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Biomedical subjects

W M Nelson

Publications and source records attributed to W M Nelson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Relations among self-reported depressive symptoms in clinic-referred children versus adolescents.

Although there is consensus regarding the existence of childhood depression, disagreement remains as to whether symptoms are developmentally isomorphic. Previous studies focused on developmental differences in symptom levels; analyses of relations among symptoms may be more appropriate, however. Here both approaches were used to compare the Children's Depression Inventory responses from 1,030 clinic-referred children and adolescents. Four of nine symptom categories showed significant developmental differences in their correlations with total score. Externalizing behavior and guilt were more strongly related to depression in children than adolescents; affective symptoms and concerns about the future showed the reverse pattern. Results illustrate the importance of considering relations among symptoms as well as differences in symptom levels when evaluating theoretical claims about developmental differences in the nature of clinical syndromes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Detection of spores of Bacillus anthracis using the polymerase chain reaction.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify spores of Bacillus anthracis. By using an assay capable of amplifying a 1247-bp fragment from the gene that encodes the edema factor of B. anthracis, as few as 10(3) copies of a plasmid containing the edema factor gene and as few as 2 x 10(4) spores were detected. Subjecting the product of this PCR to a second PCR designed to amplify a 208-bp fragment nested within the 1247-bp product improved detection to a single plasmid copy per PCR and to two spores of B. anthracis per PCR.

Bacillus anthracis↗
PubMed1991

Bulimia and body image dissatisfaction in adolescence.

This study examined body image dissatisfaction in bulimic adolescent girls. Subjects were screened with the Bulimia Test and the Eating Disorder Inventory, followed by clinical interviews using Russell's diagnostic criteria. Bulimic subjects were matched with controls by age, weight, height and year in high school. Results indicated that bulimic subjects were significantly more dissatisfied with their bodies as measured by the Color-A-Person Test than matched controls.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Prevalency rate and personality comparisons of bulimic and normal adolescents.

This study was designed to examine (1) the prevalency rate of bulimia in high school students and (2) the personality characteristics of bulimic students when compared with a matched control group using the MMPI. The Bulimia Test and the Eating Disorder Inventory were used to screen for the disorder, followed by clinical interviews. A prevalency rate of 5.8% was established. A significant discriminate function was found using the Pa, Hy, Mf, and Sc scales to discriminate bulimics from controls.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Cognitive impulsivity training: the effects of peer teaching.

An investigation was conducted into the effects of peer teaching on two 10 1/2-year-old hospitalized impulsive children. One of these, the subject-teacher, was given cognitive behavioral self-instructional training for four weeks and subsequently prompted to train a peer in the problem-solving skills that he had just learned. Initial treatment effects on the subject-teacher, additive benefits obtained by his teaching a peer, and the treatment effects on the subject-pupil were examined using multiple dependent measures. The procedure was found advantageous to both subject-teacher and subject-pupil. Limitations of single-subject experiments and the need for using multiple measures in assessing treatment gains from self-instructional training to reduce impulsivity are discussed.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1989

Comparisons of conduct and affective disordered youth: a psychometric investigation of responses to the Children's Depression Inventory.

Scores on the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) for 103 affective and 125 conduct disordered psychiatric inpatients aged 6-17 were subjected to cluster analysis of variables using average linkage (with arccosine transformation) as a means of investigating differences in CDI response patterns between the two groups. Both vertical (hierarchical) and horizontal (nested) clusters were examined. The investigation indicated hierarchical clusters for the affective disordered group dealing with sadness and isolation, a negative self-image, and self-loathing. For the conduct disordered group, clusters centered hierarchically around a defeated attitude, being upset, not having fun anymore and not wanting to be with other people, and difficulty with academic performance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Cognitive strategies and expectations as components of social competence in young adolescents.

Social strategies and expectations as components of social competence were examined, with twenty-nine male adolescents participating in a conversation with an opposite-sex experimental confederate. Subjects were then shown a videotape recording of their interaction and asked to report their thoughts during the conversation. Afterwards, they were interviewed in order to ascertain their thoughts and strategies during the interaction. Global judgments of social competence were made from these videotapes, and adolescents receiving ten highest and lowest ratings were assigned to the high-competent and low-competent groups, respectively. Transcripts of the interviews of these twenty subjects were rated by three trained judges along several dimensions, including number of strategies mentioned, expectation about conversational pauses, and self, other, and mutual references to conversation. Results indicated that high-competent subjects reported more original (not prompted) positive strategies, and more cognitions in the last segment of the ten-minute interaction. Low-competent subjects made more negative statements when describing the dyad they had formed with the confederate, and were more unfavorable overall. The importance of examining additional populations to identify the specific cognitive components which consistently differentiate high- and low-component persons, and the subsequent role of new treatment modalities involving both behavioral training and cognitive restructuring are discussed in light of these findings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Projective-cognitive assessment of thoughts and feelings and their relationship to adaptive behavior in a dental situation.

