Transition to motherhood and the self: measurement, stability, and change

Different ways of conceptualizing and measuring change in attitudes during transition to motherhood are examined. A series of analyses was performed on data from a cross-sectional sample (N = 667) and a smaller longitudinal sample (n = 48) to demonstrate sound psychometric properties for 2 new scales and to show construct comparability across different phases of childbearing. For Childbearing Attitudes Questionnaire, results demonstrated equality of covariance for 16 scales and comparability of structure and meaning of 4 higher order factors--identification with motherhood, social orientation, self-confidence, and negative aspects of giving birth. For Mothering Self-Definition Questionnaire, results demonstrated equality of covariance of 5 scales and comparability of structure and meaning of a single higher order factor, interpreted as reflecting positive feelings about one's mothering characteristics. Analyses of correlations and mean differences identified areas of change and stability.     

Prayer as a model of communication

The paper deals with the principles of good communication between persons, taking the traditional forms of prayer—confession, petition, praise, thanksgiving, and contemplation—as models. It is divided into two sections: The first presents the principles of poor communication and sets these within a theological context, followed by the principles of good communication; the second section suggests two practical applications of this material: (1) marriage counseling by Christian pastors, and (2) a short, Christian education course.Sylvia Fleming Crocker has a Ph.D. in philosophy and an M.A. in comparative religion. She is a Gestalt therapist in private practice in Laramie, Wyoming.     

Pentoxifylline reverses age-related deficits in spatial memory

Pentoxifylline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, produces a marked reversal of an age-dependent spatial memory deficit in Fischer 344 strain male rats. Performance of 26-month-old animals treated chronically with pentoxifylline approached that of 3-month-old controls. The effect was not dependent upon concurrent administration of the acetylcholine precursor choline chloride. It is concluded that the pentoxifylline-induced reversal of the age-dependent memory decline is not dependent on any presumed facilitation of acetylation and utilization of exogenously supplied transmitter substrate.     

Information-seeking and maternal self-definition during the transition to motherhood

The self-definitional processes accompanying the transition to motherhood were examined in this study. A cross-sectional sample of more than 600 women who were planning to get pregnant within 2 years, pregnant, or in the postpartum stage completed extensive questionnaires pertaining to their experiences of pregnancy and motherhood. On the basis of the assumption of the "self-socialization" perspective that individuals actively construct their identities in response to life transitions, our analyses focused on the role of information-seeking in the developing self-definitions of women becoming mothers. As predicted, (a) women actively sought information in anticipation of a first birth, (b) they used this information to construct identities incorporating motherhood, and (c) after the birth the determinants of their self-definitions shifted from indirect sources of information to direct experiences with child care. Hence, consistent with the self-socialization perspective, information-seeking did play an important role in the women's developing self-conceptions during this life transition. Mechanisms by which information gathered may alter self-conception are discussed.     

Effects of eye color and sex on accuracy in archery

126 subjects were 47 children in Grade 7, 49 students in Grade 8, and 30 adults, who shot arrows at bull's-eye targets from varying distances. Analysis of variance of accuracy scores indicated that there was no difference for eye color, but boys scored more points than did girls.     

Talking about unemployment with school-leavers

Research is reported concerning the views of a variety of professionals as to appropriate ways of talking about unemployment with 16-year-old school-leavers. Preparation in schools for the possibility of unemployment is discussed, as well as issues for those in contact with young people without a job after they leave school. The ways in which professionals talk to young people about unemployment appear to vary substantially. The findings suggest that in adopting a particular approach a professional will be influenced by his beliefs about the labour economy, by his perceptions of young people's wants and needs, and by his own capacity to cope with the feelings involved in re-examining his role in relation to unemployed young people.     

Multiple audience problem: a strategic communication perspective on social perception

Examined how communicators send mixed messages containing an explicit surface content and a covert hidden content. In Study 1, Ss wrote constrained essays presenting either an introverted or extraverted personality. Although authors reported manipulating essay credibility and readers reported relying on credibility to make their judgments, readers succumbed to correspondence bias. In Studies 2 and 3, Ss again prepared either constrained essays (Study 2) or constrained videotapes (Study 3) and included in them a hidden message that would be understood by only their friends but not by strangers. Observers then read these essays or watched these videotapes. Friends detected and decoded the hidden messages, whereas strangers did not. We discuss these findings in terms of social perception and strategic communication.