A PRELIMINARY DESCRIPTION AND FACTOR ANALYSIS OF A BROAD SPECTRUM BATTERY FOR ASSESSING ‘PROGRESS TOWARD READING MATURITY’

The study of reading behavior is presumed to be arrested by low‐risk instrumentation. A battery is described which was assembled to advance study and definition of reading maturity. The battery is shown, by factor analysis, to have greater implicit construct similarity to a popular taxonomy and diagnostic system than conventional measures typically address. Suggestion for the wider use of such paradigms for assessment are shown to yield qualitatively richer data for use in research than current conventions tend to provide.     

Anxiety sensitivity and daily cigarette smoking in relation to sleep disturbances in treatment-seeking smokers

ABSTRACT

Although the association between anxiety and sleep disturbance is well-documented, the underlying mechanisms are less clear. Anxiety sensitivity (AS), the fear of physiological arousal and bodily sensations, is a risk factor for anxiety and poor sleep. Smoking also contributes to poor sleep and may compound the effects of AS on sleep quality. This study evaluated the main and interactive effects of AS and cigarettes/day on sleep quality among smokers. Participants (n = 190) were adult treatment-seeking daily smokers who completed a baseline assessment as part of a larger smoking cessation trial. Sleep quality was self-reported. Results indicated that AS was significantly correlated with greater disturbance in sleep duration, subjective sleep quality, sleep onset latency, sleep disturbance, daytime dysfunction, and sleep medication use. There was a significant interaction between AS and cigarettes/day in terms of sleep onset latency, but not other sleep quality indices. AS was associated with significantly longer sleep onset latency minutes among heavier smokers, but not lighter smokers. Specifically, the association between AS and sleep onset latency was significant for those who smoked ≥ 33 cigarettes/day. AS is a psychological factor that may contribute to poor sleep quality, especially in heavy smokers, and thus may be a promising intervention target.