An exploratory study of state-trait anxiety as a function of automated relaxation training,desired changes and drinking behavior

Fifty-two VA domiciliary residents were given four sessions of tape-recorded relaxation training in small groups. The State-Trait Anxiety Scale was administered before the first and last training sessions. The experimental group's mean state anxiety decreased from Test I to Test II, but a control group's mean increased (p<0.025). Both groups decreased in trait anxiety over time (p<0.001). A significant effect within the experimental group was that 9 residents with disciplinary problems due to intoxication during the training period increased in mean state anxiety, while the remainder of the group decreased. Experimental Ss who initially desired many trait changes decreased mean trait anxiety more from Test I to Test II than did the rest of the experimental group (p<0.025).     

The influence of handling and isolation postweaning on open field,exploratory and maternal behavior of female rats

Fifty-three black-hooded female rats, raised from the 28th to the 128th day of life under four types of environmental conditions differing in social and handling factors, had their behavioral performance evaluated in eight tests involving exploration of a complex environment (EX) in two open field (OF) tests and in three pup-retrieving tests. These tests were held before, during and after the period of lactation of their first brood. Females differed from (previously studied) males in that environmental raising conditions had a much smaller influence, especially during the lactation period. Nevertheless, females raised in isolation tended to remain for longer times inside a protected den in the exploration tests and to have greater locomotion in the open field. Previous handling allowed a greater exploration during the first contact with the novel complex environment as well as greater activity in the open field. The presence of small pups drastically reduced the exploratory motivation, but the presence of pups more than 20 days old tended to increase it. Maternal behavior evaluated in the pup retrieval test and in the test of time for the female to leave the nest side of the double box system was markedly refractory to previous environmental influences.     

Changes in sexual behavior as a function of plasma sex steroid levels in post-menopausal women

Eight women who had been maintained on a combined estrogen-androgen drug since hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy 2 yr previously were investigated for changes in sexual behavior during the course of 1 treatment cycle. Following intramuscular injection of both sex steroids, plasma estradiol levels were within the normal range of young, cycling women but plasma testosterone exceeded the upper limit of normal female values. Sexual motivational behaviors (desire, fantasies and arousal) covaried with plasma steroid levels. Rates of coitus and orgasm, however, were unrelated to the changing levels of circulating hormones. A differential effect of the sex steroids on various aspects of sexual functioning was thus confirmed.     

A differential sex effect of amphetamine on exploratory behavior in maturing mice

The effects of amphetamine (5-20 mg/kg) were studied 60 min after injection in mice aged 2, 3, 4 and 6 weeks postpartum. Exploratory behavior as indicated by the "head poke" test was depressed at all ages, but appeared to be relatively uncomplicated by other effects at the 5 mg/kg dose. At 4 and 6 weeks control females showed significantly greater activity than males, and amphetamine produced a greater reduction for control levels than in males.     

Expression of anger as a function of assertiveness and sex

Examined differences between asserters and nonasserters and between the sexes on anger expression. Thirty-seven male and 53 female college students were administered the College Self-Expression Scale, the Buss Durkee Hostility Inventory, and the Anger Self Report. As hypothesized, asserters and males expressed more anger and aggression, and nonasserters experienced more covert anger. The clinical/treatment implications of these findings were discussed. A finding discrepant with previous research and the present researchers' expectations, that men scored higher than women on guilt and condemnation of anger, was thought to reflect this study's sample rather than an actual population difference.     

Effects of auditory stimulation on heart rate in premature infants as a function of level of arousal, probability of CNS damage, and conceptional age

In 2 experiments, heart rate responses of newborn infants to an auditory stimulus as a function of sleep vs wakefulness, probability of perinatal impairment of the central nervous system, and developmental level were compared. All subjects were studied under standard conditions, in their own incubators, using an 80 dB (re 0.02 dynes/cm²) low-frequency buzzer of 3-sec duration. Heart rate responses were averaged over 10 trials for each subject in each state. In the first study, which compared the responses of high- and low-risk subjects of 1800 gm or greater weight, it was found that there was no difference between the groups in the response during sleep; or greater weight, it was found that there was no difference between the groups in the response during sleep; during wakefulness, however, a significant difference in the direction of response was found. High-risk subjects accelerated, as in sleep, whereas low-risk subjects decelerated. In a developmental study of 4 small premature infants, it was found that the direction of the waking heart rate response changed from acceleration to deceleration at about 35 to 36 weeks conceptional age.     

Adolescents' MMPI performance,cynicism, estrangement,and personal adjustment as a function of race and sex

Investigated race and sex differences of lower-class adolescents ( N = 76) on the MMPI, cynicism, estrangement, and ACL personal adjustment scales. Results revealed no racial differences on MMPI clinical scales or the ACL personal adjustment scale. Significant racial differences on L, F, and cynicism supported the interpretation of cultural differences rather than differential racial adjustment. Sex differences were more prevalent than race differences and discussion cautioned against overlooking sex differences in favor of racial differences and cautioned against the use of the K correction procedure with MMPIs obtained from adolescents.     

Modification of the corticosterone response curve as a function of handling in infancy

Rats were handled on days 1–5 or 1–20 at ambient temperature (22.2°C); a third group was handled for the first 5 days at body temperature (35.5°C) while a control group group was not disturbed. At 35–37 days of age all animals were exposed to a novel stimulus and then their plasma was assayed for adrenocorticosterone. The corticosterone levels of all experimental groups was significantly less than that of the control group. In addition, the rate of return to a resting level was significantly more rapid in the handled groups than in the control.     

