Anxiety and Drinking: Are Personal Beliefs Regarding Control and Unpredictability Relevant?

Abstract

Anxiety and drinking problems are fairly common, and it is important to know what factors affect these issues. Previous studies document that control beliefs are associated with anxiety and drinking. Unpredictability beliefs correlate with anxiety, yet whether they relate to drinking is unknown. The present study explored these relationships in a sample of adults (N?=?150; 40.0% female; M?=?34.4?years old) and in a sample of college students (N?=?182; 74.7% female; M?=?18.9 years old). Among adults, unpredictability beliefs correlated with anxiety and control beliefs, but not drinking. Similarly, control beliefs correlated with anxiety but not drinking. Furthermore, anxiety and drinking were uncorrelated. Among undergraduates, unpredictability and control beliefs predicted anxiety, whereas unpredictability (pertaining to the self and others) and internality predicted frequency of drinking. Personal unpredictability beliefs emerged as having the strongest association with anxiety across both samples. Future research and treatment should take into account unpredictability beliefs when addressing anxiety problems.     

Four successful tests of the Cognitive Differentiation–Integration Effort hypothesis

The Cognitive Differentiation–Integration Effort (CD–IE) hypothesis predicts that the dimension of life history speed (K) regulates the strength of the correlation among cognitive abilities, such that individuals with higher K exhibit more weakly integrated abilities than those with lower K. It is predicted that this effect takes place independently of the level of g owing to the absence of an individual differences level correlation between K and g. CD–IE was examined using two student samples: (1) an all female sample (N = 121), using the ALHB as a measure of K and the two SILS subtests of g; and (2) a combined male and female sample (N = 346), using a shorter three-indicator (“Trifecta”) measure of K, a general creativity measure comprised of two subscales (writing and drawing “creative performance”), and the APM-18 measure of fluid cognition. A third, population-representative sample was obtained from the NLSY (N = 11,907). A K-Factor was constructed from convergent measures of subjective well-being, sociability, interpersonal trust, internal locus of control, and delay of gratification, and a g-factor was constructed from the 10 subscales of the ASVAB. A fourth sample, addressing the question of ethnic differences was collected encompassing eight different ethnic groups with a combined 107 specific ability correlations with g. An aggregate K-Factor was constructed for this sample based on convergent population-level indicators of longevity, total fertility rates and infant mortality. Utilizing the Continuous Parameter Estimation Model, in student sample 1 a significant CD–IE effect was found on the SILS Abstract subtest (β = − .215), but not on the SILS Verbal subtest (β = .069). In student sample 2, CD–IE was observed on the general creativity measure (β = − .127), but not on the fluid cognitive ability measure (β = − .057). Significant effects were also observed on both the written and drawing creative output subscales (β = − .189 and − .183 respectively). In sample 3 (the NLSY), generally statistically significant but small-magnitude CD–IE effects were observed among all 10 ASVAB subtests (mean effect size β = − .032). In sample four, a near-significant CD–IE effect was detected (β = − .167). Controlling for subtest skew reduces the mean effect sizes across individual differences samples (β = − .071 in the student samples, − .027 in the NLSY), but boosted it to significance in the ethnic differences sample (β = − .179). Controlling for the skew of residuals reversed the signs of the CD–IE effects on the ASVAB Words and Comprehension subscales, and also on the SILS Verbal subscale, but amplified the magnitudes of the mean effects in the student and NLSY samples (β = − .036 and − .131), while reducing the effect size slightly in the ethnic-differences sample (β = − .172). In the individual differences samples, these effects were demonstrated to be unconfounded with sex of respondent and also unrelated to the Jensen effect. The apparent independence of the effect from both level of g and subtest g-loading suggests intriguing commonalities with the Lynn–Flynn effect.     

Autoeroticism,sexual satisfaction,and sexual adjustment among university females: Past and current patterns

A review of the research literature reveals a general paucity of rigorous scientific analyses of masturbatory behavior in adult females. The availability of a data base from a pilot study concerned with self‐perceptions of the orgasmic response during masturbation and sexual intercourse has provided the opportunity to investigate the role of masturbation in the sexual repertoire of university female students. This data base also permitted an assessment of what differences, if any, exist among those respondents who are currently masturbating, have masturbated but not currently masturbating, and have never masturbated.

