Psychology Commons^™

Potential Associations Among Genetic Markers In The Serotonergic System And The Antisocial Alcoholism Subtype, E. M. Hill, S. F. Stoltenberg, M. Burmeister, M. Closser, R. A. Zucker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Alcoholism is transmitted in families. The complexity and heterogeneity of this disorder has made it difficult to identify specific genetic correlates. One design with the potential to do so is the family-based association study, in which the frequencies of genetic polymorphisms are compared between affected and nonaffected members. Reduced central serotonin neurotransmission is associated with features of an antisocial subtype of alcoholism, although a primary deficit has not been traced to a particular component. Genetic markers related to the serotonergic system have been identified, located, and cloned. If associations can be discovered, the development process for pharmacotherapy could be facilitated. …

Relationship Between Youth And Parent Perceptions Of Family Environment And Social Anxiety, Jeffrey B. Caster, Heidi M. Inderbitzen, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study concurrently examined the relationship between adolescents’ perceptions of their parents’ child-rearing styles and family environment and their reports of social anxiety. Adolescents reporting higher levels of social anxiety perceived their parents as being more socially isolating, overly concerned about others’ opinions, ashamed of their shyness and poor performance, and less socially active than did youth reporting lower levels of social anxiety. Parent perceptions of child-rearing styles and family environment, however, did not differ between parents of socially anxious and nonsocially anxious adolescents. Results are comparable to studies using adult retrospective reports and are discussed with regard to the …

Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy Versus Phenelzine In Social Phobia: Long-Term Outcome, Michael R. Liebowitz, Richard G. Heimberg, Franklin R. Schneier, Debra A. Hope, Sharon Davies, Craig S. Holt, Deborah Goetz, Harlan R. Juster, Shu-Hsing Lin, Monroe A. Bruch, Randall D. Marshall, Donald F. Klein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

To evaluate the effects of maintenance treatment and durability of gains after treatment discontinuation, responders to either phenelzine (PZ) or cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT) from an acute trial comparing these two treatments as well as pill placebo and a psychotherapy control (educational supportive group therapy) were enrolled into maintenance and treatment-free follow-up phases. Experimental design: Responders to an acute trial contrasting PZ and CBGT entered a six-month maintenance phase. Patients who continued to respond through the maintenance phase entered a six-month treatment-free phase. Patients receiving pill placebo or educational supportive group therapy in the acute trial did not enter the …

Evaluating Measures Of Family History Of Alcoholism: Density Versus Dichotomy, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Sharon A. Mudd, Frederic C. Blow, Elizabeth M. Hill

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Aims: Studies have used myriad measures of family history of alcoholism (FH) making it difficult to compare them directly. Commonly used FH measures partition samples into the well-known positive (FH+) and negative (FH–) dichotomy, although quantitative measures of density potentially provide more information. A standard FH measure would facilitate between-study comparisons. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a quantitative FH measure, called Family History Density (FHD), that has theoretical and practical advantages over currently used measures. Design: Logistic regression equations were estimated for FHD and six commonly used FH measures on alcohol dependence diagnosis and two measures of …

Analysis Of Social Behavior In Individuals With Social Phobia And Nonanxious Participants Using A Psychobiological Model, Kenneth S. Walters, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study sought to test hypotheses derived from Trower and Gilbert’s (1989) psychobiological/ethological model of social anxiety. This model purports that social anxiety should be characterized by less social cooperation and dominance and greater submission and escape/avoidance. Individuals with social phobia and nonanxious participants completed a structured social interaction. Behavioral measures related to cooperativeness, dominance, submissiveness, and escape/avoidance were coded by independent observers. Those with social phobia exhibited fewer behaviors of social cooperativeness and dominance than did nonanxious participants. The groups did not differ with regard to submissive and escape/avoidance behaviors. Two dominance behaviors correlated with a self-report measure of …

Commentary On Linda Mealey (1995), The Sociobiology Of Sociopathy: An Integrated Evolutionary Model, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Joseph L. Hernandez Cruz, Don Joseph Stein, Linda Mealey

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

[SFS] When Genotype × Environment (G × E) interactions are present, heritability estimates are not interpretable. Mealey cites abundant evidence for G × E interactions in the etiology of sociopathy, thereby completely undermining estimates of the heritability of sociopathy which form the foundation of her model. Without proper evidence for a genetic basis of sociopathy, Mealey’s sociobiological model collapses under its own great weight.

