[Evolution from singularity to interdisciplinarism].
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Adult male interference in agonistic episodes is strongly biased against adolescent and adult male participants, whereas adult female interference is biased in favor of kin and in support of younger animals against older animals. Although natal males also are biased in favor of their kin, their selective targeting of sexually mature males is independent of kinship. Adolescent males target adult males, but only in defense of kin. This selective interference against adolescent and adult males by adult males has the potential to profoundly modify male agonistic participation in intragroup encounters after puberty. Because female support is influenced primarily by kinship, females less consistently interfere against male agonistic participants. Adult males may therefore play an important role in the socialization of male agonistic expression.
BACKGROUND: Studies to date on the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) report varying results. The present study investigates the frequency and degree of ED, its determining factors as well as the help-seeking behavior of the patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A random sample of 628 Swiss men (mean age: 61.5 years) were examined by questionnaire regarding their sexual functioning, comorbidity, and help-seeking behavior. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 9.6% reported complete, 18.0% moderate, and 41.4% minimal ED. All grades of the disorder increased with age and correlated with somatic and psychiatric comorbidity as well as with drug intake. Only 3.2% reported having used drugs for improvement of erectile functioning. CONCLUSION: Only a small number of men suffering from ED seek the help of a doctor. Considering the efficacy of PDE5 inhibitors, objective information and competent medical counseling of ED patients are indicated.
Perceived social support was assessed among 53 patients suffering from non-life-threatening chronic illnesses (i.e., irritable bowel syndrome or recurrent headache). Subjects recalled predominantly helpful support interactions and reported the three major types of social support as equally helpful. In addition, irritable bowel syndrome patients, who experience embarrassing physical symptoms, reported fewer instances of tangible assistance than chronic headache patients. Comparisons to cancer patients studied by Dakof and Taylor (1990) revealed differences in perceived social support as a function of diagnosis. These results offer insight into the needs of patients with noncatastrophic illnesses and suggest that the challenges and tasks confronting these individuals are unique from those encountered by patients with catastrophic diseases.
The question of whether dogs recognize an emergency and understand the need to seek help from a bystander was tested in two experiments. In the first experiment, dogs' owners feigned a heart attack in an open field, and in the second experiment, dogs' owners experienced an accident in which a bookcase fell on them and pinned them to the floor. In these experiments, one or two bystanders were available to which dogs could go for help. The dogs' behavior was taped for 6 min after the owner had fallen and was later scored for the frequency and time the dogs spent performing different behaviors. In no case did a dog solicit help from a bystander. It is concluded that dogs did not understand the nature of the emergency or the need to obtain help.
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The authors argue that high self-monitors may be more sensitive to the status implications of social exchange and more effective in managing their exchange relations to elicit conferrals of status than low self-monitors. In a series of studies, they found that high self-monitors were more accurate in perceiving the status dynamics involved both in a set of fictitious exchange relations and in real relationships involving other members of their social group. Further, high self-monitors elevated their social status among their peers by establishing a reputation as a generous exchange partner. Specifically, they were more likely than low self-monitors to be sought out for help and to refrain from asking others for help. This behavior provides one explanation for why high self-monitors acquire elevated status among their peers--they are more attuned to status dynamics in exchange relations and adapt their behavior in ways that elicit status.
The authors examined whether the performance-cue bias can be reduced by relying on groups as raters. Study participants (N = 333) were provided with feedback regarding the performance of a workgroup and, after observing the group, assigned to an individual or group rater condition to complete a behavioral rating instrument. Results revealed that when provided with positive (vs. negative) feedback, individuals attributed more effective and fewer ineffective behaviors to the workgroup; however, group ratings were unaffected by the feedback. In addition, feedback biased the decision criteria and false alarm rates of individuals but not of groups. Discussion of when groups may attenuate versus amplify bias in performance appraisal judgments emphasizes 2 key elements-bias magnitude and task perception.
We placed 144 female subjects in a helping role and randomly assigned them to interact with a confederate in a 3 X 3 X 2 X 2 (Psychopathology X Blaming X Advice Seeking X Sex of Confederate) factorial design. In order to study behaviors that mediate interpersonal responses to depression, male and female confederates enacted depressed, anxious, or normal roles and blamed themselves, others, or no one for their problems. The confederates requested advice in half of the conditions. Results indicated that depressed confederates were rejected more on questionnaire measures; however, depressed confederates received more conversational advice and support from subjects than did the equally disturbed anxious confederates. The self-blaming and advice-seeking manipulations did not interact with depression to produce more negative reactions in subjects. There was no evidence of a negative mood induction in subjects, nor did the sex of the confederate have important interpersonal consequences. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical and methodological issues in studies of interpersonal factors in depression.
BACKGROUND: Critical care nurses care for dying patients daily. The process of dying in an intensive care unit is complicated, and research on specific obstacles that impede delivery of end-of-life care and/or supportive behaviors that help in delivery of end-of-life care is limited. OBJECTIVE: To measure critical care nurses' perceptions of the intensity and frequency of occurrence of (1) obstacles to providing end-of-life care and (2) supportive behaviors that help in providing end-of-life care in the intensive care unit. METHODS: An experimental, posttest-only, control-group design was used. A national, geographically dispersed, random sample of members of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses was surveyed. RESULTS: The response rate was 61.3%, 864 usable responses from 1409 eligible respondents. The highest scoring obstacles were frequent telephone calls from patients' family members for information, patients' families who did not understand the term lifesaving measures, and physicians disagreeing about the direction of a dying patient's care. The highest scoring supportive behaviors were allowing patients' family members adequate time alone with patients after death, providing peaceful and dignified bedside scenes after death, and teaching patients' families how to act around a dying patient. CONCLUSIONS: The biggest obstacles to appropriate end-of-life care in the intensive care unit are behaviors of patients' families that remove nurses from caring for patients, behaviors that prolong patients' suffering or cause patients pain, and physicians' disagreement about the plan of care.
