Gender and health on the kibbutz

Gender differences in health status and illness behavior have been explained in terms of sex roles and gender-related personality traits. It may be hypothesized that in a community that is committed to gender-negating ideology, where men and women alike participate in public life, and housework and child care largely collectivized, gender health differences will disappear. The kibbutz movement is committed to the ideology of the emancipation of women: women fully participate in the labor force and decision making. Nonetheless, women on the kibbutz are responsible for the housework and are concentrated in feminine occupations. The kibbutz, then, allows us to test the relationship between gender ideology and participation in public life vs. gender roles and tasks, and health. The health behavior, health status, and illness behavior of 230 members of two kibbutzim, one religious and one secular, were studied. Men and women report similar health status and illness behavior; parental status is not related to health; and marital status is related to psychological distress only. Similar patterns were observed for the secular kibbutz and the religious one despite the more traditional division of labor in the latter.Medical student, supported by the National Fund for Medical Education, 35 Kneeland Street, Boston, MA 02111.     

Are coping resources related to humoral reaction induced by academic stress? An analysis of specific salivary antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether coping resources mediated the changes in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) specific salivary antibodies caused by academic stress. Fifty-four first-year female students of nursing and physiotherapy completed pencil and paper written questionnaires and concurrently donated saliva samples. The instrument included the short version of the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale, measures of social support, current health, health practices, the scale of psychological distress, and state anxiety questionnaire. Data and saliva samples were collected one month after the beginning of the first semester, during term examinations period and a month into the second semester. Statistically significant changes in the level of specific salivary EBV and HCMV antibodies were observed between the four study points. State anxiety and psychological distress were significantly associated with HCMV-specific salivary antibody level increase during examinations and its decrease after the stress was over. Coping resources, however, were not associated with changes in any of the antibodies studied.     

Replacing overt verbal and gestural prompts with unobtrusive covert tactile prompting for students with autism

Verbal responses, gestures, and other physical stimuli are often used to prompt children to pay attention to their teacher, participate in group responding, and engage in independent activities in the classroom. Prompts can be intrusive and draw attention to the problem, however. In the present study, unobtrusive vibrating pagers were used to discreetly alert children to attend directly to the teacher or the ongoing activity, thus reducing the number of disruptions the children created in their classrooms. The children were then able to learn more effectively and with less interference to others in the vicinity. Specifically, 5 male children, between 4 and 7 years old, who attended a regular education preschool or regular education first-grade classroom, participated. An alternating baseline and treatment conditions design was used, in which periods of overt traditional prompting were alternated with periods of covert tactile and overt traditional prompting. The data showed that covert tactile prompting was successful in reducing the amount of overt traditional prompting that was needed for attention to a teacher, group responding, and engagement in independent activities.     

Sense of Coherence and Mood States: Exploring the Causal Relationships

The current study seeks to explore the effect of an academic course on sense of coherence (SOC) and transitory mood states. Moreover, the causal relationships between SOC and transitory mood states was evaluated. Second-year pharmacology students completed pencil-and-paper questionnaires at the beginning of the semester and 3-1/2 months later. The study group ( n  = 37) participated in an academic course developed to teach cognitive behavior concept and practice, whereas the control group ( n  = 43) had additional sessions of laboratory work. SOC increased significantly after the course while tension–anxiety and confusion decreased significantly. Structural equation analyses in the study group suggested that SOC was modified by confusion and perceived stress. No such pattern was observed in the control group.     

Current status of the motor program: Revisited

The motor program is a concept that has had a major influence on theorizing in the field of motor control. However, there has been a lack of consensus as to what exactly is a motor program and its role in movement organization and execution. In 1994 Morris, Summers, Matyas, and Iansek concluded from a review of the application of the motor program concept in the field of physical therapy that continued use of the term may impede progress in the field. In this paper we examine what has happened to the motor program concept in the thirteen years since the previous evaluation. The review indicates that although the term is still being used in different ways, the theoretical existence of a motor program appears to be generally accepted by researchers in experimental psychology, movement science, and neurophysiology. The recent development of powerful brain imaging techniques may allow determination of whether the motor program should be regarded as a metaphorical or literal concept.     

Family,gender, and attitudes toward retirement

The relationships between marital status, proximity of children, and attitudes toward retirement of 432 men and 373 women on the verge of retirement were studied. Three dimensions of attitudes were examined: attitudes toward losses associated with retirement, toward gains in entering retirement, and toward gains in leaving work. Women hold significantly more positive attitudes toward both types of gains; there are no gender differences concerning attitudes toward losses. The married of both sexes perceive more gains in entering retirement. Proximity of children is curvilinearly related to gain in entering retirement, especially among women. Attitudes toward losses and gains in leaving work are not associated with familial state. The meaning of work and the myth of the primacy of family for women are discussed.This paper draws on research supported by Grant Number 1 R01 AG 05206-01 from the National Institute on Aging.     

Hand position as a variable determining the accuracy of aiming movements

Two experiments investigated the effect of hand position on the accuracy of short- and long-duration aiming movements in the presence and absence of visual feedback. In Experiment 1 (N = 16) short aiming movements were executed rapidly, which would require them to be predominantly programmed, whereas in Experiment 2(N = 8) these movements were performed slowly enough so that visual feedback, which implies that they were predominantly programmed. However, the long-duration, short-length movements of Experiment 2 were disrupted when visual feedback was removed, which suggests that these movements were being guided by visual feedback. Having the heel of the responding hand in contact with the target platform during the response resulted in greater accuracy than no hand contact for the short-length movements of both experiments. Taken together, these results indicated that hand contact produced greater aiming accuracy than no hand contact for both programmed- and feedback-based movements.