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Biomedical subjects

R A Pasewark

Publications and source records attributed to R A Pasewark.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Characteristics and disposition of persons found not guilty by reason of insanity in New York State, 1971-1976.

In order to develop an empirical profile of persons acquitted by reason of insanity from which policy could be developed, the authors studied all acquittals in New York State from 1971-1976. During this period 196 men and 29 women were found not guilty by reason of insanity. In contrast to adults admitted to state correctional facilities, the study group contained proportionately more persons who were white and older. The most frequent crimes for which subjects were tried were homicide, assault, and robbery. Most victims were acquaintances of the defendants. By 1976, 67 persons had been discharged after hospitalization ranging from 1 to 1,235 days. These defendants are still being followed after their return to the community.

Adolescent

Pre- and posthospitalization alcoholic arrests in a rural state.

Arrest rates of 180 male alcoholics admitted to the Wyoming State Hospital in 1969 were compared with the general Wyoming population during 1965--1973. Results indicated: (1) 67% of the alcoholics had no arrests before or after hospitalization; (2) prehospitalization arrest rates of alcoholics were higher than the general population for robbery, assault, sex offenses, theft, public intoxication, drunk driving, traffic offenses, and vagrancy; (3) following hospitalization, alcoholic arrest rates were reduced significantly in all categories except robbery and embezzlement and fraud; and (4) posthospitalization alcoholic arrest rates were lower than the general population for all offenses except robbery, public intoxication, and DWI.

Adolescent

Correlates of alcohol arrests in a rural state.

Arrest and conviction rates for public intoxication, driving while intoxicated, and liquor law violations were correlated with population, population change, liquor sales, number of law officers, Indian population, and overall crime rate for 23 counties in Wyoming. It was concluded that increased liquor sales, but not arrest rates, are associated with population increase. Alcohol arrests are related positively to population magnitude and overall crime rate, but not to number of law officers. Counties with larger Indian populations report higher arrest rates for public intoxication and liquor law violations, but conviction rates for alcohol arrests in these counties are not different.

Alcoholic Intoxication

Criminality and mental illness: a study of arrest rates in a rural state.

The authors examined cumulative arrests for the period of 1964-1973 for psychiatric patients admitted to a state hospital in 1969 (286 men and 175 women) and for the general population in Wyoming. Male patients were arrested as often as or more often than individuals in the general population. No men diagnosed as schizophrenic were arrested for crimes against persons; one-fourth of arrests among individuals diagnosed as alcoholics were for such crimes. Arrest rates among women patients seemed to parallel those of women in the general population, although the sample was too small for definite conclusions. Male patients were arrested significantly less often following dischanrge than before hospitalization.

Adolescent

Racial similarity and adult modeling of uncooperative behavior.

To test the hypothesis that modeling is enhanced when Ss and models are of the same race, black and white attendants at a southern mental hospital were exposed to either a black or white model who refused to volunteer for a series of future studies. Although the white model more effectively induced refusal behavior by both races of Ss, no interaction effect was found between race of model and race of S, which refutes the hypothesis.

Adult

Conformity and modeling in an aversive task.

High- and low-conformity groups, as measured by the California Personality Inventory, were exposed to a video-taped model who performed an aversive task (i.e., self-administration of electric shock). Comparable groups performed the task without demonstration by the model. In both groups, the modeling procedure produced significantly higher levels of self-administered shock. However, the conformity variable demonstrated no main effect and no interaction with the modeling variable.

Avoidance Learning

Graduated approach modeling in an aversive task.

Sixty female Ss were assigned randomly to six conditions that involved self-administration of electrical shock. These were: (1) no model-one trial S response; (2) no model-graduated trial S response; (3) one trial model-one trial S response; (4) one trial model-graduated S response; (5) graduated model-one trial response; and (6) graduated model-graduated response. Results indicated that graduated exposure of S to an aversive stimuli was more effective than a single such exposure and that type of exposure provided by a model had little effect.

Avoidance Learning

Involuntary hospitalization: the social construction of danger.

Petitions for 50 consecutive patients committed involuntarily to a western state hospital were examined to determine whether statements supporting such commitment reflected explicit or residual rule-breaking behaviors. In 46 cases, involuntary hospitalization was based upon residual rule breaking. Additionally, in only 5 cases did the petitioner perceive the patient as dangerous, while in all 50 cases, the two examining physicians certified him to be such. Results are discussed in the context of the psychiatrist's personality characteristics and his role as a social control agent.

Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders

Responses of adolescent, middle-aged, and aged females on the Gerontological and Thematic Apperception Tests.

The Gerontological and Thematic Apperception Tests were administered to adolescent, middle-aged, and aged non-institutionalized females with 30 subjects in each age group. Content of themes elicited did not differ between age groups for each test nor was the GAT found superior to the TAT in eliciting themes reflecting problems of the aged as claimed by authors of the GAT.

Adolescent