Quantitative determination of F:O ratios in rare earth oxide fluorides by energy dispersive X-ray analysis.

The F:O ratio in homogeneous and inhomogeneous rare earth oxide fluoride systems of compositions RO(1+x)F(1-2x) with -0.1

Degree of pathology as related to readiness to accept labels in process and reactive schizophrenics.

Two experiments were performed in order to determine whether readiness to accept deviant labels, as measured by acquiescence set, interacts with type of schizophrenia (process vs. reactive) to influence level of pathology. It was found on both a behavioral measure and a psychometric measure of psychopathology that high acquiescent process schizophrenics manifested more pathology than did either low acquiescent process or reactive schizophrenics, both of whom showed more pathology than high acquiescent reactive schizophrenics. The results suggest that one's acceptance of deviant labels as well as one's past history of being assigned social and evaluative labels may influence the patient's level of pathology. Scheff (1966), in viewing the mental patient from a sociological perspective, suggests that an important determinant of mental disorder is the acceptance by the deviant individual of the various labels which stigmatize him as mentally ill. If this is the case, then individual differences in readiness to accept or agree with labels about oneself may be related to the degree of pathology manifested in a psychiatric population. The present authors sought to determine if acquiescence set, as measured by the Agreement Response Scale (Couch & Keniston, 1960), is related to degree of pathology in schizophrenic patients. The Agreement Response Scale was used as a measure of the general tendency to acquiesce to or agree with personality statements or labels. The investigators performed two experiments, in Experiment 1 a behavioral measure of pathology was used and in Experiment 2 a psychometric measure of pathology was used. In addition, the schizophrenic Ss were grouped according to the process-reactive distinction as the reactive schizophrenic may be expected to have a more favorable history of labeling than would the process schizophrenic.

Divergent validity evidence for Eckblad and Chapman's Hypomanic Personality Scale.

Subsequent to final examinations, Eckblad and Chapman's Hypomanic Personality Scale was given to 115 students; the STAI and the Cognitive Interference Questionnaire also were administered. Analysis found that the Hypomanic Personality Scale shows divergence from the measures of anxiety and cognitive interference despite the fact that convergence has been found on other scales of hypomania. In addition, males scored significantly higher than females on the scale. There was no significant relation of the Hypomanic Scale with examination performance.

Effects of anxiety and depression on anagram performance, ratings of cognitive interference, and the negative subjective evaluation of performance.

Studied whether any differential effects of anxiety and depression could be discerned in the anagram performance, ratings of cognitive interference, and subjective evaluation of anagram performance displayed by college students. Seventy-two undergraduates (36 male, 36 female) were selected to participate in the present experiment on the basis of their scores on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (A-Trait) and/or the Beck Depression Inventory. Results showed that depressed-anxious and anxious Ss displayed a tendency toward reduced efficiency in anagram solution, rated themselves as having experienced significantly more cognitive interference during the anagram task, and displayed a significantly more negative subjective evaluation of their anagram performance than did control Ss. Quasi-F analyses revealed that these results were related significantly to the anxiety factor common to both depressed-anxious and anxious Ss. Implications of these results for future research on anxiety and depression were discussed.

The effects of ego-involvement and task difficulty on actual and perceived performance of depressed college students.

Determined whether situational manipulations of personal investment/threat influence the actual and perceived performance of depressed college students on a problem-solving task. Ss were 48 undergraduate students selected on the basis of scores on the MMPI D-scale. Ss within each level of depression were assigned randomly to either ego-involvement or task-involvement conditions. Involvement was manipulated through (a) instructions given to Ss; (b) method of data identification used; and (c) E interaction with a confederate who posed as a S. Within each condition of involvement, Ss were assigned randomly to unscramble either four- or six-letter anagrams. Results showed that in the difficult task-ego-involvement condition, the high depressed Ss made significantly more negative subjective appraisals of their performance than did the low depressed. These groups did not differ from each other under other conditions. It was concluded that depressives are most likely to evaluate negatively their performance in situations that present a challenge and/or threat to them and in which they may have some personal investment.

Depressives' cognitive appraisal of their mood states.

Assessed the self-perceptions with regard to depressive mood states among high depression scoring Ss and non-depressed Ss. Twenty high scorers and 20 low scorers on the MMPI D scale were selected from a larger group and were given three adaptations of the DACL: A present or "Now" version, an ideal-self or "Like to Be" version, and a new "Deserve to Be" form of instructions. Results showed significant differences between the two groups on the "Now" and the "Deserve to "Be" adaptations of the DACL, but not on the "Like to Be" adaptation. Results were discussed in terms of the cognitive theory of depression.

Development and initial evaluation of a multiscore depression inventory.

The construction and evaluation of a new self-report depression inventory was presented. Altogether 833 subjects participated in the various phases of the study. A sequential item selection strategy resulted in an inventory that provided separate scores for ten subscales: Sad Mood, Fatigue, Learned Helplessness, Guilt, Pessimism, Social Introversion, Irritability, Instrumental Helplessness, Low Self-Esteem, and Cognitive Difficulty. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were satisfactory. Concurrent validity of the full scale was demonstrated by high correlations with existing measures. Criterion related validity and face validity were also demonstrated. It was concluded that the new inventory might prove to be a useful research tool for studying depression in normal populations, and the need for further evaluation of psychometric properties in normal and clinical populations was noted.

Type A behavior, academic aspirations, and academic success.

This study investigated the link between the Type A coronary-prone behavior pattern and attainment of success in an academic setting. First semester college freshman were administered 3 sets of questionnaires during the course of the fall semester that were designed to assess academic activities, outside responsibilities, and importance of academic success. Indices of actual academic performance were obtained from university records. The hypotheses that Type A students (1) would be involved in more activities, (2) place greater importance on academic success, and (3) actually achieve higher performance levels than Type B students, were confirmed. In addition, the results found that compared to Type B, the Type A students perceived more parental pressure, came from higher SES families, and were more clear as to what was expected of them. Implications for further research are discussed.

Phenomenological perceptions of parental evaluations in depressed and nondepressed college students.

Examined three hypothesis shared in common by several contemporary theoreticians of depression: (1) depressogenic parents maintain unrealistically high ideals for their offspring; (2) depressogenic parents negatively evaluate these offspring; (3) depressive offspring show lowered self-evaluations. Phenomenological perceptions of parental ideals and attitudes were reported by depressed and nondepressed college students (N = 48). These data supported the latter two hypotheses, but not the first. Results are discussed in terms of interpersonal attraction theory as well as in terms of a possible model of mutual influencability in the family interactions of depressives.