The impact of psychoticism on perceived hassles, depression, hostility, and hopelessness in non-psychiatric African Americans

Psychotic symptoms are distributed along a continuum that extends from normality to diagnosable psychotic disorders and the presence of psychoticism among individuals in the general population may lead to morbidity and social impairment. This study examined a model in which psychoticism leads to several important psychological consequences. The analysis included 134 African Americans with no psychiatric history who were being seen in medical walk-in clinics for non-emergency medical problems. Psychoticism, perceived hassles, depression, hostility, and hopelessness were measured. The Linear Structural Relations Program (LISREL) was used to test the fit of the data to the proposed model, a trimmed hierarchical version, and two alternative models. The data supported a model in which psychoticism has substantial effects on several important characteristics: perceived daily hassles, depression, and hostility. Depression mediated the association between psychoticism and hopelessness. Goodness-of-fit indices for a final trimmed model that eliminated one path from the initial postulated model revealed good fit to the data, and the two alternative models were found not to fit the data. Like psychosis itself, psychoticism appears to cause meaningful dysfunction even among non-psychiatric individuals from the general population. Additional research is needed to further characterize the detrimental effects of psychoticism or self-reported psychotic symptoms in the general, non-psychiatric population.     

Effekte von (-) δ9-trans-Tetrahydrocannabinol (δ9-THC) auf Psychotizismus-Tests

Zusammenfassung Die Wirkung von 250 g/kg (-)⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol p.o. wurde in einem Doppelblindversuch an 36 freiwilligen Probanden mit solchen objektiven Tests und Leistungstests untersucht, die nach Eysenck die Persönlichkeitsdimension Psychotizismus messen. Die Hypothese der Untersuchung bestand darin, da\ sich Probanden unter ⁹-THC von solchen unter Plabeo in gleicher Richtung wie endogene Psychotiker von psychisch Gesunden unterscheiden. Die Hypothese wurde nur in 5 von 19 Variablen bestÄtigt. 4 dieser 5 Variablen können als Tests der KonzentrationsfÄhigkeit betrachtet werden.

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Effects of (-)⁹-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (⁹-THC) on tests of psychoticism

In a double-blind study on 36 volunteers the effects of 250 g/kg (-)⁹-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol p.o. on objective and performance tests measuring psychoticism according to Eysenck were assessed. The hypothesis was tested that subjects treated with ⁹-THC differ from those receiving placebo in the same way as endogenous psychotics differ from normals. Confirmation was obtained in only 5 out of 19 variables. Four of these 5 variables may be considered as tests of concentration.

     

Laterality in schizophrenia

Summary A laterality study in schizophrenia was carried out by measuring reaction time (RT) in a baseline condition and while subjects were engaged in a concurrent task. In the baseline condition, a clinical measure of psychoticism was associated with differential slowing with the right hand in schizophrenic dextrals but not in a control group of affective dextrals. The concurrent task suppressed the effect of psychoticism on RT performance. The results suggest that left-hemisphere deficits in schizophrenia are state dependent, and so not necessarily due to cortical dysfunction.From a doctoral thesis completed at the New School for Social Research     

A conditioning model of delusion

“Delusions” are beliefs that are false and persistent. It is suggested here that these characteristics can emerge from interplays between two fundamental learning processes: (1) the allocation of attentional resources among stimuli; and (2) the effects of feedback on learning. The former of these has been operationalized in the learned irrelevance and latent inhibition paradigms; the latter in studies of the effects of persistence-training. Normally, the attentional process functions to constrain persistence-training effects so that only valid associations acquire persistence. But when persistence-training is less influenced in this way, its mechanisms can interact with a noisy environment to gradually insulate maladaptive associations from disconfirming feedback. When unchecked, these dynamics likely lead to a systematic distortion of beliefs that can become increasingly persistent regardless of their validity. Delusions are therefore predicted to tend to arise whenever the balance of (1) is weakened in favour of (2), whether by experimental manipulation, trait-related factors, cultural causes or evolutionary history. Existing evidence is consistent with the model and further implications are discussed.     

Investigation of shared genetic effects for psychotic and obsessive symptoms in young adult twins

Genetic and environmental architecture of psychotic and obsessive symptoms are not completely elucidated. This study estimated for these symptoms (i) the genetic and environmental components, (ii) the within-individual association, and (iii) the extent to which this association originates from common genetic and environmental factors. Young adult twins (N = 701) from the population-based Italian Twin Register were assessed for psychotic and obsessive-compulsive symptoms by using the Symptom Check List (SCL-90). Multivariate Cholesky models were fitted by the Mx statistical program. No previous study used this design to examine the same dimensions. The best-fitting model included additive genetic and nonshared environmental components, each accounting for about half of total variance in the symptoms. Genetic influences on the different symptoms overlapped considerably (r_g = 0.81 to 0.99). Phenotypic correlations of psychotic symptoms and of psychotic with obsessive symptoms were high (r = 0.61 to 0.76), with 53% to 69% explained by shared genetic effects. This study shows substantial genetic influence on psychotic and obsessive symptoms, and indicates that their co-occurrence may be due to genetic factors to a greater extent than to environmental effects. These results encourage the search for genetic and environmental factors underlying the covariance between different psychotic traits as well as between psychotic and obsessive traits.     

