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PubMed2002

Testosterone promotes paternal behaviour in a monogamous mammal via conversion to oestrogen.

Although high testosterone (T) levels inhibit paternal behaviour in birds breeding in temperate zones many paternal mammals have a very different breeding biology, characterized by a post-partum oestrus. In species with post-partum oestrus, males may engage in T-dependent behaviours such as aggression and copulation simultaneously with paternal behaviour. We previously found that T promotes paternal behaviour in the California mouse, Peromyscus californicus. We examine whether this effect is mediated by the conversion of T to oestradiol (E(2)) by aromatase. In the first experiment, gonadectomized males treated with T or E(2) implants showed higher levels of huddling and pup grooming behaviour than gonadectomized males treated with dihydrotestosterone or empty implants. In the second experiment, we used an aromatase inhibitor (fadrozole) (FAD) to confirm these results. Gonadectomized males treated with T + vehicle or E(2) + FAD showed higher levels of huddling and pup grooming behaviour than gonadectomized males treated with T + FAD or empty implants. Although E(2) is known to promote the onset of maternal behaviour to our knowledge our results are the first to demonstrate that E(2) can promote paternal behaviour in a paternal mammal. These results may explain how mammals express paternal behaviour while T levels are elevated.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

A twin study of anxiety-related behaviours in pre-school children.

BACKGROUND: From middle childhood onwards, substantial evidence points to phenotypic differentiation between anxiety diagnostic categories such as generalised anxiety, separation anxiety, specific phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. However, little is known about the genetics of these categories and especially about the phenotypic and genetic structure of related behaviours in pre-school children. METHODS: We examined the phenotypic differentiation and genetics of mother-reported anxiety-related behaviours in 4,564 four-year-old twin pairs, from a population-based sample. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for five correlated factors: General Distress, Separation Anxiety, Fears, Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviours, and Shyness/Inhibition. Genetic influences were found on all five factors, but the pattern of influences differed considerably across them, with particularly high heritability estimates for Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviours and Shyness/Inhibition, and substantial shared environmental influence on Separation Anxiety. Multivariate genetic analyses revealed moderate genetic correlations between the five factors. Genetic overlap was particularly pronounced between General Distress and the other anxiety-related behaviours, accounting for about half of their covariance. Genetic variance on Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviours was the least correlated with the other scales. The shared environmental influences correlated highly across the factors, accounting for the greatest proportion of covariation between Separation Anxiety, Fears and Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviours. The non-shared environment influences were largely variable specific. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide evidence for phenotypic and genetic overlap as well as differentiation between aspects of anxiety-related behaviours in young children. We conclude that research with young children will benefit from more specific assessments of anxiety-related behaviours in addition to less differentiated assessments of 'internalising' symptoms.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMed2004

Is a large family a protective factor against behavioural and emotional problems at the age of 8 years?

AIM: To study the prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems among children from different family types, sibship size and birth order. METHODS: A prospective birth cohort (n = 9357) study where parents filled in two questionnaires and teachers assessed children's behaviour using the Rutter scale (RB2). RESULTS: 14.3% scored above the cut-off point (RB2 > or = 9) indicating probable psychiatric disturbance, boys more often than girls (OR 2.6, 95% CI 2.3-3.0). Behavioural problems (9.2%) were more common than emotional ones (4.1%). Boys living in families other than two-parent families were at risk for probable psychiatric disturbance, and a corresponding risk was observed for girls living in single-parent or always one-parent families. Other than two-parent family was also a risk for behavioural problems; for boys adjusted odds ratios ranged significantly from 1.8 to 2.4 and for girls from 2.0 to 3.7. "Only children" had the highest prevalence of behavioural problems, while children in very large families had the lowest. Living in a very large family was a protective factor against behavioural problems among boys but not among girls. Eldest children were at lower risk of behavioural problems than the other children. The single-parent and always one-parent family was associated with higher risk of emotional problems among girls. CONCLUSION: Children's psychiatric problems are manifested at school mostly as behavioural problems. A two-parent family and being the oldest in the sibling series seem to be protective factors. Very large family size, if not connected to social disadvantages, does not seem to be a risk factor for children's behaviour.

