The Removal of a Psychosomatic Symptom: Effects on the Marriage

This study examined the effects on the marriages of twelve patients who underwent intestinal bypass surgery for extreme obesity. Marked conflict and disruption were observed. Most striking were changes in the areas of sexuality and dependence/independence parameters. The authors discuss the function of the symptom of obesity within these marital systems.     

SPEECH PREPARATION PROCESSES AND VERBAL FLUENCY

Preparation of speech in advance of actual production has consistently been shown to result in greater speech fluency. This observation is important given the impact of speech fluency in social perception; however, it raises questions concerning the nature of the processes by which communicative behaviors are prepared and of the representation of those behaviors in the cognitive system. The current research represents an attempt to address these issues. In Experiment I subjects provided with an abstract problem-solution sequence exhibited less silent pausing during speech than a control group which was not given such a sequence. A second experimental group provided with an abstract solution-problem sequence exhibited less pausing than the control group, but not significantly so. In Experiment II, increasing practice with the solution-problem sequence was found to lead a decreasing linear trend in silent pausing. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding the nature of production of communicative behavior.     

Professions, Trades, and the Obligation to Inform

ABSTRACT The concept of a 'professional', as distinguished from that of a 'tradesman', encompasses both white collar workers and those who produce excellent work in any occupation. These divergent meanings have a common philosophical source in the way workers justify their work. A worker becomes a professonal by professing reasons for doing his work in a certain way. A worker is a tradesman if the value of his work in trade is the sole justification for the way it is done. Workers can be both professionals and tradesmen, unless what the consumer will buy and what is proper are different, placing 'reason value'and 'trade value'into conflict. Value conflicts are most likely in occupations involving a high level of theoretical knowledge, where the consumer has trouble judging what is proper. Thus, we say that professional persons work in white collar occupations, but that is misleading, for 'professional'is a way of handling value conflicts, not a kind of work. In value conflicts the worker has an obligation to inform the consumer—to profess reasons—about what is proper work.