The purpose of this study is to examine the interrelationships among coping statements, a self-report measure of anxiety and maladaptive overt behavior in a real-life stressful situation. Measures of these variables (interviews using TAT-like cards, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, Behavior Profile Rating Scale) were taken from 23 adolescents prior to and during their dental visit. Results indicated that as disruptive "in-chair" overt behavior increased, so did the percentage of coping statements. In addition, as self-report levels of anxiety increased, the percentage of coping statements significantly decreased. Interestingly, there was no significant relationship between self-report levels of anxiety and disruptive in-chair behavior. It was also noted that the subjects' self-report levels of anxiety significantly decreased following their opportunity to verbalize their coping/noncoping statements via the TAT-like procedure. The implications of these interrelationships to cognitive-behavioral theory are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1983

The effects of rational and irrational self-verbalizations on performance efficiency and levels of anxiety.

Investigated the effects of rational vs. irrational belief systems (as measured by the Ellis Irrational Values Scale) and rational vs. irrational self-verbalizations on levels of anxiety and persistence on a performance task. Ss (N = 40) were instructed to assemble a virtually insolvable task call Soma. The variables of interest were how long each S would persist on this task and how much anxiety (as measured by the A-State portion of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) was aroused in working on this task. Following a baseline trial trying to solve Soma, Ss were assigned to either a rational or irrational self-talk condition and were led to believe that such self-talk would help in a second attempt to solve Soma. In line with cognitive models of psychology, it was found that rational self-talk Ss showed a significant decrease in levels of state anxiety compared to irrational self-talk Ss in attempting to solve Soma in the second trial. Contrary to cognitive models of psychology, scores obtained from the EIVS and the A-Trait portion of the STAI were not found to be related to persistence.

Achievement↗
PubMed1979

The utility of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale profile analysis with prisoners.

Determined the efficacy of profile analysis with a prison population (63 white, 63 black) of the Petersburg Federal Correctional Institution as Ss. By use of Veldman's Hierarchical Profile Analysis, five distinctive WAIS profile types were derived empirically for each racial group. Analyses of covariance that controlled for full-scale IQ differences revealed significant differences among the profile types within each race in terms of Stanford Achievement Test scores and MMPI T-scores. Further, partial correlations indepepdent of full-scale IQ revealed significant relationships between some of the profile types and the commission of rule infractions while incarcerated. These findings are interpreted as supportive of profile analysis with inmate populations. However, it is suggested that further research be effected to cross-validate these findings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Modification of smoking behaviors in a correctional institution.

Effected two studies in a prison setting to determine the effectiveness of self-control procedures with institutionalized cigarette smokers. In Study I, 14 male inmates were given instruction in self-control techniques. The 6 inmates who completed treatment manifested significant reductions in their cigarette smoking. Intercorrelations between goal setting and smoking rates suggested the efficacy of a changing criterion schedule. A second study replicated Study I and suggested an appreciable (p less than .06) locus of control X type of goal setting (therapist vs. client) interaction. Study II also showed: (1) some components of treatment were perceived as significantly more helpful than others; (2) self-control treatment seemed effective with a pipe smoker; and (3) in comparison to Study I a relatively low drop-out rate occurred in this study, which used a contracting procedure to discourage drop-outs. Results are discussed in terms of treatment implications for inmate smokers, and suggestions for further research were provided.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

The utility of two Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale short forms with prisoners.

Previous research has suggested that the Pauker (1963) and Satz and Mogul (1962) short forms of the WAIS have been efficacious in estimating the standard form. While there is a growing need in correctional settings for quicker evaluation procedures, the lack of WAIS short form research with prisoners prohibits their use with such populations. Hence, this study employed 126 young adult male inmates to test the comparability of the above cited short forms and the standard WAIS across a variety of evaluative criteria. The results generally suggested the superiority of the Pauker (1963) form in estimating the standard WAIS. However, because the current study employed only black and white young male offenders it is suggested that the current findings not be generalized to other age groups, races, or women inmates until these findings are cross-validated on such samples.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Reflection-impulsivity and behavioral problems in emotionally disturbed boys.

In order to investigate the difference in the behavioral problems presented by cognitively impulsive and reflective emotionally disturbed boys, the parents of 17 impulsive and 13 reflective boys in residential treatment were asked to rate their sons' behavior. Results indicated that in contrast to reflective emotionally disturbed boys, impulsives were more likely to talk of others blaming them unfairly, threaten to harm themselves, hit and bully other children, and be excessively rough in play. On the other hand, reflectives were more unwilling to talk with adults outside the family. Results were discussed in terms of supporting both previous research and Kagan and Kogan's (6) "fear of failure" hypothesis.

Achievement↗