Escape behavior under continuous reinforcement as a function of aversive light intensity

In 11 male albino rats, lever-pressing responses, maintained under a CRF escape schedule with light as the aversive stimulus, were examined at each of five intensities, viz., 2.5, 18, 105, 190, and 386 ft-C. The function relating reciprocal of latency of the escape response to aversive light intensity passed through a maximum.     

Book reviews

The Word Speaks to the Faustian Man. Som Raj Gupta. Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass. 455+xvi pp., Rs. 500

A History of Indian Buddhism, From Sākyamuni to Early Mahāyāna. Hirakawa Akira, translated and edited by Paul Groner, 1990. Asian Studies at Hawaii, No. 36. Honolulu, HI, University of Hawaii Press. xix +402, £33.25

The Doctrine of the Upanisads and the Early Buddhism. Hermann Oldenberg, translated by Shridhar B. Shrotri, 1991. Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass. Rs. 225

Evil and the Mystics’ God: Towards a Mystical Theodicy. Michael Stoeber. London, Macmillan. x+225 pp., £40     

Nonsuicidal physically self-damaging acts in adolescents

To determine the frequency and correlates of nonsuicidal physically self-damaging acts in 12–14 year olds, a two stage epidemiologic survey with a self-administered questionnaire (N=3283) followed by a psychiatric interview of a subsample of the adolescents and their parents (N=444) was used. Prevalence estimates of interview validated nonsuicidal physically self-damaging acts were 2.46% in males and 2.79% in females. Significant relationships were found between nonsuicidal physically self-damaging acts and suicidal ideation, major depression and undesirable life events. Data suggest that physically self-damaging acts occur at substantial rates during early adolescence. The strong correlation between nonsuicidal self-destructive acts and both suicidal ideation and major depression clarifies prior conflicting reports in the literature and suggests that a history of self-damaging acts should be taken into consideration when evaluating for possible depression and suicide risk.     

Dynamic spatial performance and general intelligence

A computerized video-game-like dynamic spatial ability measure and a paper-and-pencil group test of intelligence were administered to 94 university students. The purpose of the study was threefold: (a) to evaluate the reliability of the dynamic spatial measure; (b) to investigate the extent to which the dynamic spatial measure is saturated with variance associated with traditional measures of fluid and crystallized intellectual ability; and (c) to explore the possibility that dynamic computer based performance measures define factors that are distinct from those associated with traditional paper-and-pencil measures. The number of times the participant hit a moving target served as the dependent variable for the dynamic spatial measure. Number of hits proved to be correlated with Performance IQ, but was not significantly correlated with Verbal IQ. Maximum likelihood factor analysis revealed that the dynamic spatial measure did not load substantially on a factor of general intellectual ability but provided additional evidence that it is related to a performance component.     

Gender and health on the kibbutz

Gender differences in health status and illness behavior have been explained in terms of sex roles and gender-related personality traits. It may be hypothesized that in a community that is committed to gender-negating ideology, where men and women alike participate in public life, and housework and child care largely collectivized, gender health differences will disappear. The kibbutz movement is committed to the ideology of the emancipation of women: women fully participate in the labor force and decision making. Nonetheless, women on the kibbutz are responsible for the housework and are concentrated in feminine occupations. The kibbutz, then, allows us to test the relationship between gender ideology and participation in public life vs. gender roles and tasks, and health. The health behavior, health status, and illness behavior of 230 members of two kibbutzim, one religious and one secular, were studied. Men and women report similar health status and illness behavior; parental status is not related to health; and marital status is related to psychological distress only. Similar patterns were observed for the secular kibbutz and the religious one despite the more traditional division of labor in the latter.Medical student, supported by the National Fund for Medical Education, 35 Kneeland Street, Boston, MA 02111.     

Psychological androgyny: A black female perspective

The focus of the present study is the relationship between Masculine and Feminine personality attributes (as measured by the PAQ), sex role attitudes, and socialization antecedents among a sample of Black women. The majority of the Black women in this study report Androgynous sexual identities, but have traditional beliefs about the female role in the family. Androgynous women are more likely to be positively identified with both mother and father. Women who are college graduates have more liberal views about the female role and are more likely to identify themselves as Masculine and Undifferentiated. Regardless of sexual identity category, the subjects are all heavily invested in the mothering role. Racial comparisons indicate more Black women are in the Androgynous category and more White women in the Undifferentiated category. White respondents have more liberal sex role attitudes than the Black respondents.     

Gender, object, and humor

Male and female respondents rated jokes with either a female initiator/male target of joke or vice versa. For male respondents, the gender of the joke target made no difference. For female respondents, however, jokes with males as the target received significantly higher ratings than jokes with females as the target.     

Developing local lifelong guidance strategies

The background, rationale, methodology and outcomes of a project on developing local lifelong guidance strategies in four areas are outlined. The main components of the strategies developed in the four areas are analysed, and a number of issues relating to the process of strategy development are addressed. Much of the lack of coherence at local level stems from lack of coherence at national policy level: implications for national policy are examined. Finally, implications for parallel work in other localities are explored.     

Textbooks in Accredited Marriage and Family Therapy Programs

Although choices of required textbooks are important decisions in developing a course curriculum, faculty in marriage and family therapy training programs have few convenient resources to guide curriculum development. This article presents results of a survey of textbook selections of accredited marriage and family therapy programs within a regional affiliate of AAMFT. The five programs surveyed listed 108 different titles used in their curriculum. Only 12 texts were used by two programs, and only one text was used by more than two programs. This article presents the textbook selections by the six curricular areas of COAMFTE accreditation standards. The wide variety of textbooks used by programs leads us to conclude that no consensus exists about what textbooks best represent the core knowledge of marriage and family therapy. The body of knowledge taught in accredited marriage and family training programs reflects a distinct and autonomous body of knowledge.