E. K. Eric Gunderson

Spatial and Perceptual Components of Crowding: Effects on Health and Satisfaction

negative impact of crowding on various animal behaviors (Stokols, 1974; Calhoun, 1962; Christian et al., 1960; Thiessen and Rodgers, 1961). However, the resu Its of research on the effects of crowding in human populations are quite inconsistent. For example, the negative effects of crowding on certain behaviors have been reported by Griffitt and Veitch (1971), while positive effects on related behaviors have been reported by Loo (1972). In addition, some investigators have found no significant relationship between various observed behaviors and crowding ( Freedman et al., 1971).

Life stress and illness patterns in the U.S. navy—V. Prior life change and illness onset in a battleship's crew ☆

Abstract The entire enlisted crew of the worlds only operational battleship was studied during a 7-month deployment to Vietnam. The Schedule of Recent Experience (SRE), designed to document significant recent life change, was administered at the beginning of the cruise, and the illness developed by these men during the cruise were tabulated. A new scoring system for the SRE derived by stepwise multiple regression analysis was more discriminating of illness developed during the cruise than was a psychophysical scoring method based on civilian populations. In order that the SRE be of maximum utility in the military situation, a number of factors related to the subject population and the scoring system must be considered.

Alcohol-related morbidity among older career navy men

Hospital admission histories were compared for groups of Navy enlisted men identified as alcohol abusers or controls during the later years of their service careers. The alcohol abuse group had a higher mean number of hospital admissions per year and a higher mean number of days hospitalized per year than did the control group. Highest admission rates for both abusers and controls were reported in two major diagnostic categories, first, accidents, poisoning, and violence, and second, diseases of the digestive system. The rates for alcohol abusers exceeded those of controls in these and several additional diagnostic categories including mental disorders where the greatest disparity in rates of hospitalization was noted. The greatest differences in rates of specific illness between abusers and controls were observed for cirrhosis of the liver and diseases of the pancreas. Reasons for higher illness rates other than alcohol abuse were not apparent from available data.

Motives For Drug Use Among Light And Heavy Users

Specific reasons reported for use of six illicit drugs—cannabis, opiates, hallucinogens, amphetamines, barbiturates, and cocaine—were obtained from 997 entrants to a Navy drug rehabilitation facility. Reasons were divided into two categories: hedonistic and therapeutic. Subjects were classified by level of involvement based upon light or heavy use of each drug. Reasons given by both light and heavy users of hallucinogens and cocaine were predominantly hedonistic. Heightened sentience and “psychedelic” experiences appeared to be the objective of hallucinogen users whereas heightened sexual pleasure was the primary motive for cocaine users. Reasons for using amphetamines, barbiturates, and opiates were almost exclusively therapeutic among heavy users. Amphetamines were used to improve functioning and relieve depression, and barbiturates to relieve anxiety. Reasons for using opiates included both of these components, and opiate users appeared to be seeking a pervasive feeling of well being as well as “escape from reality.” Reasons for cannabis use were diverse and suggested desires for intoxication, relaxation, social belongingness, and heightened sensory awareness.

III. Prior Life Change and Illness Onset in an Attack Carrier’s Crew

Approximately one third of the enlisted crew of an attack carrier (N = 687) was studied during a six-month deployment to Vietnam. The Schedule of Recent Experience (SRE), designed to document significant recent life change, was administered at the beginning of the cruise, and the illnesses developed by these men during the cruise were tabulated. This paper discusses the relationship of prior life change to illness onset. Initially, an item weighting system which was constructed from civilian populations was used in scoring, but this scoring system failed to discriminate future illness. A new weighting system was then derived by stepwise multiple regression analysis, which was done separately for unrated seamen and petty officers. Several different items emerged as unique predictors for these two groups of men. The life change scores based on the regression-derived weighting system clearly and significantly discriminated future illness, indicating that new SRE scoring methods can be useful in illness predi...

A longitudinal study of health risks associated with alcohol abuse in young navy men

Hospital admission histories were compared for groups of alcohol abusers and controls who entered the Navy in 1970 or 1971 and who reenlisted. The histories extended over a period of 6 to 8 years. The alcohol abuse group had a significantly higher mean number of hospital admissions and days hospitalized for conditions other than alcoholism than did the controls. Differences in frequencies of illnesses between the two groups were apparent during the first year in service and continued throughout the study period. Highest rates of illness in both groups were reported for accidents, poisonings, and violence; diseases of the respiratory system; infective and parasitic diseases, and diseases of the respiratory system; infective and parasitic diseases, and diseases of the digestive system. Mental diseases were a major cause of morbidity in the alcohol abuse group but not in the control group. Differences in illness rates were related to identification as alcohol abusers rather than to differences between abusers and controls in education, aptitude, or age at enlistment.

MEASUREMENT OF GROUP EFFECTIVENESS IN NATURAL ISOLATED GROUPS

Abstract : The systematic study of interpersonal relations and productivity in natural isolated groups requires measurement techniques which are practicable for administration in groups operating under variable or extreme environmental conditions. In the present study simple questionnaire scales designed to measure group cooperation and effectiveness demonstrated acceptable reliability and were shown to relate consistently to an independent criterion of group effectiveness. Significant changes in social relations and group accomplishment were recorded in several of the Antarctic groups studied.

The Behavioral Effects of Crowding: Definitions and Methods.

Crews of 18 U.S. Navy combat vessels rated their living and working conditions aboard ship, including degree of crowding. In order to understand better the behavioral effects of crowding, three different types of measures, corresponding to different definitions of crowding, were constructed. These separate crowding measures correlated uniquely with satisfaction and illness criteria.

Illness Prediction Studies

Fourteen psychosocial and occupational illness predictors were assessed as to their utility in the prediction of subjects’ illness reporting over a six- to eight-month period. Subjects were 4,463 US Navy men aboard six large Navy ships. Eleven of these 14 Illness predictors proved to have significant correlations with the illness criterion. Intercorrelations between the significant illness predictors were presented. The 14 original illness predictors were assessed (validation and cross-validation experiment) by the multiple regression analysis technique to determine the best predictive equation. Six of the 14 predictors, three occupational and three psychosocial predictors, were seen upon cross-validation to establish a multiple correlation of 0.27.

PAST EXPERIENCE, SELF-EVALUATION, AND PRESENT ADJUSTMENT.

Abstract : Self evaluation measures in a population of young, healthy Navy men correlated significantly with a composite of biographical information reflecting family instability and conflict, incon sistent or extreme disciplinary practices by parents, and persistent difficulties in school adjustment. Factor analysis of the self evaluation inventory yielded eight factors which provided a more meaningful differentiation of attitudes toward self than the global measures of body-cathexis and self-cathexis used previously. The self evaluation measures correlated in the expected direction with attitude measures of interpersonal maturity and delinquency proneness, positive self-regard being positively related to the Maturity Scale and negatively correlated with the Delinquency Scale. With the exception of one factor-derived scale, Work Attitude, the self evaluation measures did not correlate significantly with any of four military adjustment criteria. It was inferred that the relationships of these self evaluation measures to adjustment probably are of low order in a normal population or are not simple linear ones. (Author)