bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing the impact of groups: An evaluation of two group formats for smokers
Authors: Hajek Peter , Belcher Michael , Stapleton John
Published: July 2011

The effects of two different group formats constituting part of an otherwise identical smoking cessation programme were evaluated. Each group format was in use for one full calendar year. One hundred and thirty‐two smokers were treated in 14 ‘ therapist‐oriented’ (T‐O) groups run in traditional didactic style and 138 in 14 ‘ group‐oriented’ (G‐O) groups, where the primary emphasis was on group resources (group support, group pressure and spontaneous modelling of coping responses). G‐O groups were significantly more successful. The two types of groups did not differ in the number of clients who succeeded in stopping smoking just after the first meeting, i.e. before the difference in group formats could have any impact; but in the G‐O groups more of those who failed initially persisted in trying and succeeded later in the course. Independently of the format, larger groups were more successful and in addition there was significant variation between single groups regardless of both format and size. Group processes seem to play an important role in smoking cessation and the way in which a group is structured can affect outcome.
Reliability of a measure of the quality of cognitive therapy
Authors: Dobson Keith S. , Shaw Brian F. , Vallis T. Michael
Published: July 2011

This study investigates some of the psychometric properties of the Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS) using a sample of experienced psychotherapists. Four raters, experienced in cognitive therapy, rated a total of 21 independent, videotaped psychotherapy sessions, and provided ratings along the dimensions of therapist competence measured by the CTS. Analyses included item intercorrelations, item‐total correlations, and two assessments of inter‐rater reliability. Inter‐rater reliabilities showed a significant positive correlation for all items of the CTS and the internal reliability was strong. The potential of the CTS to address both the competency of cognitive therapists and trainees is discussed.
The prediction of in‐programme failure among delinquent youths in a non‐residential community‐based programme
Authors: Shorts Ivor D.
Published: July 2011

An attempt was made to delineate which set of delinquent youths' characteristics were best capable of predicting failure on a community‐based programme. A first (Exploration) phase generated a discriminant function comprising the items, Predominantly delinquent close friends, Perceives others as happier than self, Club membership and School truancy pattern. Validation significantly discriminated between failure and success groups, yielding a ‘ hit’ rate of 70 per cent.
Cognitive methods of preparing women for hysterectomy: Does a booklet help?
Authors: Young Linda , Humphrey Michael
Published: July 2011

Thirty women about to undergo hysterectomy were sequentially assigned to three equal groups. The first two groups were taught methods of cognitive control over anxiety, either through a detailed booklet (group 1) or orally (group 2). The third group served as attention‐placebo controls. The two experimental groups reported less pain and distress than the control group, who spent longer in hospital and were more prone to post‐operative vomiting. The booklet proved neither more nor less beneficial than oral teaching on the criteria adopted, and is therefore seen as more cost effective.
Expected and actual behavioural capacity after diffuse reduction in cerebral cortex: A review and suggestions for rehabilitative techniques with the mentally handicapped and head injured
Authors: Goldstein Laura H. , Oakley David A.
Published: July 2011

Expectations of residual function (and of potential therapeutic outcome) after brain damage are important factors in the selection of rehabilitation programmes. Drawing upon reports of what we call here association learning and memory in humans and animals, it is shown that this type of learning remains intact and may be mediated by subcortical brain structures, despite the often severe cognitive blunting which accompanies diffuse cortical brain damage. In retarded humans the application of association learning‐based behaviour modification techniques may lead to the development of an adequate behavioural base‐line on which to develop cognitive rehabilitation programmes. The implications of potentially valid neuropsychological extrapolations from animals to man are discussed. Finally suggestions are made concerning the interaction between association learning and more cognitive information‐processing strategies, and the implications for behaviour modifications with retarded and head injured are considered.
The assessment of memory impairment: The relationship between different methods of evaluating dysmnesic deficits
Authors: Knight Robert G. , Godfrey Hamish P. D.
Published: July 2011

The relationship between three different methods of assessing memory impairment: cognitive tests, questionnaires, and observational rating scales, was assessed in 20 dysmnesic alcoholic in‐patients. The cognitive tests were subdivided into those which measured everyday memory skills and those which were traditional experimental‐laboratory tasks. All three methods were highly intercorrelated and the correlation between practical and experimental cognitive tests was also high. Memory test scores were not as highly correlated with either performance on perceptual‐motor tasks or full‐scale IQ.
A test of cognitive vulnerability in individuals prone to depression
Authors: Blackburn I. M. , Smyth P.
Published: July 2011

Recovered unipolar depressed patients were compared with recovered anxious and non‐psychiatric controls in depressed and neutral mood induction conditions to test the hypothesis that depression‐prone individuals would demonstrate more negative cognitions with mild mood changes. Only the non‐psychiatric controls showed significant mood changes and the hypothesis was not supported.
The new Maudsley series of temporal lobectomy. I: Short‐term cognitive effects
Authors: Powell Graham E. , Polkey Charles E. , McMillan Tom
Published: July 2011