[LM] It is impossible to discuss the constructs “heritability,” “theory of mind,” and “normality” in a single coherent essay. The following three rejoinders address each of these exceedingly complex constructs individually, as each relates to the …

Coming To Terms With Heritability, Scott F. Stoltenberg

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The complex mechanisms of heredity are little appreciated by nonspecialists, in some measure, because of misunderstandings that are perpetuated when words used for technical terms have other, more widely understood, folk meanings. When a word has both technical and folk meanings, it is the responsibility of the specialist to avoid promoting confusion by either using extremely cautious and precise language when using the term or, in cases when confusion is inevitable, abandoning the term in favor of one without a widely understood folk meaning. The study of heredity is beset by such confusion, and the term heritability appears to be …

Y-Chromosome Effects On Drosophila Geotaxis Interact With Genetic Or Cytoplasmic Background, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Jerry Hirsch

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Previously, all of the major fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, chromosomes (I, II, and III) have been shown to be associated with geotaxis, but the Y chromosome has not. Using two methods (back-crossing and chromosome substitution), Y chromosomes from lines that have evolved stable, extreme expressions of geotaxis were placed into different genetic and cytoplasmic backgrounds to test the resulting males for geotaxis. The results of the back-crossing do not support the interpretation of Y-chromosome effects on geotaxis. These tests do not have sufficient statistical power, however, to detect small genetic effects. In the chromosome substitution experiment, the geotaxis-line Y …

A Gene Correlate Of Geotaxis Near Adh (2-50.1) In Drosophila Melanogaster, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Jerry Hirsch

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

As part of a long-term study (38+ years) to identify genetic correlates of geotaxis in Drosophila melanogaster, the investigators report the results of allozyme-level analyses of 2 lines derived from hybridizing high- and low-selected lines that have evolved stable, extreme expressions of geotaxis. Allelic variation at Adh was associated with geotactic performance in 1 hybrid-derived line, but not in another, after 66 free-mating generations beyond the F₂ generation. A second-chromosome gene correlate of geotaxis may lie within 1 map unit of Adh. Population genetic analyses suggest that there were different selection pressures on the hybrid-derived lines and …

Relationship Among Adolescent Reports Of Social Anxiety, Anxiety, And Depressive Symptoms, Heidi M. Inderbitzen, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present study examines the relationship among self-reported symptoms of social anxiety, anxiety, and depression in the context of Clark and Watson’s tripartite theory of anxiety and depression for a sample of adolescents. Four hundred and twenty-eight 10th-grade students completed three measures: the Social Anxiety Scale for Children–Revised, the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale, and the Children’s Depression Inventory. Results suggest that symptoms of social anxiety are distinct from symptoms of depression and unspecified anxiety. In addition, results indicate that in comparison to males, adolescent females report higher levels of social anxiety, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Conceptual and methodological implications …

Analyzing Correlations Of Three Types In Selected Lines Of Drosophila Melanogaster That Have Evolved Stable Extreme Geotactic Performance, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Jerry Hirsch, Stewart H. Berlocher

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The behavior-genetic analysis of Drosophila melanogaster with geotactic performance as the phenotype is an ideal model system with which to investigate the complex relations between heredity and behavior. As part of a long-term, 38-year study, we report 4 experiments that identify and analyze trait correlations in the selected high- and low-geotaxis lines. We performed F₂ correlational analyses and backcrosses to examine 3 types of correlations: (a) genotype-genotype (alcohol dehydrogenase [Adh]-amylase [Amy]), (b) genotype-phenotype (Adh and Amy-geotaxis), and (c) phenotype-phenotype (mate preference–geotaxis). Only the Adh-geotaxis correlation survived meiosis and reappeared in the F …

Behavioral Sex Differences In Children Of Diverse Cultures: The Case Of Nurturance To Infants, Carolyn P. Edwards

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This chapter draws on the data from the Children of Different Worlds study (Whiting & Edwards, 1988) to consider the origin of sex differences in children’s behavior worldwide, in particular: (1) how different kinds of social behavior are elicited by different contexts of socialization (defined by the sex, age, status, and kinship of social interactants, ongoing activities, and other potent dimensions of setting); (2) how these contexts of socialization are distributed across cultures and associated with various adult subsistence strategies, family structures, household patterns, and forms of social networks; and (3) how boys and girls of each age in diverse …

