This study compared counterconditioning, expectancy and cognitive coping variables in reducing fear and anxiety of snake-phobic college students. The outcome measures of the high-expectancy placebo group and the two cognitive-coping groups were significantly superior to those of the counter-conditioning and no-treatment groups, thus supporting the…

Creativity is discussed in terms of H. Eysenck's personality theory. Creative persons are characterized by introversion, neuroticism, psychoticism, and moderate to high intelligence. The literature is reviewed on similarities and differences between creativity and pathology. (Author/DB)

The goal of this study was to explore the moderating role of maternal personality and parenting characteristics in the links between shyness and adjustment in kindergarten. Participants were 197 children enrolled in kindergarten programs (and their mothers and teachers). Multisource assessment was employed, including maternal ratings, behavioral…

This study attempted a hierarchical integration of several dispositional determinants of test anxiety (TA) [Sarason, I.G. (1984). "Stress, anxiety and cognitive interference: Reactions to tests." "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology," 46, 929-938.], namely the Big Five personality traits [Costa, P.T. Jr., & McCrae,…

Children with persistent antisocial and aggressive behavior are diagnosed as having disruptive behavior disorder. The authors review evidence that antisocial children, and especially those who persist with this behavior as they grow older, have a range of neurobiological characteristics. It is argued that serotonergic functioning and…

The author reviews Freud's (1914) seminal paper "On narcissism: an introduction". Freud's paper is briefly set in the historical context of the evolution of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic theories, and Freud's metapsychology up to the publication of his Narcissism paper is outlined. A detailed and comprehensive description of the content of the…

Fear and reward learning can occur through direct experience or observation. Both channels can enhance survival or create maladaptive behavior. We used fMRI to isolate neural mechanisms of observational fear and reward learning and investigate whether neural response varied according to individual differences in neuroticism and extraversion.…

Based on part of a study done as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the PhD degree at the University of Chicago, and supported by the Institute for Juvenile Research, Chicago.

These findings suggest that the relative effect of the main therapeutic procedure and expectancy (defined by the presence or absence of a therapeutic rationale and instructions suggesting a positive outcome from treatment) varies with different behavioral therapies. With reinforced practice and covert sensitization the main therapeutic procedure…

Uncontrolled results from an epidemiological survey of psychoneuroticism among Mexican Americans and other Whites in California indicate that Mexican Americans have higher symptom and case levels but that these differences are found mainly among marginally acculturated and immigrant respondents. Concludes that results indicate the importance of…

In a preliminary study of a single group of suicide attempters, male and female subjects did not differ in temperament characteristics. Data from both sexes indicated that suicide-prone individuals have unpleasant, arousable, and submissive temperaments, with arousability a strong discriminator of suicide attempters relative to the general…

Subjects choosing Romantic art tended to score higher in neuroticism than did those choosing classical paintings. A negative correlation between extraversion and choice of romantic paintings was also found. (Authors)

Enumerates characteristics of children exhibiting the behavioral deviancies in question, and makes suggestions for theory and clinical application. This report is based on a paper read before the Southern Psychiatric Association, Atlanta, Georgia, October 7, 1968. (MH)