Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Sytems

The Circumplex Model focuses on the three central dimensions of marital and family systems: cohesion, flexibility and communication. The major hypothesis of the Circumplex Model is that balanced couple and family systems tend to be more functional compared to unbalanced systems. In over 250 studies using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES), a linear self-report measure, strong support has been found for this hypothesis. In several studies using the Clinical Rating Scale (CRS), a curvilinear observational measure, the hypothesis was also supported. These two assessment tools, the FACES and the CRS, are designed for research, clinical assessment and treatment planning with couples and families.     

The Influence of Music on Driver Stress1

In order to examine the efficacy of music in dealing with daily stressors, automobile drivers were randomly assigned to either a music or nonmusic group. The music group listened to their favorite music, while the nonmusic group abstained from any music or talk radio during their entire commute to or from school or work. Using a cellular telephone. state measures of driver stress were obtained during a single commute in Iow‐ and high‐congestion conditions. A Condition × Music Group interaction was found. Driver stress was greater in high congestion than in low congestion, but the nonmusic group demonstrated extreme levels of stress within high congestion. Listening to self‐selected music appeared to limit driver stress only within highly frustrating and irritating traffic congestion.     

Violence and sex impair memory for television ads

Participants watched a violent, sexually explicit, or neutral TV program that contained 9 ads. Participants recalled the advertised brands. They also identified the advertised brands from slides of supermarket shelves. The next day, participants were telephoned and asked to recall again the advertised brands. Results showed better memory for people who saw the ads during a neutral program than for people who saw the ads during a violent or sexual program both immediately after exposure and 24 hr later. Violence and sex impaired memory for males and females of all ages, regardless of whether they liked programs containing violence and sex. These results suggest that sponsoring violent and sexually explicit TV programs might not be a profitable venture for advertisers.