Mothers' responses to the cries of normal and premature infants as a function of the birth status of their own child

Mothers of premature and full-term infants viewed and heard videotapes of premature and full-term infants. The onset of crying by both infants elicited physiological arousal (evident in blood pressure, skin conductance, and heart rate increases) in the adults. The mothers of premature infants responded with especially marked arousal to the infants' cries. These mothers also reported that they were more attentive and alert while the infant was crying. The subjects responded similarly to the cries of full-term and premature infants. Mothers who described their own baby as easy exhibited a lower increase in diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, and reported being more alert, attentive, and willing to interact with the stimulus babies than those whose own baby appeared “difficult.”     

On the distinction between physical and psychological stressors

The distinction between physical and psychological stressors is reviewed, including some implications for anxiety research. The relationships among anxiety states, anxiety traits, and type of stressor are complex and can be influenced by such factors as the preciseness by which the stressor is identified, how it is measured, and the coping mechanisms available to deal with the stress. The choice of appropriate state and trait anxiety measures is crucial when assessing the differential impact of physical and psychological stressors.     

Criterion-related validity of sex-restrictive and unisex interest scales: A comparison

This report describes two studies comparing the criterion-related validity of sex-balanced (“unisex”) interest inventory scales, i.e., scales designed such that the distributions of scores are similar for males and females, and traditional, sex-restrictive scales. Approximately 1600 college-bound high school seniors (Study 1) and 2000 college seniors (Study 2) completed both the ACT Interest Inventory (ACT-IV) and the new Unisex Edition of the ACT-IV (UNIACT), which contains sex-balanced items. In both studies, each participant was placed in one of six criterion groups based on the correspondence of expressed occupational choice (Study 1) and actual college major (Study 2) to Holland types. Comparable levels of criterion-related validity were obtained with the unisex scales, sex-restrictive scales, and with sex-balanced scores obtained by the traditional procedure of using same-sex norms. Study results and the results of previous research indicate that (a) psychometrically sound interest inventories can be constructed with sex-balanced items, and (b) counselors may use inventories which provide sex-balanced score reports without sacrificing validity.     

Peer and parent-child interaction before and after enrollment in nursery school

Forty-five three-year-olds and their parents participated in the research. Twenty-four of the children were observed two months and one week before, as well as two months after, enrollment in a nursery school. The others were observed at comparable intervals, but remained at home in the fulltime care of their parents. On all occasions, the children who were about to enter or had entered nursery school engaged in more positive interaction with and sought more proximity to their parents than the home care children did. These tendencies were unaffected by enrollment in nursery school. There were no differences between nursery school and home care children on measures of peer interaction eithe before or after nursery school began. The need to consider differences between nursery school and home care children that antedate enrollment is emphasized.     

Choice reaction and unequal stimulus frequencies in an absolute judgment situation

Previous investigators have reported discrepant results for Ss in a choice reaction time (CRT) situation when stimuli are not equi-probable. Sixty Ss participated in an absolute judgment CRT task under three conditions of equi-probable stimuli and three of unequally probable stimuli. The results indicate that previous findings may be determined by a threshold dependent upon the effect of unequal stimulus frequencies and the utilities of different response strategies.