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Biomedical subjects

J S Wormith

Publications and source records attributed to J S Wormith.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

The assessment of deviant sexual arousal as a function of intelligence, instructional set and alcohol ingestion.

Sexual offenders who had been referred for a forensic evaluation were assessed in terms of their deviant sexual arousal by means of standard penile plethysmographic procedures. The sample was divided into Rapist and Nonrapist groups according to their sexual history and criminal charges. Penile circumference responses (PCR) and self-reported arousal to consenting sex, sexual assault, and physical assault were monitored. The assessments were repeated following subject instructions to suppress their arousal and following the ingestion of alcohol. The overall correlation between PCR and self-reported arousal was .65. An Alcohol-by-Offender Type interaction revealed that the lowering effect of alcohol on PCR occurred only among the Nonrapists. The suppression instruction increased Rapists' PCRs to Rape and Physical Assault presentations relative to consenting sexual narrations. When the data were examined in relation to intelligence, low IQ Rapists displayed greater responses to rape than high IQ Rapists. Under the influence of alcohol, low IQ Rapists displayed greater arousal regardless of the stimulus, while high IQ Rapists showed no change, and Nonrapists responded less than they did without alcohol. Comments concerning the accurate assessment of deviant sexual arousal and the identification of precursors to deviant sexual behaviour are made in view of the current findings.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Personal space of incarcerated offenders.

Administered the proxemic test (Kinzel, 1970) and a psychometric test battery to 49 incarcerated offenders on two occasions. Offenders also were rated by staff on their interpersonal behavior, and a 3-year follow-up was undertaken to assess recidivism. Immediate test-retest reliabilities were extremely high in all four directions (.93 to .97), but lower over a 10-week period (.65 to .89). The Behind distance was largest on both occasions. There were no changes in the four distance measures over time. An algebraic formula was devised to calculate Personal Space Area. Age was related inversely to offender's Personal Space (r = -.32, p less than .03). Personality measures, observation ratings, and follow-up outcome data were related inconsistently to Personal Space Area, although there was some indication that offenders with a large personal space were less empathic, less socialized, less accepting of others, received poor evaluations, and were more likely to recidivate. The utility of personal space in the assessment of offenders is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Trace acid levels in the plasma and MAO activity in the platelets of violent offenders.

The plasma concentrations of the unconjugated and conjugated so-called "trace acids," phenylacetic acid (PAA), m- and p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (mHPA, pHPA), and platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity were measured in 103 male prisoners detained in a psychiatric institution. Twenty-three had been convicted of violent crimes, 18 of sexual offenses, 24 of armed robbery, 27 of nonviolent property offenses, and 11 of miscellaneous nonviolent offenses. Unconjugated pHPA and conjugated PAA were found to be significantly reduced in the violent offenders when compared with those of the "nonviolent" groups. The levels of pHPA were also found to be low in sexual offenders. Platelet MAO activities to phenylethylamine, tryptamine, and p-tyramine between any of the categories of prisoners were not significantly different.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Correlative relationship between biochemical activity and aggressive behaviour.

Correlative relationships were investigated between biogenic trace amines and histories of violence among offenders incarcerated in two federal penitentiaries. Plasma levels of unconjugated (U) and conjugated (C) trace acids (PAA, mHPA and pHPA) and platelet MAO activity to the substrates PE, TRYP and TA were assessed. A pilot study (N = 26) revealed a lower activity of MAO to TRYP among violent offenders. The factor analytically derived scale, Prison Disturbance, correlated with mHPA (U) .77 (p less than .001), mHPA(C) -.42 (p less than .05) and PAA (U) -.37 (p less than .10), controlling for time incarcerated. In the principal investigation (N = 103), PAA(C) (p less than .01), pHPA (U) (p less than .05) levels, and MAO activity to TRYP (p less than .05) were lower among violent offenders. Factor scores of biochemical activity produced even more significant results. However, when these results were cross validated with data from the pilot study, only minimal relationships were maintained.

Adult↗