bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence of reduced ‘cognitive inhibition’ in schizophrenia
Authors: Beech Anthony , Powell Trevor , McWilliam Jonathan , Claridge Gordon
Published: July 2011

An experiment is described which investigated cognitive inhibition in schizophrenia. It is noted that both the abnormal and cognitive literatures use the concept of inhibition. Frith (1979) suggests that the more cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia may be due to the failure to limit the current contents of consciousness due to a failure adequately to inhibit the output of preconscious processes.

Current thinking in cognitive psychology suggests that in the process of selective attention there is active inhibition of distractor information. A technique used to investigate this is termed negative priming (Tipper, 1985). The general nature of this paradigm is as follows: if a distractor, which has been previously ignored, is subsequently re‐presented, there is an increased reaction time associated with the response, due to inhibition of the information when it was originally a distractor.

It was found that inhibition of such distracting information was reduced in schizophrenics. This finding is seen as providing some support for Frith's (1979) theory that the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia are due to awareness of processes that normally occur preconsciously.
The significance of the patient—therapist relationship in the treatment of obsessive‐compulsive neurosis
Authors: Hoogduin C. A. L. , de Haan E. , Schaap C.
Published: July 2011

Results are presented of two studies into the predictive value of the therapeutic relationship in the treatment of 60 and 25 obsessive‐compulsive patients. A relationship was found between the therapist's score on the Barret—Lennard Relationship Inventory, assessed after the second and 10th sessions. As far as the patients' scores were concerned, however, a significant correlation with outcome was found only after the 10th session.
A comment on the role of dietary restraint in the development of bulimia nervosa
Authors: Charnock Deborah J. K.
Published: July 2011

The evidence is examined that dietary restraint is causally implicated in the development of bulimic episodes as experienced by some clinical populations, notably patients with bulimia nervosa. An analysis of some of the methodological and conceptual difficulties in this area of research reveals that both the concept of dietary restraint and the phenomenon of overeating in the laboratory are less straightforward than has been assumed, and that conclusions about the causal role of dietary restraint in the development of disordered eating are premature. Future research should be based on sophisticated measures of both restraint and overeating.
Why forget the false positives?
Authors: Tyler Peter , Eastmond Kristina , Davies John
Published: July 2011

Attention is drawn to the omission of false positive response tendencies from the data captured by prestigious clinical memory assessment devices. Data from a small pilot study, using alcohol abusers, suggest that this is potentially costly in terms of understanding and measuring dysfunction. There is also an indication that, by measuring with greater sensitivity to response patterns, it may be possible to identify memory dysfunction in alcohol abusers earlier in their abuse careers.
The effect of induced mood on fear reduction
Authors: Samsom Deborah , Rachman S.
Published: July 2011

The effect of mood on fear reduction was investigated in a laboratory study of fearful people. A musical mood‐induction technique was utilized to induce either a happy mood or a sad mood in 84 female university students fearful of spiders or snakes. Following the mood induction, subjects' fears were reduced by participant modelling. Measures of subjective fear and self‐efficacy were taken before and after mood induction, after modelling, and four weeks later. Compared to the induced sad‐mood condition, induced happiness was followed by a decrease in subjective fear and greater self‐efficacy. No difference was found in the length of time taken to reduce fear for happy and sad subjects. Fear reduction during a sad mood was associated with greater return of fear than fear reduction during a happy mood.
Prediction of WAIS IQ with the National Adult Reading Test: Cross‐validation and extension
Authors: Crawford J. R. , Parker D. M. , Stewart L. E. , Besson J. A. O. , De Lacey G.
Published: July 2011

Nelson (1982) presented regression equations for the prediction of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) IQ from performance on the National Adult Reading Test (NART). In a cross‐validation sample (n = 151) these equations predicted 66, 72 and 33 per cent of the variance in WAIS Full Scale, Verbal and Performance IQ respectively. There were no ceiling or floor effects in the relationship between NART performance and WAIS IQ despite the wide IQ range of the sample. The standardization and cross‐validation samples were combined (n = 271) to generate new regression equations. These equations should be used in preference to the original equations as they are based on a larger sample with a wider IQ and age range. Combining NART and Schonell Graded Word Reading Test errors did not improve IQ prediction in poor readers. A detailed examination of the NART's test—retest and inter‐rater reliability was also conducted.
Estimating premorbid IQ from demographic variables: Regression equations derived from a UK sample
Authors: Crawford J. R. , Stewart L. E. , Cochrane R. H. B. , Foulds J. A. , Besson J. A. O. , Parker D. M.
Published: July 2011

