ABSTRACT
This study tested a model of the development of incongruity-resolution and nonsense humor during adulthood. Subjects were 4,292 14- to 66-year-old Germans. Twenty jokes and cartoons representing structure-based humor categories of incongruity resolution and nonsense were rated for funniness and aversiveness. Humor structure preferences were also assessed with a direct comparison task. The results generally confirmed the hypotheses. Incongruity-resolution humor increased in funniness and nonsense humor decreased in funniness among progressively older subjects after the late teens. Aversiveness of both forms of humor generally decreased over the ages sampled. Age differences in humor appreciation were strongly correlated with age differences in conservatism. An especially strong parallel was found between age differences in appreciation of incongruity-resolution humor and age differences in conservatism.
Subject(s)
Aging/psychology , Attitude , Concept Formation , Wit and Humor as Topic , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Cartoons as Topic , Female , Germany , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
In a study with 80 male non-psychology students we investigated the relationship between body-symptoms and the different kinds of humour-appreciation. It was hypothesized that the body-symptoms are correlated to humour. The hypotheses were related to both components in appreciation of humor, funniness (representing the positive feelings induced by humour) and aversiveness (representing the negative feelings). We can demonstrate, that body-symptoms are not related to funniness but to aversiveness of humour.
Subject(s)
Arousal , Somatoform Disorders/psychology , Wit and Humor as Topic , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
In an experimental investigation it is demonstrated that motor behavior-in contrast to the opinion forwarded in the literature-is not only elicitable by means of direct persuasion, but also to a great extend by mere indirect suggestion, (feigning of stimuli). A differential investigation of these effects provided evidence that reactions to feigned stimuli are highly person specific and relatively homogenous concerning the respective instruments whereas objective stimuli lead to reactions relatively specific for the respective instrument applied. The findings are interpreted as an analog on to placebo-effects in the area of motor behavior. Their extend may be seen as an argument for a stronger concern with subjective reaction tendencies in this field.
Subject(s)
Motor Activity , Postural Balance , Suggestion , Adolescent , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
In a catamnestic study of 103 anorexia nervosa patients treated at the university medical clinic in Heidelberg between 1970 and 1980, 51 patients were personally evaluated after 3, 6 years using a multi-dimensional system of criteria that covered 30 different symptom areas. There was a clear improvement with regard to constipation, vomiting, and the abuse of laxatives, various laboratory parameters, psychic symptoms, and vocational situation. Secondary amenorrhea, psychic suffering, and overly strong emotional ties to the family, however, were still found among two-thirds of the patients. Long-term success of treatment was found to correlate closely with an early age both for the onset of the disorder and for the beginning of treatment. Reduction of physical symptoms by the time of the post-examination was closely related to the extent of the family therapy carries out. In general, males appeared to benefit from treatment more than did female patients. Cluster analysis revealed that of four groups of patients studied, only one group could be called healthy; anorexia nervosa symptoms persisted to varying degrees in the other groups. Psychological testing using the PEF brought to light the following relationships: The greater the degree of illness at the time of the catamnestic study, the stronger the patient's tie to his/her own family, the greater the concern with physical appearance, the more achievement oriented, and the greater the aversion to playful activity.
Subject(s)
Anorexia Nervosa/therapy , Psychophysiologic Disorders/therapy , Adaptation, Psychological , Adolescent , Adult , Anorexia Nervosa/psychology , Body Weight , Combined Modality Therapy , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Psychiatric Department, Hospital , Psychophysiologic Disorders/psychologyABSTRACT
This study was designed to examine whether the sleep-promoting effect of monotonous stimulation depends on individual differences in strength of the nervous system, as was suggested by Pavlov. Sixty male subjects were divided into three groups, depending on their score on the "strength of excitation" scale of the Strelau Temperament Inventory. Within each group, subjects were randomly assigned to be exposed to either a) a sequence of tones or b) "no tones" (i.e., a quiet room). Dependent variables were latencies to Sleep Stage 1 (SOL 1) and Sleep Stage 2 (SOL 2). The main effects of stimulation and strength of the nervous system were not statistically significant. However, there was a significant interaction between stimulation and strength for both dependent variables. "Weak" subjects tended to fall asleep more rapidly during monotonous stimulation, whereas the reverse was true of "strong" subjects. The results suggest that individual differences might play an important role in the development of sleep during monotonous stimulation.
Subject(s)
Arousal , Conditioning, Classical , Individuality , Sleep Stages , Acoustic Stimulation , Adolescent , Adult , Attention , Humans , Male , Reaction TimeABSTRACT
With surgeries of the lumbar disks a comparatively high quota of failures has been found. Therefore, referred to patients who had repeatedly undergone ineffective surgery, the hypothesis was stated that psychosomatic reasons account for this small surgical success.
Subject(s)
Intervertebral Disc Displacement/psychology , Psychophysiologic Disorders/psychology , Adult , Back Pain/psychology , Depressive Disorder/psychology , Humans , Hypochondriasis/psychology , Intervertebral Disc Displacement/surgery , Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery , Male , Neurotic Disorders/psychology , Prognosis , PsychometricsABSTRACT
From experimental work, an influence of a drug with hypolipidemic and hypouricemic acition on blood coagulability and platelet function may be expected. Consequently, if these effects were demonstrable in man the drug could be assumed to reduce the tendency to develop thrombosis and atherosclerosis in patients with hyperlipidemia and hyperuricemia. In the study reported, the effect of 2-acetamidoethyl-(p-chlorophenyl)-(m-trifluoro-methylphenoxy)-acetate (halofenate) was investigated in 14 patients suffering from hyperlipoproteinemia type IV and hyperuricemia. Platelet aggregation and adhesiveness, plasma levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, uric acid, and clotting factors were regularly examined during a three-month double blind trial. While uric acid and triglyceride levels decreased, no influence of the drug treatment could be observed on platelet function and blood coagulability by the laboratory methods used.
Subject(s)
Blood Coagulation/drug effects , Glycolates/pharmacology , Halofenate/pharmacology , Hyperlipoproteinemias/blood , Platelet Aggregation/drug effects , Triglycerides/blood , Uric Acid/blood , Adult , Cholesterol/blood , Double-Blind Method , Humans , Lipoproteins, VLDL/blood , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Well known qualitative and quantitative differences of cardiac pain were tested by the RASCH-Model to find out whether this test would be able to indicate differences within any kinds of diseases. This ability of differentiation could be corroborated for the RASCH-Model. By making a destination of the measure for the accordance of the sensual quality of a single patient with that of a special group of diseases, it is possible to test the same diseases also in the question of the quantitative equality.
