The relation of covert cognitive interference in the color-phonetic symbol test to personality characteristics and adjustment.
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Clinical psychologists are frequently called on to testify in court regarding mental health issues in civil or criminal cases. One of the legal criteria by which admissibility of testimony is determined includes whether the testimony is based on methods that have gained "general acceptance" in their field. In this study, we sought to evaluate the psychological tests used in forensic assessments by members of the American Psychology-Law Society Division of the American Psychological Association, and by diplomates in the American Board of Forensic Psychology. We present test results from this survey, based on 152 respondents, for forensic evaluations conducted with adults using multiscale inventories, single-scale tests, unstructured personality tests, cognitive and/or intellectual tests, neuropsychological tests, risk assessment and psychopathy instruments, sex offender risk assessment instruments, competency or sanity-related instruments, and instruments used to evaluate malingering. In addition, we provide findings for psychological testing involving child-related forensic issues.
Two patients were evaluated three and six years, respectively, following episodes of heatstroke. Both patients demonstrated neuropsychological deficits in novel learning, intellectual functioning, and sustained attention. Left-sided sensory and motor functioning were also deficient. Severe retrograde amnesia for all factual information prior to the heatstroke was observed in one of the patients. Personality testing revealed aspects of dissociative disorders for both individuals. The results are discussed in relation to current cognitive theories of memory. In addition, neurological and psychological etiologies of dissociative disorders are hypothesized.
BACKGROUND: Information processing and stress tolerance are necessary features for instrument flying (IFR), especially among student pilots. Psychological workload of IFR flight may lead to stress reactions such as neuroendocrine activity. METHODS: Neuroendocrine responses to an IFR flight with Vinka piston-engined primary trainer were studied in 35 male volunteers who participated in the basic military flying course of the Finnish Air Force (FAF). The student pilots performed a 40-min IFR flight mission and a control session on land in randomized order between 11.00 h and 15.00 h. The IFR flight included 3 NDB approaches and was evaluated by flight instructors. Blood samples were collected 15 min before, 5 min and 60 min after the flight as well as control session, and. Plasma ACTH, beta3-endorphin (BE), cortisol, prolactin, adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA) were measured. Psychological evaluations included psychomotor test (Wiener), Multi Coordination and Attention Test, ability tests and personality tests (CMPS and 16 PF). The overall psychological evaluation was made by an aviation psychologist. RESULTS: Plasma ACTH was significantly higher before and 5 min after the flight compared with control levels, but plasma BE increased significantly only before the flight. Plasma cortisol was significantly elevated before and 5 min after the flight. Plasma prolactin, NA and A increases were significant 5 min after the flight. High A levels after the flight correlated significantly with poor IFR flight performance as well as with poor psychomotor test results. CONCLUSIONS: The plasma prolactin and NA increases after the flight represented a direct type of stress reaction to the flight situation. The plasma BE response to IFR flight was an anticipatory stress reaction, but plasma ACTH, cortisol and A responses included both anticipatory and direct types of stress reactions. Psychological factors, flight performance and neuroendocrine responses to IFR flight appear to be associated with each other. Therefore, neuroendocrine reactions as a response to the psychological workload of military flying could be used for identifying stress tolerance in military pilots.
In a 14-day test with 50 probands, the effects of a heat-curing resin and a self-curing resin on the palatal mucosa of the test persons were tested by means of exfoliative cytology. It was shown that the keratinization index increased considerably during wearing the plates. It was not possible to demonstrate differences in the effect of heat-curing resins and that of self-curing resins. The different isolation with alginate film or tinfoil did not, in general, have any influence on the cytogram either. Roughness of the surface resulted in a slight increase of the intermediary cells.
PURPOSE: To study the expression of Maspin(marray serine proteinase inhibitor) and VEGF(vascular endothelial growth factor) gene in oral squamous cell cancers(OSCC) and the relationship between Maspin and VEGF. METHODS: mRNA expression of Maspin and VEGF gene was investigated by RT-PCR in every samples of 18 OSCC cases. F test and Person test were used for data analysis. RESULTS: mRNA expression of Maspin gene increased gradually in OSCC, paratumor and normal epithelium(P<0.01); mRNA expression of VEGF gene decreased gradually in OSCC,paratumor and normal epithelium(P<0.01); The expression of Maspin and VEGF gene was negatively correlated in OSCC(P<0.01) ; The expression of Maspin gene was negatively associated but VEGF gene was positively associated with lymph node metastasis in OSCC(P<0.05); The expression of Maspin and VEGF gene had no relation with the histological grade or tumor size in OSCC. CONCLUSION: Maspin and VEGF gene may play an important role in the development of OSCC and Maspin gene may down-regulate the expression of VEGF gene.
