Accuracy of estimations of body-frame size as a function of sex and actual frame size

Body-frame size is an important factor in determining an optimal body weight for a given height. Previous studies have indicated that many individuals incorrectly estimate their body-frame size, and, as a result, incorrectly assess their ideal weight. The present study investigated the accuracy of estimation of body-frame size as a function of sex and actual frame size. The subjects were 66 men and 52 women participating in a community adult fitness program. Data indicated that medium-framed individuals were the most accurate in their estimations of body-frame size. Also, women were twice as likely to be accurate as were men. These results are interpreted to mean that most people assume they are medium-framed and that there is a sex difference in the way body-frame size is estimated.     

Personality and relaxation therapy: changes among clinical and normal subjects

There are increasing numbers of self-referral stress-management programs, a few of which use group-relaxation techniques, but few data are available on the personalities of the symptomatic and asymptomatic clients who attend or on any changes in personality after the program. Scores on the Eysenck Personality Inventory, Multiple Health Locus of Control, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory as well as demographic information were obtained from 255 adults who attended a 10-session, university-based, group-relaxation program. The symptomatic clients reported significantly less anxiety, less neuroticism, were more extraverted and ascribed less of their behavior to chance at a 1 month post-treatment follow-up than at intake. The small group of asymptomatic clients also reported less anxiety and neuroticism at the follow-up. There were no sex differences on the Eysenck inventory or the anxiety scales but there were for the Multiple Health internal and control scales. It was concluded that group relaxation appeared to improve mental health scores effectively for both stressed and nonstressed adults and that age was significantly related to some personality scores.     

SETTING CUTOFF SCORES: LEGAL, PSYCHOMETRIC, AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES AND GUIDELINES

Cutoff scores are used in a variety of settings to help managers make personnel decisions. Although cutoff scores are used widely, information about their derivation and appropriate use is scattered in the legal, psychometric, and professional literatures. The purpose of this paper is to analyze critically and to integrate these diverse literatures, to summarize what is known and what is unknown about the use and misuse of cutoff scores. Alternative methods are examined in relation to legal precedents set by the courts, to psychometric principles, and to the various sets of professional guidelines. Directions for future research are suggested, and we conclude with a set of recommendations regarding acceptable professional practice in this area.     

WORK LOAD, TENSION, AND COPING: MODERATING EFFECTS OF SUPERVISOR SUPPORT

This research investigated the buffering role of social support in the relationship of work load to both tension-anxiety and coping for police radio dispatchers ( N = 60). Each dispatcher was observed throughout an entire 8-hour work shift by a trained observer. Objective load consisted of the hourly rate of incoming telephone calls, police radio transmissions, and face-to-face or written communications from superiors, co-workers, and others. At the end of each shift, measures were taken of dispatchers' perceived load, felt tension-anxiety, and coping actions. Hierarchical regression revealed that support from superiors moderated the effects of both objective and perceived loads; no main effects of support were found. Statistically significant interactions confirmed the hypothesized buffering role of support: under high perceived load, dispatchers with high social support engaged in more coping actions and felt less tension-anxiety than did low-support dispatchers. No differences were found when perceived load was low. Support also buffered effects of objective load on tension-anxiety but not on coping.     

Cloze analysis in schizophrenic speech: scoring method and raters' education

This report examines two methodologic concerns pertaining to use of the cloze procedure in studying the predictability of schizophrenic speech, scoring criteria and raters' education (at or below college level). We find that two strategies for scoring the predictions of raters, one requiring the exact word, the other permitting a reasonable synonym, do not appear to differ in distinguishing groups of patients. The accuracy of raters' guessing is, however, correlated with raters' education: the more educated the rater, the more accurate the guessing. Thought-disordered schizophrenic speech is significantly less predictable than that of nonthought-disordered schizophrenics and normal controls when scored by less educated raters. These differences diminish when more highly educated raters are used. We conclude that raters' education can influence the sensitivity of cloze analysis.     

Effects of visual aids on acquisition of selected tennis skills

The study compared the effects of supplemental visual aids on the acquisition of selected tennis skills. The forehand and backhand drive placement tests of the Hewitt Tennis Achievement Test were used to pretest, midtest, and posttest 55 subjects who were assigned to one of three treatments: control (instructor's verbal feedback only), videotaped replay viewing (with instructor's feedback), and loop-film viewing (modeling, with instructor's feedback). Each received 1200 min. of instruction. There were no statistically significant differences among groups; however, empirical evidence suggested that the use of videotaped replay and loop-film technique has merit and might be given consideration for use in instructional settings.     

Men and women in the clergy: Stresses,strains, and resources

This essay reports a program of research as the occupational and personal stress experienced by contemporary American clergy. Three studies are reported. In the first survey a group of largely Roman Catholic religious reported less stress than the general population. In a replication of this investigation on over 510 Protestant clergy this impression of less experienced stress and greater personal resources was confirmed. In the most recent study of clergy in Southern California, a mixed picture was observed. Although the impression of less overall stress was confirmed, great differences in layclery role expectations were observed.He is the coauthorof Clergy Malpractice: How to Care Carefully (Westminster Press, 1986) and is engaged in a variety of ministerial studies.Paper presented at the meeting of the International Council of Psychologists, Mexico City, September, 1984.