The thin ideal, depression and eating disorders in women

It is proposed that a cultural ideal of thinness for women causes depression at a higher rate among women than among men. This model accounts for five currently unintegrated trends in the epidemiology of depression. It explains why: (1) twice as many women as men are likely to be depressed; (2) this sex difference emerges at puberty; (3) this sex difference is only found in western countries; (4) there is more depression today; (5) the average age of onset for depression is younger now than in the past. Four parallel trends in eating disorders can also be accounted for by the same factor.     

Residential environment and self-directedness among older people

Research on the environmental psychology of later life has produced data and theoretical advances that have been incorporated into the design of nursing homes and housing, neighborhood planning, housing policy, and housing-related services for older people. The applications of knowledge have been particularly useful in compensating for behaviors impaired by the physical illnesses that become more prevalent with aging. Some research has also documented environmental transactions made with the intent of choosing, creating, or shaping environments that increase need fulfillment. These two directions of the transactions between the older person and the environment have been characterized as environmental docility and environmental proactivity. The need for more research on promoting opportunities for proactivity in an attempt to raise environmental quality is discussed.     

Alcohol and correspondence between self-report and physiological measures of anxiety

The present study was designed to determine the main effects of alcohol intoxication on self-report and physiological measures of anxiety. Second, we aimed to assess the role of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability (MCSD) scale in predicting the relationship between self-report and physiological indices of anxiety irrespective of drink content. A final purpose of the study was to determine whether the MCSD could account for discrepancies in the effects of alcohol on the two anxiety response systems. Subjects were male social drinkers who received an 0.70 g/kg dose of alcohol or placebo. Results indicated that irrespective of drink content, subjects with high MCSD scores reported lower levels of anxiety than did subjects with low MCSD scores. This relationship was not evident for heart rate. These results for measures of anxiety were not influenced by drink content.     

Unconscious fantasy: developmental and self-psychological considerations

The authors view unconscious fantasy from the perspective of self psychology as a significant addition and emendation of the classical framework. A selective review of the pertinent literature is presented, followed by clinical material illustrating the contribution of self-psychological concepts to the understanding of unconscious fantasy formation.     

Additive latency effects of selective and nonselective restricted priming types

The purpose of this investigation was to examine further the contention of Alain et al. (1988) that a third priming type exists, called nonselective restricted (NSR) and controlled by response probability, which is distinct from those types influenced by foreperiod duration (nonselective general priming) and prediction probability (selective priming). In a four-choice reaction time (RT) task, prediction probability (.5, .7, & .9, indicating the likelihood of a particular response) and response probability (.5, .9, denoting the likelihood that a response would be needed at all) exerted significant but noninteractive effects on RTs for prepared responses (most probable), suggesting that each of these probabilities influence different priming types (Sternberg, 1969; selective and NSR, respectively). This was further indicated by the fact that prediction probability, but not response probability, significantly altered RTs for the unprepared (lesser probable) responses. Finally, the hypothesized nonselective character of NSR priming (i.e., all outputs controlled by response probability are equally affected by its value changes) was supported when responses were equiprobable, and, while the null effect of response probability just mentioned seemingly argued against this property when selective priming took place, the interpretation provided herein negated this opposition.     

Overt attempts to change hand preference: a study of group and individual characteristics

Previous work by Porac, Coren, and Searleman (1986) looked at overt attempts to change hand preference from the left to the right side. We extended this research by studying individuals who shifted their handedness from the left to the right side as well as a group who attempted a shift in the opposite direction (right to left). Comparisons of the two shift attempts revealed that the timing, method, and agent of change differed significantly for right versus left shifts. More right than left shifts were successful. Overall, most shift attempts were rated as unsuccessful because they did not result in a handedness classification consistent with the direction of the shift. Individuals classified as successful shifters, whether in the right or left direction, displayed a more ambihanded behavioural pattern than either unsuccessful shifters or the no shift control group. Evidence suggested that left-shift attempts were promoted by original ambihanded tendencies but that ambihandedness in successful right shifts stemmed from the partial success of the switch attempt.     

The relationship between underpredicted pain and escape

Escape and avoidance that are disproportional to the danger of the pertinent stimulus are important clinical problems that are often related to inaccurate (catastrophic) expectations. One possible source of such expectations is a prior, underestimated aversive experience. In the present experiment the hypotheses that underestimated pain leads to escape and that it leads to avoidance were tested. In order to control for the effect of the intensity of the pain stimulus, a control group that received 20 pain stimuli of high intensity was formed. Subjects in the experimental condition received 17 pain stimuli of low intensity and 3 of (unexpectedly) high intensity (experimentally induced underprediction). Underprediction of the high intensity stimulus was significantly related to escape, but not to avoidance. The results suggest that the way in which avoidance was operationalized accounts for this. The strong support of the hypothesized relationship between underpredicted pain and escape is an important finding, however.     

A Study of the Role of Gender in Family Therapy Training

A survey of the role of gender in family therapy training programs was conducted by the Women's Task Force of the American Family Therapy Association (AFTA) in order to determine the extent to which gender issues were included in the curriculum. Questionnaires were sent to 285 programs in the U.S., Canada, and overseas. Only 19% (n = 55) of the original sample participated, with the East Coast representing the largest proportion of respondents. Findings revealed that the three most frequently addressed gender issues are: 1) the impact of cultural and economic conditions on single, female-headed families; 2) gender issues associated with wife abuse; and 3) an examination of the implications of the therapist's gender in therapy interventions. Only 27 programs identify with a feminist model or have a clearly defined sense of gender awareness. A significant finding associated with the introduction of feminist content was the difficulty of integrating gender issues with major theoretical models. Trainee resistance and lack of faculty awareness were also considered obstacles to including gender in program curriculum.     

Understanding how groups work: a study of homogeneous peer group failures

The study examines thirty-six homogeneous peer support groups that failed to positively benefit most of the participants. Outcomes were assessed pre and one-year post using measures of mental health, marital relationships, and motherhood role indices. Four central group process characteristics previously found to be common in successful peer support groups were used as a framework for developing a series of post hoc hypotheses. The groups were found to be low on cohesiveness defined behaviorally, saliency, cognitive structures for reframing common dilemmas, and limited in the range of therapeutic experiences.