This study compared the prevalence of bulimia and the attitudes toward food and weight in a Black college population with the results obtained from a similar study of Caucasian college students (Gray & Ford, 1985). A 34‐item questionnaire containing an operationalized version of the DSM‐III criteria for bulimia (American Psychiatric Association, 1980) and demographic information was completed by 507 (341 women, 166 men) Black college students. Results showed there were significantly fewer Black women than Caucasian women who met the DSM‐III and bulimia nervosa critria for bulimia. In addition, Black college women were found to be less likely to experience a sense of fear and discouragement concerning food and weight control than Caucasian women. The prevalence of bulimia was very low to nonexistent in both the Black and Caucasian male samples. These findings were discussed in regard to differential attitudes toward weight and beauty among the two ethnic groups.

The relationship of pubococcygeal condition to orgasmic responsiveness in 102 women from a university community was examined in a controlled, prospective investigation. Pubococcygeal strength was measured with a perineometer while responsiveness was assessed by a standardized interview yielding reliable measures of self-reported orgasmic response. Subjects whose responsiveness might have been impaired by such factors as alcohol consumption, inadequate stimulation, and high sexual anxiety were excluded from analyses. Excellent within-session but poor across-session test-retest reliability of the perineometer measures was noted. Initial Strength Contracting proved to be the most reliable measure. Though the majority of the parous women had performed Kegel exercises after delivery, parity was negatively related to pubococcygeal strength on most measures. Contrary to experimental hypotheses, pubococcygeal strength was not found to be positively related to frequency or self-reported intensity of orgasm. Furthermore, women with higher pubococcygeal strength did not report that vaginal stimulation contributed more to attainment of orgasm, nor did they rate vaginal sensations during coitus as more pleasurable. Only in the case of pleasurability of orgasm through clitoral stimulation was a significant, though low, relationship obtained. Possible factors contributing to the discrepancy between these findings and previous uncontrolled investigations are discussed, as are the implications of these findings for the use of Kegel exercises in the treatment of orgasmic dysfunction.

The results of memory training are reported for three densely amnesic patients. It was found that these patients were able to successfully learn the specific content of what was taught, utilizing either rote rehearsal or elaboration methods, but none of the patients demonstrated any generalization of learning strategies to unfamiliar material. The general conclusion was that densely amnesic patients can learn specific items of information, and that such learning may facilitate competence in activities of daily living. However, mnemonic devices involving verbal elaboration and imagery that have been successfully taught by professional mnemonists to normal individuals do not appear to be effective with amnesic patients.

Data from more than 60,000 births in the United States were reevaluated by statistical power analysis to determine if racial differentials existed in the impact of maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy on low birth weight and infant mortality. The risk of mortality was significantly greater for infants of Black maternal smokers than Black nonsmokers. But the same relationship was not evident for Whites. The most dramatic increase in mortality was exhibited among infants of Black mothers who smoked more than one pack of cigarettes per day. Recent estimates indicate that the rate of smoking among pregnant Blacks now surpasses that of Whites, and the number of Black women who smoke more than one pack of cigarettes per day during pregnancy has increased. Racism, sexism, and associated increased levels of psychosocial stress appear to be implicated in the etiology of these racial differentials.

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