Sex role and dysphoric mood

This study was designed to examine the relation of sex-role type to dysphoric mood and to the manipulation of dysphoric affect. Initially, subjects completed a variety of measures yielding indices of dysphoria, anxiety, and hostility. Androgynous persons reported the least dysphoria, anxiety, and hostility. Subjects from the original sample who volunteered for the second part of the study were randomly assigned to the neutral or depression conditions of the Velten Mood Induction Procedure. Androgynous types again reported the least anxiety and dysphoria in the neutral type situation; however, when exposed to depressive stimuli, they showed the greatest increase in dysphoria. Masculine-typed persons showed virtually no change in mood. These results lend strong support to the association of sex-typing with depression in that the sex types were differentially susceptible to dysphoric mood. However, the results are contrary to the only other reported study of sex role and depression which successfully manipulated affect. Differences in methodology (learned helplessness versus mood induction) and the fact that the previous study forced subjects to lose control and fail may account for the differing results.     

An absence of offering: Parents of retarded children and their experiences with the clergy

The present study investigated the perspectives of parents of retarded children on their involvement with the clergy. Open-ended interviews and structured questionnaires were used to identify several areas of potential involvement by the clergy. These seemed not only important to parents, but also readily done by practicing clergy of local congregations. A general offering to help was the single most important service expected by parents. Several specific activities of both a religious and a secular nature were also discussed, along with recommendations for further research.     

The effect of food and water deprivation and satiation on recognition

Food and water deprived and satiated subjects, as well as control subjects, were shown words presented tachistoscopically for .01 sec until word recognition. Five food-relevant, five water-relevant, and five neutral (animal) words of high string frequency were matched for letter confusability and letter predictability. Analyses of the data, in terms of number of presentations until recognition as well as number of words recognized at selected presentations, revealed that the amount but not the type of deprivation significantly altered word recognition. Moreover, the effect of motivation was significant already on the first slide presentation, while the effects of word characteristics (word category and generated value) occurred only after a number of presentations.     

An evaluation of delay to reinforcement and mand variability during functional communication training

Children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities often exhibit invariant responding (i.e., restricted behavioral repertoires), deficits in communication, and challenging behavior. Approaches demonstrated in the basic and applied literature to increase response variability include extinction, lag schedules of reinforcement, and percentile schedules of reinforcement. Results of basic studies have also indicated that delays to reinforcement often produce increases in response variability. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of a delay to reinforcement on the variability of communication responses during functional communication training with individuals with developmental disabilities and histories of engaging in challenging behavior. Results indicated that delays to reinforcement increased mand variability with all four participants with variable effects on challenging behavior across participants.     

Influences on Counselor Race Preferences: Distinguishing Black Racial Attitudes From Black Racial Identity

The authors examined differential contributions of Black racial identity and racial attitudes toward Whites in determining counselor preferences. Results indicated that racial attitudes accounted for a significant portion of the variance in same‐race counselor preference. In addition, Black racial attitudes were distinguished from racial identity as independent contributors to counselor preferences. Los autores examinaron contribuciones diferenciales de indentidad racial y actitudes raciales de individuos Negros hacia Blancos para determinar las preferencias por un consejero u otro. Los resultados indicaron que las actitudes raciales se hallaban detrás de una porción significativa de la varianza en la preferencia por un consejero de la misma raza. Además, las actitudes raciales de individuos Negros se distinguieron de la identidad racial como factores independientes de influencia en las preferencias por ciertos consejeros.     

Do humans prefer altruistic mates? Testing a link between sexual selection and altruism towards non‐relatives

Humans are often seen as unusual in displaying altruistic behaviour towards non‐relatives. Here we outline and test a hypothesis that human altruistic traits evolved as a result of sexual selection. We develop a psychometric scale to measure mate preference towards altruistic traits (the MPAT scale). We then seek evidence of whether mate choice on the basis of altruistic traits is present and find it in one study (N=170 couples). We also predict that a stronger female MPAT, as measured by responses to the MPAT scale, will be expressed – a result found in all three studies (Ns=380, 340, and 398). Both sets of results are consistent with the hypothesized link between human altruism towards non‐relatives and sexual selection.