Sexual arousal in response to aggression: ideological, aggressive, and sexual correlates

In two experiments we assessed the impact of aggression on nonrapists' sexual arousal. In the first, both male subjects (n = 37) and female subjects (n = 43) reported more sexual arousal in response to nonaggressive than to aggressive depictions when the portrayals were sexually explicit, but the opposite occurred when the portrayals were nonsexual. Only male subjects (N = 359) participated in the second experiment. On the basis of their self-reported sexual arousal to the use of force, they were classified into the no arousal, moderate arousal or high arousal from force groups. To evaluate the veridicality of this classification, we assessed some subjects' (n = 118) penile tumescence in response to various depictions. The findings generally replicated those of the first experiment and confirmed the accuracy of the arousal-from-force classification. The no arousal and the moderate arousal from force subjects were less sexually aroused by aggressive than by nonaggressive portrayals, but the opposite was found for the high arousal from force group. Using the entire sample (N = 359), we also assessed differences on various factors among these three groups. We found strong differences on ideological factors, including acceptance of violence against and dominance over women. We also found differences in acceptance of nonsexual aggression and in subjects' beliefs that they might actually use force against women. In contrast, differences were not found on sexuality factors. The data's implications for theories on the causes of rape are discussed.     

Hypertonic central nervous system complications from the viewpoint of the pathologist

Based on 2130 autopsies with a hypertension it is reported on the hypertensive CNS-lesions. The frequency of encephalomalacia was 12%. By 9.7% was founded brain haemorrhages. The relapse rate of haemorrhages was about 5%. The encephalomalacia existed by way of secondary finding in 24.7%, and the haemorrhage in 2.2%. The investigations showed an important arteriosclerosis by 39.8% in haemorrhages and by 51.6% in brain infarct. It was remarkable by the hypertensive brain haemorrhages a dominant right hemisphere.     

Results of neurophysiologic studies in ophthalmic migraine

The influence in 8 of our patients with ophthalmic migraine of photic driving with sine-like flashing lights on EEG background activity was checked and the visually evoked potentials following the application of diffused simple light stimuli were analyzed using the recovery cycle technique. The results indicate a slightly increased tonic activity of the structures of the mesencephalic formatio reticularis, such as may be produced by slight functional disturbances. Some vegetative secondary symptoms of migraine attacks and some of the changes in EEG observed in patients with ophthalmic migraine are explicable by such an abnormality.     

Integration of noxious stimulation across separate somatosensory communications systems: a functional theory of pain

Functional measurement analyses and psychophysical techniques were used to assess how separate, cross-modal, aversive events are integrated in judgements of pain. Subjects made magnitude estimations of noxious stimuli produced by a 6 X 6 factorial design of electric shocks and loud tones. Group data and most of the individual results were consistent with a model of linear pain summation: The estimates of pain approximated the linear sum of the pain estimates of the individual electrocutaneous and auditory components. The relation between painful sensation and current intensity could be described by a mildly expansive power function with an exponent of about 1.1. Auditorily produced painful sensation related to sound pressure level by a mildly compressive power function with an exponent of about 0.90 as a representative figure. Results are interpreted in terms of a functional theory of pain. Noxious events are first transformed to psychological scale values via stimulus-specific psychophysical transfer functions. The outputs of these functions are then combined with other pain-related internal representations of either sensory or cognitive origin, according to simple algebraic models.     

Visual control of step length during running over irregular terrain

Running over uneven ground requires visually regulating step length to secure proper footing. To examine how this is achieved, we studied subjects running on a treadmill on a series of irregularly spaced targets. The movements of their lower limbs and coccyx relative to the targets were monitored opto-electronically by a Selspot system. The results indicated that step length was adjusted to strike the targets primarily by varying the vertical component of impulse applied to the ground during the stance phase. In contrast, horizontal impulse was not varied significantly, and changing the reach forward of the foot on landing contributed little to variation in step length. Changing the vertical impulse simply altered the step time proportionately. Thus the data are consistent with a time-based model in which vertical impulse is modulated by the optic variable delta tau (Lee, 1976) specifying the time gap that has to be bridged by the runner between two targets.     

