Right of active duty military personnel to refuse psychiatric treatment

Under Federal Court precedents, mentally ill patients have a qualified right to refuse treatment. The amount of due process that may be required to override treatment refusals by active duty military patients is discussed. Due process for these individuals need not be judicial, since medical review satisfies federal requirements. Involuntary administration of medication to active duty military personnel is justified in some circumstances. Specific criteria for overriding treatment refusals are suggested. A sample protocol for overriding the treatment refusals of active duty personnel is offered.     

Prospective versus retrospective assessment of Menstrual cycle symptoms and moods: Role of Attitudes and beliefs

Prospective vs. retrospective self-reports of menstrual cycle symptoms and moods in users and nonusers of oral contraceptives were investigated. Subjects, aged from 17 to 27 years, included 56 women on the pill and 47 nonusers. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) quantified physical symptomatology, while the Differential Emotions Scale (DES-IV) measured emotional states. Prospective reports suggested less discernible symptom and mood effects than did retrospective reports. Physical symptoms were significantly higher menstrually than premenstrually, whereas negative affects increased premenstrually. Women on the pill reported significantly fewer symptoms and negative moods than nonusers, although there were no significant differences in positive mood states. Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ) scores suggested that nonusers of oral contraceptives found menstruation more debilitating than those on the pill. Based on a paper presented at the 5th Biennial Conference of the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, July 22–26, 1991.     

The relationship between plaintiff gender and just cause determination in Canadian dismissal cases

Widespread concern has been expressed recently over the differential treatment of women by the courts and various arbitration and adjudication proceedings. Based on data obtained by content analysing 367 Canadian dismissal cases from 1980 to 1993, this study examines the relationship between the plaintiff's gender and the court's ruling regarding the existence of just cause for termination. The results indicate that female plaintiffs are more likely than men to succeed in their court action. However, in comparison with their representation in the Canadian workforce, a relatively small percentage of women are plaintiffs in wrongful dismissal actions. Possible explanations for the study's findings are discussed.Funding for this study was provided by a Saint Mary's University Senate Research Grant to the first author. The very capable research assistance of Nancy Canavan and Jane MacNeil is gratefully acknowledged.     

The effects of preexposure to a learning apparatus

ICR mice were given exposure to a one-way shuttle apparatus until locomotor activity had been habituated. When compared with nonexposed animals, the exposed animals displayed superior shuttle avoidance learning. Animals exposed to both the apparatus and the CS did not differ from the nonexposed group. It was concluded that preexposure to the learning apparatus facilitated acquisition, while preexposure to the apparatus in the presence of the CS did not. The relationship between this effect and habituation was considered.     

Bargaining Strategies with Asymmetric Initiation and Termination

Two experimental studies of bilateral bargaining were conducted, and this paper reports findings related to differences in the conditions under which bargaining began and ended. Asymmetric initiation affected the way the subjects bargained, but not, on the average, the deals they struck. Asymmetric termination affected both bargaining behavior and deals. One surprising conclusion was that following a relatively simple configuration of bargaining strategies increased both one's probability of making a deal and one's benefits from the deal itself.