Avoidant Personality Disorder And The Generalized Subtype Of Social Phobia, Craig S. Holt, Richard G. Heimberg, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Social phobia and avoidant personality disorder (APD) may be given as comorbid diagnoses. However, it is not known if the labels provide independent, useful diagnostic information. We classified social phobics by social phobia subtype and presence of APD. Generalized social phobics with and without APD (ns = 10 and 10) and nongeneralized social phobics without APD (n = 10) were distinguished on measures of phobic severity. The generalized groups also showed earlier age at onset and higher scores on measures of depression, fear of negative evaluation, and social anxiety and avoidance than did the nongeneralized group. APD …

Situational Domains Of Social Phobia, Craig S. Holt, Richard G. Heimberg, Debra A. Hope, Michael R. Liebowitz

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although social phobia is defined as severe anxiety in social situations, little is known about the range or prevalence of social situations that elicit anxiety in social phobic individuals. The present study developed the concept of situational domains, groups of similar situations that may provoke anxiety in subsets of social anxious persons. Four conceptually derived situational domains were examined: formal speaking/interaction, informal speaking/interaction, observation by others, and assertion. Ninety-one social phobic patients were classified as anxiety-positive or anxiety-negative within each situational domain, varying inclusion criteria of anxiety experienced in each situation and the number of anxiety-producing situations within a domain. …

Validity Of The Distinction Between Generalized Social Phobia And Avoidant Personality Disorder, James D. Herbert, Debra A. Hope, Alan S. Bellack

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Disorders of pervasive social anxiety and inhibition are divided into 2 categories, generalized social phobia (GSP) and avoidant personality disorder (APD). We explored the discriminative validity of this categorization by examining the comorbidity of GSP and APD and by comparing these groups on anxiety level, social skills, dysfunctional cognitions, impairment in functioning, and presence of concurrent disorders. Results from 23 subjects showed high comorbidity of the 2 diagnoses: All subjects who met criteria for APD also met criteria for GSP. APD was associated with greater social anxiety, impairment in functioning, and comorbidity with other psychopathology, but no differences in social …

Assessment Of Anxiety In Social Interaction And Being Observed By Others: The Social Interaction Anxiety Scale And The Social Phobia Scale, Richard G. Heimberg, Gregory P. Mueller, Craig S. Holt, Debra A. Hope, Michael R. Liebowitz

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Social phobia has become a focus of increased research since its inclusion in DSM-III. However, assessment of social phobia has remained an underdeveloped area, especially self-report assessment. Clinical researchers have relied on measures that were developed on college populations, and these measures may not provide sufficient coverage of the range of situations feared by social phobic individuals. There is a need for additional instruments that consider differences in the types of situations (social interaction vs. situations involving observation by others) that may be feared by social phobics and between subgroups of social phobic patients. This study provides validational data on …

In Stories We Trust: Studies Of The Validity Of Autobiographies, George S. Howard, Arthur C. Maerlender, Paul R. Myers, Tom D. Curtin

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

There is a dearth of research addressing the validity of life stories, or autobiographies. In part, this is because it is unclear how such data sources might be validated. This article recommends two differ-ent perspectives for obtaining evidence relevant to the validity of autobiographical data. A study is conducted from each of these perspectives, and multiple validity estimates are obtained in each in-vestigation. The construct validity of standard psychological constructs (e.g., assertiveness, trustwor-thiness) obtained in Study 1 from autobiographies was equal to that of standard instruments designed to assess these constructs. Evidence for the validity of life themes, extracted from …

States Of Mind Model And Cognitive Change In Treated Social Phobics, Monroe A. Bruch, Richard G. Heimberg, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The applicability of Schwartz and Garamoni’s (1986, 1989) States of Mind (SOM) model for assessing the influence of cognitive-behavioral therapy on cognitive functioning was evaluated with social phobics. The SOM model states that a positive dialogue (i.e., a 2:1 ratio of positive to negative thoughts) is optimal for effective coping. Social phobics receiving either a cognitive-behavioral or educational-supportive group treatment were compared for SOM change, as were subjects meeting criteria for improvement or nonimprovement. Also the study compared the predictability of the SOM ratio with a ratio based on percent of negative thoughts. Subjects in both treatments evidenced negative monologue …

