An experimental analysis of delayed posttraumatic stress

Three self-report anxiety questionnaires were administered to a sample of Lebanese undergraduates shortly before the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Six months after the disengagement of forces, the investigator located 20 Ss who had remained in West Beirut throughout the siege and 35 Ss who had evacuated to safer environs. The inventories were readministered to the Ss and the results revealed that: (1) there were no significant differences between the preinvasion scores of the evacuees and nonevacuees: (2) there were no significant differences between the postinvasion scores of the evacuees and nonevacuees: and (3) the aggregate scores of both groups vis-á-vis war-related stimuli were significantly lower at postassessment.     

Bilingual frequency encoding

Two experiments are reported that examine the nature of the processing of frequency information in Spanish-English bilinguals. In the first study, subjects studied a list of English-only, Spanish-only, and mixed-language words varying in their frequency of occurrence, and under conditions of being either informed or uninformed about the later frequency test. Subjects were then shown pictures represeting the nominally presented items and had to give frequency judgments for the words depicting the objects. Frequency judgments were significantly faster when the words had been presented in a single language, suggesting a summation of access times for the mixed-language words. Instructional conditions had no effect on frequency judgments, but the latency to judge was significantly reduced for the informed subjects. In the second study, using similar acquisition procedures, subjects were shown test words in either the same or the different language from the one in which the words were originally experienced. Subjects demonstrated a clear ability to assign frequencies according to the relationship between acquisition and test language. The data were discussed in terms of supporting the hypothesis of separate bilingual language processing, and implications for the automatic nature of frequency acquisition were also addressed.This article is based on a paper originally presented at the meetings of the Southwestern Psychological Association, San Antonio, April 1983.     

Sex-role stereotyping of nurses and physicians on prime-time television: A dichotomy of occupational portrayals

Utilizing the methodology of content analysis, this study investigates the sexrole variables in prime-time television portrayals of nurses and physicians from 1950 to 1980. A 20% sample of 28 relevant series yielded 320 individual episodes, 240 nurse characters, and 287 physicians characters. Results show extreme levels of both sexual and occupational stereotyping. Television nurses are 99% female, and television physicians are 95% male. The cluster of sex and occupational role characteristics, personality attributes, primary values, career orientation, professional competencies, and the tone of nurse-physician relationships converge to yield an image of the female professional nurse as totally dependent on and subservient to male physicians. The development of this dichotomous sex and occupational role imagery has resulted in male television physicians who not only have outstanding medical competencies but also embrace all the attractive competencies of professional nurses. Television nurses largely serve as window dressing on the set and have little opportunity to contribute to patient welfare. Action is needed to improve the quality of nurse portrayals by making them more congruent with the real world of work in health care.This study was supported by a research grant from the U.S. Public Health Service, Health Resources Administration (NU 00579).     

乳头体和隔区在大鼠条件性味觉痕迹的形成和保存中的作用

本工作是在前一工作的基础上,进一步研究分别电损毁有关回路的乳头体、隔区,对以糖精水为条件刺激。氯化锂腹腔注射引起中毒作为非条件刺激的条件性糖精厌恶痕迹的形成和保存的影响。结果表明,无论是损毁乳头体,或者隔区,对条件性糖精厌恶痕迹的形成和保存均无影响。说明在本实验条件下,这种条件性味觉痕迹的形成与保存,不依赖边缘系统的乳头体、海马、隔区这些回路的参与,这就进一步说明味觉信号的记忆确有其不同于视、听觉信号的记忆的机制的。     

大学班集体人际关系的心理学研究

本研究综合运用调查访问、社会测量法和观察法对大学文科和理工科一、二、四年级的21个班的人际关系作了考察。结果表明,1)大学班集体非正式的内部结构有一定的特点,2)班集体中的两极人物有明显的个性特质,3)大学生择友的基本要求是品德和心理相似性,4)大学生对班集体领导人的心理品质有一定的基本要求,5)大学生的自我观念与他们的人际关系有着密切的联系。     

In-session gaming as a tool in treating adolescent problematic gaming

For some adolescent gamers, playing online games may become problematic, impairing functioning in personal, family, and other life domains. Parental and family factors are known to influence the odds that adolescents may develop problematic gaming (PG), negative parenting and conflictual family dynamics increasing the risk, whereas positive parenting and developmentally supportive family dynamics protecting against PG. This suggests that a treatment for adolescent PG should not only address the gaming behaviors and personal characteristics of the youth, but also the parental and family domains. An established research-supported treatment meeting these requirements is multidimensional family therapy (MDFT), which we adapted for use as adolescent PG treatment. We report here on one adaptation, applying in-session gaming. In-session demonstration of the “problem behavior” is feasible and informative in PG. In the opening stage of therapy, we use in-session gaming to establish an alliance between the therapist and the youth. By inviting them to play games, the therapist demonstrates that they are taken seriously, thus boosting treatment motivation. Later in treatment, gaming is introduced in family sessions, offering useful opportunities to intervene in family members' perspectives and interactional patterns revealed in vivo as the youth plays the game. These sessions can trigger strong emotions and reactions from the parents and youth and give rise to maladaptive transactions between the family members, thus offering ways to facilitate new discussions and experiences of each other. The insights gained from the game demonstration sessions aid the therapeutic process, more so than mere discussion about gaming.