The corresponding hypothesis that 2 groups are associated with contrast between those parts that belong to different groups is also considered. With Descriptions of Historical and Social Context Bernard Guerin University of Waikato Many explanations in psychology rely on notions of catharsis, drive reduction, or uncertainty reduction. Seven examples are given in detail, including the reduction in anxiety about life through religion, the cognitive psychology assumption of uncertainty reduction through categorization, and the reduction in anxiety resulting from making rumors. Relying on descriptions of historical and social context rather than on theories of catharsis provides a better basis for applied interventions and integration into the social sciences but requires that psychologists pay much more attention to measuring such details. The loss of a marital partner results in substantial increases in morbidity and mortality among both men and women, but the effects are relatively greater for widowers than for widows in the acute grieving period.
Evidence is reviewed, and explanations of the pattern are examined.