Anger and drug addiction.

Differences in the experience, expression, and control of anger were evaluated for young-adult drug addicts and a control group (matched in age, residence, and education) of nondrug users from Southern Italy. The Italian adaptation of Spielberger's State- Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) was administered with standard instructions to both groups. Drug abusers had significantly higher scores on the STAXI State and Trait scales, the Trait-Angry Temperament and Reaction sub-scales, and the Anger-Out and Total Anger Expression scales, and significantly lower scores on Anger-Control. These findings indicate that the drug abusers experienced anger more often than the nonusers, were more likely to express anger toward other persons or objects in the environment, and had less control of their angry feelings.

Scores on locus of control and aggression for drug addicts, users, and controls.

This study assessed aggression and locus of control in 20 drug users, 20 addicts and 20 control subjects. The Rotter Locus of Control Scale and the Questionnaire for Measuring Spontaneous Aggression were administered to 60 men. In comparison with drug users and controls, the addicts obtained higher scores on External Locus of Control and Spontaneous Aggression, so addicts and drug users must be considered two distinct groups. Nevertheless, no statistically significant correlation between scores on these measures was found.

Longitudinal survey of mental retardation during adolescence among Italian pupils.

In this paper are analysed the increases in mental age during a 3- to 31/2-yr. interval of 54 adolescents classified as mildly or moderately mentally retarded who had participated in rehabilitation therapy (therapy) or had no therapy (control). Analysis showed that the rehabilitation therapy significantly increased mental age only for subjects with mild retardation but not those with moderate mental retardation.

Psychology of computer use: XXXVI. Visual discomfort and different types of work at videodisplay terminals.

The relationship between visual discomfort (or asthenopia) and different types of work using display units for 10,626 videodisplay terminal operators of the Italian Telecommunication Company was studied. Visual discomfort was evaluated as related to data entry, data checking, word processing, dialogue, enquiry, and various services. Chi-squared indicated that visual discomfort was not significantly related to any particular type of work for subjects with similar amounts of weekly time using videodisplay units. These findings are consistent with earlier results indicating that the main factor determining visual fatigue in VDT operators is the amount of time spent on the display units.

Protective filters in the prevention of asthenopia at a video display terminal.

In this work 25,064 employees were studied with the aim of investigating whether the video display terminal (VDT) equipped with filters reduces the incidence of asthenopia with reference to weekly time spent at a VDT and duration of work at a VDT. Analysis showed that the filters themselves do not reduce the occurrence of asthenopia consequent to various factors (refractive defects, time spent at a VDT, and monitors' characteristics).

Causality, linearity, and circularity of relations between stressful life events and pain experience.

The aim of this paper is to point out a methodological problem found in the 1994 Naidoo and Pillay study on pain experience. The problem is that an equivocal interpretation of cause-and-effect relationships among variables can lead to testing of mistaken hypotheses in later researches.

Language, personal-social abilities, and motor performance in preschool children and family characteristics of addicts in southern Italy.

To replicate a previous study on the same argument by Powers, Duran, and Reynolds (1993), 38 substance abusers' scores on family cohesion, expression, conflict, and the abilities of their children (language, personal-social abilities, fine and gross motor performance) were analyzed. The nonsignificant results confirm those found by Powers, et al.

Longitudinal survey of anxiety and depression in drug users and addicts.

As a follow-up to our 1990 study of anxiety and depression among drug users, after two years 44 men differed in their experience with drugs and from the first phase of the study five of the 20 controls became drug users, two of the 20 drug users became addicts, and one of the 20 drug abusers died from AIDS. These findings do not confirm the 1989 thesis of Newcomb and Bentler on the etiology of addiction, that depression and anxiety imply greater drug use. Positive correlations were found for drug use with anxiety and depression. Such data confirm those found by De Mojà in 1990.

Cooperativeness and competitiveness among pupils in southern Italy.

In this replication of 1985 work by Schwalb and Schwalb for a Japanese sample, 208 pupils in southern Italy were asked to rank 10 activities from a questionnaire listing of cooperative and competitive activities. All subjects selected more cooperative than competitive activities. The 106 boys were more competitive than the 102 girls. Middle-school pupils (n = 106) were more cooperative than high-school pupils (n = 102). The observations confirm Schwalb and Schwalb's description.

Anxiety, perceptual and motor skills in an underwater environment.

This research has analyzed the perceptual and motor skills in an underwater environment at 30 m of 24 subjects differing in diving experience. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Form X-1, was administered to evaluate possible changes in anxiety associated with hyperbaric conditions during the perceptual and motor task. Analysis indicates that in comparison with experienced divers, less experienced divers showed a performance decrement. No changes in anxiety were observed.