Child↗
PubMed2004

Delirium: behavioural changes before and during the prodromal phase.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is an important form of psychopathology in older people and is associated with increased morbidity and functional decline. In the prodromal phase of delirium early symptoms occur, before all criteria have been met. AIM: The aim of this study was to delineate behavioural changes before and during the prodromal phase of delirium. That was considered to include the time from the first behavioural change up to the point when all DSM-IV criteria for delirium were met. DESIGN: Prospective and descriptive observation study. METHODS: One hundred and three hip surgery patients (hip fracture and hip replacement) aged > or = 80 years participated in this study. On admission none of them was delirious or had severe cognitive decline, but 32 patients met the DSM-IV criteria for delirium during the hospital stay. Frequent observations were performed up to delirium onset or 48 hours postoperatively. The observations included 37 items on the patient's state of mind, cognition, activity and behaviour. The first observation on admission was used as a reference and behavioural changes were defined as deviations from this first observation. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients out of the 32 who met the DSM-IV criteria (62%, D group) demonstrated behavioural changes before delirium onset, as did 34 (48%, R group) out of the remaining 71 patients. The D group had different and more numerous behavioural changes than the R group. Anxiety was common in both groups. Disorientation and urgent calls for attention were the most frequent changes in the D group. The D group presented a pattern of behavioural changes and early symptoms of the approaching delirium. Six hours immediately before the onset of delirium, the behavioural changes were more numerous and evident. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: It is necessary to pay attention to each behavioural change in the patients and to be aware of the prodromal phase of delirium in order to prevent its onset and to maintain the patient's well-being.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Experienced and inexperienced health care workers' beliefs about challenging behaviours.

Within a behavioural framework, staff responses to challenging behaviours have been identified as likely to ensure the long-term maintenance of such behaviour. However, little has been done to understand why staff behave as they do. The present paper hypothesized that staff's beliefs about the causes of challenging behaviours may be an important factor in determining staff responses to it. Beliefs about causes of three topographies of challenging behaviour (self-injury, stereotypy and aggression) were elicited from 148 experienced and 98 inexperienced institutional staff and nursing students using a questionnaire measure. Results showed that experienced participants held beliefs that were more consistent with contemporary theories of challenging behaviours than inexperienced participants. Experienced participants also distinguished between the behaviours in terms of their causes. These data were interpreted as reflecting a 'needs-based' rather than a 'functional' approach to intervention for challenging behaviours. Implications for staff training, community living and future research on staff behaviour were briefly considered.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Do children do what they say? Responses to hypothetical and real-life social problems in children with mild intellectual disabilities and behaviour problems.

BACKGROUND: Most research on children's social problem-solving skills is based on responses to hypothetical vignettes. Just how these responses relate to actual behaviour in real-life social situations is, however, unclear, particularly for children with mild intellectual disabilities (MID). METHOD: In the present study, the spontaneous and selected responses of 56 children with MID to hypothetical situations from the Social Problem-Solving Test for children with MID (SPT-MID) were compared to their actual behaviour in comparable staged standardized real-life conflict situations. Correlations to externalizing behaviour problems were assessed using the Teacher's Report Form (TRF). RESULTS: The results show children with MID and accompanying externalizing behaviour problems to behave more aggressively in the staged real-life conflicts and provide more spontaneous aggressive responses to the hypothetical vignettes than children with MID and no accompanying externalizing behaviour problems; they did not, however, select more aggressive responses from the hypothetical options provided. A moderate correlation was found between the aggressiveness of the spontaneous responses in the hypothetical situations and actual behaviour in the staged real-life situations. In addition, both the spontaneous aggressive responses under hypothetical circumstances and the actual aggressive behaviour under staged real-life circumstances were related to teacher-rated aggressive behaviour in the classroom. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the hypothetical vignettes from the SPT-MID do provide information on both the actual behaviour and knowledge of social problem-solving skills of children with MID.

Aggression↗
PubMed2006

The impact of behaviour problems on caregiver stress in young people with autism spectrum disorders.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the correlates of caregiver stress in a large sample of young people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Two main objectives were to: (1) disentangle the effects of behaviour problems and level of functioning on caregiver stress; and (2) measure the stability of behaviour problems and caregiver stress. METHODS: Parents or teachers of 293 young people with ASDs completed measures of stress, behaviour problems and social competence. Parents also completed an adaptive behaviour scale. Eighty-one young people were rated twice at a 1-year interval. RESULTS: Parents and teachers did not perfectly agree on the nature and severity of behaviour problems. However, both sets of ratings indicated that behaviour problems were strongly associated with stress. Conduct problems in particular were significant predictors of stress. Adaptive skills were not significantly associated with caregiver stress. Parental reports of behaviour problems and stress were quite stable over the 1-year interval, much more so than teacher reports. Parent ratings suggested that behaviour problems and stress exacerbated each other over time. This transactional model did not fit the teacher data. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggested that it is a specific group of externalized behaviours that are the most strongly associated with both parent and teacher stress. Results were discussed from methodological and conceptual perspectives.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Infusions of 5alpha-pregnan-3alpha-ol-20-one (3alpha,5alpha-THP) to the ventral tegmental area, but not the substantia nigra, enhance exploratory, anti-anxiety, social and sexual behaviours and concomitantly increase 3alpha,5alpha-THP concentrations in the hippocampus, diencephalon and cortex of ovariectomised oestrogen-primed rats.

