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Reckless driving practices were studied among 139 high school students aged 17-18. A majority of both boys and girls reported driving at high speeds, and a majority of boys reported racing in a car and passing in a no-passing zone. About one-quarter of boys and girls reported driving while intoxicated. Sensation seeking and aggressiveness were found to be related to reckless driving practices. Fifty-nine of the students kept a log of their driving episodes over a 10-day period. Analysis of these data indicated that the participants drove faster when in an angry mood than when in any other mood. Also, they drove faster when alone or with friends than when their parents were present.

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A 41-item questionnaire was developed to assess cognitions that are representative of the DSM-IV conceptualization of depressive personality disorder. Eighty-nine undergraduates from a private, Midwestern, Catholic university were administered the Depressive Personality Disorder Inventory (DPDI), the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), and the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Revised (ATQ-R). Results indicated that the DPDI is internally consistent, assesses a single construct, and has construct validity relative to the DAS and ATQ-R. Given these promising initial findings, continued use and refinement of the DPDI are warranted.

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This study examined whether sixth graders' (mean age = 11.86 years) adjustment to the school context (assessed by grades, achievement scores, and disruptive behavior) was affected by factors from both the family context (represented by students' reports of the number of parenting transitions experienced as well as current levels of supervision, acceptance, autonomy granting, and conflict in the family) and the peer context (represented by students' perceptions of peer norms supporting academic excellence). School adjustment was related to the number of parenting transitions experienced, family climate, and peer norms as well as to higher-order relations involving family climate and peer norms such that (a) high grade point averages occurred at only moderate levels of family supervision, (b) achievement scores were positively related to supervision at only low levels of family autonomy granting, and (c) grade point average was positively related to peer norms at only high levels of family acceptance.

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This study assessed the relation between adjustment and perceptions of both family acceptance and family control in 2 samples of young adolescents, ns = 851 (mean age = 12.36 years) and 269 (mean age = 10.89 years), respectively. In Sample 1, dimensions of adjustment included self-reports of psychosocial competence and problems with self-regulation. In Sample 2, adjustment was indexed by peer ratings of likability. In both samples, family acceptance and family control were positively related to adjustment. However, in Sample 1, family control was also curvilinearly related to adjustment but in a different pattern for the 2 adjustment scores. Specifically, the positive relation between family control and psychosocial competence was stronger at progressively higher levels of family control, whereas low--but not moderate or high-levels of control were related to many self-regulation problems. In light of evidence that acceptance and control are complexly related to adjustment, we recommend that researchers routinely examine curvilinear effects in this area of study.

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Numerous problems have plagued the diagnosis of the passive-aggressive (P-A) personality disorder. Based on criteria established to evaluate the functional utility of diagnostic categories, the P-A personality disorder does not appear to be an adequate psychiatric diagnosis. However, the concept of passive-aggressiveness may be retained as a useful psychiatric construct when viewed from a dimensional rather than a categorical perspective. A model is presented that describes passive-aggressiveness as consisting of five interrelated psychological factors: rigidity, resentment, resistance, reactance, and reversed reinforcement. This interactive model provides a more detailed and richer description of the P-A style than what is captured in the current diagnostic nomenclature. It is hoped that the model's characterization of P-A in concrete and testable terms will facilitate research into the utility of the passive-aggressiveness construct.

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This study explored residents' attitudes toward referring subjects to other residents' research studies and toward conducting their own research projects. With respect to referring subjects to other research investigations, the ease of the referral mechanism and potential benefits to patients were of prime importance to residents. With respect to participating in their own research projects, the learning opportunity provided by working with a faculty mentor was rated as the key motivator. A lack of available time and an abundance of other clinical demands discouraged research activity. Suggestions are offered for residency training programs that wish to increase resident interest and participation in research projects.

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Little empirical information is available regarding the process of self-soothing in borderline individuals, as well as in normal subjects. This study examined the frequency of used of soothing "things," soothing "behaviors," and soothing "psychological activities" in three groups: borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder without concurrent personality disorder, and college students. Results indicated that: (1) borderline individuals reported using soothing things at comparable levels to the other two groups; (2) borderline subjects and those with major depressive disorders used more adaptive soothing behaviors than did college students; (3) borderline subjects used more maladaptive soothing behaviors than the other two groups; and (4) borderline individuals used psychologically soothing activities at frequencies comparable to the other two groups. These results are intended to begin the process of developing a soothing profile for individuals with borderline personality disorder.

