CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS: EFFECTS ON TREATMENT OUTCOME DURING METHADONE DETOXIFICATION

We examined the effectiveness of a contingency management program in preventing relapse to illicit opiate use and increasing treatment retention during outpatient methadone detoxification treatment. Twenty male opiate addicts were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. Following a 3-week methadone stabilization period, men in both groups received identical gradual methadone dose reductions during Weeks 4 through 9 and were maintained on placebo during Weeks 10 through 13. Beginning in Week 4, control patients received $5.00 for providing a specimen twice weekly. Experimental patients received $10.00 and a take home methadone dose for each opiate-free urine specimen but forfeited the incentives and participated in more intensive clinic procedures when specimens were opiate positive. The contingency management procedure slowed the rate of relapse to illicit opiate use. Experimental patients provided significantly more opiate-free urines during the methadone dose reduction in Weeks 4 through 9 than control patients, although the difference between groups was no longer significant during placebo administration in Weeks 10 through 13. In addition, the contingency management program improved treatment retention and reduced symptom complaints during the detoxification. The usefulness and limitations of contingency management procedures for outpatient methadone detoxification are discussed.     

6-羟基多巴胺所致旋转行为的动物模型

选用神经毒素(6-OHDA)造成动物大脑黑质纹状体的单侧性损伤,致使动物的大脑两半球机能显示不对称性。致伤后以可卡因诱发动物的旋转行为。 本实验共观察了成年的Holtzman种系雌性大白鼠43只。结果表明,有38例(88.37％)的多巴胺的耗竭率在85一100％,它们的伤情较为理想。但是,3只动物(6.98％)的多巴胺的耗竭率小于60％,2只动物(4.65％)的多巴胺的耗竭率在60—84％。 本文详细地介绍了如何制备和利用旋转仪自动记录动物的旋转行为,以及用高效液相色谱法测定大脑纹状体内多巴胺的含量。     

Effects of moral reconation therapy upon moral reasoning, life purpose, and recidivism among drug and alcohol offenders

40 incarcerated DWI offenders and 62 drug offenders who were treated with Moral Reconation Therapy were assessed with respect to levels of moral reasoning, their perceived purpose in life, and subsequent recidivism. Analysis showed that, as clients progress in the program, levels of moral reasoning and purpose in life increase significantly. Level of moral reasoning appears to increase with clients' completion of therapeutic steps. Preliminary recidivism data on 103 male and female inmate-clients who have participated in an aftercare program using the therapy appear encouraging.     

Single-parameter power law psychophysics of auditory numerosity and the psychological moment hypothesis.

In the present study, numerosity estimation was investigated. A two-parameter Stevens power law analysis was performed on a total of 944 subjects in six experiments. Two pulse ranges (2-17 or 17-253 pulses) and six pulse rates (either constant or randomly varied within trial blocks) were used, variously, in an unsuccessful attempt to find evidence for a psychological moment, under the supposition that the exponent (or, possibly, the measure constant) would become smaller as increasing numbers of pulses fell within the interval determined by each psychological moment. A single-parameter reanalysis of these six experiments under the initial value condition that a (standard) stimulus of one pulse be assigned a theoretical response (modulus) of one yielded single-parameter equations whose exponents were reliably less varied than those for conventional two-parameter equations in Experiments 1-4 (with randomly varying pulse rates from trial to trial) but not less varied in Experiments 5 and 6 (in which pulse rates were constant within trial blocks). It was concluded that the variable pulse rate condition, with its reduced exponent variability and presumed reduced temporal confounding, provides a more valid estimate of the single-parameter power law exponent for numerosity, which was found to be 0.80.     

Sex Differences in Clinical Pain: A Multisample Study

A recent meta-analysis of the experimental pain literature revealed effect sizes of .55 for pain threshold and .57 for pain tolerance, indicating a moderate difference in pain perception between men and women, with women reporting an increased sensitivity to pain. The current study investigated the relationship between sex and clinical pain ratings, in patients seeking care at a tertiary care facility. Five samples of chronic pain patients were recruited from several diverse clinics associated with the University of Florida. Analyses of clinical pain ratings revealed similar effect sizes for all samples, ranging from –.07 to –.25, indicating small differences, with women reporting higher levels of clinical pain. This is the first paper to report effect sizes for differences in report of pain in samples of chronic pain patients presenting for treatment at a tertiary care facility.     

The professional engineer: Virtues and learning

The ethical codes of the professional engineering bodies identify the responsibilities of the engineer. Of equal importance to the codes are the virtues which enable the engineer to fulfil these responsibilities. After briefly reviewing such virtues this paper argues that the systematic learning of virtues is possible in a formal way through learner centred learning. Central to this learning experience is the development of integrity which focuses the other major virtues and enables reflection upon them. A review of undergraduate courses suggests how this can be achieved. Rev’d. Dr. Simon Robinson is a lecturer in the Centre for Business and Professional Ethics at the University of Leeds.     

Multicultural Training for Undergraduates: Developing Knowledge and Awareness

The changing demographics of the United States have lead to increased training of multicultural issues in graduate counseling programs. Graduate students report higher levels of multicultural competencies after completing a multicultural counseling course. Similarly, this study indicates increased multicultural awareness and knowledge among undergraduates completing a multicultural course.     

Enacting traditional roles in a nontraditional setting: Women employed by the Red Cross in Viet Nam

This paper examines role behavior among women employed in three Red Cross sponsored programs in Viet Nam. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from twenty women who were employed in Viet Nam. Nineteen of the women were White non-Hispanic and one was African American. All had middle or upper middle class backgrounds. Data collected from former Red Cross workers who had served in Viet Nam were analyzed and organized into a typology of roles, including all-American girl, sex object, and deviant. The images portrayed by these women and their conflicting role expectations reflect the difficulties women experience when working in male-dominated environments. Conflict and strain emanated from the variety of role expectations associated with Red Cross work, as well as their own sense of importance compared to others' definitions of their job. The incompatibility between official and unofficial role expectations resulted in role strain. Although role taking was the most prevalent response to role strain, the women also engaged in role making, role distancing, and to a lesser extent, role rejection.Funding for this research was provided by The University of Texas Chancellor's Council and The University of Texas at San Antonio. We thank Richard J. Harris, Michael V. Miller and Dennis Peck for their helpful suggestions, and Carlee Jolly and Leticia Sanchez for assistance in transcribing the interview tapes.