Jacob Tuckman

The Influence of Changed Directions on Stereotypes About Ageing; Before and After Instruction

IN a previous study (I) the effect of a course on the psychology of the adult on the attitudes of graduate students toward old people and the older worker was investigated. The attitudes about old people and the older worker were measured both before and after instruction. Two questionnaires were used. The first questionnaire was about old people. It consisted of 137 statements regarding physical changes with age, mental deterioration, activities and interests, family relationships, conservatism, insecurity, etc. The second questionnaire was about the older worker. It consisted of 51 statements regarding physicaI decline, mental decfine, attitudes toward supervisors, attitudes toward retirement, and resistance to change. Except for statements about physical changes with age, for which there is supporting evidence, the majority of the statements in the two questionnaires involved beliefs, misconceptions and stereotypes about old people and the older worker. In the first study ( I ) , these two questionnaires were given to the class before instruction. After fourteen weeks of instruction, a shorter questionnaire of 40 items, 30 from the original questionnaire about old people and 10 from the original questionnaire about the older worker, was given to the class. The retest questionnaire had items that showed age or sex differences before instruction; the balance were chosen at random from different sections of the two questionnaires. The comparison of the responses of 124 graduate students (80 men and 44. women), before and after instruction indicated that the * Rctimncnt ond Adjufmcnt Srrics: Number 11. Sponsored cooperatively by the Institute of Adult Education and the Institute of Psychological Research, Teachers College, Columbia University.

Size of family and behavioral problems in children.

1581 children referred to childrens outpatient psychiatric clinics in Philadelphia were compared for size of family to determine the importance of family size for the personal and social development of the individual. Only children were underrepresented; those from families with 3 or more children were over-represented when compared with the general population. School problems and antisocial behavior increased with family size. Anxiety and neurotic behavior and problems involving habit forming decreased with family size. Severe psychiatric symptoms aggressive behavior withdrawal behavior somatic symptoms sex problems and mental retardation were not related to family size.

Ordinal position and behavior problems in children.

There were two major findings. The first was the overrepresentation of the oldest child and the underrepresentation of the youngest in outpatient psychiatric clinics when compared to general population data. The second was the tendency for positional differences to disappear for specific behavioral problems as family size increased. In two-child families, the older was referred more often to a clinic for anxiety, severe psychiatric symptoms, aggression, and difficulties in interpersonal relations; the younger more for mental retardation. In three-child families, only two problems, interpersonal relations and mental retardation, remained significant; in four or more-child families, no problem differentiated position.

Suicide and family disorganization

TWO earlier studies, one with children and adolescents under age 18~’), the Tother with adults 18 years of age and older, (7) have shown that family disorganization is characteristic of persons attempting suicide. Operationally, family disorganization was measured by contacts with public or voluntary agencies providing health and welfare services. Such contacts, initiated by the family itself or through intervention of the community, suggest that the family has problems with which it cannot cope without help from specialized community resources. The findings of family disorganization in the two studies were consistent with those of other investigators using different criteria. (1, 2, :>, 1, :;)

The Effect of Changed Directions on the Attitudes About Old People and the Older Worker

ment or disagreement with a series of statements about old people and the older worker. Two questionnaires were employed. The first, consisting of 137 statements about old people, covered such areas as physical change with age, family relationships, activities and interests, personality traits including mental deterioration, and conservatism. The second, consisting of Si statements about the older worker, covered physical decline, mental decline, reaction to criticism, attitude toward the job, and interpersonal relationships. Statements covering physical changes with age have a basis in fact since the research findings in this area leave little doubt that the individual does slow up physiologically as he grows older. However, most of the statements in the two questionnaires are not based on any experimental evidence; rather they express beliefs, misconceptions and stereotypes about the abilities, personality characteristics, and functioning of old people and older workers.

Multiple suicide attempts

A sample of 157 persons who attempted suicide from 2 to 6 times was compared with a sample of 1,045 single attempted suicides on a number of personal and social characteristics and other factors related to the act itself. Suicide death rates, obtained through a follow-up of both groups for a year following the last attempt, were also compared. It is concluded (1) that the two groups are essentially similar in their general characteristics and in their risk of suicide and (2) that, among multiples, little change occurs from first to second attempt. However, it is pointed out that both groups are at considerably higher risk of suicide than those who have not made attempts.

Some correlates of psychiatric readmission

Abstract Although psychiatric readmission rates have been dramatically accelerated in the past decade, little is known about readmitted patients. For a random sample of 1002 patients, the number of admissions was related to personal and social characteristics, prehospital services, admission experiences, inhospital services, and patient movement. Changes were found to be associated with an increase in number of admissions. Twenty out of 25 variables were significantly related to admission status. Eight were directly attributable to admission status, 10 were functions of diagnosis, and in 2 it was difficult to account for the relationship.