Sex and sociability in rats

Three experiments explored the effects of sexual motivation and the opportunity for sexual contact on social attraction in rats. Rats were no more gregarious in cross-sex than in same-sex pairings. Increased male sexual experience and hormonally induced female receptivity both led to increased sexual activity but had no effect on social behavior. Males housed with continuously receptive females showed signs of sexual exhaustion but were as gregarious as males housed alone or with males. It appears that social attraction in rats is not motivated primarily by sexual desires, either direct or sublimated.     

Machiavellianism and spontaneous cheating in competition

Seventy-two undergraduates were assigned to groups defined by the combinations of the factors opportunity to cheat (yes, no), type of competition (personal, impersonal), and subject Machiavellianism (high, low). As predicted, cheating occurred in the opportunity to cheat, impersonal competition, high Mach group and in the opportunity to cheat, personal competition, low Mach group, extending the results of previous Machiavellianism research from situations in which cheating was explicitly encouraged by another person to a situation in which cheating was undertaken at the subject's own initiative.     

Semantic operations deficits in sentence comprehension

Summary The ability of aphasic patients to comprehend sentences involving the combination of two linguistic operations was tested in a sentence/picture matching task. Sentences included affirmative, negative, uncompared and comparative types. Aphasic patients had significantly greater difficulty in understanding negative-comparative constructions than sentence types involving only a single operation. Comparison of the responses of the aphasic patients with data obtained in a perceptual comparison task revealed that a subgroup of patients had marked difficulty in integrating information in both tasks. The results are interpreted as an indication that some aphasic patients are especially disturbed in their ability to combine several operations in the construction of semantic representations for sentences. It is further argued that this deficit may extend to an inability to integrate information in the perceptual/spatial domain, as suggested by Luria in his discussion of the syndrome of semantic aphasia.The research reported here was supported by NIH research grant 14099 to The Johns Hopkins University. We would like to thank Dr. Annamaria Basili, Chief, Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Fort Howard Veterans Administration Medical Center, for permission to test the patients. We are indebted to the entire staff of that department for their continued cooperation, and for their many useful comments on the research reported. We also thank Michael Giordano, Conrad Selnick, and Susan Baisley for their assistance in data analysis. A version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of B.A.B.B.L.E., Niagara Falls, Canada, March, 1979     

Assessment of combat-related stress and physical symptoms of Gulf War veterans: criterion validity of selected hand test variables

We examined the utility of selected Hand Test (Wagner, 1983) variables in relation to posttraumatic stress and physical symptoms in Gulf War (GW) veterans. In this study, we sought to replicate and expand on prior empirical findings that have demonstrated efficacy of the Hand Test in the assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Walter, Hilsenroth, Arsenault, Sloan, & Harvill, 1998). Based on this previous research, Hand Test variables were selected a priori and examined across three groups of veterans: (a) a control group of participants who were in a reserve unit not deployed to the GW theater of operations, (b) a subclinical group of deployed GW veterans who reported 1 to 5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. [DSM-IV]; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria for PTSD, and (c) a group of deployed GW veterans who met DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Analyses demonstrated significant differences across the three groups and significant relationships among selected Hand Test variables with the number of DSM-IV symptoms of PTSD reported in the interviews as well as with the number of physical problems reported by these veterans. We discuss these findings in relation to the assessment and treatment of posttraumatic stress symptomatology.     

Peritraumatic dissociation and experiential avoidance as predictors of posttraumatic stress symptomatology

This study examined whether peritraumatic dissociation serves as a proxy risk factor for experiential avoidance in its relationship with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. One hundred eighty-five trauma survivors completed measures that assessed for peritraumatic dissociation, experiential avoidance, and PTSD symptom severity. The results indicated that peritraumatic dissociation and experiential avoidance were significantly related to PTSD symptomatology at baseline. However, after initial levels of PTSD symptomatology were taken into account, only experiential avoidance was related to PTSD symptoms both 4- and 8-weeks later. These results indicate that peritraumatic dissociation is not a proxy risk factor for experiential avoidance and contributes to the growing body of literature indicating that experiential avoidance is an important factor related to the psychological symptoms experienced by trauma survivors.     

Adult urinary incontinence: Assessment,intervention, and the role of clinical health psychology in program development

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a disorder receiving little attention from clinical health psychologists. This paper establishes the importance of addressing the issue of UI within the clinical and research practices of clinical health psychologists. Over 10 million Americans suffer from loss of bladder control. Incontinence affects over half of older individuals in long-term care institutions, about one-third of hospitalized elderly, and up to 30% of Americans over the age of 60 living at home. Because of social stigma and misconceptions attached to urinary incontinence, it is estimated that less than half of those affected see a physician about their condition. Since UI is generally associated with medical, social, psychological, and economic consequences, a multidisciplinary perspective is important because these factors are integral in the selection of appropriate treatment. Definitions of UI, its incidence and costs, and brief reviews of treatment and management techniques are presented. Psychological sequelae and treatments are presented as a foundation for developing further treatment and research approaches. Guidelines for collaboration and consultation by clinical health psychologists with medical professionals in the area of UI are also discussed.     

Characteristics of Children Presenting to a Behavioral Treatment Program for Pediatric Headache

This study examined headache characteristics and psychological variables associated with pediatric headache in a specialty treatment clinic. Children were referred by pediatric neurologists to a hospital-based pediatric behavioral medicine clinic for behavioral treatment in conjunction with medical management of the pain. Headache typology of the children indicated that 1/3 of the sample reported at least daily headaches, and a large percentage of patients described experiencing headaches that lasted for more than a day (26%). Child and parent report of pain revealed a fairly high level of correspondence for headache activity. Regarding other psychological characteristics, children in this study endorsed higher than expected levels of somatization even after adjusting for headache symptoms. Compared with children's report, parents' report showed only slightly higher levels of secondary gain experienced by children because of pain. Gender differences were not found. The implications of these findings for improving our understanding of pediatric headache are discussed.