Three groups of 10 Ss, (depressed, psychiatric controls, and normal controls) were used. The 6s rated their moods and also indicated the number of "pleasant" activities engaged in each day over a period of 30 days. A significant association between mood and pleasant activities was found. There were large individual differences in regard to the magnitude of the correlation between mood and activity, but differences between groups failed to attain statistical significance. The results are interpreted as consistent with the major tenet of the behavioral theory of depression, that is, that there is an association between rate of positive reinforcement and intensity of depression.

The purpose of this study was to test the general hypothesis that depressed persons, as a group, are less socially skillful than nondepressed individuals. Social skill was denned as the complex ability both to emit behaviors that are positively reinforced and not to emit behaviors that are punished by others. The interpersonal behaviors of depressed and control 5s were compared. All verbal interchanges among group members were coded. The results were crossvalidated in two groups and were generally consistent in showing depressed Ss to be lower than controls on a number of operational measures of social skill (i.e., activity level, interpersonal range, rate of positive reactions emitted, and action latency).

No abstract

Chronic, life-threatening rumination was eliminated in a six-month-old infant by squirting a small amount of lemon juice into her mouth whenever rumination or its precursors were detected. A brief suspension of this therapy demonstrated its crucial role. Lemon-juice therapy offers a practical and acceptable alternative to other therapies for rumination, namely electric shock and massive noncontingent attention. However, since this study is limited to a single case, claims as to the effectiveness of this therapy across children are premature.

High-stress individuals may benefit from social support, although their support providers may be adversely affected via stress crossover effects. Individual and crossover effects of perceived stress within medical student marriages (n = 30) were investigated. Perceived spousal support was positively associated with individuals' own marital and emotional adjustment, attenuating stress effects. With regard to crossover effects, medical students' perceived stress was significantly associated with their spouses' emotional adjustment. Further, medical students' own emotional adjustment fully mediated this crossover effect. Results suggest that the contagion of negative affect may serve as a key mechanism through which stress crossover effects operate in marriage.

This study investigated the human eyeblink startle reflex as a measure of alcohol cue reactivity. Alcohol-dependent participants early (n = 36) and late (n = 34) in abstinence received presentations of alcohol and water cues. Consistent with previous research, greater salivation and higher ratings of urge to drink occurred in response to the alcohol cues. Differential salivary and urge responding to alcohol versus water cues did not vary as a function of abstinence duration. Of special interest was the finding that startle response magnitudes were relatively elevated to alcohol cues, but only in individuals early in abstinence. Affective ratings of alcohol cues suggested that alcohol cues were perceived as aversive. Methodological and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

Family services within Veterans Affairs Medical Centers fulfill an important role in addressing relationship distress among Veterans, which is highly prevalent and comorbid with psychopathology. However, even for evidence-based couple therapies, effectiveness is weaker compared to controlled studies, maybe because many Veteran couples drop out early and do not reach the "active" treatment stage after the 3-4 session assessment. In order to improve outcomes, it is critical to identify couples at high risk for early dropout, and understand whether couples may benefit from the assessment as an intervention. The current study examined (a) demographics, treatment delivery mode, relationship satisfaction, and psychological symptoms as predictors of dropout during and immediately following the assessment phase, and (b) changes in relationship satisfaction during assessment. 174 couples completed questionnaires during routine intake procedures. The main analyses focused on 140 male Veterans and their female civilian partners; 36.43% dropped out during the assessment phase and 24.74% of the remaining couples immediately following the first treatment session. More severe depressive symptoms in non-Veteran partners were associated with dropout during assessment. Relationship satisfaction improved significantly during the assessment phase for couples who did not drop out, with larger gains for non-Veteran partners. No demographics or treatment delivery mode were associated with dropout. Although more research is needed on engaging couples at risk for early dropout and maximizing early benefits, the findings suggest that clinicians should attend to the civilian partner's and Veteran's depressive symptoms at intake and consider the assessment part of active treatment.

This study investigated the hypothesis that alcohol consumption patterns among normally menstrually cycling women would be influenced by increased negative mood states and phase of the menstrual cycle. A time-series, within-groups design was used to allow for comparisons among normally cycling women, women maintained on oral contraceptives, and men. Thirty-two adults recorded daily estimates of ongoing behaviors in the areas mentioned for two menstrual cycles or equivalent periods. Radioimmunoassay and temperature data were used to confirm ovulation and to define ovulatory, premenstrual, and menstrual phases. Estimates of anxiety, depression, and hostility were highly intercorrelated, but negative moods were not significantly related to frequency/amount of alcohol consumption. However, normally cycling women reported significantly more negative moods, were frequent drinking to relieve tension/depression, and more frequent solitary drinking at menstruation. These relationships were not observed among oral contraceptive women or men. Collected among psychologically robust, working subjects of high intelligence, these data provide estimates of baseline functioning for future studies exploring the progression of pathological alcohol use patterns among women.