Recent strides have been made in smoking cessation as a number of behavioral and pharmacological treatments have proven effective. These treatments are briefly reviewed. The role of assessment in the treatment process, however, is less clear. Indeed, to date, there are few data suggesting that specialized assessment can be used to guide prescriptive treatment. As such, the question becomes one of how, or whether, assessment should be used in smoking cessation. We address these questions and argue that despite the dearth of empirical substantiation, certain aspects of smoking behavior should be assessed in that they: (1) help identify behavioral, physiological, and psychological conditions that maintain smoking, (2) help describe the problem (smoking) with enough clarity to foster both clinical understanding and diagnosis, and (3) offer prediction and evaluation of treatment process and outcome. Promising assessment-based treatments are also discussed, as well as recommendations for future directions pertaining to the role of assessment in smoking cessation.
Examined the help-seeking behaviors of shy and not-shy men and women. In Study 1, Ss worked on an impossible task in the presence of a male or female confederate whom they were told had just successfully completed the task. Shy Ss asked for help no less frequently than did not-shy Ss overall, but they did seek help less frequently from opposite-sex confederates than from same-sex confederates. In Study 2, shy and not-shy men and women were required to call a man and a woman and ask them to complete a questionnaire. All respondents agreed to return the questionnaire. However, when shy Ss (compared with not-shy Ss) called opposite-sex respondents, fewer of the questionnaires were actually returned. When making their calls, shy Ss sounded somewhat less warm and confident than did not-shy Ss, and they also spoke less fluently. Fluency, in turn, predicted response rate for the shy subjects calling respondents of the opposite sex.
The study explores cultural influences on depression and care outcomes among Asian Indians with depression. Data were collected from interviews of 23 multidisciplinary mental health professionals and retrospective review of 20 medical records of patients. Findings revealed a major influence of social and cultural context in expression of symptoms, illness attribution, help-seeking behaviors, and communication patterns. Religious beliefs and social stigma attached to mental illness contributed to prolonged denial of condition, difficulty in sharing emotional problems with professional caregivers, and delayed professional intervention. The traditional family hierarchy rooted in age and gender inequality interfered with help-seeking behaviors and adherence to prescribed regimen as well as heightened some family conflicts and hindered family adaptation after migration to the United States.
Consider new approaches to medication compliance. Why? Because roughly half of all prescriptions are taken incorrectly--if at all--and an estimated 20% aren't even filled. Experts say the problem is costing the health care system billions per year, and it must clearly be affecting outcomes as well. For these reasons, researchers are coming up with new ways to boost medication compliance, including the notion of applying behavioral theory to the problem. Check out some new solutions that are in the pipeline.
BACKGROUND: High prevalence of psychiatric morbidity has been reported among patients with chronic pain. However, there were no such investigations in Taiwan as well as help-seeking behavior in chronic pain patients. METHODS: One hundred patients with chronic nonmalignant pain over a period of six or more months were assessed systemically by a research psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist using structured interviews. Self-reported pain in patients was measured with the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Their help-seeking behavior was analyzed and compared with the psychiatric diagnoses. RESULTS: Ninety-four percent of the subjects had at least one psychiatric diagnosis, and nearly three-quarters had depressive disorders. Pain was multifoci, mostly involving the head and neck areas. More than one-third of the patients attributed the cause of pain to both psychological distress and physical problems. CONCLUSIONS: Significantly high psychiatric morbidity was found in patients with chronic pain, predominantly depression, but very few had sought psychiatric consultation. Psychiatric intervention is therefore necessary for effective chronic pain management.
Little attention has been paid to a conspicuous and universal feature of animal societies: the variation between individuals in helping effort. Here, we develop a multiplayer kin-selection model that assumes that subordinates face a trade-off because current investment in help reduces their own future reproductive success. The model makes two predictions: (i) subordinates will work less hard the closer they are to inheriting breeding status; and (ii) for a given dominance rank, subordinates will work less hard in larger groups. The second prediction reflects the larger pay-off from inheriting a larger group. Both predictions were tested through a field experiment on the paper wasp Polistes dominulus. First, we measured an index of helping effort among subordinates, then we removed successive dominants to reveal the inheritance ranks of the subordinates: their positions in the queue to inherit dominance. We found that both inheritance rank and group size had significant effects on helping effort, in the manner predicted by our model. The close match between our theoretical and empirical results suggests that individuals adjust their helping effort according to their expected future reproductive success. This relationship has probably remained hidden in previous studies that have focused on variation in genetic relatedness.
In developing countries, low levels of awareness, cost and organizational constraints on access to specialized care contribute to inadequate patient help-seeking behavior. As much as 95% of cancer patients in developing countries are diagnosed at late to end stage disease. Consequently, treatment outcome is dismally poor and a vicious cycle sets in, with public mystification of cancer and the admonishment of cancer medicine as a futile effort, all, to the further detriment of patient help-seeking behavior and treatment engagement. The situation spirals down, when the practice of cancer medicine is not gratifying to the medical practitioner and does not appeal as a medical specialty to those in training. The future of cancer medicine in developing countries thus hinges on the demystification of cancer through positive information, coupled to an effective organization that allows for the optimal use of available resources, facilitates access to specialized care and promotes the flow of knowledge and technology amongst various stakeholders. This paper strives to make a cogent argument and highlight the capital importance of information and communication technologies in organizing and leveraging scarce resources for cancer education, research and practice in developing countries.