The purpose of the study reported here was to build regression equations for the estimation of premorbid IQ from demographic variables in a UK population. Subjects (n = 151) free of neurological, psychiatric or sensory disability, were administered the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and had their demographic details recorded (age, sex, occupation and education). WAIS Full Scale (FSIQ), Verbal (VIQ), and Performance IQ (PIQ) were regressed on the demographic variables. The regression equations generated by this procedure predicted 50, 50, and 30 per cent of the variance in FSIQ, VIQ, and PIQ respectively. These equations should provide a convenient and useful supplement to psychometric estimates of premorbid IQ. Unlike psychometric estimates, demographic estimates are entirely independent of a patient's current cognitive status.
Anxiety, Type A personality and endocrine responses to surgery
Authors: Salmon P. , Pearce S. , Smith C. C. T. , Manyande A. , Heys A. , Peters N. , Rashid J.
Published: July 2011

Twenty‐seven patients underwent major abdominal surgery. Trait Anxiety and Type A personality were measured pre‐operatively, and plasma cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline were measured pre‐, per‐ and post‐operatively. Anxiety correlated positively with noradrenaline but negatively with cortisol and adrenaline. Type A also showed opposite correlations with adrenaline and noradrenaline.
The effects of imminent minor surgery on the cognitive processing of health and interpersonal threat words
Authors: Cook Jennifer A. M. , Jones Nicholas , Johnston Derek W.
Published: July 2011

Women in hospital for a laparoscopy and control subjects were examined on a version of the Stroop test in which the distracting effect of word content on speed of colour naming was examined. Both laparoscopy patients and controls were slowed by words related to interpersonal threat but only the laporoscopy patients were slowed by words that related to health threats. This suggests that a specific temporary threat can alter attentional biases.
Stress management approaches to the prevention of coronary heart disease
Authors: Bennett Paul , Carroll Douglas
Published: July 2011

This paper reviews evidence for the effectiveness of stress management techniques in reducing three risk factors for coronary heart disease: Type A behaviour, raised serum cholesterol, and hypertension. Preliminary evidence suggests that such interventions not only reduce individual risk factors, they can also reduce mortality and morbidity to CHD. Consideration now has to be given to the most effective system of delivery of such interventions.
Relationships between happiness, behavioural status and dependency on others in elderly patients
Authors: Eddington Catherine , Piper Judy , Tanna Bhavna , Hodkinson H. M. , Salmon Peter
Published: July 2011

Feelings of dependency on others were measured, by different scales, in two different samples of elderly people: 33 acute in‐patients and 25 attenders at a geriatric day hospital. Findings were similar in each location. Dependent attitudes increased with the duration of patients' previous in‐patient experience, and correlated negatively with subjective well‐being but not at all with behavioural status. These results are consistent with theories which attribute low morale to feelings of dependence and this, in turn, to the experience of residential care. They are inconsistent with the view that dependence on others is a positive feature of old age. In addition, patients' subjective well‐being was completely unrelated to nurse ratings of their behavioural status, and subjective ratings by nurses correlated somewhat with patients' behavioural status but not at all with their subjective well‐being.
Situation—response (S—R) questions for identifying the function of problem behaviour: The example of thumb sucking
Authors: Lauterbach Wolf
Published: July 2011

The purpose of this study was to construct and validate the prototype of a structured interview or questionnaire for use in the functional assessment of problem behaviour. A set of situation—response (S—R) questions was used to test hypotheses concerning discriminative stimuli SD, inhibitive stimuli (SI) and the function of a problem behaviour (R). The situations in S—R questions include stimuli which are expected (a) to set the occasion for, or (b) to inhibit the problem behaviour. The response part includes the problem behaviour as well as behaviour patterns with known functions. The problem behaviour is correlated with those behaviour patterns whose functions it shares. For the study of 26 children suffering from orthodontal problems due to excessive thumb sucking, a structured interview was developed and validated for identifying (a) stimuli (SD) that trigger excessive thumb sucking (problem behaviour), (b) stimuli (SI) that inhibit this response, and (c) the function of thumb sucking.
Evaluation of a self‐help manual for young offenders who drink: A pilot study
Authors: McMurran Mary , Boyle Mary
Published: July 2011

Adolescent offenders have been identified as heavy drinkers, in some cases drinking being causally related to offending. Forty‐five male young offenders who drink were selected from the population of a Young Offenders Centre. They were matched for age and self‐reported alcohol consumption, then allocated to one of three conditions: no intervention; minimal intervention (given a behavioural self‐help manual to read alone); and group intervention (manual read aloud in groups). At 15‐month follow‐up, there were no significant differences in reconviction rates in the three conditions. Information useful in the design of future studies was gained, and recommendations are made.
Towards a psychology of caring*
Authors: Hall John N.
Published: July 2011