Concurrent Validity Of The Social Phobia And Anxiety Inventory, James D. Herbert, Alan S. Bellack, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is a new instrument designed to assess symptoms of social phobia. Although the scale has been shown to have a good test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity, no studies have examined its concurrent validity with respect to other measures of social anxiety and avoidance. In the present study, the relationship between the SPAI and several self-report measures of social anxiety was examined in a sample of 23 patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for social phobia. The relationship between the SPAI and other measures of psychopathology, as well as performance during a role play …

Evaluating The States Of Mind Model: Comparison To An Alternative Model And Effects Of Method Of Cognitive Assessment, Richard G. Heimberg, Monroe A. Bruch, Debra A. Hope, Mark Dombeck

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Two studies were conducted evaluating aspects of the States of Mind (SOM) Model proposed by Schwartz (1986; Schwartz & Garamoni, 1986, 1989) with a sample of social phobic subjects. First, the SOM ratio [positive thoughts/(positive + negative thoughts)] based on a thought-listing task was compared to a ratio based on Kendall and Hollon’s (1981) “power-of-nonnegative-thinking” model [negative thoughts/(positive + negative + neutral thoughts)], and the relationship of each ratio to criterion measures was assessed. The two ratios were highly correlated and related to several criterion measures, raising questions about the role of neutral thoughts in the internal dialogue. Second, SOM …

Representations Of The Self In Social Phobia: Vulnerability To Social Threat, Debra A. Hope, Ronald M. Rapee, Richard G. Heimberg, Mark J. Dombeck

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A revised Stroop color-naming task was used to test hypotheses derived from Beck’s cognitive theory of anxiety disorders which proposes that social phobics are hypervigilant to social-evaluative threat cues. Color-naming latencies for social and physical threat words were compared to matched neutral words for both social phobics and individuals with panic disorder. As predicted, social phobics showed longer latencies for social threat words, and panickers had longer latencies for physical threat words. Latency for color-naming social threat words correlated with self-reported avoidance among social phobics. These results are consistent with Beck’s notion of self-schemata which facilitate the processing of threat …

Dsm-Iii-R Subtypes Of Social Phobia: Comparison Of Generalized Social Phobics And Public Speaking Phobics, Richard G. Heimberg, Debra A. Hope, Cynthia S. Dodge, Robert E. Becker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Social phobic patients who fear most or all social interaction situations are labeled generalized social phobics in DSM-III-R. Thirty-five patients who met this criterion were compared with 22 social phobic patients whose fears were restricted to public-speaking situations. Generalized social phobics were younger, less educated, and less likely to be employed, and their phobias were rated by clinical interviewers as more severe than those of public-speaking phobics. Generalized social phobics appeared more anxious and more depressed and expressed greater fears concerning negative social evaluation. They performed more poorly on individualized behavioral tests and differed from public-speaking phobics in their responses …

Cognitive Behavioral Group Treatment For Social Phobia: Comparison With A Credible Placebo Control, Richard G. Heimberg, Cynthia S. Dodge, Debra A. Hope, Charles R. Kennedy, Linda J. Zollo, Robert E. Becker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Forty-nine patients participated in a study comparing cognitive-behavioral group treatment (CBGT) for social phobia with a credible placebo control. CBGT consisted of exposure to simulated phobic events, cognitive restructuring of maladaptive thoughts, and homework for self-directed exposure and cognitive restructuring between sessions. Control patients received a treatment package consisting of lecture-discussion and group support that was comparable to CBGT on measures of treatment credibility and outcome expectations. At pretest, posttest, and 3- and 6-month follow-ups, patients completed assessments that included clinician ratings, self-report measures, and behavioral physiological and cognitive-subjective measures derived from a behavioral simulation of a personally relevant phobic …

