Task performance and perceptions of anxiety: averaging and summation in an evaluative setting.

Suggests that individuals' "stage fright," or perceptions of anxiety and performance, is a function of tendencies to both average and summate the impact of audience members. We found that under certain conditions adding an evaluative member to an audience decreased anxiety, whereas in other conditions the addition of evaluative members increased anxiety. These results are not expected from social impact theory or social facilitation research and suggest that individuals do not react to groups of individuals in a manner analogous to the way in which trait information is typically averaged in forming impressions of individuals (Anderson, 1981). An averaging-summation model that does account for these findings is presented. This research has implications for research on crowding, stress, social influence, and affective responses.

The relation of stress and family environment to atopic dermatitis symptoms in children.

The relation of stress and family environment to symptom severity in children with atopic dermatitis (AD) was examined. Forty-four children with severe AD and their families completed questionnaires measuring life events, chronic everyday problems and family environment. Measures of symptom severity were collected during medical evaluation and included an estimate of body surface affected by AD, course of AD symptoms over time, medication usage, and scratching intensity during the day and night. Regression analyses indicated that the measures of stress and family environment were important predictors of symptom severity even after controlling for demographic and medical status variables such as age and serum IgE level. These results have important implications for health care professionals working with children who have AD. Future research directions in the area of stress and AD are discussed.

Self-report of depressive symptoms in low back pain patients.

Two studies designed to examine the self-report of depressive symptoms in low back pain patients are presented. Symptoms of depression were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory. In the first study, a sample (N = 134) of patients who presented for neurosurgical evaluation were evaluated. In the second study, a subgroup of patients found to have lumbar disc protrusion were compared to a subgroup with few or no positive physical findings at the time of physical examination. If the cut-off scores recommended by Beck were used, patients in both studies would be classified as mildly depressed. Both studies found that patients were significantly more likely to report somatic than cognitive symptoms of depression. Patients with multiple physical findings or a disc abnormality at the time of operation were not found to be more likely to report somatic symptoms than patients with few physical findings.

Pain in the head and neck cancer patient: changes over treatment.

The incidence, severity, and location of pain was evaluated in 30 head and neck cancer patients prior to treatment after the first phase of their treatment and upon the completion of treatment. The incidence of pain was relatively high (40%-70%) and tended to increase slightly over treatment. Patients having advanced disease (stage III or IV) had a higher incidence of pain. Pain severity ratings were stable over treatment. Pain was located close to tumor or incision sites, and a trend for patients to report a greater number of pain sites over treatment was noted. While medical status variables (disease stage and site) were found to predict pain status after the initial phase of cancer treatment, initial pain measurements were more likely to predict pain status at the completion of treatment.

Illness behavior as a predictor of pain and overt behavior patterns in chronic low back pain patients.

This study examined the relationship of self-reports of illness behavior to pain ratings and overt pain behaviors in a group of chronic low back pain patients referred for pain management. Illness behavior was measured using the Pilowsky and Spence Illness Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) and pain behavior was recorded using a standard behavioral observation method. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that scores on the IBQ were highly predictive of a variety of indices of pain and pain behavior. These results were obtained even after controlling for significant demographic and medical status variables. The findings of this study support the utility of the IBQ in the behavioral assessment of chronic pain patients.