An increasing awareness of the chronicity of many conditions, and reservations about the appropriateness of ‘treatment’ models of intervention, together encourage a positive and careful psychological examination of caring. A psychology of caring must be relevant to care by families in domestic settings as well as to more specialized and professionally staffed settings. The relationship between explicit and implicit philosophies of caring, the goals and objectives of caring, the care practices themselves, and the emotions and feeling associated with care, need to be carefully examined. As applied psychologists, there are many detailed aspects of care we could examine, including the nature of need, vigilance, risk taking, the elicitation of care, identifying the motivation of potential carers, and care evaluation. Much of the literature on caring is derived from organizational and sociological perspectives: there is room for, and a need for, a specifically psychological perspective as well.
Towards a state measure of Type A behaviour
Authors: Bennett Paul , Gallacher John , Johnston Derek
Published: July 2011

To investigate the feasibility of developing a measure of state Type A behaviour, a random sample of 95 men aged 40–64 years attended a clinic at which Type A behaviour was assessed using the Structured Interview (Rosenman, 1978). Upon completion of the Structured Interview, subjects were administered a 65‐item adjective checklist to describe their experience of the interview. Discriminant function analysis of adjective ratings on Structured Interview classification identified 15 adjectives which allowed 83 per cent correct classification. The limitation of these data includes the small sample size and the uniqueness of the Structured Interview situation. Nevertheless, these data provide encouragement that a robust and versatile measure of state Type A could be developed. Comparisons between various measures of trait Type A behaviour are also reported.
Using the partner in the psychosocial treatment of schizophrenia: A multiple single case design
Authors: Bennun Ian , Lucas Rachel
Published: July 2011

This report describes the treatment of six couples where one partner had a long psychiatric history and a long‐standing diagnosis of schizophrenia. Using a multiple single case design, the effects of providing the couples with information about schizophrenia and systematic family management (comprising problem solving and communication training) were assessed. The results showed that providing information alone had no effect on presenting symptoms but did improve the partners' perception of their ability to cope and solve problems. While a causal effect of treatment on improvement was not conclusively proven, the cycle of readmission and relapse was altered.
Estimation of verbal intelligence in an elderly community: An epidemiological study using NART
Authors: Brayne Carol , Beardsall Lynn
Published: July 2011

The National Adult Reading Test (NART) has become widely used by psychologists in clinical practice as part of the assessment of cognitive decline in organic mental disorders. Some normative data have been presented on community samples from a wide range of ages, but little is known of the instrument's performance in true community samples of the elderly. This study presents data on NART from an epidemiological study of dementia and cognitive impairment in elderly women. The contribution of educational level and social class to performance on the scale was examined. NART was found to be strongly related to current level of cognitive function as measured by the Mini Mental State Examination and CAMCOG ‐ the neuropsychological battery of the Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders in the Elderly. For most subjects in the community the NART was found acceptable as a measure of premorbid intelligence.
Processing of emotional information in anxious subjects
Authors: Mogg Karin , Marden Bernard
Published: July 2011

The study used a modified Stroop colour‐naming task to investigate whether nonclinical anxiety is associated with a processing bias favouring emotional stimuli, and whether similar biases operate for personally relevant information that is unrelated to threat. The results appeared to indicate only that anxious subjects selectively process emotional information in general, rather than threat stimuli in particular.
Benzodiazepine withdrawal: A pilot comparison of three methods
Authors: Fraser Douglas , Peterkin Gordon S. D. , Gamsu Charlotte V. , Baldwin Pamela J.
Published: July 2011

This article describes a benzodiazepine reduction and withdrawal programme and examines the contribution of psychological treatment methods to the programme.
Emotional Stroop performance and the manic defence
Authors: Bentall Richard P. , Thompson Michelle
Published: July 2011

Undergraduate subjects were selected on the basis of high, low and medium scores on Eckblad & Chapman's Hypomanic Personality Scale and were given an emotional Stroop test. Hypomanic traits were associated with interference of colour naming for depressive but not euphoria‐related words.
Encoding preferences in memory in dementia
Authors: Taylor Robert , Gilleard Chris J.
Published: July 2011

Encoding preferences in memory were examined in 22 subjects with presumed dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), 22 subjects with presumed multi‐infarct dementia (MID), and 19 elderly depressed subjects by means of multiple‐choice recognition testing of memory for word lists where target words appeared in choice arrays amongst semantic, acoustic and unrelated distractor words. Performance was worse in dementia than in depression. Subjects with dementia tended to make many unrelated error choices, and in DAT this tendency was stronger in more impaired subjects; but there were no significant differences between groups in the proportions of different types of errors made.
Coping and help‐seeking in the UK adult population
Authors: Barker Chris , Pistrang Nancy , Shapiro David A. , Shaw Irene
Published: July 2011