胃十二指肠溃疡儿童个性特征的比较研究

目的　比较研究学龄儿童胃十二指肠溃疡、胃十二指肠炎和浅表性胃炎的个性特征。方法　通过内窥镜检查确诊的 4 3例胃十二指肠溃疡、12 7例胃十二指肠炎、10 1例浅表性胃炎的学龄儿童 ,平均年龄 10 .2 4岁 ;男女之比 1.3:1;与 10 0例健康学龄儿童作对照。使用儿童艾森克个性测试问卷进行个性测试 ,使用卡方检验法作统计学比较。结果　 (1)胃十二指肠溃疡组儿童 ,P维度值≤ 4 0的人数明显多于健康对照组 (P <0 .0 1)和多于胃十二指肠炎组 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;胃十二指肠炎症组和浅表性胃炎组 ,P维度值≤ 4 0的人数也多于健康对照组 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;(2 )健康对照组儿童 ,E维度值≥ 6 0的人数明显多于胃十二指肠溃疡组、炎症组和浅表性胃炎组儿童 (P <0 .0 1) ;(3)胃十二指肠溃疡组儿童 ,HP(+)人数明显多于胃十二指肠炎组和浅表性胃炎组儿童 (P <0 .0 1) ,而胃十二指肠炎组HP(+)人数也多于浅表性胃炎组儿童 (P <0 .0 5 )。结论　胃十二指肠溃疡儿童相对有如下个性特征 :个性软弱、缺乏主见、依赖性强、友善、服从、富于同情心 ,易融化于外界环境。     

Relative finger lengths, sex differences, and psychological traits

Various finger length and personality and ability measures were obtained for a sample of Australian adolescent twins (306 boys and 397 girls). A new measure of relative finger length (the length of a given finger relative to the sum of all four fingers) was investigated, and shown to be superior to the traditional 2D:4D for discriminating between the sexes. It also had the advantage of permitting a more analytic approach: for example, the 2nd finger-length contributed much more than the 4th finger length to the sex difference in 2D:4D, and a smooth gradient of sex differences across the hand was evident. Sex differences on right hands were greater than those for left hands. Within-sex correlations were obtained between the various finger-length measures and a personality and an ability scale that showed relatively large sex differences (Eysenck’s Psychoticism scale and the spatial subscale from Jackson’s Multidimensional Aptitude Battery). The correlations were low, but on the whole consistent with the between-sex differences for the girls. For the boys, this was so for Psychoticism, but spatial ability was, if anything, correlated in the opposite direction.     

上海市高中生人格特征与特长学习经历的关联性

目的:了解上海市高中生的人格特征及其与特长学习经历的关联性。方法:采用方便抽样法抽取上海市5个区9所高中,对4056名高中生进行匿名问卷调查,内容包括一般人口学资料、高中生特长学习相关情况,采用艾森克个性问卷测量其人格特征。结果:被调查高中生中,71.2%的人参加过特长学习。17.1%的被调查高中生典型内向,13.5%的高中生典型外向,13.9%为典型精神质,13.8%为典型情绪稳定,15.5%为典型情绪不稳定。参加特长学习的学生精神质的比例均低于未参加特长学习的学生,差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。参加艺术、科技、体育特长学习的学生比不参加的学生均倾向于外向,OR值分别为1.44(1.01~1.81)、2.04(1.35~3.07)、1.41(1.06~1.86);参加特长学习的起始年龄每减小1岁,典型内向的可能性减小5%;喜欢其参加的特长学习的学生典型内向和典型精神质的可能性分别减小29%和36%(P均0.05)。结论:参加特长学习的种类、起始年龄和是否喜欢会对高中生人格特征产生不同程度影响。     

大学生在人格问卷测谎量表上的得分与反应时的关系

目的：探索大学生在人格问卷测谎量表上的得分与反应时之间的关系，并且验证测谎量表得分与其他人格维度的关系。方法：采用“艾森克人格问卷”和“明尼苏达多相人格测试”中的测谎量表，对132名高校学生进行测查。结果：大学生在测谎量表上的得分与反应时间存在正相关（P〈0．05），测谎量表得分高的被试反应时间显著长于得分低的被试的反应时间（P〈0．01）。此外，测谎量表的得分与神经质存在负相关（P〈0．01），与精神质存在负相关（P〈0．01）。结论：本研究发现了反应时与测谎量表得分的关系．为直接测量手段引入传统量表测验做了一定的铺垫。     

原发性闭角型青光眼患者心理个性和行为特征

目的 探讨原发性闭角型青光眼(PACG)患者心理、个性和行为特征.方法 对53例PACG患者和54名正常人分别运用焦虑自评量表(SAS)、抑郁自评量表(SDS)、艾森克个性问卷(EPQ)和A型行为问卷(TABQ)进行调查评估,并对测量结果进行独立样本t检验、OneWay ANOVA分析、x2检验以及相关性分析.结果 (Ⅰ)PACG组焦虑值(SAS=42.85±7.30),精神质性(P=49.33±9.05)、时间紧迫(TH=15.23±3.24),争强好胜(CH=15.32±3.51)及TH+CH总分(TH+CH=30.55±5.97)与正常组相比差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).(Ⅱ)急性PACG组的SAS得分与正常组差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01);急、慢性PACG组分别与正常组比较,精神质(P)与TH+CH差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);慢性PACG组的神经质性(N)值得分与急性组、正常组比较差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).(Ⅲ)PACG组与正常组的TABQ量表得分经x2检验得两组A型行为比例差异有统计学意义(x2=10.912,P=0.028＜0.05).(Ⅳ)PACG组中SAS与SDS、CH、TH+CH相关性均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).EPQ测验中P值与SAS、TH、CH和TH+CH均无相关(P＞0.05).结论 PACG患者有明显的焦虑、精神质以及A型行为倾向.