Post Traumatic Stress,Context, and the Lingering Effects of the Hurricane Katrina Disaster among Ethnic Minority Youth

This study examined the stability of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a predominantly ethnic minority sample of youth exposed to Hurricane Katrina. Youth (n = 191 grades 4th thru 8th) were screened for exposure to traumatic experiences and PTSD symptoms at 24 months (Time 1) and then again at 30 months (Time 2) post-disaster. PTSD symptoms did not significantly decline over time and were higher than rates reported at earlier time points for more ethnically diverse samples. Younger age, female sex, and continued disrepair to the child’s home predicted stable elevated PTSD symptoms. Findings are consistent with predictions from contextual theories of disaster exposure and with epidemiological data from adult samples suggesting that the incidence of PTSD post Katrina is showing an atypical pattern of remittance. Theoretical, applied, and policy implications are discussed.     

An Empirically Keyed Scale for Measuring Managerial Attitudes Toward Women Executives

A scale (MATWES) is presented providing reliability and some validity measures regarding managerial attitudes toward women executives. Methodology used demonstrates an empirical approach to scale development through the employment of a projective test for item generation and the use of a panel of women executives who served as Q-sorters to select the items. The use of the Scale as a research instrument and its value in minimizing researcher bias in its construction are discussed.     

Helping children apply their knowledge to their behavior on a dimension-switching task

To investigate why 3-year-olds have difficulty in switching sorting dimensions, children of 3 and 4 years were tested in one of four conditions on Zelazo's card sort task: standard, sleeve, label and face-up. In the standard condition, children were required to sort blue-truck and red-star cards under either a blue-star or red-truck model card, first by color or shape, and then by the other dimension. Here 3-year-olds sorted correctly until the dimension changed; they continue to sort by the initial dimension. The sleeve condition (placing the sorting cards in an envelope prior to sorting) had little effect. In the label condition, the child labeled the relevant sorting dimension on each trial. Most 3-year-olds succeeded; evidently their labeling helped them refocus their attention, overcoming ‘attentional inertia’ (the pull to continue attending to the previously relevant dimension). In the face-up condition, attentional inertia was strengthened because sorted cards were left face-up; 4-year-olds performed worse than in the standard condition. We posit that attentional inertia is the core problem for preschoolers on the card sort task.     

Response-to-stimulus interval does not affect implicit motor sequence learning, but does affect performance

Nissen and Bullemer (1987) reported that implicit motor sequence learning was disrupted by the addition of a secondary task. They suggested that this effect was due to the attentional load that the secondary task adds. Recently it has been suggested that the attentional load is not critical, but rather that the secondary task affects timing, either by lengthening or by making inconsistent the response-tostimulus interval (RSI)-that is, the delay between when a subject makes a response and when the next stimulus appears. In six experiments we manipulated the RSI and found no support for these two hypotheses. An inconsistent RSI did not adversely affect implicit motor sequence learning. A long RSI did not affect learning, although under some conditions subjects did not express learning if the RSI was long. These results are interpreted as reflecting the effects of attention.     

Perspectives from Highly Religious Families on Boundaries and Rules About Sex

Journal of Religion and Health - We investigated the intersection of religion and boundaries placed around sex using qualitative data from 198 highly religious Muslim, Christian, and Jewish...     

Correspondence between MMPI PTSD measures and clinical diagnosis

Correspondence of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) subscale and the clinical scale decision rules reported by Keane, Malloy, and Fairbank (1984) with clinical diagnoses of PTSD was measured on a sample of 595 veterans. The measures demonstrated good sensitivity and selectivity, but the false-positive rate was high. It is suggested the MMPI measures be used to rule out, but not to establish, the diagnosis of PTSD. The construct validity of the PTSD subscale was supported by the finding of a higher mean score in combat than noncombat veterans.     

Relations between physical activity, weight discrepancies, body-cathexis, and psychological well-being in college women

This study examined the relations between physical activity, weight discrepancies, body-cathexis, and indicators of psychological well-being in college women. Factor analysis and zero-order correlation, and partial correlation analyses show that physical activity was not directly related to psychological well-being, however, physical activity did reduce weight discrepancies and improved body-cathexis. When specific body types were examined, there were distinctive patterns of satisfaction with body parts and processes depending on whether the women's body types conformed to or deviated from idealized weights and heights.     

Relation between self-reported affect and drug urges and cravings in continuing and withdrawing smokers.

In 2 experiments we investigated the effects of withdrawal and stress on the affective correlates of urges to smoke. In both, habitual cigarette smokers were divided into continuing and withdrawing smoker groups. In the 1st study, 44 adults reported current mood, urge, and expectations over a 24-hr period. In the 2nd, a controlled laboratory study, urge, affect, and physiological data were obtained from continuing and withdrawing groups (N = 64) exposed to high- or low-stress conditions. Urges among withdrawing smokers were positively associated with negative affect and negatively associated with positive affect; continuing smokers reported urges that were directly associated with positive affect and unrelated to negative affect. Stress and withdrawal produced urge self-reports that were related to negative affect. Moreover, subjects who smoked after exposure to withdrawal and stress reported greater pleasure and arousal than did other subjects.