PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS TO CIGARETTE SMOKING

Dosage and time effects of cigarette smoking were studied in nine moderate smokers, who participated in a control condition without smoking, and in two experimental conditions, in which they smoked either two weak or two strong cigarettes (nicotine content 1.3 mg/cig. and 2.3 mg/cig., respectively) at the beginning of a 90-min period. The main effects of smoking were to increase adrenaline output, blood pressure, and heart rate, and to decrease skin temperature and hand steadiness, the changes being consistently more pronounced after the larger dose. Peak effects were recorded at the first trial after smoking, whereupon followed a gradual return toward baseline levels which, however, were not reached within the 90-min period.     

CATECHOLAMINE EXCRETION IN YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS AS RELATED TO BEHAVIOR

L ambert , W. W., J ohansson , G., F rankenhaeuser , M. & K lackenberg -L arsson , I. Catecholamine excretion in young children and their parents as related to behavior. Scand. J. Psychol ., 1969, 10, 306–318. — Catecholamine excretion in 100 children and their parents was examined in relation to the children's behavior and to data on the parents' disciplinary procedures: ( a ) children's adrenaline excretion was positively correlated with their intellectual level, ( b ) their noradrenaline excretion was positively correlated with that of their mothers, as well as with both parents' age at the birth of the child, ( c ) mothers' adrenaline excretion was positively correlated with the frequency at which the fathers punished their children by smacking, and ( d ) fathers' noradrenaline excretion was negatively correlated with their own as well as with their wives' frequency of smacking their children.     

A qualitative understanding of reflective-teams II: Therapists' perspectives

A research team developed and asked questions to a reflective-team about their clinical practice. The purpose of the questions was to better understand reflective-team members' experiences, beliefs, and aspirations. A participant/observation methodology was used in formulating the questions to the therapists. Therapists stated that reflective-teams were valuable in resolving impasses, developing multiple perspectives on clients' problems, and encouraging interaction among team members, but were problematic if clients were unaccustomed to team practice or if there were physically too many people in the interviewing room. Therapists believed that reflective-teams as a team practice was not practical in typical practice settings.     

PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS TO INFUSIONS OF A MIXTURE OF ADRENALINE AND NORADRENALINE

F rankenhaeuser , M. & J ärpe , G. Psychophysiological reactions to infusions of a mixture of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Scand. J. Psychol ., 1962, 3 , 21–29.—Psychophysiological reactions to a mixture of adrenaline and noradrenaline (average dose 6.99 + 6.99 μg/min.) given as a continuous intravenous drip for periods of about 40 min. were studied in 11 subjects. Control data were obtained from placebo infusions. The catecholamine infusions produced marked subjective and overt symptoms as well as changes in heart rate and blood pressure. These reactions were—on the whole—similar to those produced by infusions of adrenaline only. Time experience was also affected by the catecholamines in that more was retained of the previously perceived time intervals.     

THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONS TO A DEPRESSANT DRUG

F rankenhaeuser , M., and B eckman , M. The susceptibility of intellectual functions to a depressant drug. Scand. J. Psychol ., 1961, 2 , 93–99.—The performance of 32 subjects in tests on four intellectual factors (verbal, numerical, inductive and spatial) during the inhalation of nitrous oxide (30 per cent N₂O and 70 per cent O₂) and a control mixture (30 per cent N₂ and 70 per cent O₂) were compared . The drug caused a highly significant deterioration in the performance of all four tests. Both speed and accuracy of performance were impaired. The problem of a possible differential susceptibility to the drug of the various intellectual functions wag attacked by a statistical analysis of the differences between the tests with regard to changes in performance during drug inhalation. No reliable differences in extent of impairment between the four tests could be demonstrated.     

INTERINDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN CATECHOLAMINE EXCRETION DURING STRESS

Measurements of adrenaline and noradrenaline excretion during inactivity and stress, and ratings of 22 personality variables were obtained for 110 subjects. Six factors were extracted by a factor analysis. Two of the factors were associated with personality variables, three primarily with catecholamines, and one with both types of variables. The 'mixed.' factor was tentatively interpreted as indicating that individuals with depressive tendencies respond to stressors with a relatively smaller rise in adrenaline excretion. This finding is in line with current theories concerning the role of catecholamines in affective psychoses.     

EFFECTS OF NITROUS OXIDE ON SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE VARIABLES

Effects of nitrous oxide in different subanaesthetic concentrations were studied in twelve subjects. Subjective scales of intoxication and of eight other mood variables were obtained by the method of magnitude estimation. Objective performance was examined by tests on memory and arithmetic. For most variables the dose-response curves obtained showed progressively larger effects with increasing dose-levels. At concentrations below 20 per cent the changes were, on the whole, very slight. The results are compared with similar data from an alcohol experiment.     

Important Goals,Meanings, and Relationships in Flourishing and Languishing States: Towards Patterns of Well-being

Qualitative studies of lay people’s perspectives on facets of well-being are scarce, and it is not known how the perspectives of people with high and low levels of well-being dovetail or differ. This research explored the experiences of people with high/flourishing versus low/languishing levels of positive mental health in three cross-sectional survey design studies. Languishing and flourishing participants were selected in each study based on quantitative data from the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form as reported by Keyes et al. (Journal of Health and Social Behavior 43:207–222, 2002). Qualitative content analyses were conducted on written responses to semistructured open-ended questions on the what and why of important meaningful things (study 1, n = 42), goals (study 2, n = 30), and relationships (study 3, n = 50). Results indicated that well-being is not only a matter of degree—manifestations differ qualitatively in flourishing and languishing states. Similar categories emerged for what flourishing and languishing people found important with regard to meaning, goals, and relationships, but the reasons for the importance thereof differed prominently. Languishing people manifested a self-focus and often motivated responses in terms of own needs and hedonic values such as own happiness, whereas flourishers were more other-focused and motivated responses in terms of eudaimonic values focusing on a greater good. We propose that positive mental health can be conceptualized in terms of dynamic quantitative and qualitative patterns of well-being. Interventions to promote well-being may need to take into account the patterns of well-being reflecting what people on various levels of well-being experience and value.

     

Young People's Creative and Performing Arts Participation and Arts Self‐concept: A Longitudinal Study of Reciprocal Effects

This longitudinal study examines the relationship between young people's creative and performing arts participation (e.g., in dance, drama, film, music, visual arts) and their arts self‐concept. Drawing on the positive youth development (PYD) framework and the reciprocal effects model (REM) of self‐concept, a cross‐lagged panel design is implemented to explore the connections between arts self‐concept and each of school (e.g., school‐based arts instruction), home (e.g., parent–child arts interaction), and community (e.g., out‐of‐school arts instruction) creative and performing arts participation. The study drew on an Australian sample of 643 elementary and high school students from 15 schools. Analyses showed that beyond the effects of socio‐demographics and prior achievement, there are longitudinal associations (including reciprocal effects) between numerous forms of creative and performing arts participation and arts self‐concept. Implications are discussed.