Progressive relaxation as a function of procedural variations and anxiety level

Progressive relaxation is subject to many procedural variations. Although most investigators follow the 5-7 s tension interval advocated by Bernstein and Borkovec (1973), longer tension intervals may contribute to greater relaxation effects. This study compared tension intervals of 5, 15, and 45 s. Since the development of control over muscle tension requires attention to feedback signals, a focus on internal proprioceptive sensations was contrasted with an external condition in which the subjects silently subtracted numbers immediately following the tension-release cycle. Longer periods of tension resulted in lower EMG levels, with the 45-s tension interval producing the greatest relaxation. Those individuals who focused on physiological sensations during training were able to achieve greater levels of relaxation after the training phase was completed. There was a significant interaction between tension interval duration and focusing; subjects in the 45-s interval who focused on physiological functioning showed the greatest arousal reduction. Anxiety level did not differentially influence the effects of procedural variations in training. Clearly, additional parametric studies in relaxation training are needed.     

Schizophrenic behavior as a function of role expectation.

The hypothesis that the behavior of schizophrenic patients is determined in part by role expectation was investigated. The Holtzman Inkblot Technique and a word association task were administered to the same patients under two conditions: (1) Ss were led to believe that the interviewer was unaware of their patient status and expected them to behave in a normal manner; and (2) Ss were informed that the interviewer was interested in their behavior as mental patients. The results indicated that there was less evidence of pathology on the Holtzman when Ss were told that the interviewer expected them to behave in a normal manner. More specifically, there was less Pathognomonic Verbalization and more Form Appropriateness in the normal expectation condition. The findings are consistent with current views as to the pathogenic effects of labeling and institutionalization.     

NEO-PI profiles in PTSD as a function of trauma level

One hundred Vietnam veterans with combat-related PTSD were administered the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) and the Combat Exposure Scale and were sorted into three groups based on trauma exposure level. Results indicate no significant differences among the personality profiles of the three trauma-exposed groups. A normative NEO-PI profile for persons diagnosed with combat-related PTSD is presented, characterized by an extremely high Neuroticism score (T>75) and an extremely low Agreeableness score (T<25).     

Collision avoidance behavior as a function of aging and tennis playing

Daily living often requires pedestrians and drivers to adapt their behavior to the displacement of other objects in their environment in order to avoid collision. Yet little research has paid attention to the effect of age on the completion of such a challenging task. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between age and collision avoidance skill and whether a sporting activity affects this. Three age groups (20–30, 60–70, and 70–80 years) of tennis players and non-players launched a projectile toward a target in order to hit it before it was hit by another “object” (a stimulus represented by apparent motion of lights). If the participant judged that time-to-collision (TTC) of the moving stimulus was not long enough for him/her to launch the projectile in time to arrive before the stimulus, the participant had to inhibit the launching. Results showed that for the non-players the number of errors in the 70–80 year-old group was significantly higher than those of the 20–30 and 60–70 year-old groups, which did not differ from each other. However, this increase was not observed in the 70-80 year-old tennis players, demonstrating a beneficial effect of playing tennis on collision avoidance skill. Results also revealed that the older groups of both tennis players and non-players were subject to the typical age-related increase in response time. Additional analyses indicated that the 70–80 year-old non-players did not adjust their actions to these age-related changes in response time. The older tennis-playing participants, however, were more likely to adjust collision avoidance behavior to their diminished response times.

Latency and amplitude changes in the acoustic startle reflex of the rat produced by variation in auditory prestimulation

Two experiments investigated the effect of an auditory prestimulus (S₁) on the amplitude and latency of the startle reflex to an intense tone burst (S₂). In the first, with a fixed S₁ intensity, with very short (<15 msec) ISIs reflex amplitudes were increased and latencies reduced by S₁ presence and with longer intervals (40 msec) amplitudes were reduced and latencies increased. Inhibition was apparent on the amplitude measure at lag times ineffective in altering the latency measure. In the second, with a fixed and long S₁ duration reflex amplitudes increased with an increase in S₁ intensity up to moderate (≈75 db) levels, but further increases in S₁ produced a reduction in amplitudes. However any increase in S₁ intensity over the minimum value tested (60 db) resulted in an increment in reflex latency. These experiments reveal the presence of three separable influences of auditory prestimuli on the acoustic startle reflex in the rat.     

Leisure-time physical activity behavior: structured and unstructured choices according to sex,age, and level of physical activity

The main goals of this cross-sectional survey were (a) to describe the associations between sex, age, and physical activity behavior and (b) to describe the age and sex-related associations with the choice of structured (formal) and unstructured (nonformal) physical activity programs. At baseline, data were selected randomly from 1,013 students, from the 7th to the 12th grades. A response rate of 73% (n = 739) was obtained. Accordingly, the sample of this study consisted of 594 adolescents (304 females and 290 males) with mean age of 15.9 years (range 13-20). Physical activity was assessed by means of a questionnaire. A questionnaire about leisure activities was applied to the sample to define the nominal variable “nature of physical activity.” The data showed that significantly more girls than boys (p ≤ .001) belonged to the sedentary group (80.7% girls) and low activity group (64.5% girls). Boys more frequently belonged to the more active groups (92.1%; p ≥ .001). The older participants were more engaged in formal physical activities, whereas the younger mostly chose informal ones whatever their level of physical activity. There were more significant differences in girls’ physical activity groups (X² = 20.663, p≤ .001) than in boys’ (X² = 7.662, p≤ .05). Furthermore, active girls chose more structured physical activities than their sedentary counterparts (18.8% vs. 83.3%). However, boys preferred unstructured activities regardless of physical activity group (83.7% vs. 58.5%; p ≤ .05). It can be concluded that as age increased, organized sports activities became a relatively more important component of total weekly activity for both male and female participants.