Cognitive effects of temporal lobectomy for the relief of focal seizures were examined in 59 adult cases (29 left and 30 right). Verbal and non‐verbal intelligence and memory were tested pre‐operatively and four weeks post‐operatively. Slight, non‐significant differences between left and right cases pre‐operatively were added to by slight, non‐significant differences in change across the operation, to produce some significant post‐operative differences—right cases being significantly higher on verbal IQ and lower on non‐verbal IQ, for example. Variation in cognitive outcome was related to certain subject variables. Those who showed no deterioration or more improvement across the operation tended to be younger, less intellectually able pre‐operatively, had an earlier first seizure and an earlier onset of regular seizures. The implications of these results for a model of the effects of temporal lobectomy are discussed.
The effects of spinal injury on the intensity of emotional experience
Authors: Lowe Judith , Carroll Douglas
Published: July 2011

Twenty‐nine subjects with spinal lesions were asked whether the intensity of their experience of eight common emotions had decreased, increased or stayed the same since injury. Analysis of their responses produced no evidence of a decline in affective tone following spinal injury.
Interhemispheric coordination and focused attention in chronic and acute schizophrenia
Authors: Green Elizabeth J.
Published: July 2011

Groups of chronic and acute schizophrenics, together with controls, were given a story comprehension task where material was presented either binaurally or monaurally. A significant right ear advantage was found in the scores of the acute patients but not in those of chronics or controls. Similarly, acutes, in contrast to all other subjects, demonstrated a binaural performance decrement relative to their preferred ear in the monaural condition. A second experiment showed that acute schizophrenics, in contrast to an earlier finding with chronics, were no better at detecting targets in dichotically presented word lists when the targets occurred in one ear only than when they could occur in either ear. It is suggested that this inability to focus attention on one ear, in the presence of competing stimulation to the other, was responsible for the story comprehension result.
The short‐term stability of the survey version of CAPE
Authors: McPherson F. M. , Tregaskis D.
Published: July 2011

One hundred elderly women were assessed on two occasions, one week apart, on the survey version of CAPE. Although test‐retest correlations were high, the dependency grades of 35 per cent of the sample changed on retesting by one grade, and 2 per cent by two grades, suggesting that the test may be too unstable for clinical purposes.
Life‐events and psychological disturbance in chronic low back pain
Authors: Smith Timothy W. , Follick Michael J. , Ahern David K.
Published: July 2011

Stressful life‐events have been identified as contributing to psychological disturbance in chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, previous research has focused on the presence versus absence of generalized distress and failed to distinguish between positive and negative events. The present study examined the relationship of positive and negative life‐events to various aspects of distress as measured by the eight clinical scales of the MMPI. Negative life‐events were found to be associated primarily with depression and social maladjustment, while positive events were inversely related to somatic concern.
Can all schizophrenic speech be discriminated from normal speech?
Authors: Allen Heidelinde A.
Published: July 2011

The study addressed whether the speech of non‐speech disordered as well as speech disordered schizophrenics is discriminate from normal speech. An analysis, using a clinician's acumen to detect, not as is usually the case to specify, showed that schizophrenic speech (including that of non‐speech disordered schizophrenics) can be accurately discriminated. This suggests that the speech of all schizophrenics does indeed differ from that of normals, but in as yet unspecified ways.
A case of kleptomania treated by covert sensitization
Authors: Glover John H.
Published: July 2011

A client with a history of daily compulsive shoplifting of 14 years' duration was treated by covert sensitization. By her preference, the aversive imagery used was that of nausea and vomiting, as described by Cautela (1967), rather than that of being apprehended by the authorities used by later workers. On 19‐month follow‐up she was free of stealing behaviour apart from a single lapse, and there were corresponding improvements in her self‐esteem and socialization.
Memory for facts and memory for events*
Authors: Warrington Elizabeth K.
Published: July 2011

There are many skills and activities which in some sense can be regarded as having a memory component. I have considered only two kinds of memory ‐ memory for facts and memory for events. Drawing on the evidence of individual case studies and on selected small group studies, it is argued that qualitatively distinct and dissociable cortical systems subserve these two kinds of memory. In particular, I have argued that semantic knowledge systems are categorical in their organization and by contrast that memory for events is dependent on the operation of cognitively mediated schemata, and that the interaction of both systems is necessary for effective remembering.
An experimental study of the effectiveness of different techniques of questioning mentally handicapped child witnesses
Authors: Dent Helen R.
Published: July 2011

