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Biomedical subjects

S Wapner

Publications and source records attributed to S Wapner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Some factors involved in alcohol consumption of first-year undergraduates.

Three studies were conducted with samples of first-year undergraduates in order to assess relationships among college drinking, adjustment, recent life-changing events, interpersonal factors, self-control, and perceived risk. Significant correlations were found between alcohol use and life-change, but not between alcohol use and college adjustment. In addition, several significant findings linked alcohol use to social factors. Responses to open-ended interview questions suggest that self-control and risk may play a role in students' decisions regarding consumption, after initial experience with alcohol use. Non-social factors, namely stressful events, appear to play a role in consumption behavior; however, students more frequently report on social factors as motivating their decisions regarding alcohol intake.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Age and gender differences in the nature, meaning, and function of cherished possessions for children and adolescents.

Age and gender differences were examined concerning the nature (types of objects considered special), meaning (person/nonperson, past, present, and future associations), and function (emotional, social, identity development, and play) of cherished possessions. One hundred twenty subjects in six age categories (6, 9, 11, 14, 16, and 18 years), with 10 males and 10 females comprising each age group, were interviewed. Results indicated significant age, gender, and age by gender interactions. For example, younger children were egocentric in the meanings assigned to their cherished possessions, while older children held social relationships meaningful; females favored items to be contemplated while males favored action items; possessions which were meaningful for the "enjoyment" they provided decreased after age 6 years in females, but persisted in males throughout the ages studied. The findings have theoretical implications for cognitive, emotional, and social development from childhood through adolescence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Transition to retirement: gender differences.

The present investigation consisted of two studies which attempted: 1) to assess the replicability of the investigation by Wapner and Hornstein [1] and Hornstein and Wapner [2,3] that uncovered four distinct modes of experiencing the transition to retirement, and 2) to advance that work by focusing on gender differences. The preliminary study, based on analyses of twenty-four case studies reported by Wapner and Hornstein suggested it would be profitable to study gender differences in a more systematic manner [1]. Toward this end, the major study involved construction of four appropriate instruments which were administered to ninety-four (48 women, 46 men) recent retirees. The four retirement categories (I. Transition to Old Age; II. New Beginning; III. Continuation; IV. Imposed Disruption) described in those investigations was replicated. Moreover, striking gender differences emerged. Theoretical and practical implications of the study were explored.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

Cherished possessions and adaptation of older people to nursing homes.

One hundred older people (75 females, 25 males), in nursing homes rated as above or below a combined criterion (based on Lieberman and Tobin's scales of physical attractiveness, affiliation fostering, and tolerance for deviancy), responded to questionnaires on cherished possessions and on adaptation to the nursing home. The main findings indicated: 1) relative to those residents without possessions, those with possessions were better adapted to the nursing home; 2) possessions served the major functions of historical continuity, comforter, and sense of belongingness; 3) relative to men, significantly more women had cherished possessions and were more likely to associate them with self-other relationships; and 4) relative to residents in nursing homes below the mean of the combined criterion, those in homes above the mean felt more in control, less helpless, more supported by staff, and were judged as more realistic in response to conflict. Interpretations regarding the role of possessions in adaptation and suggestions for institutional policies concerning possessions are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

Open and closed adoption: a developmental conceptualization.

Given the annual increase in the multiple forms of adoptive practices within contemporary American society, research aimed at assessing the effects on the adoptees, their families, and the community of "open" versus "closed" adoption (communication versus no communication between biologic and adoptive parents) of healthy infants is sorely needed. Before this can be done, researchers and mental health professionals need to make sense of the myriad of findings in the adoption literature. With the goal of stimulating such research, the present article is comprised of: (a) a review of the contemporary, social scientific literature on adoption, which has focused for the most part on traditional, closed adoption; and (b) a description of a program of research on adoption that is generated from a theoretical orientation, which has already proven valuable in the examination of other developmental life transitions. Based on a holistic, developmental, systems orientation to person-in-environment functioning, this approach provides a developmental conceptualization of both open and closed adoption. Hopefully, the literature review and the research program described here will stimulate other investigators to conduct research on this important problem from their own perspective or from variations of research described in this article.

Adoption↗
PubMed1985

Modes of experiencing and adapting to retirement.

Retirement is typically viewed as a monolithic event which affects all individuals in generally the same way. As a way of beginning to transcend stereotypic views and understand the complex reality of how individuals actually experience retirement, this study was directed toward identifying and describing diversity in modes of retirement adaptation. Twenty-four individuals, drawn from a range of occupational groups, were intensively interviewed one month prior to and six to eight months following retirement. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a phenomenological method which generates systematic descriptions of the structure of an individual's experience. Comparisons among these analyses yielded four distinct ways of conceptualizing and experiencing retirement--as a transition to old age, as a new beginning, as a continuation of preretirement life structure, and as an imposed disruption. Features of each of these patterns of adaptation are described and implications of these findings for preretirement planning and counseling are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1979

The influence of lateral organization on the evaluation of paintings.

This study examines the influence of directional properties of lateral organization on evaluation of paintings. Lateral organization, as defined here, has two dimensions: (1) left or right location of the principal figure; and (2) left-to-right or right-to-left sequence of figures represented by the direction of suggested movement, action, or lines. That previous studies have failed to demonstrate consistently a relationship between evaluations and directional properties is attributed to methodological shortcomings involving lack of control of stimulus properties and exposure time. Here, on the basis of a well-defined judging procedure, paintings were distinguished according to whether each dimension of lateral organization depicted one or more than one direction. Under two exposure conditions, 5 and 20 s, three evaluations (general preference, balance, and dynamics) were made for paintings which were presented simultaneously in the artist-created, original view, and the mirror-image, reversed view. It was found that evaluations were influenced by directional properties (sequence of figures) with a 5 s exposure and by more inclusive formal features with a 20 s exposure. Implications of the findings for perception and aesthetics are considered.

Art↗
PubMed1976

Evaluation of lorazepam and pentobarbital as surgical premedicants.

Lorazepam, a new benzodiazepine, was compared with a standard surgical premedicant, pentobarbital. In a double-blind study in 128 patients, lorazepam, 2 and 4 mg, and pentobarbital, 50 and 100 mg, were given intravenously in a randomized sequence. Significant differences were noted; lorazepam was found to provide greater sedation, lack of recall, and greater antianxiety effect than pentobarbital. No significant adverse effects were noted following either drug. Vital signs remained stable.

Adolescent↗