Investigates personal and altruistic fear within Texas family households using data from the 1996 Texas Poll in which 1,006 respondents were interviewed. Finds that 63% of respondents were concerned or very concerned about their personal safety, while 70% were concerned or very concerned about the safety of someone in their household. (CMK)

Two studies assessed school-aged children's reactivity to parental conflict simulations and adolescents' reactions to actual marital conflict. Three profiles of reactions were identified: secure children, insecure-preoccupied children, and insecure- dismissing children. Findings in both studies indicated that preoccupied children evidenced the…

Examines the effects of distancing tactics on self-esteem and emotions following a win or loss of one's favorite basketball team. Measures the self-esteem and emotional responses of basketball fans as they exited the sport arena after their team won or lost an official game. (CMK)

Three studies examined preschoolers' performance on free labeling of prototypical facial expressions of basic emotions. Findings indicated that children's errors remained even when method factors (poor stimuli, unavailability of an appropriate label, or production task difficulty) were controlled. Use of emotion labels increased with age…

Explains that the cognitive-functional model of discrete negative emotions and attitude change attempts to bridge the theoretical gap between "emotional" and "rational" approaches to persuasion by focusing on how emotions motivate attention to and processing of persuasive messages. Explores the effects two emotions, anger and fear, and two levels…

Examined use of aggressive behaviors in adolescent romantic relationships, the endorsement of attitudes that promote such behaviors, and the extent to which attachment and emotional styles are related to these behaviors and styles in 254 high school students. As expected, girls were somewhat more likely to report being the perpetrator of physical…

Examines the relationships between cultural values and experiences of happiness in two samples focusing on university students in Taiwan (n=439) and the United Kingdom (n=344). Reports that the relationships between values and happiness were stronger in the Taiwanese sample. Includes references and an appendix. (CMK)

Describes a study which examined the current matriculation preferences and developmental changes in particular listening habits of medical students during their first year of medical education. Notes that results indicated significant differences between the "people" orientation and the "content" and "time"…

Investigated attachment security and behavior in 34 physically disabled infants and 26 non-disabled infants using convergent, categorical, and continuous (Attachment Behavior Q-Set) measures of relationship, based on the same set of home observations. Proportions of attachment classifications were identical for each group, but insecure disabled…

Investigated relationship of mild depression, stress, and coping based on Lazarus's model of stress and coping. Examined two coping styles (problem and emotion focused), two measures of stress, and mild depression in college students (N=227). Found mildly depressed persons relied more on emotion-focused coping and experience more stress than did…

Studies viewer response to graphic horror films. Reports that undergraduate mass communication students viewed clips from two horror films and a scientific television program. Concludes that people who score high on measures for wandering imagination, fictional involvement, humanistic orientation, and emotional contagion tend to find horror films…

Examined ethnic and gender differences in activities, family relationships, and feelings about aging in 128 American Indian, Anglo, and Hispanic adults over age 60. Found reading, visiting, and watching television were the most popular activities for all subjects, with a number of sex and ethnic differences appearing. (Author/ABL)

Examined relationships between strength of client feeling and categories of good moments of client movement, progress, or change by having judges (N=18) rate strength of feeling and good moments in 105 statements of client seen in single session of client-centered counseling. Found significant relationships between intensity of feeling and…

Proposes a cognitive-neoassociationistic model to account for the effects of negative affect on the development of angry feelings and the display of emotional aggression. Summarizes psychological studies that indicate that attention to one's negative feelings can lead to a regulation of the overt effects of the negative affect. (FMW)

Investigates the perceived balance of control of negative caregiving outcomes in 2 studies involving 40 undergraduates and 40 mothers in counseling at a child abuse agency. Findings indicate that low perceived control is a potentially important moderator of negative affect in response to difficult children. (RJC)