The Health Belief Model was used to study HIV/AIDS beliefs of 419, 18 to 24 year old, never married, sexually active, heterosexual college students and predict their AIDS preventive behaviors from a larger sample of 662 college students. The structural properties of the scales used were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. Recent preventive behaviors were predicted in a LISREL Structural Equation Modeling analysis.

The purpose of the study was to determine if exposure to a challenging interpersonal situation would have an adverse impact on intra- and interpersonal constructs. Individual difference variables including level of hostility and anger, Type A behavior, control in social situations, depression and sex were examined as "predictors" of those more likely to be adversely affected by personal challenge. Eighty subjects, 40 male and 40 female, completed questionnaires at a pretesting session including measures of hostility, the Type A behavior pattern, trait anger, exaggerated social control, depression, and self-other constructs. Twenty subjects then participated in a "supportive" role-play condition where the confederate was agreeable and friendly. Sixty subjects participated in a "challenge" role-play condition; the confederate was disagreeable, confrontive, and unpleasant. The posttesting measures were then completed.

Older adults are more vulnerable to the ill effects of life stress due to physiological changes associated with aging that result in decreased immunocompetence. Stressors interacting with an aging immune system may produce further declines in health. Variables shown to modulate the effect of stressors on neuroendocrine and immune function and health include social support, personality, coping style, and health locus of control. A comprehensive model is proposed that includes: life stressors, social resources, psychological resources, interaction between stressors and social resources, neuroendocrine and immune function, and symptomatology. This model was evaluated using structured equation modeling. Participants were 97 active, community dwelling, older women, ranging in age from 60 to 93 years.

This investigation evaluated the efficacy of relaxation training and cognitive therapy separately and in combination in enhancing the coping skills of patients during epidural steroid injections. Subjects consisted of 80 back pain patients. They were randomly assigned to four groups to receive either relaxation training, cognitive therapy, relaxation and cognitive therapy, or attention control treatment. All subjects were provided preparatory information describing the procedure for the epidural injection and typical physical sensations experienced by patients undergoing the procedure. Relaxation training consisted of Jacobsonian progressive relaxation instructions which were modelled by the trainer. Cognitive therapy consisted of instructions and a work sheet designed to assist subjects in designing positive (rational) self statements concerning the injection procedure. Attention control procedures involved instructions and written exercises of equal duration to the relaxation and cognitive treatments but containing no instructions for the control of anxiety and pain. The three experimental groups exhibited significantly fewer "ae1f-distress" verbalizations during the injection. On other dependent measures, namely, the remaining catagories of pain verbalizations, gross body movements, heart rate, and independent ratings of anxiety there were no significant differences among experimental and control groups. Results are discussed in terms of spontaneous use of coping skills, habituation, individual differences …

The McCarron-Dial System (MDS) has successfully predicted vocational and independent living outcomes with neuropsychologically disabled individuals receiving rehabilitation services. In addition, preliminary validation studies suggest that the abbreviated MDS is useful for clinical neuropsychological diagnosis. The present study represents part of an ongoing research project aimed at validating the expanded version of the MDS for diagnosis of neuropsychological dysfunction. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the expanded MDS would be able to accurately discriminate between brain-damaged and non-brain-damaged individuals. Accurate diagnosis facilitates rehabilitation efforts for individuals with neuropsychological disabilities and the data profile provided by the expanded version of the MDS can consequently form the basis from which more complete individual treatment and rehabilitation plans can be conceptualized.

