Karen S. Pfost

The relationship of demographic variables, antepartum depression, and stress to postpartum depression

This study examined the contributions of demographic variables, antepartum depressive symptoms, and sources of stress to level of postpartum depression. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and demographic data sheet were administered to 69 women during the eighth month of pregnancy. One month after delivery, subjects completed the post-delivery questionnaire and BDI. A stratified hierarchical regression analysis revealed that marital status, antepartum depressive symptoms, and difficulty of pregnancy predicted level of postpartum depression. Somatic stressors of pregnancy may trigger depressive symptoms that persist after childbirth, particularly in unmarried mothers.

Influence of Rock Videos on Attitudes of Violence against Women

144 undergraduate men viewed rock videos which contained content that was erotic-violent, erotic-nonviolent, nonerotic-violent, or nonerotic-nonviolent. Exposure to nonerotic-violent rock videos resulted in significantly higher Adversarial Sexual Beliefs scores and ratings of negative affect. These and other findings are discussed in terms of Banduras concept of emotional incompatibility and the frustration-aggression model.

Pursuit of nontraditional occupations: Fear of success or fear of not being chosen?

To determine whether fear of success reflects realistic expectations of the negative consequences of deviance rather than a motive, reactions to “gender-inappropriate” achievement by women and men were investigated. Occupational choices (masculine or feminine) and academic performance (successful or neutral-unknown) of target descriptions were crossed. Women described and seeking “masculine” occupations were perceived by women and men as least preferable heterosexual romantic partners. Similarly, women seeking a “masculine” occupation whose performance status was neutral-unknown were perceived by women and men as least preferable heterosexual friends. Perceptions of men as heterosexual romantic partners and friends did not parallel responses to descriptions of women and were less consistent across sex of perceiver. Gender-incongruent persons were least preferred as same-sex friends.

Femininity and work plans protect women against postpartum dysphoria

This study examined contributions of the following variables to postpartum depressive symptomatology: level of antepartum depression, loss of social reinforcement, assertiveness, sex-role orientation, and work plans. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Pleasant Events Schedule (PES), Assertion Inventory, and Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) were administered to 69 women during the eighth month of pregnancy. One month after delivery, subjects were administered the PES, postdelivery questionnaire, and BDI. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that antepartum BDI scores predicted postpartum depressive symptomatology, and BSRI Femininity scores and work plans were significant negative predictors. A one-way analysis of variance of sex role orientation on postpartum BDI scores showed that undifferentiated women reported more depression than other sex role groups.

Consumption of Attention versus Affect Elicited by Cognitions in Modifying Acute Pain

40 subjects were randomly assigned to conditions of high pleasure, low pleasure, high anger, or low anger in a 2 × 2 (intensity × affect) design. Although subjects used highly intense cognitions more than less intense ones, pleasant cognitions produced higher tolerance for pressure pain. Modification of pain may be mediated by specific affect rather than intensity or consumption of attention.

Further Evidence of the Stability of the Verbalizer-Visualizer Questionnaire

Significant reliability coefficients for the Verbalizer-Visualizer Questionnaire of .36, .52, and .47 were obtained after 16 wk. for college men (N = 59), women (N = 123), and pooled subjects (N = 184), respectively.

The Relationship of MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale Scores to MMPI Profile Type and Degree of Elevation.

Collected MMPI data for 38 Caucasian males who were hospitalized in a Veterans Administration alcoholism treatment program. On the basis of a Q-factor analysis, three prototypic profiles were derived, which adequately described 92% of the sample. These profiles were labeled: Type I (scales 1 and 2), Type II (F-K, Scales 4 and 9), and Type III (Scales K, 3 and 4). Type II was found to be correlated positively with scores on the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale. No relationship was found between MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale scores and magnitude of psychological distress, as measured by mean T scores.

Relationship of purpose in life to grief experiences in response to the death of a signifcant other

Abstract This study examined the relationship of purpose in life to grief experiences in response to the death of a significant other. Forty undergraduates who had sustained the death of a loved one completed an information sheet, the Purpose in Life Test, and the Grief Experience Inventory. Bereaved persons who reported low purpose in life appeared to experience more anger than individuals with high purpose. This preliminary finding is linked to literature demonstrating an association between low purpose in life and emotion-focused coping; the finding is discussed in terms of working with bereaved clients.

The Relationship between Sex-Role Orientation and the Type A Behavior Pattern: A Test of the Main Effect Hypothesis.

Examined the relationship between sex-role orientation and the Type A behavior pattern. Eighty undergraduates were classified as high or low on masculinity and femininity on the basis of Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) formed on student Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS) scores for pooled Ss, for males, and for females; each yielded a main effect for masculinity. JAS scores were correlated positively with BSRI Masculinity scores and not correlated with BSRI Femininity scores across pooled Ss, across males, and across females. These results are discussed in terms of their research and treatment implications.

Modifying Acute Pain by Matching Cognitive Style with Cognitive Treatment

To test whether congruence between cognitive style and cognitive coping would facilitate the attenuation of pressure pain, 30 verbalizers and 50 visualizers were assigned in equal numbers (ns = 10) to pleasant imagery, rational thoughts, and expectancy conditions. Separate 2 × 3 (cognitive style X experimental condition) analyses of covariance on pain tolerance and subjective discomfort indicated that imagery was superior to expectancy in raising tolerance. These findings are discussed in terms of the flexibility of cognitive coping and the content of the images and thoughts which were used.