Relationships of admissions data and measurements of psychological constructs with psychomotor performance of dental technology students.

Abstract: The psychomotor skills required in dental laboratory technology and dentistry are similar. Dental educators have recognized the problems in selecting from among dental school applicants those with potential psychomotor skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of admissions data and measurements of psychological constructs of dental technology students with their psychomotor performance in first-semester dental laboratory courses. The dependent variables selected for the study were grades from three laboratory courses. Significant positive correlations (p<.05) were noted between all laboratory grades and previous college hours, previous college GPA, interview scores, field dependence-independence scores, block counting, trust, straightforwardness, and dutifulness. These data indicate that individual differentiation in learning ability, visual or spatial perception, and personality do affect psychomotor learning and should be taken into consideration in the design and execution of teaching and training curricula.

B.S. Education in Dental Laboratory Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center: an organizing framework.

This article describes the conceptual framework upon which the Bachelor's Degree program in Dental Laboratory Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center was constructed. Development of specific program objectives rested on the following four guiding principles: 1) combine professional laboratory training with management education; 2) focus on a problem-based pedagogy; 3) provide flexibility to accommodate today's "nontraditional" student population; and 4) utilize the close relationship with the University of Texas Dental School at San Antonio.

Work disability among cancer patients.

To identify factors affecting the ability of persons with recent cancer diagnoses to remain in the labor force and retain premorbid levels of work performance, the investigators analyzed data on 247 individuals with lung, pancreatic, prostatic, or cervical cancer. Subjects were selected from a population-based tumor registry. According to Pearson correlations, ordinary least squares multiple regression, and logistic analysis, physical factors related to disease were the strongest predictors of work disability, defined as either leaving the labor force or functioning less fully at work than before becoming ill. The strongest predictors of work disability were physical dysfunction measured by the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) and disease stage. Social background factors such as age, sex, income, and education were not statistically significant predictors. Two job characteristics, (1) physical demands of work and (2) discretion over hours worked and how much work would be done, predicted work disability, the latter appearing to help prevent this condition. Strictly disease-related factors appear more important here in predicting work disability than in studies of other diseases. Still, it appears that increasing flexibility of working hours and the pace of work could help some individuals with cancer histories remain in the labor force. Unwillingness of employers to facilitate such accommodation where technically feasible may constitute a form of discrimination against the cancer patient.

Controlled evaluation of a hospital-originated community transitional system.

The effect of a treatment program (E) providing inpatient care, a day hospital, community housing, and sheltered work are compared with a program (C) emphasizing rapid discharge. A group of 94 male general psychiatric patients were randomized to the two units. Outcome data collected at 18 months from admission revealed small but significant differences between the total samples in employment, maintenance of treatment contact, use of medication, and social adjustment. More C than E patients were in the hospital after the 14th month. Program effects varied considerably with patient type. Patients with less social disability had somewhat better employment outcomes with the E program, but no differences in use of services. Patients with a better prognosis by measure of psychopathology (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory cluster and diagnosis of schizophrenia) spent less inpatient time in the E program, but were not helped to better employment outcomes. Patients with greater social handicap were not differentially affected. More E patients than C with a poorer prognosis stayed in outpatient treatment and used antipsychotic medications. Patients in the E group with better previous employment and more social isolation used the E day hospital and community housing more heavily than other E subgroups.

Evoked potential correlates of signal recognition between and within modalities.

Electrical responses evoked by clicks, flashes, changes in noise level, and changes in light level were recorded from the scalps of human subjects set to detect one of the stimuli. An early negative component of the evoked responses reflects selection between sensory modalities, whereas the later positive component reflects a more complex intramodal discrimination.