Comparison of touching behaviors of winners and losers in racquetball and tennis.

Similarities and differences in subjects' touching behaviors in two racquet sports, tennis (n = 50) and racquetball (n = 200), were examined to learn whether postcontest interactive ritual is observed for racquetball as for tennis (handshake?). Analysis confirmed the tennis handshake and significantly more physical contact between tennis than between racquetball players. No significant differences were noted in postcontest verbal contacts or in differential touching by winners and losers.

Normative data on the Kagan Matching Familiar Figures test for adult male incarcerates.

This study presents normative data on the Kagan Matching Familiar Figures test, a measure of impulsivity/reflection, for 200 adult male incarcerates (108 Black, 92 White) in a state correctional system. Also presented are t-tests between groups and correlations between the MFF and a series of demographic and test measures. Low, significant correlations were found between the MFF scores (time, number correct) and race, IQ, education, and reading levels. A comparison with college male and female norms is provided. The value and use of the MFF as a measure of cognitive style are discussed.

Factor analysis of the Adolescent Reinforcement Survey Schedule (ARSS) with college freshmen.

A factor analysis of the Adolescent Reinforcement Survey Schedule (ARSS) with a male and female college freshman (N = 231) population yielded 10 interpretable factors: Heterosexual Dating, Peer Interaction, Sibling/Family Interaction, Sexual Pleasure, Anti-School/Work, Leisure/Work Activity, Drugs/Acting Out, Entertainment/Social Activity, Home Avoidance, and Romantic Fantasy Activity. The first three factors are similar to a Positive Social interaction factor identified in a study that used the adult form of the Reinforcement Survey Schedule with a male and female college population. Suggestions are made from the ARSS responses of the college freshmen re interventions to facilitate social skill competency and the relationship aspects of sexual activity. A recommendation is made to replicate the current study with groups of early and mid-adolescents in order to study reinforces during different periods of adolescent development.

Touching behaviors of winners and losers in swimming races.

This study compared touching behaviors of swimmers who were winners and losers. The number and location of interpersonal touches given and received by winners and losers of swimming races were recorded. Winners gave and received significantly more touches than losers. Most touches were hands, back, or shoulders, confirming earlier findings for college men and women.

A factor analytic study of personality and intellectual variables in incarcerated delinquent males and females.

A factor analysis of personality, intellectual, demographic and behavioral variables obtained from a randomly selected population (N = 200) of incarcerated delinquents produced five factors with loadings that describe five personality groupings: The white offender with good verbal skills, the older adolescent offender with good verbal skills, the older adolescent offender, the institutional disrupter, and the anxious, verbal offender rated as "a good therapy risk." Implications of the present research and suggested modifications of the screening battery utilized are discussed.

A factor-analytic study of a group therapy screening scale for children and adolescents.

A factor analysis of a brief group psychology prediction scale administered to 200 adolescent delinquents revealed two factors: One described the "ingratiating" delinquent, a good therapy candidate, which accounted for 51% of the variance. The second factor, the first time offender, also a good therapy candidate, accounted for 8% of the variance.

A factor analytic study of the demographic characteristics of incarcerated females.

Produced 10 identifiable factors in a factor analytic study of demographic and behavioral variables on female (N = 100) inmates of an adult correctional facility in the South. While the items were those frequently cited as contributory--abuse, neglect, etc.--they did not cluster as expected, but took on a more unitary structure, except for behavioral data from the interviews that were highly interrelated either positively or negatively.

Psychological factors that predict reaction to abortion.

Investigated demographic and psychological factors related to positive or negative reactions to legal abortions performed during the first trimester of pregnancy in 62 females in an urban southern community. Results suggest that the social context and the degree of support from a series of significant persons rather than demographic variables were most predictive of a positive reaction.

PIP: Investigates the value of demographic, social and psychological variables in predicting women's reaction to legal abortions. Subjects were 62 women between 14 and 35 years of age obtaining elective legal abortions in an urban southern area of the U. S. during their first trimester of pregnancy. All underwent suction curretage on an outpatient basis. Pre- and postabortion questionnaires were administered. The following measures were used: Multiple Affective Adjective Checklist (MAACL) scales--anxiety, depression, and hostility (given pre and post); Rotter Locus of Control Scale (pre); an 18 item questionnaire, the Personal Reaction Questionnaire (PRQ), designed to differentiate between the traditional and liberated female in terms of perceived values and role expectations; and 19 questions about abortion-related interpersonal experiences and attitudes. T-tests were performed on the pre and post scores on the 3 MAACL scales and Pearson r was used on all measures. In general, the social context and the degree of emotional support that women received from a series of significant persons were more predictive of reactions to abortion than were demographic variables. Higher levels of anxiety, depression, and hostility were associated with opposition to the abortion from others. However, support from one significant person (partner in contraception, parent, friend) was sufficient to mitigate the effect of opposition from another. Despite higher scores on pre- and postabortion hostility, women who made their own decision to abort revealed less difficulty in making the decision. The apparent contradiction may be due to the use of hostility as a defense against guilt.

A factor analytic study of the demographic characteristics of incarcerated males.

A factor analytic study of demographic and behavioral variables on adult male inmates (N = 200) of a correctional facility in the South produced eight identifiable factors. The clusters formed appeared in agreement with clinical impressions of commonalities, though some surprises were found, such as no clustering related to seriousness of offense. Labels and descriptions of factors were presented.

A factor analytic study of the demographic characteristics of incarcerated male and female juvenile offenders.

A factor analytic study of the behavioral and demographic variables that describe male and female juvenile offenders (N = 172) in a southern correctional facility identified 10 factors for females and 6 for males. Items clustered much as anticipated for both groups, with family conflicts and individual neurotic traits forming clusters.

A factor analytic study of the demographic characteristics of adult and juvenile incarcerates.

Carried out a factor analytic study of the demographic and behavioral characteristics of adult and juvenile male and female incarcerates (N = 559) to determine whether there were meaningful commonalities that exist for all persons involved in offenses. The obtained clusters suggest a number of consistent relationships contributory to incarceration and childhood experiences that predict difficulty in that period of life and in later adjustment.

The effects of videotape feedback on self-concept, role-playing ability, and growth in a leaderless therapy group.

Thirty-two male and female college students participated in six 90-minute leaderless encounter groups in which they received videotape feedback, leader-facilitated videotape feedback, or verbal feedback. Statistical analysis indicated that feedback through a visual medium had no effect on self-concept, role-playing ability, or group coherence. Groups within the experimental conditions were initially different in their ratings on the dependent measures. These differences were maintained throughout the experiment.

Death fantasies and future time perspective.

Explored death fantasies of young adults through use of life scripts and future time perspective questionnaires. Results indicated a significantly younger age of death from disease and accident as opposed to natural causes. Type of death fantasied was markedly at variance from health statistics, with most projecting a benign end for themselves (old age).

Analysis of process data from token groups in a summer camp.

Forty-two campers who were attending a summer camp for disturbed children were treated by a combined group therapy-token economy approach in which peer judgments were the basis for tokens awarded for behaviors that occurred during the preceding 24-hour period. Process behaviors were studied to determine whether this approach would produce positive verbal behavioral change. Four variables changed significantly. Environmental (irrelevant) responses declined, group responses increased, leader-directed responses declined, and decision-making, reflected by summarizing, testing feasibility and concensus, increased.