As part of a research project, examination was made of a sample of 50 pairs of twins (21 pairs of identical twins, 16 pairs of non-identical twins of the same sex, and 13 pairs of male-female twins [n = 100 test persons]) between 1963 and 1969 and again recently after a period of 20 years. The index twins were drawn from among the patients who made use of the services of an out-patient psychotherapeutic clinic, and they were determined to be either psychoneurotic, character neurotic, or psychosomatically ill. The question examined was again one of nature vs. nurture. Identical twins showed a significantly higher similarity with regard to the seriousness of their neuroses and the manifestation of neurotic symptoms than did non-identical twins. Noticeable similarities existed in cases of depressive disturbances, disturbances of oral and aggressive behavior, and disturbances of interpersonal contact. With regard to the influence of variables in the environment, we examined the effect of factors in early childhood on neurotic development. Lack of a reference person, a negative attitude on the part of parents toward the child, etc., frustration within and outside the family have an effect on the manifestation of neuroses and on the course of their development. The influence of early childhood factors on the degree of neurotic disorder is still to be noted in the current point prevalence.
The Situational Confidence Questionnaire (SCQ) developed by Annis (1986 A relapse prevention model for treatment of alcoholics. In Treating Addictive Behaviors. Processes of Change, Miller W. R. and Heather, N. eds, pp. 407-435. Plenum Press, New York) is an important assessment instrument for use in the treatment of alcoholism and particularly in relapse prevention. The SCQ was translated into Swedish and tested on 91 alcohol-dependent patients. A principal component analysis of the item responses resulted in a shortened 35-item version of the SCQ with satisfactory test-retest reliability, internal consistency and scale specificity. Instead of eight relapse situation categories the analysis resulted in four categories with lower intercorrelations than in the original SCQ. The components were: (1) unpleasant emotions; (2) social pressure; (3) testing personal control; and (4) positive emotional states. In a one-way ANOVA only the Social Pressure scale had a significant relationship with severity of alcohol problems.
In altogether 32 test persons with normal weight and obese test persons glucose-insulin-tolerance-tests were carried out. In obese persons with normal carbohydrate tolerance -- characterized by 50 g oral glucose tolerance test -- by the decreased glucose assimilation coefficients and the significantly increased level of glycaemia after intravenous application of glucose a disturbance of the glucose-insulin-homoeostasis is already implied. Basal and glucose-stimulated concentrations of IRI in the peripheral venous blood were significantly increased in obese persons. The parameters of lipolysis glycerol and free fatty acids show after a glucose-stimulated insulin excretion and after exogenic insulin application a somewhat retarded decrease in obese persons compared with the control group. In connection with the significantly increased insulin levels in obese persons these findings might refer to a decreased antilipolytic effect of insulin. The two fundamental physiological effects of insulin in the carbohydrate and fat metabolism -- glucose utilization and inhibition of lipolysis -- seem to be distrubed in the same way in obesity.
OBJECTIVE: Comparative clinical evaluation of instruments designed for the self-measurement of blood pressure. METHOD: The usefulness of 27 different, exclusively oscillometric, automated devices were tested on a single group of 24 test persons without pressure-reducing arterial stenoses in the upper extremity. The cuff was to be put on the upper arm with 20 devices, on the wrist with five devices and on the left index finger with two devices. Per device and test person, six sequential comparative measurements were carried out using automated self-measurement and standard method with a double stethoscope in the same arm. RESULTS: On average, the devices measured the systolic pressure between 13.2 mmHg lower and 3.5 mmHg higher than the standard procedure; the diastolic pressure was measured between 17.4 and 0.2 mmHg lower. Using a scoring system, in which a device only got points for a comparative measurement if the differences to the control in systolic and diastolic measurement both were < or = 10 mmHg, the devices gained between 67 and 259 out of a maximum of 576 points. If each of the test persons had opted to buy just those devices which revealed a mean systolic and diastolic error of < or = 5 mmHg in his or her case, younger test persons would have found zero to five suitable devices older persons three to 13. The site of cuff application had no significant influence on results. CONCLUSIONS: Standard measurements and measurements with automated blood pressure self-measurement devices can differ considerably. In young test persons less suitable instruments are found than for older persons.
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Cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic theorists have suggested recently that depressions may be differentiated on the basis of two sets of personality characteristics that each create emotional vulnerability to a different specific class of events. The present paper reports the development of two mood induction procedures that may be useful in testing this specific interactional approach. In these inductions, subjects listen to an audiotape that depicts either a series of social rejections or achievement failures and are instructed to imagine themselves as the main character. Both tapes were found to produce a strong increase in reported depressed affect in a sample of normal undergraduates (N = 119). These effects were large in comparison to those elicited by other mood induction procedures. Women reported greater mood shifts than men in response to both tapes. The present procedures have the advantage of content specificity that permits tests of personality-event interaction hypotheses.
Liver function tests were carried out in 206 adults and children taking anticonvulsants to ascertain the prevalence of biochemical abnormalities in asymptomatic patients. It was observed that serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase was elevated in 74.6% of patients, alkaline phosphatase in 29.7% and alanine aminotransferase in 25.2% of cases. These figures are similar to those previously reported in the literature and probably reflect hepatic enzyme induction by the anticonvulsants. It is suggested that there is no value in the routine performance of liver function tests in patients with epilepsy. However, such patients should be informed of the symptoms of hepatic dysfunction and asked to report for liver function tests should they have such symptoms.