In response to recent changes in the Home Office recommendations concerning police interviewing of mentally handicapped persons, an experiment was carried out to investigate the usefulness of different interviewing techniques with mildly mentally handicapped children. Previous research carried out with children of normal intelligence (Dent & Stephenson, 1979) indicated that their recall of an incident was most accurate when unprompted. Theoretical research in the field of mental handicap suggested that such children's recall would be poorest when either unprompted or when heavily prompted, and that some form of intermediate cueing of recall may prove optimal. The experiment described here investigated the accuracy of recall of a live incident by a group of children with IQs ranging from 50 to 70 points in response to one of the following methods of elicitation: free recall, general questions and specific questions. As predicted, the general questions produced recall that was optimal in terms of completeness and accuracy.
The pattern of scores on Raven's Matrices during ‘ faking bad’ and ‘ non‐faking’ performance
Authors: Gudjonsson Gisli H. , Shackleton Harriet
Published: July 2011

This paper looks at the effects of ‘ faking bad’ on the pattern of scores on Raven's Matrices. It was found that faking significantly reduces the rate of decay across the five series of sets on the test. The paper describes a statistical method that can be used to rate objectively the rate of decay and help detect possible faking on the Matrices. The method was found to be highly effective in discriminating between genuine and faked impairment and proved far superior to the discrepancy method recommended by Raven (1960). Cut‐off scores are provided in order to enable the clinician to apply the method to individual cases and minimize false positive and false negative errors.
Attitudes to food, eating and weight in acutely ill and recovered anorectics
Authors: Clinton D. N. , McKinlay W. W.
Published: July 2011

A between‐groups experimental design was used to test groups of acutely ill anorectics (n = 15), former anorectic patients who had been judged recovered at discharge (n = 14), psychiatric controls (n = 10) and normals (n = 24) on the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT). It was hypothesized that both acutely ill and recovered anorectics would show significantly greater distorted attitudes to food, eating and weight than controls, as assessed by the EAT. Results supported the hypothesis and suggest that anorectics may continue to show distorted attitudes to food, eating and weight after they have recovered from the gross physical and behavioural features of the disorder, although these attitudes appear to be somewhat less extreme than during the acute phase. It is concluded that an important aspect of anorexia nervosa appears to be largely unaltered by present treatment.
Brief exposure to uncontrollable but not to controllable noise biases the retrieval of information from memory
Authors: Willner Paul , Neiva Judith
Published: July 2011

Female volunteers learned two lists containing a mixture of positive and negative trait words. Both lists were learned in a neutral mood. The first list was recalled in a neutral mood, and the second following a five‐minute exposure to a tape of ‘ meaningful’ noises, designed to simulate a busy office environment. Exposure to loud, uncontrollable noise caused a substantial increase in the proportion of negative trait words recalled from the second list, and also a worsening of mood, particularly an increase in tension. These effects were not seen in subjects exposed to controllable loud noise or to uncontrollable quiet noise. The memory bias following uncontrollable loud noise is qualitatively similar to that found in clinically depressed patients or following depressive mood induction procedures.
Distraction by emotional stimuli: Use of a Stroop task with suicide attempters
Authors: Williams J. Mark G. , Broadbent Keith
Published: July 2011

The performance on a modified Stroop task by patients who had recently attempted suicide by overdose was compared with that of hospital control patients and non‐hospital members of a subject panel. All groups took longer to name colours of emotional words than neutral words, but the extent of the disruption was greatest for the overdose subjects on words which were specifically related to an overdose theme. The extent of disruption was more clearly predicted by self‐rated depression than by any other mood.
A comparison of minimal versus intensive controlled drinking treatment interventions for problem drinkers
Authors: Robertson Ian , Heather Nick , Dzialdowski Adrian , Crawford John , Winton Maurice
Published: July 2011

Thirty‐seven problem drinkers with problems of low to moderate severity were randomly allocated to two groups, one receiving ‘ minimal’ treatment of three or four sessions' assessment and advice, and the other ‘ intensive’ treatment of one or more of a selection of individually tailored, cognitive–behavioural therapies lasting an average of 91 sessions. The two groups were followed up an average of 15.5 months after termination of treatment. Analysis of covariance revealed that the intensive group reduced consumption significantly more than the minimal group. Also, the intensive group showed a significantly greater increase in the number of days abstinent in the month prior to follow‐up. Analysis of covariance also showed that, in spite of their small numbers (n = 7), women increased their days abstinent by a significantly greater amount and reported a significantly greater reduction in number of days drinking between 10 and 20 units. Overall, successful outcome was associated with higher pre‐treatment employment and higher alcohol consumption although, given the large numbers of measures, these findings could have occurred by chance.
Psychometric prediction of psychogeriatric day care outcome
Authors: Bell J. S. , Gilleard C. J.
Published: July 2011

