Cloze analysis in schizophrenic speech: scoring method and raters' education

This report examines two methodologic concerns pertaining to use of the cloze procedure in studying the predictability of schizophrenic speech, scoring criteria and raters' education (at or below college level). We find that two strategies for scoring the predictions of raters, one requiring the exact word, the other permitting a reasonable synonym, do not appear to differ in distinguishing groups of patients. The accuracy of raters' guessing is, however, correlated with raters' education: the more educated the rater, the more accurate the guessing. Thought-disordered schizophrenic speech is significantly less predictable than that of nonthought-disordered schizophrenics and normal controls when scored by less educated raters. These differences diminish when more highly educated raters are used. We conclude that raters' education can influence the sensitivity of cloze analysis.     

Psychological gender, hand preferences, and sex differences in book-carrying styles

Individuals with stronger sex-role identities may be expected to show greater conformity to sex-typed behaviors. Proceeding from this assumption, the sex-role status and sex of students using different styles of carrying books were compared. This study also examined whether over-all hand preference or age were related to carrying styles or sex-role status. Subjects completed a questionnaire comprised of the 24-item Personal Attributes Questionnaire of Spence and Helmreich, a 6-item scale of hand preference and a self-rating of sex-role identity. Afterwards, each subject's carrying style was covertly observed and recorded. Most subjects carried their materials in a sex-typical way or in book bags (for which no sex-typed carrying styles were discovered). As in previous studies, men in this study scored higher than women on masculinity and androgyny and lower on femininity. Hand preference was not related to sex-role status. Carrying style was not significantly correlated with any of the predictor variables for men, perhaps because almost no variance in carrying style was observed among them. Women who used masculine carrying styles tended to be older, have greater instrumentality, and a more masculine identity.     

Men and women in the clergy: Stresses,strains, and resources

This essay reports a program of research as the occupational and personal stress experienced by contemporary American clergy. Three studies are reported. In the first survey a group of largely Roman Catholic religious reported less stress than the general population. In a replication of this investigation on over 510 Protestant clergy this impression of less experienced stress and greater personal resources was confirmed. In the most recent study of clergy in Southern California, a mixed picture was observed. Although the impression of less overall stress was confirmed, great differences in layclery role expectations were observed.He is the coauthorof Clergy Malpractice: How to Care Carefully (Westminster Press, 1986) and is engaged in a variety of ministerial studies.Paper presented at the meeting of the International Council of Psychologists, Mexico City, September, 1984.     

Are indefinite descriptions ambiguous?

I have benefited greatly from discussing the issues addressed in this paper with Michael Liston, John Vickers and Mark Wilson.     

Recurring themes and images in a series of consecutive REM dreams

A consecutive series of REM dreams were collected from one subject over a period of four nights and examined for recurring themes and images. Analysis suggested a nonrandom pattern of dreaming consistent with the proposition that the themes and images are held as elements in a limited capacity storage system from which they can be recycled. One such system can be described by means of a simple testable mathematical model. Some of the implications of this are discussed.