A large national sample of the UK adult population was surveyed to find out how respondents would cope and whom they would turn to for help if they experienced psychological problems. Overall, the most frequently endorsed coping methods were cognitive or behavioural rather than avoidance‐ or substance‐based. Respondents tended to endorse informal rather than formal helpers, especially partners and close relatives, although the family doctor was given greater endorsement than in corresponding US studies. Individual differences in coping and help seeking were examined with respect to demographic variables and level of reported psychological symptoms. Respondents who reported higher levels of symptoms tended to endorse more coping methods, especially avoidance methods, and to show greater readiness to seek help. The implications of the findings for traditional clinical work and for mental health education and promotion are discussed.
Assessing everyday memory in patients with dysphasia*
Authors: Cockburn Janet , Wilson Barbara , Baddeley Alan , Hiorns Robert
Published: July 2011

An assessment of the current memory status of patients referred for speech therapy is rarely provided, but may be useful in indicating whether there is memory loss in addition to language deficits. Failure to progress during treatment could be due to failure to remember the content of the previous sessions.

Most existing memory tests are unsuitable for assessing subjects with dysphasia. For that reason we sought to modify the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT: Wilson, Cockburn & Baddeley, 1985), which was developed to measure the existence and extent of everyday memory problems and which contains both verbally and non‐verbally mediated items.

The study described here, based on a sample of 176 brain‐injured patients, showed that a mild to moderate language deficit did impair performance on the RBMT. The influence was found to be limited to a subset of verbal memory items. A shortened version of the test was developed and shown to be sensitive to memory deficits and insensitive to the effects of dysphasia.

Revised norms for this version of the test are provided. These should enable an estimate to be made of the presence and magnitude of memory deficits in dysphasic patients, allowing treatment to be optimized.
What do chronic pain patients think of their pain? Towards a pain cognition questionnaire
Authors: Vlaeyen Johan W. S. , Geurts Sylvia M. , Kole‐Snijders Ank M. J. , Schuerman Joop A. , Groenman Nico H. , van Eek Hugo
Published: July 2011

The three‐systems model of chronic pain emphasizes the partially independent relationship among physiological, gross motor and verbal—cognitive responses of chronic pain patients. This study describes the development of an assessment instrument representing a measure for the verbal—cognitive response system of chronic pain. Fifty items, each of which is assigned to one of five factors (pain impact, catastrophizing, outcome efficacy, acquiescence and reliance on health care) constitute the new Pain Cognition List (PCL). The PCL was developed using a Dutch back pain population and proves to be stable across sex and back pain diagnosis. By means of three experiments the PCL is shown to be reliable and sufficiently valid. The PCL might be a promising tool for identifying pain patients whose pain problem is mainly controlled by cognitive factors.
Do self‐report measures of affect agree? A longitudinal study
Authors: Morrison D. P. , Peck D. F.
Published: July 2011

As part of a study of the association between changes in mood and migraine attacks, daily self‐report data on anxiety and depression were collected from 37 female patients attending a migraine clinic. A combination of the Irritability Depression Anxiety (IDA) Scale and two visual analogue scales (VAS) was used. The IDA and VAS measures of anxiety and depression were significantly associated in only 55 and 61 per cent of patients respectively.
Cognitive responses and the control of post‐operative pain
Authors: Pick Bernice , Pearce Shirley , Legg Charles
Published: July 2011

This paper examines the relationship between spontaneous cognitive responses and reported pain experience in an acute pain population. Fifty‐two patients, admitted for planned major surgery, had their pain intensity, distress and coping responses assessed 48 hours post‐operatively. Significant correlations were obtained between negative responses and ratings of pain intensity and distress. No significant correlation was obtained between the analgesic dose and any other variable. The implications of the findings for the management of post‐operative pain are discussed.
Screening impotence by home nocturnal tumescence self‐monitoring
Authors: Reid D. , Glass C. A. , Evans C. M. , Turner S.
Published: July 2011

Twenty subjects complaining of impotence were assessed using nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT), neurological, vascular and hormonal analysis. Subjects undertook NPT in both home and hospital environments: 10 hospital first and 10 home first. There were high levels of agreement between diagnosis using NPT in the two conditions and diagnosis from the physiological tests. There was a high correlation of frequency of erections between the home and hospital conditions, together with a high consecutive night reliability when using the monitor in the home condition (r = .94, p = .001).
Overgeneralization: An important but non‐homogeneous construct
Authors: MacLeod Andrew K. , Williams J. Mark G.
Published: July 2011

Two self‐report scales ‐ the Cognitions Questionnaire (Fennell & Campbell, 1984) and the Attitudes to Self Scale (Carver & Ganellen, 1983) ‐ which attempt to measure overgeneralization in depression are described. In line with previous research, both measures correlated with levels of depression, but the lack of a direct relationship between them implies that the construct of overgeneralization may not be a homogeneous one. Suggestions are made for future research which include elaboration of the construct and the development of new methods for measuring it.
Treatment of sexual abuse which occurred in childhood: A review
Authors: Cahill C. , Llewelyn S. P. , Pearson C.
Published: July 2011