A comparison was made between sets of psychometric variables [the Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly (CAPE)] and personal socio‐demographic variables in predicting the outcome of psychogeriatric day care. Two groups of elderly patients referred for day care were investigated: 40 new admissions to a psychogeriatric day centre and 63 new admissions to psychogeriatric day hospitals. Discriminant function analysis was employed to compare the classification accuracy obtained from the personal socio‐demographic variables and the CAPE psychometric data. The results demonstrated the incremental validity of the CAPE in predicting outcome of day care in both settings and support the routine use of such brief measures as appropriate screening procedures in these settings.
Three‐dimensional representation of repertory grid data
Authors: Cliffe Michael J.
Published: July 2011

The presentation of repertory grid data in the form of three‐dimensional (3‐D) graphs is offered as an ergonomic means of communicating complex data to the patient. Graph papers for manual plotting of 3‐D graphs are reviewed. A program written in BASIC is described which enables automated plotting of such graphs on microcomputer systems with conventional printers.
Cognitive style in depression
Authors: Blackburn I. M. , Jones S. , Lewin R. J. P.
Published: July 2011

A revised version of the CST was validated by comparing depressed patients with anxious patients, recovered depressed and anxious patients and normal controls. Other measures included three severity of illness scales (the Beck Depression Inventory, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the state version of the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory) and three well‐established cognitive scales (the Automatic Thought Questionnaire, the Hopelessness Scale and the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale). Depressed patients were differentiated from normal controls on all subscales of the CST and the three other cognitive scales. They were similarly differentiated from recovered depressed patients, except for negative interpretations relating to the self when age was covaried. Anxious patients were significantly differentiated from depressed patients on total level of negative thinking, negative interpretations of unpleasant events and negative thinking relating to the world when age was covaried. Hopelessness and dysfunctional attitudes also differentiated depressed and anxious patients. Face validity and concurrent validity for the new scale are provided. The specificity of negative thinking to depression and the possibility of a vulnerable cognitive style are discussed.
Differential assessment and the treatment of alcoholism
Authors: McMillan Carol L. , Lynn Richard
Published: July 2011

The major objective of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that more effective alcoholism treatment would result from the provision of differential therapy, based on a differential assessment of psychopathology. A total of 135 alcoholics (125 male, 10 female), in‐patients of a large psychiatric hospital in Co. Londonderry, Northern Ireland, were allocated to one of three psychopathological subgroups on the basis of their scores on the anxiety, depression and socialization factors of the Clinical Analysis Questionnaire (n = 45 in each group). Fifteen patients from each subgroup were assigned to one of two experimental treatment conditions or a control group. Experimental treatment Group 1 received therapy directed toward their psychopathology, while experimental treatment Group 2 received therapy directed toward their drinking behaviour per se. Therapeutic procedures were behavioural. The control group received only supportive counselling. The results at follow‐up nine months later revealed that differences in improvement rates across groups were not statistically significant. A number of subsidiary hypotheses were also investigated and significant differences were found between the three psychopathological subgroups on factors relating to aetiology, course of alcoholism and prognosis.
Performance correlates of self‐reported cognitive failure and of obsessionality
Authors: Broadbent Donald E. , Broadbent Margaret H. P. , Jones Julian L.
Published: July 2011

In six experiments, two performance tests, measuring a number of aspects of attention, were administered to 129 people from the general population. Self‐reported cognitive failure, and a measure of obsessional personality, were related to one particular measure of attention. There was evidence that individuals with low cognitive failure show different patterns of attention when anxious, as compared with high scorers; this may underlie differences in vulnerability to environmental stresses.
What stresses health professionals? A coding system for their answers
Authors: Firth Jenny , Morrison Leslie
Published: July 2011

The reliabilities of a coding system derived from open‐ended descriptions of stresses and of satisfactions within the medical role are reported as acceptable. The method is considered useful where defences may be raised by direct questioning, and at times of transition where questionnaires derived from previous literature may miss new sources of stress.
Expectations in the treatment of obesity
Authors: Bennett Gerald A.
Published: July 2011

The initial efficacy expectations and outcome expectations held by 147 women participating in two weight reduction programmes were assessed and found to be partially related to drop‐out and the weight loss attained. Expectations were revised as treatment progressed, but changes were not closely correlated with changes in weight over the same period. Initial outcome expectations were associated with higher weight, and lower social class and verbal ability, but not the number of previous attempts to lose weight.
Schizophrenia: A failure to control the contents of consciousness?
Authors: Bullen Julie G. , Hemsley David R.
Published: July 2011

