Coping-related expectancies and dispositions as prospective predictors of coping responses and symptoms.

We used Rotter's (1954, 1982) social learning theory and Kirsch's (1985, 1999) response expectancy extension thereof to clarify distinctions between coping-related expectancies (beliefs about the outcomes of coping efforts) and coping dispositions (tendencies to use particular coping responses), specifically focusing on the role of generalized expectancies for negative mood regulation (NMR) as a predictor of individual differences in coping and well-being. Two studies using structural equation modeling provided support for direct and indirect associations between NMR expectancies and symptoms of depression. In Study 1 NMR expectancies predicted situational avoidance coping responses and symptoms of depression and anxiety, independent of dispositional avoidance coping tendencies. In Study 2, NMR expectancies were associated with depressive symptoms, concurrently and prospectively, independent of dispositional optimism and pessimism. Both studies indicated that NMR expectancies are more strongly associated with depressive symptoms than with symptoms of anxiety and physical illness. Results underscore the importance of distinguishing between expectancies and other personality variables related to coping.

Negative mood regulation expectancies predict anger among police officers and buffer the effects of job stress.

This study investigated links between occupational stress, negative mood regulation expectancies, coping, anger, and distress. Participants were 56 police officers from two small, urban departments. They filled out the Negative Mood Regulation (NMR) Scale, as well as measures of police stress, coping, anger, and distress. Simultaneous multiple regression analyses revealed that high NMR expectancies predicted subjects' use of adaptive active coping strategies. High NMR Scale scores were also independently associated with lower levels of anger and distress, and anger significantly predicted distress. Results suggest that strong mood regulation expectancies buffer the effects of even high levels of occupational stress. Interventions directed toward raising mood regulation expectancies may help protect officers from the consequences of job stress. Results may also have implications for combat stress.

Carcinoid tumour of the lung.

A retrospective analysis of 29 patients with carcinoid tumour of the lung treated between 1980 to 1995 is presented. There were 15 females and 14 males with a mean age of 57 years (range 28-72). Fourteen of the 29 carcinoids were peripheral and the remaining 15 were central. Preoperative histology was available in 17. Surgical resection was carried out in 27 patients, one patient was unfit whilst the other patient had multiple liver metastases at presentation. Surgical treatment offered were lobectomy (n = 19), pneumonectomy (n = 3), sleeve lobectomy (n = 3) and segmentectomy (n = 2). Twenty three patients were stage 1 tumours, 3 were stage II and one was stage III and 1 was stage IV. Postoperative histology confirmed typical carcinoids in 24 patients and the remaining 5 were atypical. There was one perioperative death from massive pulmonary embolism and there was no morbidity. Overall five year survival rate for patients with carcinoid was 96.4%. Five year survival for typical carcinoid and that of atypical carcinoid was 100% and 77.8% respectively. Typical carcinoids carry an excellent prognosis and should be offered conservative lung resection, whilst atypical carcinoids which behave aggressively should be treated by radical lung resections.

Psychological effects of organophosphate pesticides: a review and call for research by psychologists.

Organophosphates are among the most commonly used and most toxic pesticides. They act directly on the nervous system by inhibiting the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Organophosphates evoke a consistent pattern of physical symptoms. They also have acute psychological and behavioral effects, such as anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairments. Research suggests that moderate levels of acute poisoning may cause persistent problems. Long-term psychological effects of low-level exposure, however, have not been determined satisfactorily. Some research has documented cognitive and emotional deficits due to chronic exposure to organophosphates, but not all studies have found ill effects. To date, psychologists have played only a small role in studying the psychological effects of organophosphates, despite the substantial contribution their expertise could make.

Discriminating neuropsychological sequelae of head injury from alcohol-abuse-induced deficits: a review and analysis.

Alcohol abuse is linked strongly with neuropsychological deficits that may resemble deficits seen in head-injured individuals. Heavy daily drinking appears more damaging than episodic abusive consumption. Cognitive deficits associated with alcohol include abstraction, perceptuospatial, and problem-solving skills. Verbal abilities are spared. For alcoholics younger than 40, abstinence is associated with improved functioning. For those over 40, deficits may be permanent. Intelligence tests are unlikely to pick up alcohol-induced deficits. Points for neuropsychologists to consider in differentiating between head injury and alcohol-induced deficits include abstinence from drinking prior to testing, intactness of remote memory and verbal functions, and changes in tolerance for alcohol.

Coping with a breakup: negative mood regulation expectancies and depression following the end of a romantic relationship.

Three studies assessed the impact of generalized expectancies for negative mood regulation on the severity of depression individuals experience following the end of a romantic relationship. The Negative Mood Regulation Scale (NMR) measured these expectancies. In Study 1 (n = 583), the NMR predicted college students' reports of initial depression in the first week after the relationship ended. Study 2 (n = 114) demonstrated that subjects with higher expectancies used active coping strategies more than those with lower expectancies. Study 3 (n = 78) provided prospective data that showed subjects' NMR scores to predict initial depression in the first week after a relationship ended--when that relationship ended subsequent to their taking the NMR. Results support the importance of expectancies for negative mood regulation as determinants of emotional reactions to distressing events, and they support the validity of the NMR.

Measuring generalized expectancies for negative mood regulation: initial scale development and implications.

A scale measuring generalized expectancies for negative mood regulation (NMR) was developed. The construct was defined as the expectancy that some behavior or cognition will alleviate a negative mood state. Data from five samples of college undergraduates (N = 1,630) were reported. Internal consistency, discriminant validity from social desirability, and temporal stability were demonstrated for a 30-item scale derived from an initial pool of 50 items. Further analyses revealed (a) modest correlations of the 30-item scale with internal-external control, (b) that high scorers on the NMR scale reported few symptoms of depression, and (c) that the NMR scale predicted a different pattern of emotions than the Beck Depression Inventory did. Discussion focused on possible roles for expectancies for negative mood regulation in the coping process and directions for future research on the mood regulation process.