Preload and isometric force variability

Two experiments are reported, which examined the relative contributions of preload (resting force level), change of force, and the time taken to achieve the force in determining isometric force variability. The findings showed that change of force is the strongest determiner of peak force variability but that preload and time to peak force have smaller though systematic effects. A formula that predicts peak force variability is proposed, with preload as an additive effect to the ratio between the change of force level and the square root of time to peak force. These findings confirm that these three impulse variables are significant in predicting force variability and that the impact of rate of force on peak force variability is nonlinear.     

Relational aspects of identity: late adolescents' perceptions of their relationships with parents

This study examines the relationship between late adolescents' identity status and their memories of their relationships to their parents. One hundred male and female undergraduates completed two questionnaires. The first assessed subjects' retrospective perceptions of their affective relationships with parents across five age periods: 1 to 5 years, 5 to 10 years, 10 to 15 years, 15 to 20 years, and the present. The second questionnaire, the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status, assessed subjects' current identity status. Trend analyses revealed: (1) a significant quadratic trend in identity committed subjects' ratings of the amount of love they felt for mother across the five age periods, and (2) a significant linear trend of increasing love from mother. In contrast, uncommitted subjects showed significant linear trends of decreasing love both for and from their mothers. Results are interpreted as evidence of the importance of resolution of identity issues to the establishment of feelings of intimacy between late adolescents and their parents.     

Social Interactions of Obese and Nonobese Women

The stigma associated with obesity is likely to limit the opportunities obese women have to develop social skills. This hypothesis was tested by having obese (n = 15) and nonobese (n = 22) women converse on the telephone with college students who were unaware of the women's weights. Ratings made by judges who listened to the women's contributions to the conversations but who were unaware of their weights showed that obesity was negatively related to judgments about the women's likability, social skills, and physical attractiveness. The telephone partners of obese women rated the women and themselves more negatively than did the partners of nonobese women. Obese and nonobese women generally did not differ in their evaluations of their own and their telephone partners' behavior, and they also did not differ on a measure of social self-esteem. These findings suggest that there are real differences in the social behavior of obese and nonobese women and that these differences affect the impressions formed by those with whom they interact.     

On-line and memory-based modification of attitudes: determinants of message recall-attitude change correspondence

Experiments investigated the impact of message elaboration on attitude change-message recall correspondence when attitude change occurs in an on-line (as attitude-relevant information is received), or memory-based (on the basis of retrieved attitude-relevant information) fashion. In 2 experiments, Ss' processing goals were manipulated to increase or inhibit on-line change and message elaboration. As predicted, Ss reported postexposure attitudes more rapidly in on-line vs memory-based conditions. Decreased message elaboration increased attitude-recall correspondence, regardless of when attitude change occurred. Increased elaboration produced elaboration-attitude judgment correspondence. Results suggest that recall of message content will best predict persuasion when message content is encoded free of elaborations, regardless of when attitude change occurs.     

Marginal and mindful: deviants in social interactions

Master status people's behavior, physical appearance, or life circumstance is statistically unusual and centrally defining (e.g., the physically attractive, the obese, the intellectually gifted, the facially scarred, the talented, the athletic, Blacks, gays, the wealthy, rape and incest victims). These individuals were paired with people without such conditions. Each pair was left alone on a pretext and covertly videotaped. Pairs were then separated; each member spontaneously recalled information about her partner and the experimental room and provided a record of her thoughts and feelings during the interaction. As hypothesized, all master status Ss were particularly likely to be mindful in social interactions; they recalled detailed information about the situation and often took their partner's perspective during the interaction. The positive or negative connotations of the master status conditions were irrelevant in predicting Ss cognitions (mindfulness) but were critical in determining Ss behaviors (interaction strategies).     

Social support and immune function among spouses of cancer patients

This study investigated whether social support was related to immune function among spouses of cancer patients. Effects of depression and negative life events were examined as potential mediators. Results showed evidence of greater immunocompetence on 2 of 3 dynamic measures: natural killer cytotoxicity and proliferation response to phytohemagglutinin among spouses who reported high levels of social support. All six components of social support assessed by the Social Provisions Scale (Cutrona & Russell, 1987) were strongly related to these indices of immune function. No evidence was found for mediation by either life events or depression.     

Hand Test characteristics of severely behavior handicapped children

The Hand Test was administered to 98 severely behavior handicapped (SBH) children and a matched control group of public school children. The withdrawal score and associated variables, indicative of severe psychopathology, differentiated the two groups. In addition, a qualitative analysis of the SBH protocols tentatively suggested a preponderance of four behavioral types that could be described as the underproductive, perseverative, psychotic and impulsive child. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

Content analysis: a comparison of manual and computerized systems

Computerized content analysis is a technique for classifying texts. In personality research it has been used to make inferences about psychological states and traits of the speaker or writer. Whereas computerized techniques have been increasing in both sophistication and ease of use, questions remain regarding their validity compared to hand-scored scales. In this study, we compare a relatively simple computerized technique; a more sophisticated, context-sensitive computerized approach; and a context-sensitive, human-scored system. Seventy-one subjects, representing four diagnostic groups, provided free-speech samples which were scored according to all three methods. Data from each method were then submitted to discriminant and classification analyses. In comparing the classification performance of the three methods, we found that both computerized methods were more accurate than the human-scored method. The time and cost benefits of computerized systems are discussed.     

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire: a critical review

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976) is critically reviewed. First the developmental, object representations theory differentiating depression into anaclitic and introjective subtypes is presented. The DEQ factors of Dependency and Self-Criticism were initially found to be consistent with these clinically meaningful depressive subtypes. Subsequent research has generally demonstrated that these subtypes, at least as measured by the DEQ, do not hold up well in clinical populations. Furthermore, the validity of the developmental theory of these subtypes is weak. We suggest that more internally consistent and distinct factors should be developed from clinical populations because of their potential clinical usefulness.