Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to David Lester.
Theory and research on suicide were used to derive variables for a regression equation to predict the suicide rate in 17 industrialized nations. This regression equation was found to be quite accurate in predicting the relative suicide rates of other European nations (not in the original sample) but not of non-European nations. Blood type was the strongest predictor of national suicide rates.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg, Florida, has crisis emergency telephones and a police presence. Although the number of suicides from the bridge has declined, it is too soon to test the statistical significance of the decline.
In a sample of 18 industrialized nations with available data, mean scores on the "big five factors" were not significantly associated with national suicide or homicide rates.
In a sample of 139 community residents, credit card ownership was associated with age, sex, income, attitudes toward credit cards and toward money, and scores on a verbal measure of prefrontal cortical dysfunction, supporting a neuroeconomic approach to economic decision-making.
In a sample of 273 American undergraduates, scores on a battery of personality tests did not differ by birth order in 2-child or 3-child families.
A 6-item measure of computer anxiety was devised and showed good reliability and validity in both American and English samples so it could be useful in survey research when a brief measure of computer anxiety is needed.
Among 74 major league baseball players known to have committed suicide, 17 occurred within 28 days of the players' birthdays as compared to an expected number of 11.4.
The northern and southern regions of a sample of 26 nations did not differ in birth, marriage, or divorce rates.
Citizens of 22 nations which were rated as more extraverted had more sexual partners and had their first sexual encounter at a younger age than those in nations who were rated as less extraverted.
The incidence of three words indicative of irrational thinking (perfect, always, and never) did not increase in the diary of a suicide over the course of the year preceding her suicide.
A pilot study of 33 male and 2 female municipal police officers, most between 30 and 40 years old, found that those whose colleagues more often engage in misconduct experience more excitement and more stress in their work.
In a sample of 503 American college students, the correlational matrix (18 x 18) of the Thalbourne, et al. Manic-Depressiveness Scale (1994) was subjected to exploratory factor analysis with a varimax rotation, which showed 13 items had the correct assignment to one of the scales (six for depression and seven for mania).
In a sample of 116 Kuwaiti students, the approval of physician-assisted suicide was not correlated with age, sex, or scores on death anxiety and fears of death and dying of self and others.
A study of 144 students indicated that their negative attitudes toward organ donation were associated with higher fears of the death and dying of the self and less strongly with higher fears of the death and dying of others.
In a sample of 67 students, neuroticism scores were associated with money attitude scores. The higher the neuroticism score the higher the impulsivity and the lower the motivational drive, organization, and planning scores.
The reasons the social sciences do not have an effect on public policies are discussed, including that there are conflicting results, the effect of scholars' biases on their research, and a desire to keep the social sciences value-free.
A scale to measure myths about suicide was derived from Domino's Suicide Opinion Questionnaire, but the scale had poor reliability.
In a sample of 352 students, correlates of credit card ownership differed by sex. For both men and women, credit card ownership was predicted by their affective attitude toward credit cards. However, whereas for men concern with money as a tactic for gaining power predicted credit card ownership, for women feelings of insecurity about having sufficient money and having a conservative approach to money predicted credit card ownership.