Disruptions of social relationships accentuate the association between emotional distress and menstrual pain in young women.

This study examined the effects of social support on dysmenorrhea and whether social support moderates the relationship between negative emotions and painful symptoms. Women (N = 184) completed questionnaires on menstrual symptoms, depression, anxiety, and social networks. Depression and anxiety were strongly associated with menstrual pain. Women who no longer had access to their prior support providers manifested more symptoms than did women with stable social relations. In addition, this disruption in their social networks moderated the relationship between distress and menstrual pain. Results indicate that loss of social support is a significant contributor to menstrual symptoms and point to the importance of considering specific aspects of social support in studying its effect on health.     

Deduction and definability in infinite statistical systems

Synthese - Classical accounts of intertheoretic reduction involve two pieces: first, the new terms of the higher-level theory must be definable from the terms of the lower-level theory, and second,...     

Social stress in pregnant squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis peruviensis) differentially affects placental transfer of maternal antibody to male and female infants.

The capacity of prenatal stress to disrupt the placental transfer of maternal antibody was evaluated in neonatal squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis peruviensis) gestated under different pregnancy conditions. Normal squirrel monkey offspring (n = 63) were compared with infants generated from pregnancies that involved either a single or 3 periods of disturbance (ns = 21 and 29, respectively). At parturition, levels of antibody (IgG) were determined in mothers and neonates. Only the chronic disturbance condition significantly altered antibody levels in the mothers, resulting in lower IgG. Antibody transfer to the fetus was also affected only by chronic disturbance. In this case the effect was bidirectional, influenced by the sex of the infant. Males were born with lower levels, whereas female infants actually had higher-than-normal IgG, despite lower titers in their mothers. Because virtually all IgG is derived from the prenatal transfer of maternal antibody, it indicates that the sex of the fetus differentially affected this placental process. The IgG receptor may have been up-regulated selectively on the placentas of female fetuses, compensating for reduced antibody in the disturbed mothers.     

A COMPARISON OF THREE METHODS FOR ELIMINATING DISRUPTIVE LUNCHROOM BEHAVIOR1,2

Three methods of controlling disruptive lunchroom behaviors of elementary school children were compared: basic modification procedures, basic modification procedures plus punishment essays, and basic modification procedures plus mediation essays. During an in-service workshop, six paraprofessional lunch aides received training in these methods to modify three classes of disruptive lunchroom behaviors. They then applied the methods in a counter-balanced design. Fourth- and fifth-grade elementary school pupils were observers and made reliability counts of the target misbehaviors under the various methods. Results indicated that during the periods when aides had been directed to use basic modification procedures plus mediation essays, target misbehaviors were almost totally eliminated and occurred significandy less often than during the periods when they had been directed to use basic modification procedures alone or basic modification procedures plus punishment essays.     

Target and arm observation effects on adaptation to prism displacement

Adaptation to displacement of objects in the visual field was studied as a function of preexposure test targets being absent or present in that field and lateral arm movement requiring no pointing at targets being observed or unobservable during prism exposure. Significantly greater adaptation was found when targets present during prism exposure were the same as those present during pre and postexposure test conditions. In addition, greater adaptation was found when S was permitted observation of lateral arm movement during prism exposure. Greatest adaptation was produced when both targets were present and arm movement was observable during prism exposure. In addition, when three targets were present during prism exposure, the greatest amount of adaptation was found for targets on S’s prismatically shifted visual field periphery.     

Factor analysis of the army air forces sheppard field battery of experimental aptitude tests

A factor analysis was made of 39 experimental printed aptitude tests and seven reference tests selected from the Army Air Forces Aircrew Classification Battery. Thirteen factors were extracted and two independent orthogonal rotational solutions were completed. Twelve factors were interpreted. Of these, seven were clearly identifiable with previously known factors: numerical, perceptual-speed, spatial-relations, visualization, visual-memory, paired-associates-memory, and length-estimation factors. A planning factor was not as clearly identifiable. A reasoning factor was probably a composite of two or more factors that failed to separate. A new factor possibly has to do with orientation with respect to the points of the compass. Two factors were doublets, each apparently specific to one kind of test. Better conceptions were gained of the spatial-relations and visualization factors and of the kinds of tests that measure them best. Efforts to improve measures of unique factors were not uniformly successful. The attempt to duplicate a psychomotor test rather directly by analogy in printed form failed almost completely.For support of a large part of the investigation the senior author is indebted to the Social Sciences Research Council for a grant-in-aid. Dr. Fruchter supervised the computational work in the extraction of factors and in one of the rotational solutions. Much of the work was done while he was employed by the Air Training Command Human Resources Research Center. While the opinions and conclusions are those of the authors, they wish to express their appreciation to that organization and especially to Dr. John T. Dailey for making the facilities possible and to Mr. William B. Lecznar for technical and computational assistance.