SOCIAL DIFFICULTY IN THREE CULTURES

An extended, piloted, version of the Bryant and Trower (1974) Social Situations Questionnaire was administered in Natal, South Africa, to nurses from three cultural groups: African, Indian and European, who were matched in terms of age, sex, education, occupation, and language competence. There was a significant difference between the three groups' self-reported social difficulty with the Europeans (Whites) expressing least social difficulty and the Africans (Blacks) most. Discriminant analysis revealed the items which showed most differences in the réponse between the three groups. The similarities and differences between the cultural groups in self-reported social difficulty are discussed within the context of their sociopolitical and cultural experience, and socialization. Implications for cross-cultural research in social skills are noted.     

Combination treatment of malignant brain tumors. Results of initial experiences

First experiences with the combined treatment of malignant gliomas (29 cases) are presented in connection with the results reported in literature. The cytostatic therapy has been carried out according to the modified Israel-Scheme of Heiss et al. Using the combined treatment (resection of tumor, radiotherapy and polychemotherapy) a prolongation of survival time to 55 till 80 weeks is noticeable. The patients observed in our study survived on an average 79,8 weeks (operation and chemotherapy) resp. 94,7 weeks (operation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy). Special problems of the cytostatic therapy of malignant brain tumors are considered, among others in relation to the blood-brain-barrier and the tumorcell-kinetics; a further optimation of therapy is necessary.     

Attitudes,knowledge, and use of alcohol in university students

This paper investigated attitudes towards alcohol, knowledge of alcohol, parents drinking behaviour, reasons for drinking and television viewing habits varied in relation to actual drinking behaviour. A sample of 106 University students completed a questionnaire which enabled their classification as non, light, medium and heavy drinkers on the basis of their self-reported consumption levels. Results revealed 9% to be non-drinkers, 22% to be light, 38% to be moderate and 31% to be heavy. They also showed that alcohol drinking habits differed significantly with age, sex, smoking habits and in particular with parents drinking habits. Alcohol drinking habits also differed significantly with knowledge of alcohol, heavier drinkers being found to have a better overall knowledge, but reasons for drinking and attitudes towards drinking did not show any overall difference between the drinking habit categories. Finally, there was no indication that television viewing independently contributed to alcohol beliefs, knowledge, attitudes or habits. The results are discussed in terms of future research implications.     

Actual and perceived attitudes of wheelchair users

The sub-section of the disabled population who use a wheelchair has largely been neglected in the research Concerned with attitudes towards people with a disability. This study had two aims: firstly, to compare the attitudes towards wheelchair users of able-bodied people with people who actually use a wheelchair, and secondly, to examine the difference between how each group perceives the attitudes of the other towards this condition. The results revealed a number of interesting differences between the expressed attitudes of the two groups, although their overall mean scores were comparable. The wheelchair user group were found to believe non-disabled people to hold more negative attitudes than they actually expressed. A few age and sex differences were found, as well as a number of differences depending on whether the respondents had congenital or acquired disabilities. Finally, the amount of contact with those using wheelchairs was found to be associated with slightly more realistic attitudes among the non-disabled respondents. The results are discussed in the light of previous research, and possible reasons for, and ways to counter, the lack of empathy between the two groups are considered.     

The thought control questionnaire: A measure of individual differences in the control of unwanted thoughts

Previous research has suggested that unpleasant and unwanted thoughts are a frequent experience in both normal and clinical populations. This paper describes the development and validation of a questionnaire that assesses strategies for controlling such thoughts. Analyses of the Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ) demonstrated five replicable factors: Distraction; Social Control; Worry; Punishment and Reappraisal. Significant associations were found between the punishment and worry subscales of the TCQ and various measures of emotional vulnerability and perceptions of impaired control over cognition. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the literature on thought suppression, worry and mental self-regulation.     

