was found between the reported experience of maternal regard and self-esteem in adulthood; a comparison of younger and older women showed that this relation was weaker for younger women. The results were interpreted in terms of a greater ambivalence in women towards the mother, possibly as a result of women's more complex separation and identification processes; the difference between younger and older women could indicate that this ambivalence decreases over the years. The implications of this interpretation for the validity of retrospective accounts is discussed, suggesting that the validity could increase over the years.     

Social support, positive states of mind, and HIV treatment adherence in men and women living with HIV/AIDS.

Numerous studies have linked social support to better medication adherence among illness groups, but few have examined potential mechanisms for this relationship. Relationships were examined between social support, depression, positive states of mind (PSOM), and medication adherence among HIV positive men who have sex with men (n = 61) and women (n = 29) on highly active antiretroviral therapy. Depression and PSOM were evaluated as potential mediators of the relationship between support and adherence. Cross-sectional data showed that greater social support and PSOM related to better adherence whereas higher depression scores related to nonadherence. PSOM partially mediated the relationship between social support and adherence. PSOM may be an important mechanism through which social support is related to better medication adherence in this population.     

Physical activity-related well-being in older adults: social cognitive influences

In this study, the pattern and correlates of physical activity-related well-being in older adults (N = 174; men = 49, women = 125; mean age = 66 years) were examined across a 6-month exercise trial. Baseline levels of self-efficacy fitness, importance of physical activity, and social support and exercise participation across the trial were used as correlates of positive and negative feeling states. Psychological responses to physical activity were assessed on a bimonthly basis across the trial. Latent growth curve analyses indicated significant growth in positive well-being over the 6-month period, with increases reaching a threshold at 4 months. Self-efficacy was inversely related to change in positive well-being across the trial. Frequency of activity and increases in well-being over the trial were significant predictors of self-efficacy at program termination. Findings suggest the social cognitive context of the exercise experience may have influence on exercise-related well-being.     

Career Goals of College Women and Men and Perceived Achievement-Related Encouragement

Encouragements and discouragements for achievement-related behavior were reported in an interview setting by three groups of college seniors: Career women (n = 20), career men (n = 20), and traditional women (n = 19). Career women reported significantly more encouragement from teachers, family members (except parents), and significant others of the opposite sex than did either career men or traditional women. Career women also reported more encouragement from counselors and friends, while career men reported more encouragement from parents; however, these differences were not significant. Career women reported a significantly higher grade point average than either of the other groups. Implications of the results for the achievement behavior of women and men are considered.     

Cognitive adaptation, psychological adjustment, and disease progression among angioplasty patients: 4 years later.

The long-term effects of the Cognitive Adaptation Theory Index (CATI) on psychological and physical health outcomes among men (n = 199) and women (n = 99) treated for coronary artery disease with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty were examined. The CATI reflects a positive view of the self, a positive view of one's future, and a sense of personal control over daily life.This index was created from questionnaires administered during hospitalization for the initial angioplasty. Four years later, the CATI predicted positive adjustment to disease, even when initial adjustment was taken into consideration. In addition, the CATI predicted a reduced likelihood of sustaining a subsequent cardiac event over 4 years. This association was more robust for men.     

Androgenetic alopecia: stress of discovery

The psychological problems of men in the initial stages of alopecia androgenetica (hereditary male hair loss) have seldom been studied. We evaluated two groups of 80 men with alopecia androgenetica in Stages II to IV, indicating the amount of hair loss (overall N=160; for Group I: M=48 yr., SD=18.2; for Group II: M=50 yr., SD=18.0) who visited a dermatology clinic for benign dermatological complaints but not for hair loss, by questionnaires and interview, retrospectively. As predicted, hair problems were reported to be significantly greater overall at the moment of discovery of hair loss than later. About half of the men reported feeling annoyed to very annoyed about the discovery of hair loss. For those patients, provision of information by internet might facilitate a visit to the dermatologist.     

Changes in mood caused by staged, moderate physical activity]

This experiment provides a test for the common sense knowledge that moderate physical exercise leads to mood improvement. Furthermore, it was tested whether light exercise intensifies negative feeling states or alleviates them. 30 female and 30 male students of psychology served as subjects (mean age 25.3 years, SD = 4.8). After being exposed to a mood induction procedure designed to elicit either a positive or negative feeling state, the subjects had to pedal a bicycle ergometer with 0, 50 or 75 Watt load. Cardiovascular variables and self-reports of mood states were assessed during a baseline period, after the mood induction, following the ergometer exercise, and after a follow-up period. The mood induction procedures were successful, but only for a short duration. Physiological activation was observed according to the ergometer loadings. Moderate physical exercise led to an increase of positive feeling states (Concentration) and a decrease of negative feeling states (Tiredness) in the follow-up period. Corresponding changes in tension related states could not be observed, probably due to the weakness of the mood induction procedure employed and the low level of energetic activation reached.     

Suicidal ideation and attitudes toward suicide

Although hopelessness and depression are known risk factors for suicide, most individuals who are hopeless or depressed never make a suicide attempt. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that college students' (n = 230) attitudes toward suicide (the degree to which they see it as an acceptable option under some circumstances) would moderate the link between both hopelessness and depressive symptoms and their levels of suicidal ideation. This moderation hypothesis was supported, but only among men. Specifically, among men, levels of hopelessness and depressive symptoms were significantly related to suicidal ideation among only those with relatively positive attitudes toward suicide.     

Cognitive-behavioral stress management increases free testosterone and decreases psychological distress in HIV-seropositive men.

The effects of a 10-week group-based cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention on psychological distress and plasma free testosterone in symptomatic, HIV-seropositive men were examined. Participants were randomized to either CBSM (n = 42) or a wait-list control group (n = 23). Men in the CBSM intervention showed significant increases in testosterone, whereas control participants showed significant decreases. Those participating in CBSM had significant distress reductions, whereas controls showed no such change. Alterations in free testosterone were inversely related to changes in distress states over time, independent of any changes in cortisol. These findings demonstrate that a short-term CBSM intervention increases free testosterone levels among symptomatic, HIV-seropositive men, and alterations in free testosterone are associated with changes in psychological distress observed during CBSM.     

Psychological type and sex differences among church leaders in the United Kingdom

A sample of 135 female and 164 male church leaders of mixed denominations completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales. The female church leaders demonstrated clear preferences for extraversion over introversion, for sensing over intuition, for feeling over thinking, and for judging over perceiving. The male church leaders demonstrated clear preferences for introversion over extraversion, for sensing over intuition, for thinking over feeling, and for judging over perceiving. The predominant type among the women was ESFJ (22%) and the predominant type among the men was ISTJ (30%). Extravert and feeling types were significantly overrepresented among female church leaders, compared with male church leaders.     

Sex of figure drawings and self-esteem.

This study examined the relationship between sex order of human figure drawing and self-esteem. Undergraduates (N = 440) drew a person and completed the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Female subjects (n = 255) drew the opposite sex 39.2% of the time (n = 100), while 185 men drew females first only 6.5% of the time (n = 12). Using median scores derived from the sample, men who drew females first were more likely to have low self-esteem than were the men over-all. Self-esteem judged on the sex of their drawing was not significantly different for women. These findings reinforce the importance of accounting for sex differences in personality assessment and support the hypothesis that drawing of the opposite sex by women may reflect social role rather than psychological conflict.