The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between cognitive status and depression in a sample of geriatric patients. Participants included 282 geriatric patients ranging in age from 65 to 96 years who were classified according to diagnosis as: DAT, VaD, MCI, and Norm. All were referred for neurocognitive testing from the Geriatric Assessment Program (GAP) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Fort Worth, Texas. This study sought to identify factor structures for two versions of the GDS using a geriatric sample of cognitively impaired and intact patients. It then compared these factors to each other to determine whether the GDS-15 is truly a shorter version of the GDS-30. These were then compared to a previously determined factor structure. This study explored whether the four-factors of the GDS-30 are able to differentiate cognitive diagnostic groups. Further, this study sought to identify whether the severity of cognitive decline impacted GDS factor score for each of the cognitively impaired groups. Results revealed a two-factor model of the GDS - 15 and a four-factor model with the GDS - 30. The GDS-15 factors did not differ from the first two factors of the GDS-30. Comparison …

It is believed by many researchers that little attention has been given to patients' perceptions of the impact of chronic pain on their lives. In recognition of this need, G. Frank Lawlis, C. Edward McCoy, and David K. Selby developed the Dallas Pain Questionnaire (DPQ) to assess the amount of chronic pain that affects four aspects (daily activities, work-leisure activities, anxiety-depression, and social interest) of the patients' lives. The present study, conducted to validate the DPQ's statistical properties, first reviews the literature addressing the various theories and varieties of pain, its opiates, and the two current approaches to quantify pain. This study included a total of 143 subjects. Clinical subjects were 104 inpatients in the Spinal and Chronic Pain Center at Medical Arts Hospital and 15 chronic pain outpatients released to work. Normal subjects consisted of staffing personnel (n = 13) and flight assistance employees (U = 11)- Both clinical and normal groups completed the DPQ. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was administered only to the clinical population. Results suggest that the DPQ is both externally reliable (stability reliability coefficient of .970) as well as an internally consistent instrument. Two factors emerged from factor structure analysis. Factor one (63.2% …

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music training on electroencephalographic (EEG) coherence of preschool children. EEG coherence is a measurement of brain wave activity that reflects anatomical and neurophysiological parameters and functional connectivity between areas of the brain. Participants were 4- to 6-year-old children divided into two groups: one received music training for 20 minutes twice a week for 10 weeks while the other group served as controls. Nineteen channels of EEG data were collected from each child pre- and post-training. Data were collected from three conditions: eyes-open resting, listening to music, and performing the Object Assembly subtest of the Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Revised (1989). The hypothesis was that the music training group would show increased EEG coherence as compared to controls. The EEG data was reduced into seven bandwidths and analyzed separately for each condition. Multiple ANCOVAs were used to factor out pre-test variability and to maximize connectivity changes between the two groups. The dependent measures were the post-QEEG electrode pairs and the covariates were the pre-QEEG electrode pairs. Results indicated the eyes-open and listening to music conditions showed more significant changes between the groups than the Object Assembly …

The purpose of the present study was to determine if psychological stress, defined as academic examination stress, would systematically produce changes in immune parameters (immunoglobulin concentration) and psychological functioning. It was hypothesized that as examination stress occurred there would be an effect on immunological function consistent with heightened psychological activity/stress. Subjects were 23 master's and doctoral students in psychology who volunteered for the research project. All subjects were administered a series of psychological tests to measure stress, personality factors, emotional states, and anxiety levels. All tests were administered and.blood samples drawn over a period of 15 months across two lowstress and two high-stress periods. Immunological tests included white blood cell (WBC) differential count and radial immunodiffusion (RID) for the determination of concentration of different immunoglobulin classes (IgA, IgG, IgM) in serum. Data were treated to a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures, t /test for correlated samples correlational matrix between variables across assessments and discriminant function analysis. Results showed (1) increased immunoglobulin levels during periods of stress; (2) immunoglobulin G most consistently related to stress and probably most indicative of the stressed condition and biological resistance to stress; (3) anxiety related to external events; (4) increase in anxiety …

This study examined the effect of neurotoxic chemical exposures on brain processes using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). A control group carefully screened for good health and minimal chemical exposures was compared to two groups of patients diagnosed with health problems following exposure to pesticides or to organic solvents.