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This study investigates the treatment impressions and termination experiences of faculty clinicians treating individuals with borderline personality disorder. Thirty-nine clinicians (28 psychiatrists and 11 psychologists) completed the Treatment of Borderlines Survey. Results indicated that individual psychotherapy was perceived to be the most valuable treatment modality, that the majority of respondents work towards character change but do not expect "normal," the most common reported reasons for patient termination were "patient does not see the purpose of treatment" and "patient terminates through acting-out behaviors," and a slight majority reported that they had "cured" at least some of their borderline patients. The most common concerns experienced during the termination process included regression, acting-out, and self-destructive behavior. There were very few differences in the perceptions and treatment experiences between psychiatrists and psychologists. These results provide empirical support for claims made in the clinical literature on treating borderline patients.

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This analysis examined the stability of the Borderline Syndrome Index with 19 women who have eating disorders. The index appears moderately stable over a 3-yr. time period.

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Changes in adaptive functioning of 32 older adults with mental retardation following deinstitutionalization were assessed. The Adaptive Behavior Scale was administered at two times (separated by 1.5 years) for these adults, who were transferred from a state-operated institution to an ICF-MR facility. An overall increase in both adaptive and maladaptive behavior was found. In addition, female residents and those with moderate/mild levels of retardation had higher levels of adaptive functioning than did males and those with severe levels of retardation. These findings extend previous research by focusing on the older segment of the mentally retarded population.

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Managing suicidal behavior of individuals with borderline personality disorder presents both therapeutic and ethical/legal dilemmas. It is argued in this paper that clinicians treating borderline individuals need to carefully discriminate "acute" from "chronic" suicidal states. For "acute" suicidal situations, traditional management approaches are appropriate. However, for "chronic" situations, common among borderline individuals, traditional management approaches may be therapeutically counterproductive. A number of proposals for managing chronic suicidal behavior are reviewed. Unfortunately, current ethical standards and laws have evolved from considering suicide in an "acute" context and are insensitive to the "chronic" situation. Recommendations are made for clinicians to effectively manage chronic suicidal behaviors within present ethical and legal guidelines, and some suggestions for legal reform are offered.

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This study assessed the prevalence of borderline personality symptomatology among women with eating disorders. The Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, and Borderline Syndrome Index were administered to 28 women in a hospital-based eating disorders program. Results revealed that 39% were classified as borderline on at least one measure, 29% on at least two measures, and 18% on all three. Recovered restricters were particularly prone to borderline personality symptomatology. This study improves upon previous work in this area by employing multiple measures of borderline personality, assessing eating disorder subgroup differences, and recruiting subjects from a single eating disorder treatment program.

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This study presents survey data bearing on the prevalence of young children (0-4) at risk for the development of handicapping conditions, and projects a method for operationalizing the assessment of risk in this population. A statewide survey of 1,551 families in Ohio was conducted through a telephone interview structured to identify young children at risk for the development of handicapping conditions. It was found that over a sixth (17.8 percent) of the 2,133 children were at risk for developing handicapping conditions, based on a criterion of the presence of at least two risk factors. Five percent of the children sampled were identified as having three or more risk factors present. The implications of these results for prevention and service planning are discussed.

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The purpose of our study was to determine the effects of internal versus external attentional focus on symptom perception and performance in an exercise setting. Fifteen introductory psychology undergraduates ran 1 mile under each of three experimental conditions: "word-cue," in which subjects were required to focus externally by listening for a target word heard repeatedly over headphones; "breathing," in which subjects were directed to attend to their own breathing and heart rate; and a control. Results indicated that participants reported significantly less symptomatology, particularly exercise-relevant symptoms, in the word-cue condition than in the breathing or control conditions. The findings are discussed with reference to previous theory in this area, and methodological differences between this and earlier research are delineated.

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