This review is concerned with the individual and group treatment of clients who present with a history of sexual abuse in childhood. Almost all of the literature regarding the individual treatment of these clients is based on clinical reports; very little is experimentally based. Most of the reports of group treatment are of a similar nature, although some outcome research data are included. The clinical consensus, in terms of the issues, stages, goals and techniques of therapy, is described. In addition, an overview is provided of the identification of clients who may have a history of CSA, which includes guidelines for assisting disclosure. Finally, the issues raised for therapists in treating these clients are addressed. Much of the material reviewed in this article refers to the treatment of female, and in particular incestuously abused, victims; at the time of writing, very little information was available regarding the treatment of male victims.
Use of the Indented Paragraph test with right hemisphere‐damaged stroke patients
Authors: Towle Deborah , Lincoln Nadina B.
Published: July 2011

The Indented Paragraph reading test has been presented as a useful screening test for identifying hemispatial neglect, as it has been reported to be more sensitive to mild neglect than text with a predictable format (Caplan, 1987). The number of errors made by 42 right hemisphere‐damaged stroke subjects on this test was compared with their performance on text with straight margins and unpredictable text, where both right and left margins were irregularly indented. The inter‐rater reliability of the paragraphs was checked for 23 subjects. The scores from the three paragraphs were significantly correlated, and all were able to detect mild neglect. Inter‐rater reliability was higher when identifying moderate and severe levels of neglect than mild neglect. Performance on the Indented Paragraph was also compared with that on the Star Cancellation and Article Reading subtests of the Behavioural Inattention Test in a separate group of 56 right hemisphere stroke subjects and found to classify patients differently.
The relationship between social skills deficits and juvenile delinquency
Authors: Renwick Stanley , Emler Nicholas
Published: July 2011

Although social skills training is now a common form of intervention with young offenders, there is limited evidence that social skills deficits are directly related to delinquency. We examined the relationship between social skills and degree of past involvement in delinquent activities among a group (N = 37) of young offenders. Social skills were assessed both by self‐report and by a behavioural test. The results indicate no relationship between social skills deficits, as assessed by either method, and degree of delinquent behaviour. Delinquency and social skills also exhibited quite different patterns of relationship with measures of personality, lending further support to the conclusion that social skills deficits as currently construed are not causally related to delinquency.
Identity and coping with mental illness in long‐stay psychiatric rehabilitation
Authors: Taylor Kathryn E. , Perkins Rachel E.
Published: July 2011

The literature on coping with mental illness is reviewed. A study is reported which was designed to operationalize and measure the responses to chronic psychiatric illness of denial or adoption of a sick role outlined by Wing & Morris (1981) and Shepherd (1984) and to investigate their correlates and relationship to identity as measured by Thompson (1988). On the basis of existing literature, it was anticipated that subjects who identified themselves as ‘community members' would tend to cope by denial of psychiatric problems whilst those seeing themselves as a ‘typical psychiatric patient’ would exaggerate their disabilities. Although both types of reponse and identity were found within the group studied, this prediction was not confirmed: responses of patients to their illness were independent of identity, and had different sets of correlates. As compared with ‘exaggerators’, ‘deniers' tended to have social networks within the hospital, and showed higher self‐esteem and less subjective distress. Community identity, on the other hand, was related to actually going into the community, better overall functioning (especially in the areas of social activities and community skills), and poorer compliance with medication. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Concurrent use of the Wechsler Memory Scale‐Revised and the WAIS–R*
Authors: Atkinson Leslie
Published: July 2011

The Wechsler Memory Scale‐Revised (WMS‐R) is often used in combination with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale‐Revised (WAIS‐R). The clinician must determine whether variation between Indexes and IQs is due to measurement error, or whether it reflects real discrepancies in underlying abilities. This article presents a table of statistically significant differences between WMS‐R Indexes and WAIS‐R IQs. Although psychometric difficulties and procedural limitations render the tabled values somewhat inaccurate, the values can nevertheless be used to augment clinical decision.
A new technique for treating post‐traumatic stress disorder
Authors: Muss D. C.
Published: July 2011

Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are notoriously difficult to treat. The need for a simple, easily reproducible technique, that could inactivate the repetitive intrusive imagery of the traumatic event, prompted the trial of a technique originally devised for phobias.

Nineteen members of the West Midlands Police Force, who qualified as PTSD sufferers, were offered the ‘re‐wind’ technique. On average only three therapeutic sessions were required per patient. During a two‐year follow‐up, all victims remained free of intrusive images and resumed their occupations.