Questionnaire data were obtained from 512 never‐married, female university students enrolled in lower and upper division courses in anthropology, biology, psychology, and sociology. Respondents in the currently masturbating group were more likely to have experienced their first orgasm via masturbation, to have had greater success in achieving orgasm via masturbation, and to enjoy masturbating alone more when contrasted with the not currently masturbating group. Other findings suggest that masturbating to orgasm serves as an enhancement and/or supplement to sexual intercourse. The currently masturbating respondents were more likely to have experienced sexual intercourse and those who had experienced sexual intercourse reported a greater number of sex partners than those respondents in the never masturbated group. Finally, no statistically significant differences were found in sexual adjustment, using self‐evaluations of physiological satisfaction and psychological satisfaction, between the three respondent groups.     

Eating disorder and obsessive–compulsive symptoms in a sample of bulimic women: Perfectionism as a mediating factor

The present study aimed to investigate whether perfectionism mediates the association between obsessive–compulsive (OC) and eating disorder (ED) symptoms. Analyses were conducted using data collected among a national sample of eating disordered women diagnosed with BN or a subclinical variant of BN (N = 204). Each participant completed a series of self-report inventories on perfectionism, as well as OC, ED, and depressive symptoms. Higher ED symptoms were significantly associated with greater levels of perfectionism (p < .01) and OC symptoms (p < .05). As hypothesized, perfectionism significantly mediated the relationship between ED and OC symptoms, controlling for depression. Findings indicate that perfectionism may be considered a shared etiological or phenomenological factor in ED and OC symptoms.     

Reinforcement sensitivity theory and symptoms of personality disorder: Specificity of the BIS in Cluster C and BAS in Cluster B

Gray’s reinforcement sensitivity theory, consisting of the behavioral inhibition (BIS) and behavioral activation (BAS), is frequently used to represent basic dimensions of psychopathology. However, notably few investigations have examined the link between the BIS/BAS and symptoms of personality disorder (PD). Although the Fight-Flight-Freeze System has emerged in the revised model as an important aspect of motivation, the BIS (linked to anxiety) and BAS (linked to impulsivity) have been the primary foci. The current investigation uses a dimensional measure of PD, the schedule for nonadaptive and adaptive personality (SNAP; Clark, 1993) applied to two independent samples of English-speaking participants: undergraduates (n = 276) and clinical patients (n = 47). Results were consistent across both samples, demonstrating that symptoms of Cluster B PDs are indicative of high BAS levels whereas symptoms of Cluster C PDs are characterized by high BIS levels.     

Family Pathology and the Creation of Madness: A Case Study of Mind Control

This article describes the evolution of madness in a vulnerable young woman through the progressive manipulation of her religiosity and other beliefs. Evidence acquired during the forensic psychological investigation of a murder led to an ultimately finding of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. This case offers insight into the impact of two seriously impaired families systems as well as the profound pathology in a young man who unwittingly induced profound mental illness in his very vulnerable step-sister and the mother of his baby. Therapeutic Intervention over several years and then follow up over eight years showed no evidence of any ongoing or concurrent mental illness after her discharge from detention.     

El papel de los procesos de atribución en la conformidad y el disentimiento: Reencontrando la situación de Asch

RESUMEN

El presente artículo reexamina la situación de los experimentos sobre conformidad de Asch. La situación experimental propuesta procura ser más representativa del modo en el que las presiones a la conformidad actúan fuera del laboratorio, definiendo tres condiciones que permiten distintas atribuciones. Los resultados apoyan las hipótesis de partida, destacando que la condición experimental que reproduce la situación de Asch permite menos inconformismo y menos confianza entre los disconformes que las otras dos, y entre éstas, la situación en la que debían postularse diferencias de prioridades en los evaluadores para explicar la propia disidencia era menos propicia para el inconformismo y la confianza en el criterio propio. Finalmente se discuten las implicaciones del experimento sobre las presiones a la conformidad y los procesos de atribución.