The role of motility tests in the evaluation of some common disorders in which motility has been assumed to play a role is reviewed. Three separate areas, non-cardiac chest pain, constipation and the irritable bowel syndrome are discussed. In each area, considerable difficulty in the clinical definition of these disorders persists and presents a major obstacle to the evaluation of diagnostic tests. With regard to non-cardiac chest pain, it is apparent that gastro-oesophageal reflux and sensory/perception abnormalities, rather than dysmotility, are the predominant factors, and investigations should take account of this. While studies of colonic and small intestinal motility have demonstrated various abnormal patterns in patients described as suffering from the irritable bowel syndrome, the specificity of any of these motor 'abnormalities' remains uncertain, and manometry cannot be recommended as a diagnostic tool in this context. Considerable advances have been made in our understanding of gut motor physiology and in our ability to accurately record motor function in man, the basic pathophysiology of many 'functional' gut syndromes remains unclear, and the role of dysmotility, in particular, poorly defined.
Using confirmatory factor analytic techniques on data generated from 200 students enrolled at the University of Bahrain, we obtained some construct validity and reliability data for the Arabic Version of the 1961 Group Personality Projective Test by Cassel and Khan. In contrast to the 5-factor model proposed for the Group Personality Projective Test, a 6-factor solution appeared justified for the Arabic Version of this test, suggesting some variance between the cultural groups in the United States and in Bahrain.
INTRODUCTION: Direct-to-consumer personal genomic testing has the potential to influence health behaviors, including smoking. Critics of this testing highlight limited evidence to support positive behavioral benefits and caution that genomic results may provide false reassurance, leading to unhealthy behaviors. This study investigates interest in genetic risks of smoking-related diseases and changes in smoking behaviors among genomic testing consumers. METHODS: From 2012 to 2013, a longitudinal series of web surveys was conducted. A total of 1464 customers of 23andMe and Pathway Genomics completed a survey prior to viewing genomic test results, of which 1002 participants provided data on smoking behaviors 6 months after receiving results. RESULTS: At baseline, 64% of participants were never smokers, 29% were former smokers, and 7% were current smokers. Most baseline current smokers were very interested in genetic risk results for lung cancer (65%) and heart disease (72%). For lung cancer, this interest was significantly greater than former (50% very interested) and never smokers (37% very interested) (p < .0001). Even though participants were interested in smoking-related disease genetic risks, 96% reported the same smoking status at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Importantly, only 1% (n = 13/916) of former and never smokers became current smokers at 6 months and 22% (n = 14/64) of current smokers reported quitting. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, smokers show a high level of interest in genetic risks of smoking-related illnesses. The experience of receiving direct-to-consumer genomic health risks does not appear to have obvious harms related to smoking behaviors, with some potential benefits. IMPLICATIONS: In the setting of ongoing controversy surrounding direct-to-consumer genomic testing, this study provides evidence that consumers are interested in genetic risk results of smoking-related diseases. Receiving genomic testing results does not lead to smoking initiation among never smokers or reinitiation among former smokers and may be associated with a higher quit rate among current smokers at 6-month follow-up than the general population. These findings ease concerns that direct-to-consumer genomic testing could lead to false reassurance and unhealthy behaviors related to smoking.
Crisco [1990: Clin Res 38:536A] reported stability of IQs in a group of 14 children with Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) over a 5-year period and concluded that they display a development rate similar to normal children. The aim of our study was to examine the stability of the development of nonverbal reasoning abilities over a period of 2 years using two methods. We studied 18 children with WBS (9 girls, 9 boys) with a mean age of 6.6 years (range: 4.4-10.6 yr) at year one (T1), and approximately two years later (T2) at the average age of 8.6 years (range: 5.11-12.7 yr). The Columbia Mental Maturity Scale (CMM) and the Draw A Person Test were administered. The results show that the IQs resulting from the Draw A Person Test were stable over the 2-year period (T1: mean IQ = 63.5, T2: mean IQ = 65, t = 0.63), and display a significant correlation between the two methods (r = 0.547, P = 0.01). Furthermore, the correlation between the two tests (CMM and Draw A Person Test) at the second assessment is high and significant (r = 0.56, P = 0.01). The mean IQs at T2 can be classified as mild mental retardation. A notable result is the significant decrease of the IQs according to the CMM (T1: mean IQ = 77, T2: mean IQ = 68, t = 2.69, P = 0.01). These results suggest that the developmental outcome of children with WBS varies in specific areas of cognitive function over a 2-year period.
The purpose of this study was to describe the utility of the Purpose-in-Life Test among persons with AIDS using both Part A (quantitative) and Part B (qualitative). A cross-sectional descriptive design was used with a sample of 74 persons with AIDS from community settings. The Purpose-in-Life Test and a sociodemographic questionnaire were administered. Analytic methods included descriptive and inferential statistics and content analysis. Part A scores indicated that only one third of the participants reported a definite purpose in life; however, results from Part B demonstrated that the majority of participants viewed their life as meaningful and dynamic. Demographic characteristics such as race, income, and education were significantly related to purpose in life. Assessing purpose in life using both Part A and Part B of the Purpose-in-Life Test may assist nurses with a more in-depth understanding of purpose in life and assist persons with AIDS with identifying opportunities for personal growth.