Keith W. Jacobs

CLASSIFICATION OF PLACEBO DRUGS: EFFECT OF COLOR

To study the role of color in the psychological effects of placebo drugs, 100 subjects were asked to place each of six different colored capsules into one of three classifications of drug effects. Results indicate that red and yellow placebos are classified as stimulants while blue placebos are classified as depressants.

Effects of Color of Paper on Which the Profile of Mood States is Printed on the Psychological States it Measures

The Profile of Mood States was printed on four different colors of paper (yellow, red, green, blue) and white to test whether the color of paper would influence mood state scores of 246 college students. Univariate analyses of variance identified color effects only on the Fatigue scale.

Correlations among scales of the Beck Depression Inventory and the profile of mood states.

The revised Beck Depression Inventory and the Profile of Mood States were administered to 104 men. Scores on the Beck Depression Inventory correlated significantly with all six Profile scales, including .75 with Depression-Dejection and – .53 with Vigor-Activity.

Correlation between scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale

The Beck Depression Inventory and the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale were administered to a stratified sample of 78 college students. The two measures of depression were significantly correlated .54. In addition, Beck scores were influenced by an interaction of year and college variables, and Zung scores were different for males and females. It is concluded that these two scales offer somewhat different measures of depression.

Psychometric Properties of the Internal Control Index

The Internal Control Index of Duttweiler was administered to 85 college students and scores were analyzed to study the psychometric properties of the instrument. Descriptive statistics were similar to those reported for other college samples. An internal consistency (coefficient alpha) of .82 was found. An item analysis supported the use of a single total score as a psychometrically sound measure. Further use of the Internal Control Index across a variety of settings seems appropriate.

PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE LEARNING-ORIENTATION GRADE-ORIENTATION II SCALE

The Learning-Orientation Grade-Orientation Scale of Eison, Pollio, and Milton was administered to 85 college students and analyzed to study the psychometric properties of the instrument. Scale means were consistent with those usually reported. Cronbach coefficients alpha for 5 of the 6 scales ranged from .58 to .70; however, the coefficient alpha for learning-orientation attitude scale was questionably low (.29). Item analyses and factor analyses support the continued use of at least 5 of the 6 scales measured by the inventory.

Teaching Activities Exchange: A Regional Report

A teaching activities exchange at a regional psychology convention is described. The exchange included 12 poster presentations of teaching innovations at the undergraduate level. We describe this activity as a model for continuing education programs appropriate for academic psychologists and suggest that similar programs should be held at other regional psychology conventions. We also include some information about those who attended our session, as well as suggestions about how to organize similar exchanges.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIETARY COMPONENTS AND ASPECTS OF SLEEP

To test the hypothesis that major dietary constituents are related to quantity or quality of sleep, 27 adult volunteers participated in a five-day study. Subjects completed detailed dietary logs each day, and each morning completed the St. Marys Hospital Sleep Questionnaire. Dietary data were converted to seven major nutritional constituents and these were averaged over the 5-day period. None of the 98 correlations between diet and sleep were significant. These findings provide no support for a link between sleep and diet in adults.

PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF KING'S RODENT EMOTIONALITY RATING SCALE

Kings (1958) Rodent Emotionality Rating Scale has been used extensively as a measure of the effects of such experimental procedures as septal lesions. It has also been suggested that the King scale is appropriate for a variety of applications in laboratory activities for introductory physiological psychology and for studies with normal animals. Given this extent of potential use, a series of studies were undertaken to investigate the psychometric properties of this scale. The psychometric properties were generally adequate for instructional use, but perhaps less adequate for research, with a 5-day test-retest reliability of .84, and internal consistency coefficients in the range of .53 to .77 in several studies. Item analyses raise some minor questions about the scale. Significant differences were found between the scores obtained by experienced and inexperienced raters when viewing the same videotaped administration of the scale.

16 PF CORRELATES OF LOCUS OF CONTROL

In an attempt to further define the personality dimensions of internal and external locuses of control, Rotters I-E Scale (Rotter, 1966) and Form C of Cattells Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (Cattell, et al., 1970) were administered to 200 undergraduate college students (84 male, 116 female, mean age 21.64 yr.). The 16 PF was scored for the 16 primary source traits, four second-stratum traits, and five published criterion scores, using combined malefemale college norms for each scale. The obtained mean sten scores for the 16 PF scales ranged between 4.40 and 6.08 (mean of scale means = 5.45, mean of scale standard deviations = 1.87), with a mean Rotter score of 11.71 (SD = 4.67). Similar means and correlations were found for both males and females, all of which appeared very similar to the norms on which the instruments were based. The 16 PF variables significantly but modestly related to Rotters I-E scores and the zero-order correlations were: ego strengch/C = --.29, protension/L = .24, guilt proneness/O = .34, self conflict/Q2 = -32, ergic tension/Q4 = .43, anxiety second-stratum trait = .48, psychoticism index = .21, neuroticism index = .37, leadership criterion = -.35, and scholastic aptitude criterion = -.34. These small correlations suggest that the individual who feels that he lacks control over his environment tends to score higher on the neuroticismpsychoticism dimensions while the more internally controlled individual is more Likely to have academic and leadership traits.