Frith (1979) proposed that the ‘ positive’ symptoms of schizophrenia, i.e. hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorder, could be accounted for in terms of a defect in the mechanism(s) that controls and limits the contents of consciousness. The present study was designed to test one of the predictions derived from this model; that schizophrenics should fail to inhibit alternative meanings of ambiguous words. As a means of testing this prediction the effects of semantic priming on the ‘ availability’ of subsequent target words to consciousness were assessed, measuring recognition thresholds. The priming conditions employed were expected to either facilitate or inhibit perception of target words in the control groups, normals and depressed patients without psychotic features. A strong priming effect was obtained in the control groups, but was much weaker in the schizophrenic group; this provides some support for the model.
Compulsive eating and dietary restraint
Authors: Wardle Jane
Published: July 2011

The phenomenology of compulsive eating has encouraged comparisons with addictive behaviours and this has suggested that similar underlying processes might be at work. In this paper it is argued that craving for food, preoccupation with eating and loss of control over food intake represent a natural psychobiological adaptation to sub‐optimal weight and food deprivation. Compulsive eating is therefore best understood in terms of a conflict between a biologically derived drive for food and a culturally derived drive for thinness. Both of these processes have their parallels in the maintenance of dependency disorders. The crucial difference however is that the urge to eat is biologically adaptive, and recovery from compulsive eating depends upon relaxing restraint.
Neuroticism, anxiety and psychosocial development
Authors: Lobel Thalma E. , Winch Guy L.
Published: July 2011

The current study investigated the relationship between resolution of Eriksonian crises and neuroticism and trait anxiety. Eighty‐eight undergraduate students completed Constantinople's (1969) Inventory of Psychosocial Development (IPD), the Neuroticism scale from H. J. Eysenck & S. B. G. Eysenck's (1975) EPQ, and Spielberger et al.'s (1970) A‐Trait scale. Correlations for both males and females were strongly significant and in the expected direction. Successful resolution of Eriksonian crises was negatively related to maladjustment, as successful resolvers had low anxiety and neuroticism scores. The relationship between adjustment and psychosocial development is discussed.
Is a problem shared a problem shaved? An evaluation of hairdressers and social support
Authors: Milne Derek , Mullin Mary
Published: July 2011

Despite growing interest in social support as a moderator of stress, few studies have attempted to demonstrate the effects of a psychological intervention in this domain. Hairdressers are an acknowledged source of social support and a randomly selected group (n = 8) were given structured training in the provision of social support to their customers. In comparison with a group of their untrained colleagues (n = 7), repeated measures indicated a significant training effect in terms of the hairdressers' understanding and proficiency in providing social support, while a generalization effect was suggested by customers' ratings of their perceived ‘helpfulness’.
Interventions for amnesics: A review
Authors: Godfrey Hamish P. D. , Knight Robert G.
Published: July 2011

Research on interventions for amnesics is reviewed which suggests that it is possible to teach amnesics specific information or memory skills but that these are not likely to generalize or to be maintained spontaneously. It is suggested that interventions with clearly defined behavioural goals and which have programmed for generalization and maintenance of treatment gains may prove to be most effective. The purpose of interventions for chronically hospitalized cognitively impaired patients does not appear to have been considered adequately, and it is concluded that future research will be hampered unless greater consideration is given to information processing theory relating to amnesia. Possible directions for future research are discussed.
Cognitive vulnerability to depression: An investigation of two hypotheses
Authors: Teasdale John D. , Dent June
Published: July 2011

Two hypotheses concerning cognitive vulnerability to depression were examined. One suggested that there are persistent individual differences in cognitive processing related to neuroticism which predispose to depression. The other suggested that individuals in whom depressogenic processes are activated by mildly depressed mood are particularly vulnerable to becoming more seriously depressed. Compared to women who had never met Research Diagnostic Criteria for depressive disorders, women who had recovered from such disorders (1) scored higher on measures of depression as an enduring characteristic; (2) scored higher on measures of neuroticism; (3) used more globally negative words, highly descriptive of depressed patients, to describe their personality; (4) showed poorer recall of self‐referred positive words, suggesting reduced activation of positive aspects of the self‐schema; and (5) in induced depressed mood showed better recall of self‐referred global negative words, suggesting greater activation of related aspects of the self‐schema. Results provided support for both hypotheses.
Comparison of current levels of performance and scores based on change as diagnostic discriminators among the elderly
Authors: Little Adrienne , Hemsley David , Volans Jane
Published: July 2011

Elderly in residential care were classified as probably ‘normal’ and probably ‘organic’ by a community screening questionnaire. Performance on a test of verbal learning was assessed at baseline and after two years. The initial and follow‐up scores on this test, the changes shown during follow‐up and the discrepancies between follow‐up score and predicted follow‐up performance (estimated from baseline score) were related to this classification. Against expectation, scores based on change did not discriminate better than current levels of performance at baseline or follow‐up.
An investigation of residual psychotic symptoms in discharged schizophrenic patients
Authors: Tarrier Nicholas
Published: July 2011