The purpose of the present study was to discern a symptom pattern for environmentally ill patients and provide evidence of the uniqueness of the resultant pattern to this population. Patients' environmental exposure was confirmed by the presence of toxins in the blood serum. All patients were administered psychological and physical symptom checklists, the Clinical Analysis Questionnaire, and a standardized intermediate neuropsychological examination. Results indicate a response pattern of symptoms including fatigue, low energy, weakness, poor concentration, poor memory, poor comprehension, headaches, aches and pains, clumsiness, sinus discomfort, mucus, eye problems, restlessness, and present performance inferior to prior level of functioning. Presence of these symptoms, as well as the uniqueness of this symptom pattern was supported by comparisons of the patient and standardization groups on the two standardized tests.

The present study examined the relationship between coping and psychological and psychosomatic distress of 25 individuals who experienced the same severe, acute traumatic event: the violent shooting that killed 23 people and severely injured 20 more in Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, on October 16, 1991. Distress was assessed by one-month pre-event and post-event scores on the SCL-90R, Psychosomatic Questionnaire, and by a Life Event Questionnaire score for the year before the incident. Coping was measured by a modified version of the Ways of Coping Scale (Folkman et al., 1986) and Response Style Questionnaire (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991). All post-event distress scores, except the Psychosomatic score, significantly increased over their corresponding pre-event scores regardless of gender. Although female distress scores were consistently higher than male scores, gender was predictive of post-event distress only for the SCL-90R Anxiety, Somatization, and Global Severity Index scales. The only pre-event score found to be predictive of post-event distress was the Psychosomatic scale. Regression analysis, with demographic and pre-event variables controlled, found a significant positive relationship between Escape/Avoidance coping and one-month post-event levels of Anxiety and Psychosomatic distress. Findings were discussed in the context of the process-oriented stress-illness model and were compared to current disaster …

Relationships of negative psychological conditions with general status of cell-mediated and humoral immune systems were investigated. A unique approach was utilized in that indexes representing multiple aspects of each branch of the immune system were employed to better indicate general immunological status. Differences in emotion-immune interactions between males and females were demonstrated. Results indicated a positive relationship between Trait Anger and Cell-Mediated Immunological Index. Particular criticisms of previous psychoneuroimmunological research were met by addressing sex differences and differences in various conditions of anger and depression, as well as through assessment of cumulative effects of negative emotions on immune system status. Directions for future research in eddressing similar issues are suggested. In general, results provide support for validity of mindbody interactionism and imply the need for revision of standard medical and psychological treatment.

The purpose of the present study was to compare the number of perseverations on fused (no delay) versus unfused (0.5 msec delay) CV-DL tasks with measures on a battery of executive functions across three groups: Schizophrenics (SCZ), Manic-Depressives (MD), and normal controls (NC).

This investigation focused on two major areas of investigation, (a) the differentiation of functions between the two cerebral hemispheres and (b) the effectiveness of electromyographic biofeedback versus relaxation tape input as methods of lowering levels of arousal. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the differential effects of EMG biofeedback and relaxation tape input to the right ear only, to the left ear only and to both ears in a strongly lateralized population. Subjects were 56 students recruited from undergraduate psychology classes. To be included in the study, subjects had to score at minimum, and Edinburgh Handedness Inventory Laterality Quotient of 68, Declie = Right 3, and had to demonstrate a right ear advantage on the Dichotic Listening Task for Words.

