Raymond C. Hawkins

Development and construct validation of a self-report measure of Binge eating tendencies☆

Abstract Bulimia is an eating disorder purported to comprise binge eating episodes with subsequent depressive moods and self-deprecating thoughts. This study reports the development and preliminary construct validation of a Binge Scale intended to provide more descriptive, quantifiable information about the behavioral and attitudinal parameters of bulimia. Over two-thirds of the females and nearly one-half of the males in the samples reported binge eating occurences. The severity of binge eating was associated with degree of dieting concern (“restraint”) and inversely related to self-image acceptance, particularly among females. Maintaining body weight below “set point” through restrained eating efforts may increase the susceptibility to periodic binge episodes.

Alcohol and drug use in stressful times: The influence of the masculine role and sex-related personality attributes

In times of stress, men and women sometimes turn to the use of alcohol and drugs as an avenue for relieving their discomfort and distress. One explanation of this finding implicates traditional male tendencies as predisposing factors. The purpose of the present investigation was to study how the relationship between stress and substance use is moderated (1) by the masculine role, as measured by the Masculine Role Inventory; and (2) by socially desirable and undesirable masculine-instrumental and feminine-expressive personality attributes, as measured by the Extended Personal Attributes Questionnaire. The results indicated that during stressful episodes men characterized by socially undesirable instrumental personality attributes reported using tranquilizers and sedatives. By contrast, it was found that during stressful times, women characterized by success preoccupation reported less use of mind-altering drugs and more use of tranquilizers-sedatives. In addition, it was found that socially desirable expressive attributes served to buffer the impact of stressful experiences on womens use of alcohol.

THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG HOURS EMPLOYED, PERCEIVED WORK INTERFERENCE, AND GRADES AS REPORTED BY UNDERGRADUATE SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS

This article reports on an exploratory research study that found that working a half-time job while pursuing a full-time course load is typical for most undergraduate social work students. Average number of hours worked and perceived work interference with studies were associated with lower overall grade point average.

Substance abuse as a dynamical disease: Evidence and clinical implications of nonlinearity in a time series of daily alcohol consumption

Several authors have suggested that chaos theory, the study of nonlinear dynamics and the application of the knowledge gained to natural and social phenomena, might yield insight into substance-related disorders. In this article, we examine the dynamics of substance abuse by fitting a nonlinear model to a time series of the amount of alcohol, which an adult male with a diagnosis of substance abuse consumed on a daily basis. The nonlinear model shows a statistically superior fit when compared to a linear model. We then use the model to explore a question that is pertinent to the treatment of substance abuse, whether controlled drinking or abstinence is a preferred strategy for maintaining sobriety.

The masculine role as a moderator of stress-distress relationships

Health psychologists often content that men are more vulnerable to the effects of stress than are women. One explanation of this male risk factor deals with the masculine role — the set of values, beliefs, and expectations traditionally associated with mens lives. The present study was conducted to determine whether the restrictive emotionality, success preoccupation, and inhibited affection aspects of the masculine role, measured by the Masculine Role Inventory [MRI; W. E. Snell, Jr., “The Masculine Role Inventory (MRI): Components and Correlates,” Rex Roles, 1986] increase not only mens but also womens vulnerability to the effects of stressful life experiences. The results indicated that among both men and women with a recent history of stressful experiences in their lives, the masculine role was associated with elevated distress.

Anxiety reduction in hospitalized schizophrenics through thermal biofeedback and relaxation training.

Biofeedback training and muscular relaxation have therapeutic value for general reduction of tension in non-patient and patient populations. The present study investigated the efficacy of thermal biofeedback and relaxation as adjunctive treatments to antipsychotic medication for reduction of anxiety in 40 hospitalized schizophrenics who were randomly assigned to four groups: biofeedback, relaxation, biofeedback and relaxation, and minimal treatment control. Significant reduction in anxiety followed treatment, but there were no between-group differences. One-year follow-up and post hoc analyses indicated a subgroup of “anxious” schizophrenics who showed substantial reduction in anxiety following treatment with biofeedback and relaxation.

The Spirit Is Willing: Nonlinearity, Bifurcations, and Mental Control

In recent years there has been considerable interest in the construction of nonlinear models of the dynamics of human behavior. In this exploratory article we argue that attempts at controlling problematic thoughts, emotions, or behaviors can lead to nonlinearity in mental/behavioral dynamics. We illustrate our model by fitting threshold autoregression models to self-recorded time series of the daily highs in intensity of anxiety and obsessive ruminations, kept by an individual in therapy for this problem. In our discussion, we raise the possibility that bifurcations that occur in this nonlinear model may offer insight into mental control paradoxes.

Meal/Snack Frequencies of College Students: A Normative Study

The behavioral treatment of obesity is based upon the largely unverified theoretical assumption that many forms of overweight are acquired and maintained through deviant eating styles characterized by problems in meal/snack initiation and termination. Since overweight persons are theorized to display an exaggerated responsiveness to salient external stimuli, such as the sight, smell, and taste of food, more frequent meal/snack initiations might be anticipated from persons with weight concerns (Hawkins, 1977). Several recent observational studies (e.g. as recently reviewed by Mahoney, 1975, and Stunkard & Kaplan, 1977) have provided equivocal support for the contention that overweight persons eat at a faster rate in single ingestions occuring in naturalistic or laboratory settings. There is a dearth of information, however, regarding the frequency of meals and snacks for normal and overweight persons in naturalistic contexts. One problem is that such normative studies require the collection of data across several ingestions occurring in different situations.

MULTISCALE NONLINEARITY IN A TIME SERIES OF WEEKLY ALCOHOL INTAKE

Several authors have discussed the possibility that nonlinear dynamics might clarify substance abuse and chemical dependence. Nonlinear dynamical structure implies the possibility of oscillatory dynamics and high sensitivity to external perturbation. In this single-subject case study we analyzed the alcohol intake of a substance-abusing participant over a period of about five years using nonlinear time series analysis. The intake is measured in ounces per week and ounces per four weeks—approximately one month—yielding time series at two different time scales. We present statistical evidence that the participants alcohol intake is nonlinear on both weekly and monthly time scales. We then discuss the implications of this multiscale nonlinearity for our understanding of substance abuse.

Such stuff as dreams are made on: Dream language, LIWC norms, and personality correlates.

We describe the language features of dream narratives from 3 large samples of normal persons using Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC), a computer text analysis program. Compared with LIWC norms from waking narratives, LIWC dream narratives showed more use of function words in general, common words, past tense verbs, relativity (particularly space), inclusion, leisure, friend, and home words, and less use of second-person pronouns, present and future verbs, causation words, large words, and assent words. Dream narratives did not contain more negative emotion words. These patterns were consistent across investigators, samples gathered at different times from student and online sources, and instructions for dream reports (i.e., recent dream vs. important dream). Statistically significant correlations between dream language features and personality (as measured by the Ten-Item Personality Inventory and the Big Five Inventory) were few in number and small in effect sizes. We conclude with discussing the implications of computer text analysis of dreams in more systematic studies comparing linguistic features with dream themes in cross-cultural clinical populations, and the implications of these features for scientific understanding of the continuum of consciousness.