Procrastination tendencies among obsessive-compulsives and their relatives.

Participants diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; 39 women, 26 men; M age = 40) and their family relatives (11 women, 7 men; M age = 45) completed standardized measures of obsessions, compulsions, decisional procrastination (indecision), and avoidant procrastination. Among the OCDs, obsessions were related significantly to decisional procrastination, and compulsions were related significantly to decisional and avoidant procrastination. In comparison to family members of obsessive compulsives, the OCDs reported significantly greater obsessions, compulsions, and indecisions, but not procrastination motivated by avoidance. Results suggest that individuals with clinical obsessive-compulsive tendencies do, in fact, report states of indecision, as claimed by DSM-III-R. However, these clinical individuals may not differ significantly from nonclinical samples (e.g., family members) in avoidant procrastination.

Experiencing satisfaction and stress as an AIDS care provider. The AIDS caregiver scale.

Health care workers (n = 342) completed items examining their emotional experiences working with HIV-positive patients. Factor analysis produced two subscales: Personal Satisfaction and Emotional Stress. A subset of these care workers (n = 251) claimed increased stress and depression after 6 months. In a second study, 91 volunteer AIDS caregivers ("buddies") completed the inventory and the Attitude Toward AIDS Scale. Satisfaction subscores were related to frequent contact and Stress subscores were related to length of illness of persons with AIDS. Satisfaction subscores were related negatively to prejudice towards PWA, social discrimination against PWA, and positively to pro-attitudes toward PWA. Stress subscores were related to social discrimination and punishment for PWA.

Effects of laboratory-induced controllable and uncontrollable stress on Rorschach variables m and Y.

The research literature regarding stress and the Rorschach has frequently produced contradictory results. A possible explanation for the lack of consensus may be that past research has failed to consider the nature of the stressor. A potentially important dimension is whether the stressor is perceived as controllable or uncontrollable, particularly because these two types of stressors invoke distinctive sets of biobehavioral reactions. We examined the effects of experimentally induced uncontrollable and controllable stress on m and Y Rorschach responses. Uncontrollable laboratory stress was associated with an increase in both m and Y variants, whereas controllable laboratory stress was associated with an increase only in m. Potential implications and directions for future research are discussed.

The Basic HIV Disease Knowledge Questionnaire: a Rasch-scaled instrument to measure essential HIV knowledge.

The need for improvement in HIV disease-related psychometric questionnaires is noted. In response to this need a Rasch-scaled measure to ascertain basic HIV disease knowledge was developed and calibrated on 1092 subjects. Four studies conducted with the measure suggest adequate test-retest reliability. Three validity studies also conducted with this questionnaire suggest that the measure is sensitive to knowledge obtained from HIV-related training and education. Potential uses and limitations of this new questionnaire are discussed.

The effect of impulsivity and empathy on abstinence of poly-substance abusers: a prospective study.

The relation between impulsivity, empathy, and abstinence of poly-substance abusers in self-help groups is investigated prospectively. Utilizing S. B. G Eysenck et al.s' Impulsivity Questionnaire (17), new self-help 'club' members were assessed for traits of empathy and impulsivity. Abstinence was assessed one year later. Impulsivity correlated negatively with abstinence and positively with numbers of 'slips'. Contrary to previous research, empathy failed to correlate with either variable. Possible interpretations and future research directions are discussed.

The relationship between impulsivity, empathy and involvement in twelve step self-help substance abuse treatment groups.

The relationship between impulsivity, empathy, substance-free lifestyle and participation in Twelve Step self-help groups is investigated. Utilizing S. B. G. Eysenck et al.s' Impulsivity Questionnaire (1-7) members of three self-help 'clubs' were assessed for traits of empathy and impulsiveness. Impulsivity correlated positively with total number of substance abuse 'slips', and negatively with total months of substance abstinence. Empathy was correlated positively with length of abstinence and hours spent in Twelve Step self-help activities per week. Possible interpretations and application of these findings to clinical recommendations are discussed.