With changes in sex role expectations in marriage, family researchers have begun to examine the concept of machismo. Two characteristics dominant in the study of machismo are aggressiveness and hypersexuality. A biological model of machismo asserts that males everywhere tend to be more aggressive than females, a sex difference which appears to…

Interest in health promotion has resulted in various programs designed to enhance health and prevent disease through changes in lifestyles. The effects of a widely used stress management program were analyzed in two studies. In the first study, office employees in treatment (N=21) and control (N=24) groups were administered the State-Trait Anxiety…

In the Double ABCX Model, family stress is defined as an imbalance in demands (the A factor: stressor event, related hardships, prior strains), and capabilities or resources (the B factor). The family's definition (C factor) of the imbalance influences its impact. When the family is unable to balance demands and capabilities without making a…

Mental imagery, an internal representational process that enables an individual to experience an event in imagination, has been used effectively in treating psychological conditions, changing behavioral patterns, and altering physiological processes. Research on the psychological effects of imagery has focused on the influences imagery has on…

Many social policies rely on assessments of violence potential in their implementation. Decisions concerning such civil matters as involuntary institutionalization and level of institutional custody, and criminal matters such as type or length of sentence and the granting of bail often rely on estimates of the potential that an individual will be…

Depressed individuals may filter or distort environmental information in direct relationship to their self perceptions. To investigate the degree of uncertainty about oneself and others, as measured by consistent/inconsistent responses, 72 college students (32 depressed and 40 nondepressed) rated selected adjectives from the Derry and Kuiper…

The MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC) of the Minnesota Mulltiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) identifies individuals who are likely to abuse alcohol with an accuracy percentage ranging from 60 to 82 percent. The percentage of false negatives when using this scale range from 3 to 17 percent. In order to investigate the characteristics of false…

This paper reports the results of an evaluation of a didactic-experiential program designed to improve memory functioning in healthy older adults with memory complaints, and to allay their concerns (in this case, largely unfounded) about the decline of their memory. The 7-week workshop met weekly for 2 hours, each session consisting of a lecture…

Research has sought to establish a connection between positive psychological state and physical health and longevity. It has been suggested that persons with a sense of purpose or meaning in life are better able to withstand stress, and enjoy better health. To study the link between a sense of meaning and a sense of physical well-being, 28 college…

The value of death education at the elementary school level is discussed. It is pointed out that death education can be helpful in preparing children to cope with death by reducing anxiety, which would enable them to adjust to future experiences. It is suggested that close cooperation between parents, school, and the community is important in…

This first section of this paper reviews the literature on the social world of the institutionalized elderly. Social factors contributing to institutionalization are discussed, including the personal and psychological background of residents. Social behavior and the institutional environment are reviewed, focusing on social interactions among…

Abuse between intimates has begun to be examined. Recent research has studied the incidence and causes of violence in marriages and in premarital relationships. A study was conducted to examine the level of intimate violence, patterns of violence for each gender, and the relationship of stress to violence in adult relationships. Study participants…

Making a promise involves a self-conscious, self-commitment to undertake an obligation in the future and involves a personal sense of control. To study promises and self-focused attention, 72 women completed measures of self-focused attention and locus of control, a questionnaire, and were asked to promise to return postcards. As predicted,…

This selected bibliography lists many of the contemporary resources on suicide and its varied dimensions representing the health sciences, social sciences, and medicine. The materials include books, periodical literature, dissertations, audiovisuals, journals, and a list of related professional organizations. In addition to a general discussion of…

Evidence points to a pervasive tendency for persons to behave to maintain their existing cognitive structures. One strategy by which this self-verification is made more probable involves information processing. Through attention, encoding and retrieval, and the interpretation of events, persons process information so that self-confirmatory…