Sense of community in a remote mining town: Validating a Neighborhood Cohesion scale

Psychometric properties and determinants of Buckner's Neighborhood Cohesion Index (NCI) have previously been reported for 206 individuals from three Washington, DC suburbs. This study analyses the properties and determinants of the scale for 1182 mine workers in Elliot Lake, a remote Canadian single-industry town. Data were collected through in-person interviews. The scale in the Elliot Lake sample was highly reliable (α=.91) and the Elliot Lake and Washington NCI item-total scale correlations were similar. Multiple regression found income and education related significantly negatively and years in neighborhood and home ownership significantly positively to NCI with coefficients comparable to those Buckner found in Washington. However, additional significant positive predictors of NCI were home equity, length of home ownership, and the presence of both pre-school-age and school-age children in the home, whereas a significant negative predictor was poor health. The NCI thus appears to be stable across societies, and shows systematic relationships with background variables. Home equity, duration of home ownership, children and health were significant predictors of NCI in our larger Canadian sample. This paper is based on data from the Elliot Lake Tracking Study. We are eager to acknowledge the contribution of our collaborators, David Leadbeater and Peter Suschnigg, in designing the study and collecting the data. We take full responsibility for our conclusions. Funding for the study has been provided by the Laurentian University Institute for Northern Ontario Research and Development, The Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, and the Elliot Lake Job Creation Fund.     

The stability of inhibited/uninhibited temperament from ages 3 to 11 years in mauritian children

Stability of inhibited/uninhibited temperament was assessed using 1,795 Mauritian children tested at ages 3, 8, and 11 years. Children were divided into uninhibited, middle, and inhibited groups at each age based on social behavior. Results indicated that, relative to uninhibited children (1) those inhibited at age 3 obtained larger inhibition scores at age 8 (p< .0001), (2) those inhibited at age 8 obtained larger inhibition scores at age 11 (p< .002), and (3) those remaining inhibited from ages 3 to 8 obtained larger inhibition scores at age 11 (p< .002). Relative to children who changed classification from ages 3 to 8, those remaining inhibited obtained larger inhibition scores (p< .05) and those remaining uninhibited obtained smaller inhibition scores (p< .015) at age 11. Inhibition scores tended to be higher in females by age 11. Results remained regardless of ethnicity. The results provide some support that inhibited/uninhibited temperament remains stable from ages 3 to 8 and may continue to age 11. The results suggest cross-cultural generalizability of these findings with implications regarding the development of anxiety disorders in the Mauritian population. The efforts of Cyril Dalais, Brian Bell, Athenea Chiriaca, and all the local members of the longitudinal study, the Mauritius Joint Child Health Project, are gratefully acknowledged. We are also especially thankful to Drs. Michael E. Dawson, David Walsh, and Bill McClure for their helpful comments and suggestions.The data used in this study were collected while the project was supported by the Medical Research Council (UK), the Wellcome Trust (UK), and the Mauritian government. The data were analyzed and findings written as part of the first author's dissertation work under the support of the NIMH Pre-doctoral Individual National Research Service Award and a USC Dissertation Fellowship Award.     

Clinical psychologists' attitudes to lesbians

This study begins the process of examining clinical psychologists' competence in dealing with lesbian clients by assessing their attitudes to lesbians and lesbianism. Attitudinal questionnaires were sent to 200 chartered clinical psychologists and 69 (34.5%) were returned. Respondents displayed generally positive attitudes, with only two out of 12 attitudinal items failing to attract attitudinally positive responses from more than three-quarters of the sample. Yet, because of the possible unrepresentativeness of the sample and the potentially tenuous attitude–behaviour link, it is recommended that consideration of lesbian issues should be explicitly addressed in clinical psychology training.     

Affective and evaluative responses to pop music

From reviews published in the “serious” pop music press, twenty recordings were selected which had received consistently favourable appraisals on affective and evaluative bases. A further twenty recordings were selected on the basis of high levels of chart performance but a lack of critical acclaim. Sixty-four subjects rated representative excerpts of these recordings on 11-point scales of either liking or artistic merit. The results indicated significantly lower liking and artistic merit ratings of critically praised excerpts; a positive liking-artistic merit correlation; and some “fragmentation” between affective and evaluative responses. The apparent discrepancy between the attitudes of the music press and subjects' ratings is discussed in terms of the availability and sophistication of evaluation cues.     

Neuroticism and Strength of Religious Attitudes among Churchgoers in England

A sample of 244 churchgoers completed the abbreviated form of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, together with the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity. The findings support the view that, among religiously committed samples, there is an inverse relationship between neuroticism scores and the strength of positive attitude toward Christianity.