It is hoped that such a consistently rapid and effective technique will open the way for more victims to be treated and for controlled trials to be facilitated.
Graphical analysis of single‐case time series data
Authors: Morley Stephen , Adams Malcolm
Published: July 2011

This article outlines the major principles for constructing good graphs and visual displays. Several methods for exploring time series data with graphical techniques are given: these include procedures for summarizing the central tendency of data, plotting linear and non‐linear trend, and displaying variability and change in variability over time. We emphasize the need to explore single‐case data thoroughly in order to highlight various components. Graphical analysis should be conducted in tandem with statistical analysis.
Long‐term effects of sexual abuse which occurred in childhood: A review
Authors: Cahill C. , Llewelyn S. P. , Pearson C.
Published: July 2011

The psychological problems and difficulties experienced by adults who report having been sexually abused in childhood are reviewed. These long‐term effects include damage to the victims' emotional reactions and self‐perceptions, relationship problems, problems with sexuality and difficulties in social functioning. Common presenting problems of victims of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are described. Also discussed are the characteristics of incestuous abuse in terms of the victim, the abusive relationship and its termination; the contributions of the various aspects of CSA to the psychological impact of such abuse; and psychodynamic explanations of the development of long‐term effects. The bulk of the published material regarding the long‐term effects of CSA refers to female victims only, and this ‘bias’ is reflected in the review.
Screening child survivors for post‐traumatic stress disorders: Experiences from the ‘Jupiter’ sinking
Authors: Yule William , Udwin Orlee
Published: July 2011

Twenty‐four girls who survived the sinking of the ‘Jupiter’ in October 1988 were screened 10 days after the accident on the Impact of Events Scale, the Birleson Depression Scale and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale. Scores at 10 days were associated strongly with help seeking over the following few months and were highly predictive of scores five months after the accident. Survivors were clearly differentiated from controls on all three measures. The battery seems useful in screening post‐traumatic stress disorders in teenage children.
Selective attention and levels of coding in schizophrenia
Authors: Hirt Michael , Pithers William
Published: July 2011

Traditional explanations of schizophrenics' cognitive deficits have considered faulty selective attention as a single stage, categorical phenomenon. This study examined selective attention as a process that operates with varying degrees of efficiency throughout information processing, including the recoding of stimuli from the perceptual register. The results suggested both a deficiency in the reservoir of attentional capacity for schizophrenics and a greater depletion of such capacity.
Individual differences in affect‐related cognitive operations elicited by experimental stimuli
Authors: Dritschel Barbara H. , Teasdale John D.
Published: July 2011

Beck's cognitive model of depression suggests the importance of cognitive distortions, such as overgeneralization and personalization, in the aetiology of depression. Larsen, Diener & Cropanzano (1987) developed a method for directly measuring the cognitive operations of overgeneralization and personalization in the reactions of normal subjects to experimentally presented visual stimuli. The present study employed this method to examine the relationship between use of these cognitive operations and the personality dimensions of affect intensity, neuroticism and extraversion. Results showed that high scorers on affect intensity exhibited more evidence of overgeneralization and personalization, replicating Larsen et al.'s (1987) findings, with a similar effect for neuroticism. The results suggest that the persistent differences in response to emotional events measured by the traits of affect intensity and neuroticism may be mediated by particular styles of cognitive processing.
An experimental analysis of Perfectionism and Dissatisfaction
Authors: Slade Peter D. , Newton Tim , Butler Nina Mary , Murphy Peter
Published: July 2011

The striving after perfection has been often mentioned in clinical literature; however, there have been few systematic analyses of the concept. In the present study, a questionnaire measure of Perfectionism and General Dissatisfaction (the SCANS) together with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and measures thought to gauge aspects of perfectionistic thinking, were administered to a mixed group of 148 subjects, including 25 eating disorder patients. Perfectionism was found to correlate negatively with Psychoticism (as measured by the EPQ) and positively with the Lie scale. Thus Perfectionism appears to be associated with a tendency to deny personally deviant behaviour and to present oneself in the best possible light. It is also associated with greater accuracy in a visual search task.

General Dissatisfaction was correlated significantly with Neuroticism, Introversion and Psychoticism. It thus appears to be related to a combination of ‘neurotic introversion’ and ‘personality deviance’. It is also associated with a tendency to be under‐inclusive, that is to find difficulty in ruling out irrelevant stimuli when forming categories. Dissatisfaction was also associated with increased reaction time in the visual search task, perhaps also a reflection of an inability to ignore irrelevant stimuli.

