Dean G. Kilpatrick

Dogmatism, Religion, and Religiosity, a Review and Re-Evaluation

A review of the literature concerning religious preference, religiosity and dogmatism showed that Catholics consistently had been found by Rokeach and others to be more dogmatic than members of other religious groups. Since no Southern sample had been reported, 245 male and 250 female Ss from two Southern universities were administered Form E of the Dogmatism scale. Ss were Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and nonbelievers and were asked their average monthly church attendance. Churchgoers were generally more dogmatic than nonchurchgoers. Catholics and nonbelievers were less dogmatic than Jews and Protestants. Differences between our findings and those of Rokeach and others were discussed, and possible explanations for them were given. Several methodological suggestions were made concerning future research on dogmatism. It was concluded that speculations about the relative dogmatism of religious groups as a whole are inappropriate.

The Halstead Category Test of Brain Dysfunction: Feasibility of a Short Form:

Although the Halstead Category Test is one of the best indicators of brain dysfunction among the subtests of the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery, it has been used infrequently by psychologists in clinical settings. The feasibility of a short form was considered. For the test protocols of 41 Ss the product-moment correlation for errors on odd items and total errors was .90, on even items and total errors, .99. The split-half correlation was .97. Research on the discriminative power of a short form was discussed; a short form is apparently feasible for use by the psychologist.

Aging, alcoholism, anxiety, and sensation seeking: An explaratory investigation

Aging alcoholic (n = 36) and aging nonalcoholic (n = 35) male veterans were compared on biographic/demographic variables and psychological characteristics. Results indicated that aging alcoholics and nonalcoholics were married at approximately the same ages, married roughly the same number of times, and produced similar numbers of offspring, but aging alcoholics were better educated and had fewer persons economically dependent on them. They had higher scores than aging nonalcoholics on objective measures of state anxiety, trait anxiety, overall fears, tissue damage fears, social-interpersonal fears, miscellaneous fears, and failure/loss of self-esteem fears. Aging alcoholics also had higher scores on the sensation-seeking variable of boredom susceptibility and disinhibition, suggesting the existence of a relationship between need for sensory stimulation and maladaptive drinking among aging alcoholics.

Dogmatism and personal sexual attitudes.

The relation between dogmatism as measured by high and low Dogmatism scores and sexual attitudes as measured by an original Sexual Attitude Survey was determined. Ss were 192 male and 188 female university students. High-dogmatic males were found to be more sexually conservative than low-dogmatic males. There was no difference in conservatism of sexual attitudes between high-dogmatic and low-dogmatic females. Male Ss, as expected, were significantly more sexually liberal than female Ss.

Treatment goal preference and problem perception of chronic alcoholics: Behavioral and personality correlates

Abstract To investigate differences among alcoholics with respect to treatment goal (abstinence or controlled drinking) and motivation for treatment, 154 male veteran alcoholics completed a battery of psychometric tests, the rod and frame measure of field dependence, and a structured interview. Ss were classified into 4 groups: 1. Abstinence goal—motivated for treatment candidates (n = 86), 2. Abstinence goal—spurious treatment candidates (n = 11), 3. Controlled drinking goal—motivated for treatment candidates (n = 46) and 4. Controlled drinking—spurious treatment candidates (n = 11). No differences on any variables were observed as a function of treatment goal, but spurious treatment candidates exhibited significantly less subjective emotional distress on the self-report psychometric tests than did alcoholics motivated for treatment. Spurious treatment candidates had higher MMPI lie scale scores and were more field dependent as well, suggesting that such alcoholics are not problem free and well-adjusted. The implications of these findings for assessment of treatment motivation and the need for use of behavioral assessment procedures are discussed.

RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE, PRACTICE, AND PERSONAL SEXUAL ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of religious affiliation and religiosity upon reported sexual attitudes and behavior in the South. A Sexual Attitude Survey (SAS) was administered to 509 undergraduate students, divided into Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and nonbelievers and further classified by frequency of monthly church attendance. Results indicated that college men are more sexually liberal than college women regardless of religious preference or religiosity, that sexual liberality decreases with increased frequency of church attendance, and that in general nonbelievers report more liberal sexual attitudes and behavior than Catholics, Protestants, and Jews.

Behavioral, psychological, and historical correlates of MacAndrew scale scores among male alcoholics

Male alcoholic veterans (N=194) were divided into four groups on the basis of their scores on the MacAndrew scale (MAC) of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and compared on psychological and sociodemographic measures and self-reported alcohol, drug, and legal histories. Nineteen subjects scored in the “nonalcoholic” (NA) range of the MAC (i.e., false negatives, MAC≤23). Remaining subjects, scoring in the “alcoholic” range of the MAC, were divided into thirds by MAC scores (lowest third, L-MAC=24–28,n=53; middle third, M-MAC=29–31,n=63; highest third, H-MAC>31,n=59). Groups did not differ on age, any important sociodemographic variables, or scores on the Profile of Mood States, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Symptom Checklist-90, or Rod and Frame Test. Significant group differences were obtained on several MMPI scales. Lower MAC scores were associated with higher scores onL, K, D, andR, and lower scores onMa. There was also a tendency for subjects with lower MAC scores to score higher onSi. NA subjects began drinking and heavy drinking later than other subjects, although groups did not differ on duration, quantity, or frequency of drinking. Subjects with higher MAC scores more often reported drinking in bars, drinking liquor straight, alcohol-related job disruptions, and previous use of marijuana, hallucinogens, and barbiturates. Subjects with higher MAC scores had more often been arrested, convicted, fined, and jailed for alcohol-related offenses but not for other offenses. Results are examined with respect to MacAndrews distinction between primary and secondary alcoholics and with respect to the possible relations of MAC to important person variables such as sensation seeking.

Extreme Obesity and its Associations with Victimization, PTSD, Major Depression and Eating Disorders in a National Sample of Women

Background: Crime victimization experiences, such as rape, molestation, and aggravated assault are significantly associated with bulimia nervosa (BN) and associated psychiatric comorbidity such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and substance abuse. Obesity also appears to be a major risk factor for the development of BN, but few studies have examined the relationship of crime victimization experiences to obesity and related psychopathology.

Size of Figure Drawing in Relation to Depression

104 psychiatric patients defined as depressed on the MMPI did not draw significantly smaller human figures than non-depressed Ss. There was no significant correlation between amount of depression and height of figure drawing for depressed patients, nor was there a significant correlation between reaction time and height of figure drawing for depressed patients.

DAP Correlates of Sc Scores on the MMPI

Summary DAPs were gathered from 36 Ss. On the basis of the MMPI they were separated into two matched groups: 18 abnormal (Sc) and 18 normal (NSc). Bizarreness ratings of DAP and adjustment ratings of the Ss from the DAP were obtained. There was no significant difference in ratings of bizarreness for the two groups. Judges rated the Ss of the Sc group as less adjusted than those of NSc group. Education and age had no significant effect on the ratings of adjustment.