Rationality ideals and mentality

Mackenzie, this journal, this issue, convincingly shows that in certain dialogue games (commitment games) there are procedural restrictions similar to those that I impose on rationality idealizations. But, whereas my rationality analysis is set in the context of belief games, commitment games do not postulate beliefs. Is this significant? I suggest that mackenzie thinks that it is. There follow discussions of Psychologism and Behaviourism.     

Do you really want to maintain that a flat tire can upset your stomach? Using the findings of the psychophysiology of stress to bolster the argument that people are not directly disturbed by events

The purpose of this paper is to help clients and others more fully appreciate the complex chain of events intervening between an external happening and an emotional response to that happening. It deals first with the sensory processing of physical stimulation and then presents the current state of knowledge regarding stress psychophysiology. A decision by the cortex which defines something as dangerous or threatening activates two major stress reaction pathways, the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system, with a large number of physical consequences such as: acceleration of heart rate, increased blood pressure, reduced effectiveness of the immunological system, slowing of gastro-intestinal processes, pupil dilation, bronchial dilation and inhibition of salivation. The complexity and variety of such consequences is illustrated with a series of flow-chart diagrams, and it is suggested that these can be an additional and persuasive argument for the RET position which follows the claim of Epictetus: People are disturbed not by things, but by the views they take of them. Finally it is argued that while rapid emotional responses oftenseem to occur automatically it is because the intervening cortical processes are at times not verbalized. This is shown in the context of a diagrammatic outline of the Rational-Emotive Therapy process.Paul J. Woods, Ph.D., co-editor of this journal, is an associate fellow and an RET training supervisor of the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy.     

Bulimia: A case study with mediating cognitions and notes on a cognitive-behavioral analysis of eating disorders

A case study of a young woman who was following a complex bulimic chain is described. Her emotional-behavioral sequence involved (1) feeling upset, (2) feeling more upset and taking a high dose of laxatives, (3) hinging, (4) taking additional laxatives, (5) feeling depressed, guilty, and angry, and then (6) starving herself for days on end. This paper lists the selfdefeating cognitions mediating the above sequence of emotions and behaviors and reports on a successful disputation of them through a Rational-Emotive Therapy approach. She resumed a normal eating pattern; her menstrual cycle returned in 2 months after having been absent for 13 months; and at followup, 15 months after termination of therapy, disclosed normal weight with no regression to any bulimic behavior. The case study concludes with preliminary notes on a cognitive-behavioral analysis of eating disorders. A model for eating disorders is proposed based upon the study and treatment of other selfindulgent disorders.Paul J. Woods, Ph.D., Co-Editor of thisJournal, is a Fellow of the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy in New York City, a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Hollins College, and a Licensed Psychologist in independent practice in Roanoke, Virginia.Russell M. Grieger, Ph.D., Co-Editor of thisJournal, is a Fellow of the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy in New York City, and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in independent practice in Charlottesville, Virginia.     

Distractor clustering enhances detection speed and accuracy during selective listening

The effects of distractor clustering on target detection were examined in two experiments in which subjects attended to binaural tone bursts of one frequency while ignoring distracting tones of two competing frequencies. The subjects pressed a button in response to occasional target tones of longer duration (Experiment 1) or increased loudness (Experiment 2). In evenly spaced conditions, attended and distractor frequencies differed by 6 and 12 semitones, respectively (e.g., 2096-Hz targets vs. 1482- and 1048-Hz distractors). In clustered conditions, distractor frequencies were grouped; attended tones differed from the distractors by 6 and 7 semitones, respectively (e.g., 2096-Hz targets vs. 1482- and 1400-Hz distractors). The tones were presented in randomized sequences at fixed or random stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). In both experiments, clustering of the unattended frequencies improved the detectability of targets and speeded target reaction times, Similar effects were found at fixed and variable SO As. Results from the analysis of stimulus sequence suggest that clustering improved performance primarily by reducing the interference caused by distractors that immediately preceded the target.     

SEQUENTIAL APPLICATION OF MAJOR HABIT-REVERSAL COMPONENTS TO TREAT MOTOR TICS IN CHILDREN

In this study, we sequentially administered up to four components of the habit-reversal treatment to 4 children with motor tics within a multiple baseline design. The habit-reversal components included (a) awareness training; (b) awareness training and self-monitoring; (c) awareness training, self-monitoring, and social support; and (d) awareness training, social support, and the use of a competing response. Results demonstrated that the combined use of awareness training, social support, and competing response training was effective in eliminating motor tics in 2 of 4 children, that awareness training alone was effective for 1 child, and that a combination of awareness training and self-monitoring was effective for the 4th child. The treatment and ensuing improvement were found to be socially valid. We discuss possible explanations for these results and recommend directions for future research.     

Duration of visible persistence in relation to range of spatial frequencies

Five experiments examined the relationship between range of spatial frequencies contained in a visual display and duration of visible persistence. The high spatial frequency contents of the display were reduced by defocusing the image at the retina. Duration of visible persistence was measured by a task that required perceptual integration of a pattern whose parts were displayed sequentially in time. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that progressive reductions in the high-frequency contents of the display produced corresponding decrements in the duration of visible persistence. Experiments 3, 4, 5 showed that decrements in the duration of visible persistence could not be attributed to changes in the apparent size or in the brightness of the display brought about by defocusing. The results were interpreted in terms of the temporal response properties of perceptual mechanisms attuned to separate ranges of spatial frequencies. Strong parallels were drawn with the multichannel theory of visual information processing proposed by Breitmeyer and Ganz.     

ISRO: A scale to measure sex-role orientation

Sex-role research has been hampered by a lack of valid and reliable research tools to measure the construct being studied. This article describes the development of a research scale (ISRO) to measure women's sex-role orientation. This 16-item questionnaire has been shown to be internally consistent and to have fairly high temporal stability over 30 days. The high sensitivity (96.2%) and specificity (95.5%) suggest that it differentiates feminist from traditional women. Three factors assess attitudinal domains of conflict between family responsibilities and having a career; male/female division of household responsibilities; and women's work roles outside the home. Education appears to be the strongest predictor of ISRO scores.This study was supported in part by a grant from the American Nurses Foundation.     

Depression and engagement in a residential home for the elderly

Traditional residential care environments for the elderly have been criticized because of the observed low levels of residents' engagement. Behavioural models of depression suggest an inverse relationship between engagement in pleasant activities and depression. The present study examined the relationship between depression and engagement in the residents of a home for the elderly. Correlational analyses indicated no relationship between level of depression and level of engagement but an association was found between level of depression and engagement in activities subjectively most enjoyed. There was considerable variation in the residents' perception of their behaviour; some residents viewed active engagement negatively whilst clearly enjoying behaviour that is technically disengaged. It is suggested that the results of the study emphasize the importance both of individual differences in behaviour and of covert behaviour. Implications for the engagement concept are discussed. In particular it is suggested that programmes in care environments aimed at increasing engagement in order to enhance the quality of life should focus more on the individual and on his perception of his behaviour.