Twenty‐five patients who had been discharged back into the community after an acute schizophrenic episode but who still experienced residual psychotic symptoms were interviewed to elicit the antecedents, consequences and coping strategies of their symptoms. Fifty‐two per cent were able to identify antecedent stimuli and 92 per cent still experienced negative consequences, mainly anxiety. Seventy‐two per cent were able to specify coping strategies. Cognitive and behavioural strategies were most frequently cited. However 28 per cent of patients reported that their strategies were of little or no effect and 25 per cent of all strategies were reported ineffective. Patients using multiple strategies were more successful at coping.
Some comments on the technical acceptability of Warrington's Recognition Memory Test
Authors: Kapur Narinder
Published: July 2011

The technical merits of Warrington's Recognition Memory Test are reviewed. The test has a number of attractive features, but also a number of significant limitations including defects in the initial validation studies, ceiling effects for the verbal recognition memory test, and inadequate documentation of the effects of educational level so as to permit interpretation of individual test data. In addition, no reliability data, such as test‐retest or inter‐examiner reliability correlations, are reported. It is suggested, therefore, that in its present form the test has limitations as an instrument for use in routine neuropsychological assessment.
Classroom reality orientation and the enhancement of orientation — A critical note
Authors: Downes John Joseph
Published: July 2011

Findings from the neuropsychology of amnesia and accounts of normal orientation abilities are considered in a critique of the claim that enhanced orientation follows classroom RO. Some implications for evaluation are discussed.
Cued recall in depression
Authors: Watts Fraser N. , Sharrock Robert
Published: July 2011

An experiment is reported in which a depressed and a control group were tested on free recall, cued recall and recognition memory for a prose passage. As expected from previous work the depressives tended to show less impairment on recognition than on free recall. However, contrary to what some theories would predict, cued recall performance was no better than free recall. The implications of this finding for the nature of the depressive memory deficit for neutral materials are discussed. It seems that neither the amount of verbal output required, nor the need to generate retrieval cues, are critical factors.
The feeling of hunger
Authors: Hams Alison , Wardle Jane
Published: July 2011

Hunger symptoms were assessed in two groups of normal subjects at a variety of times of day. The data showed that relatively few symptoms were endorsed even after longer deprivation periods, and they confirmed other experimental results suggesting that there is no strong and characteristic pattern of hunger symptoms. It is suggested that any notions of disturbed hunger sensations in patients with eating disorders must be evaluated carefully.
Classification procedures for differential treatment
Authors: Bornholt L. J. , Rosenthal D. A.
Published: July 2011

Current classification procedure of structured interviews was compared to predicted classification derived from a psychological test. Results were sufficient to cast doubt on the validity of both the interview procedures and the derived predictions.
A functional analysis of recidivistic arson
Authors: Jackson Howard F. , Glass Clive , Hope Susan
Published: July 2011

Evidence from studies of pathological arson and normal fire setting as well as the authors' clinical experience with arsonists in a maximum security hospital is employed to generate a model of recidivistic arson within the conceptual framework of functional analysis. It is contended that certain psychosocial stimuli, in the context of major setting conditions, predispose the individual towards incendiarism which is initially positively and negatively reinforced. However, the longer‐term consequences of arson are considered to maintain and exacerbate the antecedent problems encountered by arsonists. Specifically, arson is viewed as an attempt to exert a change in the arsonist's life conditions where alternative behaviours have proved, or are perceived to be, ineffective. The model incorporates adaptations of the displaced aggression and arousal hypotheses of arson, and examines possible developmental aspects of pathological arson from normal childhood fire play, and suggests that a transition from fire setting in the company of others to incendiarism alone constitutes a major factor in the pathological process. The social, clinical and theoretical implications of the model are discussed with reference to current management and treatment strategies as well as future research.
A parallel form of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale
Authors: Gudjonsson Gisli H.
Published: July 2011

The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to present a parallel form of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS, Form 1); (2) to study test‐retest reliabilities of interrogative suggestibility. Three groups of subjects were administered the two suggestibility scales in a counterbalanced order. Group 1 (28 normal subjects) and Group 2 (32 ‘forensic’ patients) completed both scales within the same testing session, whereas Group 3 (30 ‘forensic’ patients) completed the two scales between one week and eight months apart. All the correlations were highly significant, giving support for high ‘temporal consistency’ of interrogative suggestibility.
Prognostic factors in bulimia nervosa
Authors: Fairburn C. G. , Kirk J. , O'Connor M. , Anastasiades P. , Cooper P. J.
Published: July 2011