Male (8) and female (22) Essential Hypertensives (130/85 mm Hg or above) were randomized into a nonspecific treatment or an experimental treatment utilizing eight relaxation strategies. Both groups had eight training sessions which consisted of baseline blood pressures (BP), 15 minute relaxation tapes, and post-relaxation BP's. Subjects were instructed to use their tapes three times between sessions. Five BP readings were taken at the one and two month follow-ups. It was hypothesized that the experimentals would have greater within and across session decreases in BP, and that the differences would be maintained during a no treatment follow-up. Eleven experimentals and 8 controls were on medication. Mean medication compliance percentages were 99.9 and 99.6 while mean relaxation compliance percentages were 95.2 and 115.2 for experimentals and controls respectively. Efficacy was checked at each training session on a seven-point scale and group means were 6.5 and 5.4 for experimentals verses controls. Within session decreases in BP were compared with t tests and no significant differences (p < .05) were present for the eight training sessions with systolic (SBP) or diastolic (DBP). Across session changes were compared with ANCOVA and no significant differences (p < .05) were present for the eight training or …

Memory performance was measured in 48 persons between the ages of 40 - 65 with Type II diabetes. Correlations between performance on the California Verbal Learning Test, tests of Working Memory, Priming Memory, and Prospective Memory and several predictor variables were examined. These variables included the Slosson Intelligence Test Scores, demographic variables, presence of diabetic complications, finger-stick and HbA1c measures. Subjects performed worse than the normative sample on the California Verbal Learning Test. Higher chronic and acute blood glucose tended to be associated with worse performance on the CVLT, Priming, and Working Memory. However, after the effects of intelligence, education, and sex were statistically controlled, glycemic status predicted performance on just a few memory measures. These were short-delay recall compared with recall on List A trial 5, and List B on the CVLT, and recall accuracy on digit forward of the Working Memory Test. Glucose status was unrelated to performance on a prospective memory test. Several other demographic and diabetic complication factors predicted performance beyond the contribution of intelligence. These results contrast with previous studies which found strong effects of glycemic control, but did not statistically control for the contribution of intelligence. Differential effects of diabetic status on different aspects …

Health beliefs of 221 postmenopausal women were assessed to predict the Breast Cancer Screening Behaviors of breast self-examination (BSE) and utilization of mammography. Champion's (1991) revised Health Belief Model (HBM) instrument for BSE, which assesses the HBM constructs of Seriousness, Susceptibility, Benefits, Barriers, Confidence and Health Motivation, was utilized along with her Barriers and Benefits instrument for mammography usage. Ronis' and Harel's (1989) constructs of Severity-Late and Severity-Early were evaluated along with Cuing and demographic variables. These exogenous latent constructs were utilized in a LISREL path model to predict Breast Cancer Screening Behavior.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the psychophysiological effects of exercise on measures of cardiovascular fitness, depression, self-esteem, and anxiety. The 1.5 mile run (Cooper, 1972) was used to determine changes in cardiovascular fitness. The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale was used to measure varying levels of depression. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to measure self-esteem. The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to measure state anxiety. An Electromyographic Assay and Digital Skin Temperature were performed on the Experimental and Corrective Therapy Groups in order to measure physiological concomitants of anxiety. A Body Composition Assay was performed in order to measure changes in body composition.

The present study was undertaken (1) to compare the connotative meanings criminals attach to a sampling of concepts with those meanings attached by noncriminals, and (2) to examine the possible relationship between moral development and criminal behavior. One hundred thirty four male subjects completed the Wide Range Achievement Test- Revised (Reading Section); a personal data sheet; the Ammons Quick Test-Form I; the Criminal Semantic Inventory; the Test for Criminal Cognitions; and the Sociomoral Reflection Questionnaire. Subjects were divided into four groups (Noncriminals, Against Person Group, Against Property Group, and Against Statute Group) on the basis of history of criminal conviction. A one-way MANOVA was conducted on each of the 16 concepts under investigation. Significant differences were found for five concepts. In addition, criminals were found to differ significantly from noncriminals on level of moral development.

