Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

The present study used meta-analytic techniques (number of samples = 92) to determine the patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course. Results showed that people increase in measures of social dominance (a facet of extraversion), conscientiousness, and emotional stability, especially in young adulthood (age 20 to 40). In contrast, people increase on measures of social vitality (a 2nd facet of extraversion) and openness in adolescence but then decrease in both of these domains in old age. Agreeableness changed only in old age. Of the 6 trait categories, 4 demonstrated significant change in middle and old age. Gender and attrition had minimal effects on change, whereas longer studies and studies based on younger cohorts showed greater change.     

Comparison of hemispheric activation during mental word and rhyme generation using transcranial Doppler sonography

The Wada test is at present the method of choice for preoperative assessment of patients who require surgery close to cortical language areas. It is, however, an invasive test with an attached morbidity risk. By now, an alternative to the Wada test is to combine a lexical word generation paradigm with non-invasive imaging techniques. However, results of this approach are still not in complete agreement with the findings of the Wada test (r = .92; Knecht, Deppe, Ebner et al., 1998). We attempted to obtain a more distinct language lateralization with the development of a phonological rhyme generation paradigm based on pseudoword stimuli. To examine the predictive value of both paradigms we performed simultaneous bilateral functional transcranial Doppler ultrasonography on 19 right-handed male native German subjects. The rhyme generation condition produced a significantly stronger lateralization to the supposed hemisphere of language dominance than the classical word generation condition. The observed differences suggest that the rhyme generation paradigm is more robust in detecting hemispheric language dominance than other neuropsychological paradigms and might be most valuable for preoperative assessment of cortical language areas.     

Contents of Volume 67

Volume Contents

Contents of Volume 67     

Behandlungskrisen ambulanter Psychotherapien aus der Sicht einer Krisenstation

The purpose of the following study is to identify characteristics of the clinical treatment of patients who came into a crisis during an out-patient psychotherapy and were admitted to a crisis intervention ward. Most of the patients particularly reacted to a disruption of the treatment process as a result of conflicts in their relationship with their therapists. By means of a psychodynamic short diagnostics these conflicts were elucidated although they were often hidden and had to be traced back to their origins in the therapeutic relationship. Moreover, the authors describe their therapeutic focus on the conflict-solution-oriented short-term psychotherapy of the disruption of the therapeutic bond between patient and therapist which leads to a fixation of the setting. The in-patient crisis intervention aims at preparing the patients to continue the out-patient psychotherapy.     

The Relation Between Anger Coping Strategies,Anger Mood and Somatic Complaints in Children and Adolescents

Attempts to explain the experience of somatic complaints among children and adolescents suggest that they may in part result from the influence of particular strategies for coping with anger on the longevity of negative emotions. To explore these relationships British (n = 393) and Dutch (n = 299) children completed a modified version of the Behavioral Anger Response Questionnaire (BARQ), and two additional questionnaires assessing anger mood and somatic complaints. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that for both the UK and Dutch samples two coping styles, Social support-seeking and Rumination, made a significant contribution to somatic complaints, over and above the variance explained by anger mood. A tendency to repeatedly think or talk about an angering event as a way of coping seems to underlie the observed negative health effects. In addition, tentative support is given for a broader range of strategies to cope with anger than just the traditionally studied anger-out and anger-in styles.     

Standards der sozialmedizinischen Leistungsbegutachtung in der Psychosomatischen Medizin und Psychotherapie

Sociomedical problems are playing an increasingly important role in both psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy and in psychiatry. The present article examines the standards relating to content and method in sociomedical assessments, primarily in the discipline of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy. The focus is on the assessment of performance, highlighting the fact that performance and performance deficits cannot primarily be derived from the medical diagnosis; instead, psychosocial variables that influence the processes of dealing with disease in particular affect the actual performance status. The article pays particular attention to aspects that aggravate or dissimulate performance competence. Finally, the principles of integrating the various findings and results that are incorporated into the assessment report are outlined.