Factors predictive of outcome were sought from the data from a controlled study of the treatment of bulimia nervosa. Four different indices of outcome were used, and outcome was assessed at four points during a 12‐month, treatment‐free follow‐up period. It was found that the pre‐treatment level of self‐esteem was a consistent predictor of outcome with those patients having low self‐esteem responding least well to treatment. There were no other consistent predictors of outcome.
Spatial memory and perception in stroke patients: The importance of order effects
Authors: Allen Elizabeth A. , Larner Stuart
Published: July 2011

The performance of left and right CVA patients on two tasks, spatial matching and spatial recognition, was compared, using a design which also examined the effects of order of task presentation. All groups performed better on matching than on recognition trials, and the left CVA subjects obtained higher scores than right CVA subjects on both types of trial. A significant lesion x order interaction reflected the particularly poor performance of right CVA subjects who received the more difficult task (recognition) first. The clinical implications are discussed.
The inter‐rater reliability of the National Adult Reading Test (NART): A pilot study
Authors: O'Carroll R. E.
Published: July 2011

Twelve consecutive out‐patients had their performance on the National Adult Reading Test (NART) audiotaped. This tape was then ‘scored’ for accuracy of pronunciation by 10 experienced clinical psychologists who use the NART in their routine clinical practice. The results indicate that the NART has a relatively high degree of inter‐rater reliability.
Age differences in the rating of life‐stress events: Does contextual detail make a difference?
Authors: Davies Ann D. M. , Saunders Catherine , Newton Timothy J.
Published: July 2011

Twenty‐four young (20 to 25 years) and 24 elderly (61 to 81 years) subjects rated the short‐term (ST) and long‐term (LT) threat of 36 life‐events drawn from a community study of elderly people. Subjects were presented either with full contextual detail about the respondent and the event or with an edited version in which only a basic outline of the event was presented. Assignment of subjects to conditions was random. Agreement of subjects within and between groups as to what events were threatening was high and the untrained groups were also in close agreement with the consensus ratings of a trained panel. There were no significant main effects of age or contextual condition. It is concluded that the concept of the ‘threat’ of an event is generalizable over samples. Analysis of a significant age × context interaction showed that only young subjects rating LT threat were affected by contextual condition. Events supplied with context were rated by them as less threatening than those presented in outline. Some evidence was found to support the view that there may be age differences in the perceived impact of an event over time.
Estimation of premorbid intellectual status in depression
Authors: Crawford J. R. , Besson J. A. O. , Parker D. M. , Sutherland K. M. , Keen P. L.
Published: July 2011

The validity of the NART and Vocabulary subtest of the WAIS as measures of premorbid IQ in depression was assessed by comparing a group of depressed patients (n = 39) with matched controls. The Vocabulary performance of the depressed group was significantly poorer than controls but there was no significant difference in NART performance.
Cognitive style and depression: Symptom‐related, event‐related or independent provoking factor?
Authors: Parry Glenys , Brewin Chris R.
Published: July 2011

Three models of the relation of negative cognitive style to depression are outlined: (1) a symptom model, where negative cognitions are a symptom of depression, (2) a vulnerability model, where a negative life‐event in combination with cognitive vulnerability leads to depression and (3) an alternative aetiologies model, where depression can be precipitated either by stressful life‐events or by a negative cognitive style. Differential predictions from the three models were examined in data from a general population survey of 193 mothers where a reliable case identification procedure and life‐events interview were used together with measures of attributional style and self‐esteem. Results were mostly consistent with the alternative aetiologies model, but also gave some support for the symptom model. In some cases, negative cognitive style may act to increase the risk of depression onset in the absence of life‐event stress.
A longitudinal test of the attributional vulnerability model in children at risk for depression
Authors: Hammen Constance , Adrian Cheri , Hiroto Donald
Published: July 2011

The attributional vulnerability model of depression has rarely been tested in prospective designs, or as an interaction of stressful events and cognitions, or with depression as a specific response outcome. Moreover, the model has rarely been applied to children. All these issues were addressed in this study of prediction of diagnoses during a six‐month follow‐up for a sample of children that included offspring of women with affective disorders presumed to be at high risk for depression. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses failed to support the attributional hypotheses: depression was best predicted by initial symptoms and by life stress but not by attributions for negative outcomes or the interaction of attributions and life‐events. Non‐affective diagnoses, on the other hand, were predicted by an interaction of life‐events and attributions. The results suggest limitations in the range of application of the attributional model in clinical samples, at least with children and adolescents at risk.
Attributional change during psychotherapy
Authors: Firth‐Cozens Jenny , Brewin Chris R.
Published: July 2011

Previous research suggests that causal attributions for life‐events are involved in the process of recovery from depression. The study assessed depressive symptoms and attributions before and after treatment in 40 clients. Each client received two forms of therapy in a cross‐over design: Exploratory (relationship‐oriented, interpersonal) therapy, and Prescriptive (cognitive‐behavioural) therapy. During the course of treatment, attributions became significantly more unstable, specific and controllable. There was a positive relation between attributional change and change in depression symptoms, with significant correlations occurring on all dimensions, apart from Externality, and on a composite measure.
Attribution theory and attributional therapy: Some theoretical observations and suggestions
Authors: Weiner Bernard
Published: July 2011

