Carol C. Howell

Test Anxiety in Adolescents with Learning Disabilities and Behavior Disorders

This study investigated the relative influence on test anxiety of academic self-concept, cognitive interference, academic achievement, and study skills, with 82 adolescents with learning disabilities and behavior disorders who were enrolled in a small, private, special education day school. Subjects completed various measures of anxiety, academic performance, and other assessments; and correlation and stepwise multiple-regression procedures were used to analyze the data. Results showed a significant positive relationship between test anxiety and cognitive interference and a significant negative relationship between test anxiety and study habits. Cognitive interference was the most powerful predictor of test anxiety.

Relationship of Anger, Stress, and Coping With School Connectedness in Fourth-Grade Children

BACKGROUND High trait anger and stress, ineffective patterns of anger expression, and coping are risk factors for the development of disease and negative social behaviors in children and adults. School connectedness may be protective against negative consequences in adolescents, but less is known about this in school-aged children. The purposes of this study were to characterize relationships between trait anger, stress, patterns of anger expression, resources for coping, and school connectedness and to determine if race and gender moderate these relationships in elementary school-aged children. METHODS Using self-report, standardized instruments, a convenience sample of 166 fourth graders in 4 elementary schools in 1 US school district was assessed in the fifth week of the school year. RESULTS School connectedness was positively associated with social confidence and behavior control and negatively associated with trait anger, anger-out, and stress. In multiple regression analyses to test for interactions, gender did not moderate the effects of school connectedness in any of the models, while race moderated the relationships between school connectedness and both stress and social confidence. Students with higher school connectedness had lower trait anger and anger-out and higher behavior control, regardless of gender and/or race. White students higher in school connectedness had lower stress and higher social confidence. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate the protective effect of school connectedness on trait anger, anger-out, and behavior control in school-aged children, regardless of race or gender. The protective effect of school connectedness on stress and social confidence may depend on race.

Anger and blood pressure readings in children

This study investigated the relationship of state and trait anger measured by the Jacobs Pediatric Anger Scale, patterns of anger expression measured by Jacobs Pediatric Anger Expression Scale, and blood pressure readings (BPR) in 230 third-grade children. Analysis of data revealed significant inverse relationships between anger suppression and diastolic BPR and anger reflection and control and both diastolic and systolic BPR. As anger suppression increased, diastolic BPR decreased. As anger reflection and control increased, both systolic and diastolic BPR decreased. When gender was considered, the relationship between anger reflection and control and systolic BPR was apparent only for girls, whereas the relationship between anger reflection and control and diastolic BPR was apparent only for boys. When correlations were computed based on gender and race, a significant inverse relationship between anger reflection and control and systolic BPR in Black girls was found. The results suggest that the influence of race and gender on the relationships between anger expression and systolic and diastolic BPR, which has been documented in adults, may be present in childhood.

Clients with Schizophrenia and Their Caregivers' Perceptions of Frequent Psychiatric Rehospitalizations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to achieve an understanding of the lived experience of the event of rehospitalization as seen by the schizophrenic patient and his or her designated caregiver. Five schizophrenic clients who met criteria and their designated caregivers were located using purposeful intensity sampling. A standardized open-ended interview was conducted with each informant using a dialogical approach. After redundancy was reached, data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Five themes reflecting the meaning of recidivism evolved from the data. These included rehospitalization as an event that: provided a safe place, provided stabilization of medication, produced a renewal of hope, reinforced frustration with the mental health care system, and produced decreased individual control. Findings can be used to develop a more comprehensive model of care for intervention with patients and caregivers.

Accessing and Recruiting Children for Research in Schools

Gaining access to the schools and recruiting children as research participants are challenging tasks. To facilitate gaining access to the schools, multiple strategies are necessary, including understanding specific characteristics of the schools, using the proper lines of authority and communication, identifying the gatekeepers, and persuading the schools of the significance and mutual benefits from the study. Once access is gained, strategies for successful recruitment of children include use of developmentally appropriate motivators and incentives; multilevel communications with administrators, principals, teachers, staff, parents/guardians, and children; and provision of privacy and confidentiality during data collection and sharing of the findings. Specific examples from an ongoing study are used to illustrate helpful strategies.

Anger, Stress and Blood Pressure in Overweight Children

Among adults, trait anger, patterns of anger expression, and stress have been associated with blood pressure (BP). Less apparent is the effect of these variables on BP in overweight and obese children. To characterize the relationships between these psychological variables and BP, the authors conducted a secondary analysis of data from 73 overweight and obese 9- to 11-year-old children. Findings indicate a positive correlation between trait anger and systolic BP (SBP). Regression results indicate that the overall model significantly predicted SBP by explaining 15.4% of the variance and that trait anger was a significant predictor of SBP.

The relative influence of identified components of test anxiety in baccalaureate nursing students.

The relative influence on test anxiety of cognitive interference, self-concept, study and test-taking skills, and cumulative grade point average was investigated. Fifty-six female baccalaureate nursing students completed the following measures: Sarasons Test Anxiety Scale, Browns Effective Study Test, Sarasons Cognitive Interference Questionnaire, and Brookovers Self-Concept of Ability Scale. Subjects also reported their cumulative grade point average (GPA). Data were analyzed through the use of correlation and stepwise multiple regression. Data analyses revealed significant negative relationships between test anxiety and the variables of academic self-concept and GPA (p less than .05). Academic self-concept was the most powerful predictor of test anxiety, while GPA and cognitive interference contributed significantly but minimally to the multiple regression equation. Results support Meichenbaum and Butlers (1980) contention regarding the multidimensional nature of the test anxiety construct.

Ramifications of Late Luteal Phase Dysphoric Disorder Diagnosis

This article examines the major clinical, sociological, and research implications associated with the diagnosis of late luteal phase dysphoric disorder (LLPDD) as currently defined in the DSM-III-R Appendix A, the diagnostic handbook used to define psychiatric disorders. Evidence supports use of this diagnosis, albeit with strict adherence to the criteria. The recognition, use, and impact of the LLPDD diagnosis as a womens health care issue is discussed.