Only the EPQ N and P scales successfully differentiated neurotic or dissatisfied perfectionists from normal or satisfied perfectionists, although several measures derived from the visual search task produced results which were approaching significance.
Reality monitoring and psychotic hallucinations
Authors: Bentall Richard P. , Baker Guy A. , Havers Sue
Published: July 2011

Hallucinating psychiatric patients, patients with delusions but without a history of hallucinations and normal controls were compared on a reality‐monitoring task in which they were first required to generate answers to easy or difficult clues and to listen to low‐probability or high‐probability paired associates. After an interval of one week, the subjects were presented with a list in which their answers to the clues were mixed with the associates and with words not previously presented, and they were required to identify the source of each item (self‐generated, presented by the experimenter or new). The psychiatric patients were generally less accurate in identifying the source of the items in comparison with the normal controls. However, hallucinators more often misattributed high cognitive effort self‐generated items (answers to difficult clues) to the experimenter than either the psychiatric or the normal controls. The results are interpreted as consistent with the hypothesis that hallucinations are self‐generated events misattributed to an external source.
Performance of long‐stay schizophrenics after drug withdrawal on matched immediate and delayed recall tasks
Authors: Calev Avraham , Nigal Doron , Kugelmass Sol , Weller Malcolm P. I. , Lerer Bernard
Published: July 2011

Both anticholinergic and neuroleptic drugs were withdrawn from eight long‐stay hospitalized chronic schizophrenics. These patients and normal controls were then tested on Calev, Venables & Monk's (1983) immediate and delayed matched recall tasks to evaluate their rate of forgetting of verbal well‐encoded materials. The results showed rapid forgetting in schizophrenics. This finding suggests that a post‐encoding deficit characterizes long‐stay schizophrenics after drug withdrawal. Cognitive and brain pathologies that may explain these results are discussed.
Dieting concerns have a functional effect on the behaviour of nine‐year‐old girls
Authors: Hill Andrew J. , Robinson Alexandra
Published: July 2011

The eating patterns of restrained and unrestrained nine‐year‐old girls were compared. Prospective seven‐day food diary records showed the restrained girls to eat significantly less energy and dietary fibre than the unrestrained. Their ratings of hunger were also significantly higher. Most nutritional indicators, however, showed their diet to be of adequate quality. The translation of dieting concerns into dieting behaviour by nine‐year‐olds may increase their susceptibility to future clinical eating problems.
Return to work during the year following first myocardial infarction
Authors: Abbott Janice , Berry Neil
Published: July 2011

This study considers the importance of demographic and psychosocial variables in return to work following a first myocardial infarction. Those patients who returned to work within two months of their infarct, compared with those who had not returned, tended to be younger and of higher socio‐economic status. They were also more likely to have an internal locus of control and to have attributed their MI to occupational stressors. Conversely, patients who had not resumed employment one year following their infarction, in comparison with those who had, were likely to be of lower socio‐economic status and to have been more depressed immediately following their heart attack.
Effects of induced elated and depressed mood on self‐focused attention
Authors: Carr Sally J. , Teasdale John D. , Broadbent Donald
Published: July 2011

Recent accounts of depression propose a central role for increased self‐focus in the onset and maintenance of depression. The present study investigated whether there might also be a converse effect of depressed mood increasing self‐focus. A state measure of self‐focused attention was administered to normal subjects before and after induction of depressed or happy mood. Compared to happy subjects, depressed subjects showed more negative and less positive self‐focus. Positive and negative external focus were unaffected by mood. A reciprocally reinforcing relationship between depressed mood and negative self‐focus may be important in onset and maintenance of depression.
Reliability and validity of a psychotic traits questionnaire (STQ)
Authors: Jackson Michael , Claridge Gordon
Published: July 2011

The ‘schizotypal personality’ (STA) and ‘borderline personality’ (STB) scales of the STQ were administered to two groups: normal subjects who had completed the questionnaire on a previous occasion, four years earlier, and a ‘clinical’ sample, consisting of members of a self‐help support group for people who at some time in the past had been psychiatrically diagnosed as suffering from a psychotic illness, mainly schizophrenia. As predicted, the latter had significantly higher scores than controls on both STQ scales, certain items also being particularly discriminating. Within the control group a test‐retest analysis revealed correlations which, depending on scale and gender, were around .60. It was concluded that the STQ is a valid measure of psychotic traits and that scores on the questionnaire have good long‐term stability. The results are discussed against the background, and in support of, a continuity view of psychosis.
Behaviour modification by successive approximation: Saxon age examples from Bede
Authors: Cliffe Michael J.
Published: July 2011

This paper describes the treatment of a case of mutism in Saxon England. The shaping procedure employed was similar to that reported in modern behaviour modification studies. The paper quotes from a seventh century papal letter showing an understanding of the principle of shaping as applied to populations.
Relationships between mental adjustment to HIV diagnosis, psychological morbidity and sexual behaviour
Authors: Kelly Brian , Dunne M. , Raphael B. , Buckham C. , Zournazi A. , Smith S. , Statham D.
Published: July 2011