The purpose of this study was to validate the Spanish version of the Dallas Pain Questionnaire (DPQ). Not only does the DPQ offer the potential of statistical and clinical diagnostic value but also is easily interpretable across cultural lines. No such instrument has presently been validated for the Mexican-American population. A total of 81 Spanish speaking subjects participated in this study. Of these subjects, 56 were classified as chronic pain patients by nature of their medical diagnosis and duration of pain. The 25 normal subjects were family members of the chronic pain patients and members of the Northern New Mexico Hispanic community chosen at random. Hypothesis one predicted that reliability would be obtained on Spanish speaking populations based on test-retest with correlation coefficients of the items. The second hypothesis predicted that the Spanish DPQ would have content validity or consistent internal structure on those items that measure the trait or behavior of interest based upon factor analysis approaches and internal consistency measures. Hypothesis three predicted that the Spanish version of the DPQ would significantly correlate with the English version of the DPQ on all four factors. All four hypotheses were supported. The Spanish DPQ showed reliability over time based on …

Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with and without a learning disorder (LD) and a control group of clinically referred individuals with behavioral problems were compared on four neuropsychological tests of frontal lobe functioning. Test results were collected to examine if ADHD individuals with and without LD have deficits in frontal lobe functioning. Two age groups were used to examine developmental differences. In the six to ten age group there were 27 ADHD, 17 ADHD/LD and seven other clinically referred individuals. In the 11 -20 age group there were 12 ADHD, 23 ADHD/LD and 24 other clinically referred individuals. The ADHD and ADHD/LD groups performed at a lower level than the other diagnostic group on the freedom from distractibility factor of the WISC-R and the omission and commission errors of the Gordon Diagnostic system. Differences for the ADHD and ADHD/LD groups were also found on the number of correct responses for the Gordon Diagnostic system, the Speech Sounds test and the Seashore Rhythm test. The developmental differences that were found were not influenced by diagnosis. The deficits that the ADHD individuals with and without LD demonstrated were not affected by age.

In an attempt to determine the normative levels in health attribution and emotional, intellectual, and neuromuscular functioning in the parkinsonian population, 31 diagnosed parkinsonian volunteers recruited from exercise classes and/or organizations were tested. Health attribution was measured by the Health Attribution Test (HAT), personality factors by the Clinical Analysis Questionnaire (CAQ), general intellectual level by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test- Revised (PPVT-R) and the Intellectual Processes subscale of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (Luria- Intelligence), and neuromuscular functioning by the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND) and Bender- Gestalt (BVMGT). Controls for comparisons were obtained from the clinical ecology population and normals for personality traits and the nonspecific neurologically impaired, healthy aging populations, and normals for intellectual and neuromuscular functionings. Chi-square and t-tests were computed on the data. Results indicated that the parkinsonians manifest less lower body strength (£ < .01), poorer balance with eyes closed (JD < .01), and slower fine motor speed (p < .05) than normals. The parkinsonians function significantly better in areas involving upper body coordination (p < .01, £ < .05) , slow-controlled movements (g.< .001), BVMGT (p < .05), and PPVT-R (p < .01) than the nonspecific neurologically impaired. On the Luria-Intelligence, 21 percent of …

This study examined the effects of self-monitoring behavior and health locus of control on improvement in a work hardening program. The subjects included 22 male and 18 female outpatients in a hospital-based rehabilitation program. Subjects were classified as having an internal or external health locus of control, and were randomly assigned to either a self-monitoring or a non-self-monitoring group. Improvement was assessed via objective performance data and self-ratings of perceived improvement. The results indicated that individuals identified as having an internal health locus of control did not show greater gains in physical functioning or perceived improvement relative to externally oriented individuals. Additionally, those subjects participating in self-monitoring activities were no different from non-self-monitoring subjects in terms of improvement in exercise activities or perceived improvement. The results also indicated no interaction between health locus of control and the presence or absence of self-monitoring. It was suggested that other factors such as workman's compensation, pain patient characteristics, low self-concept, and severe stress may have proved more powerful influences on patient improvement than internal health locus of control or self-monitoring. It was also suggested that rehabilitation programs might benefit from creating structured environments in which patients receive frequent staff feedback and reinforcement for …