Electrodermal lability in anxiety disorders

Twenty-eight anxiety patients, aged below 50 years, were diagnosed according to DSM-III-R criteria (panic disorder with and without agoraphobia, generalised anxiety disorder, and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified). The patients were characterised by high levels of state and trait anxiety and neuroticism, compared with the controls. However, there were no differences between patients and controls in electrodermal habituation rate, non-specific activity, or skin resistance level. When the patients were divided into electrodermally labile and stable subjects, significant differences were found between patients and controls in both electrodermal activity and Eysenck's personality dimensions. The labile patients were more introverted and attained higher psychoticism scores than either the stable patients or controls. Duration of anxiety symptoms removed the difference found in extroversion, but not in any other variable. The results are discussed in relation to the utility of electrodermal measurements in validation of diagnostic entities. It is concluded, that from the psychophysiological point of view, anxiety disorders may be examined within a dimensional framework.     

An exploratory analysis of the influence of personality and emotional factors on cerebral blood flow responses during painful stimulation in Fibromyalgia

This study explored the influence of certain personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, psychoticism, alexithymia), emotional variables (depression, catastrophizing), and insomnia on cerebral blood flow (CBF ) responses to painful stimulation in fibromyalgia, using functional transcranial Doppler sonography. CBF velocities were recorded bilaterally in the anterior cerebral arteries (ACA ) and middle cerebral arteries (MCA ) of 24 fibromyalgia patients during exposure to two painful pressure conditions: (1) fixed pressure (2.4 kg) and (2) an individually calibrated pressure to produce an equal‐moderate subjective pain intensity in all participants (average, 3.5 kg). Psychological factors were assessed by means of questionnaires. Neuroticism, and the externally‐oriented thinking dimension of alexithymia were positively, and extraversion was inversely, associated with specific components of ACA and MCA CBF responses. Regarding catastrophizing and depression, correlations were positive for the fixed pressure condition and negative for the equal subjective intensity condition. The findings suggest that alterations in central nervous pain processing in fibromyalgia vary according to psychological factors. While most of the observed associations reflect a linear increase in nociceptive processing with the magnitude of negative cognitive and emotional states, the inverse associations for catastrophizing and depression during more intense painful stimulation may be ascribed to anti‐nociceptive effects due to activation of the defense reflex.     

Psychoticism and perceptual processing speed: A test of Robinson's theory

Robinson has argued that bias in the process of knowledge acquisition can give rise to either a differentiated or an integrated learning style. Individuals high on the personality dimension of psychoticism are said to have a differentiated learning style that manifests in superior performance on cognitive tasks that require differentiation of the elements or parts of immediate perceptual experience. To test this theory, 106 undergraduate students aged between 18 and 31 completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire—Revised, along with two computer‐based measures of visual processing speed: reaction time (RT) and inspection time (IT). In accord with Robinson's theory, psychoticism scores were found to be inversely related to both mean RT and IT. Moreover, multiple regression analyses indicated that the relationship between psychoticism scores and the two processing speed measures was independent of any age or gender effects. It is recommended that future research examine the relationship between psychoticism, and both poles of Robinson's differentiation versus integration dimension.     

人格维度与注意分配的关系及其选拔意义

本研究以210名男性大学生为被试,EPQ确定人格维度,微机测量注意分配,运用正交设计实验与区组实验相结合的方法综合论述了人格维度与注意分配的关系发现:E、E×N、P×E对注意分配有显著影响,N有一定影响,P和P×N的影响不显著。各影响因素的重要性顺序:E×N→P×E/E→N→P→P×N/误差,绘制了单项人格维度与注意分配关系简图。确定了三种人格维度的最佳组合型(注意分配可望最优):P1N2E1,次佳组合型:P3N2E1,最差组合型:P2N3E1,各型注意分配均值分别为0.702、0.680、0.309,本文探讨了实验结果的选拔意义,认为可从个体EPQ的结果来估测其注意分配能力,这在职业心理选拔中有重要应用价值。     

Conduct disorder and personality

A sample of children with a diagnosis of conduct disorder and a sample of children from a London comprehensive school were investigated. Three questionnaires were administered to assess personality, impulsiveness and anxiety. Of the personality measures contained within the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire only Psychoticism was found to significantly differentiate the conduct disorder and normal control samples. The Impulsiveness scale of the I₆ also differentiated the two samples. There were no significant differences between the two samples in their scores on the anxiety scale of the “What I Think and Feel”. The findings are discussed in relation to theories of personality proposed by Eysenck and Eysenck (1969), Gray (1987) and Quay (1988).