Two shortcomings of attributional therapy and therapy‐related research are pointed out. First, crucial comparisons between attributional inductions are not being made, so that the variables mediating change remain uncertain and, secondly, the full theory is not being used, thereby greatly limiting the possible change programmes.
Word fluency in patients with early dementia of Alzheimer type
Authors: Hart Siobhan , Smith Christine M. , Swash Michael
Published: July 2011

The relative fluency with which 15 patients with Alzheimer‐type dementia (DAT) retrieved words with specified first letters and belonging to semantically defined categories was assessed. Patients with DAT were always less fluent than controls but, like the 12 normal elderly subjects, they were more efficient in accessing words belonging to semantic categories. Their deficit in retrieving words with specified first letters was greater than that predicted on the basis of verbal intellectual ability. No differences in word fluency were detected in presenile and senile patients. These data support the conclusion that word fluency may prove useful in the detection of early dementia.
Motivational dominance in psychopaths
Authors: Thomas‐Peter B. A. , McDonagh J. D.
Published: July 2011

Thirty‐seven male, medico‐legally defined psychopaths were compared with 29 similarly aged control subjects, on four measures of telic dominance. This tested a hypothesis proposed by Apter (1982) that psychopaths would be paratelic dominant, implying that their motivation would be to increase immediate experiential arousal at the expense of future planning and serious mindedness. The results indicated that the broad category of psychopaths were more telic dominant than controls, contrary to Apter's hypothesis. The same analysis was undertaken comparing control subjects and the experimental group, subdivided into three categories of primary psychopaths, secondary psychopaths and a group of non‐psychopathic offenders. Significant differences were found on all four telic dominance measures. Further analysis revealed the major influence to be extreme telic dominance scores of the non‐psychopathic group. No systematic differences emerged between the normal group and either of the psychopathic groups.
Negative self‐schema: The effects of induced depressed mood
Authors: Sutton Laura J. , Teasdale John D. , Broadbent Donald E.
Published: July 2011

A depth‐of‐processing incidental recall paradigm, previously used as a measure of negative self‐schema in depressed patients (Derry & Kuiper, 1981), was administered to normal subjects in whom depressed or neutral mood had been induced. Subjects in whom depressed mood was induced showed a pattern of recall similar to that previously found for depressed patients, suggesting (1) that at least some of the effects observed in depressed patients were a function of transient mood state, rather than persistent characteristics, and (2) that these effects of depressed mood also occur in individuals who have not been selected for vulnerability to clinical depression.
Psychological therapy as viewed by clients and therapists
Authors: Llewelyn Susan P.
Published: July 2011

Results are presented from a study in which 40 therapist‐client pairs were asked to record, after each session of psychological therapy, their views concerning the helpful and unhelpful events which took place. On termination they were asked to describe their views of the helpful and unhelpful events in retrospect, and to report on outcome. A total of 1076 events was collected from 399 therapy sessions, and was content analysed using Elliott's Therapeutic Impact Content Analysis System. Results showed that during therapy the types of event most frequently reported by clients were reassurance/relief and problem solution events, whereas therapists reported the clients' gaining of cognitive and affective insight. After termination, both participants reported the importance to the client of personal contact. Many of the differences between the two perspectives were highly significant, although more differences were found when outcome was poor. It is suggested that different aspects of the therapeutic process have a different degree of salience for therapists and clients, in that clients are most interested in gaining a solution to their problems and feeling better, whereas therapists are more concerned with the aetiology of the problem and its transformation through insight. The implications of these differences are discussed.
A note on the female norms of the HDHQ
Authors: McPherson F. M.
Published: July 2011

Two samples ‐ of 200 women tested in their homes and of 85 women attending a general practice ‐ completed the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ). The scores of the two samples on General Hostility and on the five subscales ‐ AH, CO, PH, G and SC ‐ were similar to one another but were significantly higher, indicating greater hostility, than those of the normative samples reported in the HDHQ Manual. These and previous findings cast doubt on the value of the Manual norms.
Failure to replicate evidence for phobic schemata in agoraphobic patients
Authors: Pickles A. J. , van den Broek M. D.
Published: July 2011

Two experiments incorporating methodological refinements were conducted to replicate previous findings that agoraphobics selectively recall phobic material compared with normal subjects. In addition, patients with anxiety states but no phobic symptomatology were studied to assess whether selective recall is specific to agoraphobia or a feature of anxious patients generally. The results of both studies failed to replicate previous findings and fail to offer support for recent theorizing regarding the presence of cognitive differences between agoraphobics and normals.