This paper examines patterns of psychological adjustment in a small sample of asymptomatic HIV antibody positive men. Comparison is made with data available on male cancer patients. HIV positive men reported greater degrees of anxious preoccupation and hopelessness, and lower levels of the more adaptive ‘fighting spirit’ response. In HIV‐infected men, depression correlated positively with frequency of high risk sexual practices.
Concurrent validity for the Rust Inventory of Schizotypal Cognitions
Authors: Balogh Deborah Ware , Merritt Rebecca Davis , Steuerwald Brian L.
Published: July 2011

The present study evaluated the concurrent validity of the Rust Inventory of Schizotypal Cognitions (RISC) using the MMPI and the Psychosis Proneness Scales. Multiple regression techniques applied to the RISC and the other measures employed offer support for the validity of this measure as a screening instrument for use in non‐clinical samples.
Improving psychotherapy services: Applications of research, audit and evaluation
Authors: Parry Glenys
Published: July 2011

Psychotherapy services face increasing demand but are vulnerable to critical scrutiny by service purchasers seeking evidence of cost‐effectiveness. Psychotherapy research, although it can benefit practitioners, cannot adequately address these concerns because of poor external validity and it is argued that complementary strategies are needed. A number of service‐based evaluative methods are reviewed and the distinctions clarified between service evaluation, operational research, professional audit, service audit, quality assurance and total quality management. Maxwell's (1984) six category framework is used to examine a number of issues in psychotherapy services including the assessment process, treatment‐of‐choice decisions, predicting negative effects of treatment, dose–response in psychotherapy, brief interventions, therapist competence, clinical significance, cost effectiveness and measures of psychotherapy service inputs, process and outcomes. This review advocates reflective practice within a self‐evaluating psychotherapy service and a systemic approach which can take account of the perspectives of patients, purchasers, service managers, referrers and practitioners.
A search for contrast effects with fear evoking stimuli
Authors: Samsom Deborah , Rachman S.
Published: July 2011

The occurrence of fear contrast effects was investigated in a laboratory study of fearful people. A total of 65 university students were exposed on separate occasions to two fearful stimuli (spiders and snakes). The first exposure session was manipulated so that experimental groups differed in the amount of fear evoked by the stimulus (high fear, moderate fear and low fear). Exposure to the second animal was designed to produce a moderate level of fear in all subjects. During exposure to the animals, measures of subjective fear and heart rate were taken. Compared to a control group of subjects who experienced moderate fear on two occasions, a prior high fear experience led to a decrease in fear of the second stimulus, and a prior low fear experience led to an increase in fear of the second stimulus. The increase in fear in the latter group was evident in both subjective and physiological indices of fear, but in the high fear group the contrast was evident only in subjective fear.
Crisis support and psychiatric symptomatology in adult survivors of the Jupiter cruise ship disaster
Authors: Joseph Steve , Andrews Bernice , Williams Ruth , Yule William
Published: July 2011

The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between crisis support and psychiatric symptomatology among adult survivors in the year following the Jupiter cruise ship disaster. Evidence is presented that support decreases over the following year, and that higher levels of crisis support are strongly related to better psychological outcome. Crisis support is shown to retain its association with symptomatology even when satisfaction with support is partialled out. These data are discussed with reference to the debate over the relative importance of received vs. perceived support.
Applications of current cognitive theories of the emotions to the conceptualization of emotional disorders*
Authors: Watts Fraser N.
Published: July 2011

After a period of neglect the psychological study of emotions is making good progress; work from the perspective of cognitive psychology is currently predominant. Key conceptual and theoretical topics from the psychology of the emotions are reviewed and their clinical implications considered. Particular attention is given to (i) the value of formulating emotional disorder within the framework of a basic theory of emotion that emphasizes its functional value, (ii) analysing the extent to which emotional reactions are ‘appropriate’ in the sense of having perceptual warrant, (iii) distinguishing between thoughts/images and interpretations of the world in formulating the cognitive aspects of emotional reactions, and (iv) the application of appraisal theory, particularly to complex emotions.
Stress in clinical psychology trainees
Authors: Cushway Delia
Published: July 2011

Levels and sources of stress, as well as coping strategies, were assessed in 287 clinical psychology trainees by means of a postal survey. The estimated prevalence of psychological distress, as measured by the General Health Questionnaire, was 59 per cent, which is higher than that for other reported groups. Factor analysis of self‐report stress survey yielded six underlying factors; course structure and organization accounted for the greatest variance in stress ratings. A moderate and significant correlation was obtained between the stress survey and the GHQ. Three‐quarters of the trainees reported that they were moderately or very stressed as a result of clinical training. There were no differences between length or type of course, although trainees in their second or third year report more stress than those in the first year. Female trainees had higher GHQ scores than men. The most frequently reported coping strategy was ‘talking to trainees’. Scores on the Health and Daily Living Schedule indicated no differences in coping methods between length or type of course. Women reported more use of cognitive and behavioural coping methods, but not more avoidance coping methods. Trainees reported that more support by course organizers and supervisors would make training less stressful.