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Biomedical subjects

S Starker

Publications and source records attributed to S Starker.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Soundness of treatment: a survey of psychologists' opinions.

A random sample of 300 psychologists listed in the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology were surveyed about the soundness of forms of mental health treatment and use of these treatments in practice. The 139 psychologists responding expressed greatest confidence in cognitive-behavioral therapy and antipsychotic medications. Approaches most in question as to soundness were primal therapy, neurolinguistic programming, bioenergetics, and aversive therapy. Factor analysis indicated widespread endorsement and use of multiple techniques within two broad camps of research-based "hard-edged" versus clinical wisdom/philosophy-based "soft-edged."

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1994

Self-care materials in the practice of cardiology: an explorative study among American cardiologists.

American practitioners were surveyed about the role of self-care materials in the management of cardiology patients. Respondents indicated their patients commonly use self-care materials and seek recommendation of appropriate readings. Over half those responding had reviewed 'some' popular works, but few had been able to keep up with this literature. The great majority of responders found self-care materials sometimes helpful to patients, considered certain works particularly helpful, and made recommendations to patients; many agreed that certain published works might be harmful. AHA publications were most frequently endorsed, followed by Dr Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease and The New American Diet. Patients were cautioned by some physicians to avoid certain other titles. Greater professional effort to evaluate the appropriateness of popularized self-care works for cardiology patients is needed.

Cardiology↗
PubMed1988

Psychologists and self-help books: attitudes and prescriptive practices of clinicians.

Data are presented from a survey of 123 practicing psychologists in 36 states concerning attitudes and prescriptive practices with regard to self-help books. Tables are provided indicating those self-help works most frequently read and prescribed by responding psychologists, along with ratings of quality and helpfulness. Results indicate widespread readership and prescription of popularized self-help books among psychologists and a positive evaluation of their utility. Questions as to how and why these works are being used are explored.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1982

Imagery and hallucination in schizophrenic patients.

Volitional auditory imagery and spontaneous imagery/fantasy are examined in schizophrenic vs. nonschizophrenic psychiatric inpatients. Imaginal aspects of schizophrenia are also studied with regard to concurrent presence or absence of hallucination. Comparisons of imaginal function between diagnostic groups and among hallucinatory subgroups turned up few significant differences. Findings do not support the Mintz and Alpert (Mintz, S., and Alpert, M. Imagery vividness, reality testing, and schizophrenic hallucinations. J. Abnorm. Psychol., 79: 310-316, 1972) enhanced vividness model of schizophrenic hallucination but do provide some support for an imagery deficit model.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Toward a psychophysiology of waking fantasy: EEG studies.

EEG investigations into the psychophysiology of waking fantasy have yielded interesting but inconclusive results. The most promising lines of research are reviewed with particular reference to the methodological complexities involved. Studies of alpha blocking, alpha states, theta states, and cerebral asymmetries are described. Comparisons are drawn between these lines of investigation and the methods of experimental dream research.

Alpha Rhythm↗
PubMed1979

Fantasy in psychiatric patients: exploring a myth.

Through six interrelated studies the author examines the common conception that daydreams and fantasy are important factors in the onset and maintenance of severe psychopathology, particularly hallucinatory psychosis. Results of the studies failed to support the idea that psychotic patients have particularly frequent or vivid daydream activity, and indicate instead that psychotic patients tend to inhibit aspects of normal fantasy. Hallucinatory schizophrenics, in particular, were blocked in their emotional-interpersonal imagery. In a study of depressed patients, a negative fantasy style was found to be associated with clinical depression. Sleep disorder was similarly associated with a negative fantasy style.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Daydreaming styles and nocturnal dreaming: further observations.

This investigation examines the relationship between patterns of daydream activity and nocturnal dreams. When persons of differing but relatively pure daydream styles are compared as to nocturnal dream characteristics, the stylistic consistencies observed in waking fantasy appear also in dream productions, particularly affective polarity and bizarreness. Dreams and daydream appear to be highly interrelated aspects of the fantasy process, sharing important affective and structural components.

Affect↗
PubMed1976

Daydream styles and sleep disturbance.

This study investigates the relationship between individuals' styles of day-dreaming and the occurrence of two types of sleep disturbance: insomnia and nightmares. Ninety-nine college undergraduates responded to a questionnaire consisting of subscales from the Singer-Antrobus Imaginal Processes Inventory and scales measuring extent of sleep disturbance; measures of response bias and samples of volitional waking fantasy were also obtained. Correlational and factor analytic treatment of the data indicated significant direct relationships between reports of sleep disturbance and the Guilty-Dysphoric and Anxious-Distractible daydream styles; sleep disturbance was unrelated to the Positive-Vivid daydream style. A response bias interpretation appeared insufficient to explain the findings. Aspects of the daydream styles also were found in the samples of volitional waking fantasy. Broader fantasy styles emerged which extend the daydream styles into the areas of volitional fantasy, sleep disturbance, dream recall, and mood.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Daydream patterns and self-awareness in psychiatric patients.

This study investigates the daydream activity of psychiatric patients as measured by the standard retrospective questionnaire vs. a more immediate measure. It also compares the responses of psychiatric patients vs. college students to a daydreaming inventory. Factor analytic and correlative results show considerable consistency between the retrospective and more immediate measures of daydreaming. Psychiatric patients were observed to have less positive and less vivid daydreams than college students, with greater emphasis on fears of failure.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Implications of the behavioral approach to hypnosis.

The findings of behaviorally oriented research regarding the importance of cognitive-motivational variables in hypnosis are examined and some clinical and theoretical implications are explored. Hypnosis seems usefully conceptualized as a complex configuration or gestalt of interacting variables on several different levels, for example, cognitive, motivational, social, physiologic.

Attitude↗