Selective processing of food,weight, and body-shape words in nonpatient women with bulimia nervosa: Interference on the Stroop task

The study investigated whether the Stroop interference effect could be found in nonpatients with a self-report consistent with a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa. The nonpatient bulimic group showed significantly more interference to disorder-specific words (food, weight, and body shape) than to control words. The two nonpatient comparison groups, a depressed-nonbulimic group and a nonbulimic-nondepressed group, showed no interference. These results indicate that nonpatients with bulimia nervosa can be used to test various models of the cognitive and emotional processes involved in bulimia nervosa with the modified Stroop task. Methodological issues in the use of the computerized Stroop task with clinical populations are also noted.     

The rainbow bridge: an approach to family systems via Howards End

Bateson's ideas of artistic expression, the continuity of Art and Science and the nature of Mind are used as cues for the exploration of Howards End, E. M. Forster's novel of family life. Illustrations of systemic concepts are given from the text. Particular relevance is suggested for the use of literary examples in family therapy training and in the development of family systems theory.     

Obsessions and compulsions: psychometric properties of the Padua Inventory with an American college population

The psychometric properties of the Padua inventory, a self-report measure of obsessive-compulsive behaviors, were examined in a sample of 678 American college students. Results showed good internal consistency as well as convergent and divergent validity with the subscales of the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised and the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory. A principal components analysis suggested a four factor solution (i.e. 'impaired control of mental activities', 'checking', 'urges and worries of losing control of motor behaviors', and 'being contaminated'). The factor structure was very similar to that found in the original Italian study of the inventory. Suggestions are made for the use of the Padua Inventory in the study of obsessions and compulsions in nonclinical samples.     

Judgment theory and school psychology

This article reviews criticism of research on judgmental biases in cognitive psychology and suggests caution in applying the findings of this research to research in school psychology. Additionally, it provides suggestions regarding the potential of theory in cognitive psychology to reconcile discrepant findings in selected research on special education decision making.     

Counseling the incest offender

The Center Against Sexual Assault in Phoenix, Arizona is currently treating 50 incest offenders in its Offender Group treatment program. The average age range is 31–45 years old, and 80 percent were sexually or physically abused as children. These men have been found to be extremely self-centered, exhibit poor impulse control, and possess a strong denial of reality. The treatment program includes several intake sessions to ascertain suitability of the offender to this type of therapeutic approach and a stated self-admission of at least the possibility of incestuous involvement. The offenders work in groups, as well as individual sessions.     

The role of group therapy in incest counseling

The use of group therapy is an essential component in the treatment program for victims of incest, their families, and offenders at the Center Against Sexual Assault in Phoenix, Arizona. Four types of groups are conducted on a continuous basis: (a) adults who were victims as children, (b) families of victims, (c) offenders, and (d) child victims. Group therapy is the predominant treatment modality for the 400 incestuous families seen at CASA. Details of each of the four groups are given in this article.     

A verbal behavior analysis of auditory hallucinations

A review of recent research on the non-medical control of auditory hallucinations is presented. It is suggested that the decreases in hallucinatory behavior obtained in studies using aversive contingencies may be attributable to the disruption of the chains of behavior involved. The results of several additional studies are interpreted as indicating that methods of stimulus control and the use of incompatible behaviors may be effective in reducing the rate of auditory hallucinations. Research relating auditory hallucinations to subvocalizations is presented in support of the view that hallucinatory phenomena are sometimes related to the subject's own vocal productions. Skinner's views (1934, 1936, 1953, 1957, 1980) are then presented as possible explanations of some hallucinatory behavior. It is suggested that some auditory hallucinations consit of the mishearing of environmental and physiological stimuli as voices in a fashion similar to that which Skinner observed in his work with the verbal summator. The maintenance of long chains of such responses may be largely attributable to self-intraverbal influences (such as are present during automatic writing). With some auditory hallucinations, this progression involves first mishearing ambiguous stimuli as voices and then attributing the voices to some cause (e.g., insanity, the television, radio, or God). Later, the frequent and ongoing chains of such behavior may contaminate other verbal responses. Such verbal behavior may be parasitic on "normal verbal behavior" (and hence, not directly dependent on consquences for maintenance), may be cued by various stimuli (including respiration), and may interfere with other covert and overt behavior. Several studies to investigate this view are presented. It is hoped that such research will lead to a better understanding of the major issues involved in the etiology and treatment of auditory hallucinations in particular and perhaps of psychosis in general.     

The training of telephone crisis intervention volunteers

Telephone crisis intervention services are growing at a very rapid rate. A review of the literature reveals that there are very few references to this new phenomenon and even fewer that deal with evaluating the effectiveness of telephone crisis training. Herein 7 articles are reviewed which deal with volunteer selection and training. These articles demonstrate that no consistent rationale for volunteer selection or training exists. Selection of volunteers typically consists of a gross screening to eliminate any obviously unsuitable persons, with training serving as a further sorting procedure where volunteers who are uncomfortable with the role of a crisis interventionist can be encouraged to drop out. The authors suggest that a training model be built around crisis intervention theory using principles of social learning as the methodology for training.