Behavioral effects of sucrose on preschool children

Despite speculation that sucrose consumption affects behavior, little empirical information is available. Accordingly, this study investigated the effect of sucrose consumption on the behavior of eight preschool children. Children were tested individually using a double-blind, crossover design. On separate mornings each child received 6 ounces of juice, sweetened on one morning with sucrose and on the other with an artificial sweetener. Children were observed for 90 minutes following the drinks, alternating between 15-minute sessions of work on structured tasks and 15-minute sessions of free play. Following the sucrose drink the children showed a decrement in performance in the structured testing situation, and they demonstrated more inappropriate behavior during free play. These differences in behavior were most pronounced approximately 45 to 60 minutes after the drinks. Thus, the study provides objective evidence in young children of a rather subtle, yet significant, time-dependent behavior effect of sucrose ingestion.This research was funded in part by grants from the General Research Grants Committee, University Hospital, Boston University Medical Center, and from the University of Connecticut Research Foundation. The project was conducted at the Clinical Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (National Institute of Health/General Clinical Research Center Grant 5M01-RR00088-20). We would like to express our appreciation to the many staff members of the Clinical Research Center for their extensive cooperation in helping us to plan and carry out this study, and to the director and staff of Technology Children's Center for their assistance in helping us to reach interested families. We also would like to thank the parents and children who participated in the study. Portions of this paper were presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, August 1984.     

Attitudes toward posthumous organ donation and commitment to donate

The medical need for human organs suitable for use as transplants far exceed the supply, and is growing. More favorable attitudes about organ donation would increase people's willingness to sign posthumous donation pledges. But effective educational programs require information about the public's present views. Verbal attitude scales were constructed and administered to 110 adults, resulting in reliable measurement of two independent dimensions, prodonation and antidonation (r = .003). Cluster analysis of the instrument revealed that the positive dimension involves belief in the humanitarian benefits of organ donation and feelings of pride experienced by the donor. The negative dimension reflects fears of body mutilation and of receiving inadequate medical treatment when one's life is at risk. Pro and anti scores in combination predicted willingness to sign a donor card. A 2 X 2 analysis of variance (High-Low Positive X High-Low Negative) revealed significant main effects for both positive and negative attitude. Also, a significant interaction effect was obtained. Those subjects who had both strong positive attitudes and weak negative attitudes were especially willing to sign donor cards. Suggestions for designing educational campaigns to promote organ donation are offered.     

Effects of Administrator and Participant Sex and Ethnicity on Self-Disclosure

Self-disclosure patterns of Anglo-Americans and Mexican Americans were analyzed according to overall frequency of reported self-disclosure and preferred targets (i.e., mother, father, male friend, female friend). Administrator sex and ethnicity were systematically varied so that the interaction of these variables with participant sex and ethnicity could be investigated. Results revealed that Anglo-Americans reported the most disclosure and Mexican-American men the least. Some suggestions are provided for counselors working with Mexican-American men.     

Psychopathology subtypes and symptom correlates among former prisoners of war

Psychopathology and symptom patterns were studied in 60 former prisoners-of-war (POWs) by administering standardized tests including the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), an adjustment problem checklist, and a structured clinical interview. Most POWs showed marked psychological impairment, but modal profile analysis identified two prototypic MMPI patterns, which differed in pervasiveness and type of psychopathology. Profile subtypes were defined by unique clusters of clinical symptoms and differed in confinement stress severity. The typology of symptoms argues against a homogeneous conceptualization of stress-induced disorders and suggests the need for definition of the severity and subtype of stress phenomena and individual difference factors in responding to trauma.     

Social adjustment in the offspring of parents with bipolar affective disorder

The social adjustment of the adolescent offspring of parents with bipolar affective disorder (n=41) was compared to that of the offspring of parents with nonaffective psychiatric disorders (n=22) and the offspring of normal controls (n=26). In addition, the relationship between social adjustment and cyclothymia in offspring was determined. Social adjustment was assessed using the Life Activities Inventory, a new measure developed to assess social functioning in adolescents and young adults. Cyclothymia was assessed with the General Behavior Inventory. As a group, the offspring of bipolar parents did not differ significantly from either control group on social adjustment. However, the cyclothymic offspring of bipolar parents exhibited significantly poorer social adjustment than the noncyclothymic offspring of bipolars and the offspring of psychiatric and normal controls. These findings suggest that poor social functioning in the adolescent offspring of parents with bipolar illness may be associated with the early manifestations of affective disorder. In addition, these data indicate that despite its subsyndromal intensity, cyclothymia can result in significant social impairment.This study was supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Research Grant MH-39782 to Daniel N. Klein and NIMH Grants MH-33083 and MH-37195 to Richard A. Depue.