Social Anxiety And The Recall Of Interpersonal Information, Debra A. Hope, Richard G. Heimberg, John F. Klein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Sixty subjects classified as high or low in social anxiety participated in a structured heterosocial interaction under conditions of either high or low social-evaluative threat. Following the interaction, subjects were asked to recall detailed information about the interaction partner’s appearance and the content of the conversation. Socially anxious subjects recalled less information and made more errors in recall than nonanxious subjects. Contrary to prediction, social-evaluative threat did not affect recall. Anxious subjects also reported greater self-focused attention during the interaction. High self-focused attention was associated with superior recall for nonanxious subjects but associated with more frequent omission errors for anxious …

Attentional Focus And Causal Attributions In Social Phobia: Implications From Social Psychology, Debra A. Hope, David A. Gansler, Richard G. Heimberg

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This article reviews the social psychological literature on attentional focus and causal attributions as they apply to social phobia. Excessive self-focused attention is increased by physiological arousal, interferes with task performance under some conditions, increases the probability of internal attributions, and intensifies emotional reactions. Social anxiety is also associated with a reversal of the self-serving bias for causal attributions. Implications of these findings for the maintenance and treatment of social phobia are discussed.

The Transition From Infancy To Early Childhood: A Difficult Transition, And A Difficult Theory, Carolyn P. Edwards

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The transition from infancy to early childhood was observed in households in rural Zinacanteco households in the Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, in 1968-1969, and found to be a fairly lengthy period of upset, disturbance, listlessness, and apathy for the children, leading eventually to their accepting a new position in the family. The transition involved three abrupt and harsh changes: (1) abrupt weaning from the mother’s breast; (2) simultaneous change in sleeping arrangements from lying next to the mother to sleeping with siblings; and (3) more gradual transfer of the child’s primary care from the mother to older siblings or courtyard …

Evaluation Of The Social Interaction Self-Statement Test With A Social Phobic Population, Cynthia S. Dodge, Debra A. Hope, Richard G. Heimberg, Robert E. Becker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The convergent and discriminant validity of the Social Interaction Self-Statement Test (SISST) were evaluated in a sample of men and women awaiting treatment for fear and avoidance of social interactions. Partial correlations revealed that negative, but not positive, self-statement scores were generally related to self-report measures of anxiety and depression. Heart rate and subjective anxiety ratings derived from a behavioral simulation of a personally relevant anxiety-provoking situation were unrelated to SISST scores. However, subjects’ reports of negative thoughts obtained via the thought-listing procedure were related to the SISST negative self-statement scores, suggesting that the negative subscale of the SISST and …

Public And Private Self-Consciousness And Social Phobia, Debra A. Hope, Richard G. Heimberg

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The relationship between public and private self-consciousness and self-report questionnaires, clinician ratings, and various measures derived from an individualized simulation of an anxiety-provoking situation was examined in a sample of men and women seeking treatment for social phobia. As predicted, public, not private, self-consciousness was generally related to self-report and naive observer ratings of anxiety and to behavioral disruption during the simulation. The predicted relationship between public self-consciousness and how accurately subjects evaluated their performance in the anxiety-provoking situation was marginally supported. Hypotheses regarding the relationship between private self-consciousness and self-reported anxiety during an anxiety-provoking situation, and between private self-consciousness …

The Validity Of The Social Avoidance And Distress Scale And The Fear Of Negative Evaluation Scale With Social Phobic Patients, Richard G. Heimberg, Debra A. Hope, Ronald M. Rapee, Monroe A. Bruch

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Turner, McCanna and Beidel’s (1987) recent evaluation of the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS) and the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE) with anxiety disordered patients concluded that the SADS and FNE lacked discriminant validity and may be inappropriate for subject selection or outcome evaluation in studies of social phobia . This paper raises some concerns with the interpretation of the data presented by Turner et al. (1987) and presents additional data from studies in our laboratories that may qualify their conclusions. It is asserted that (a) the SADS and FNE are not appropriate for diagnostic screening of social …

Another Style Of Competence: The Caregiving Child, Carolyn P. Edwards

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This chapter discusses child and sibling caregiving as an opportunity for the learning of nurturance and responsibility. The argument is based on case examples from ethnographic material, that children in multiage dyads or groupings negotiate constantly with one another and thereby reveal their reasoning about rational and conventional moral rules. The observational material is drawn from the work of Carol R. Ember (1970, 1973) who studied children in a Luo community of about 250 people in the South Nyanza district of Kenya. This community, referred to as Oyugis (actually the name of the market town 2.5 miles away, is one …