Sequential actions of 17beta-oestradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) mediate sexual behaviour of female rodents. In the presence of appropriate environmental stimuli, E2 and P4 can facilitate initiation of sex behaviour (i.e. lordosis), in part through classic actions at intracellular progestin receptors in the VMH. However, the effects of P4 in the VTA to modulate lordosis involve its metabolite, 5alpha-pregnan-3alpha-ol-20-one (3alpha,5alpha-THP), which can have paracrine effects in the brain to reduce anxiety and stress. We investigated the effects of 3alpha,5alpha-THP infusions to the VTA, and a control site, the substantia nigra (SN), on exploratory, anti-anxiety, social and sexual behaviours (socio-sexual behaviours) and hormone levels in the midbrain and other regions (hippocampus, diencephalon and cortex) that may mediate these functions. Ovariectomised, rats were E2-primed (10 microg, s.c.) at 0 h and were infused with beta-cyclodextrin vehicle or 3alpha,5alpha-THP to the VTA or SN 44-48 h later. Ten minutes after infusions, rats were tested in the open field, plus maze, partner preference, social interaction and paced mating tasks, or served as nontested controls. Infusions of 3alpha,5alpha-THP to the VTA, but not the SN, increased central entries in the open field, open arm time in the plus maze, time spent in proximity to a male, duration of social interaction, incidence and intensity of lordosis, pacing, proceptivity, and anti-conflict behaviour. 3Alpha,5alpha-THP, but not vehicle, infusions to the VTA (but not the SN) also increased 3alpha,5alpha-THP levels in the midbrain, as well as the hippocampus, diencephalon and cortex. Behavioural testing increased levels of the precursor of 3alpha,5alpha-THP precursor, dihydroprogesterone (DHP). Thus, infusions of 3alpha,5alpha-THP to the VTA enhance socio-sexual behaviours and increase 3alpha,5alpha-THP levels in the hippocampus, diencephalon and cortex, and behavioural testing increases DHP levels in brain areas involved in modulating socio-sexual behaviours.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Behavioural differences between individuals and two populations of stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

Behavioural syndromes are correlations between behaviours in different functional contexts. Behavioural syndromes are attracting the attention of evolutionary biologists because they mean that different behaviours might not be free to evolve independently of one another. In a landmark study, Huntingford (1976) showed that individual stickleback which were bold toward predators were also aggressive toward conspecifics and active in an unfamiliar environment. Here, I revisited the activity-aggression-boldness syndrome in stickleback and tested the hypothesis that correlations between behaviours might act as evolutionary constraints. I measured a suite of behaviours on wild-caught individuals and their offspring from two different populations and calculated heritabilities and genetic correlations between the different behaviours. I found that these behaviours were phenotypically and genetically correlated in one population but not another. On average, boldness and aggression were negatively related to each other across the populations. These results suggest that behavioural syndromes don't always act as evolutionary constraints.

Aggression↗
PubMed2006

Sedentary behaviours among Australian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence and distribution (by demographic characteristics and body mass index [BMI] category) of sedentary behaviour among Australian adolescents aged 11-15 years. METHOD: Cross-sectional representative population survey of school students (n = 2,750) in New South Wales, conducted in 2004. Students' self-reported time spent during a usual week in five categories of sedentary behaviour (small screen recreation [SSR], education, cultural, social and non-active travel). Height and weight were measured. RESULTS: Grade 6, 8 and 10 students spent approximately 34 hours, 41 hours and 45 hours/week of their discretionary time, respectively, engaged in sedentary behaviour. Urban students and students from Asian-speaking backgrounds spent significantly more time sedentary than students from rural areas or other cultural backgrounds. SSR accounted for 60% and 54% of sedentary behaviour among primary and high school students, respectively. Overweight and obese students spent more time in SSR than healthy weight students. Out-of-school hours educational activities accounted for approximately 20% of sedentary behaviour and increased with age. Girls spent twice the time in social activities compared with boys. Time spent in cultural activities declined with age. CONCLUSION: Sedentary behaviours among young people differ according to sex, age and cultural background. At least half of all time spent in sedentary behaviours was spent engaged in SSR. BMI was significantly associated with sedentary behaviour among some children, but not consistently across age groups. IMPLICATIONS: A clear understanding of young people's patterns of sedentary behaviour is required to develop effective and sustainable intervention programs to promote healthy living.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Behavioural development in children of divorce and remarriage.

We employed an autoregressive modelling technique with data from the Québec Longitudinal Study to prospectively examine the developmental impact of family transition on behaviour while controlling for predivorce and preremarriage effects. Teachers rated children's anxious, hyperactive, physically aggressive, oppositional, and prosocial behaviour every 2 years from kindergarten through to the end of elementary school. Once individual and parental characteristics and antecedent family events were controlled, children who experienced parental divorce before age 6 exhibited comparatively more behavioural disturbance than their peers whose parents divorced later. With the exception of a protective effect on hyperactive behaviour, remarriage did not have a significant impact on children's behaviour when the legacy of divorce was controlled. Although the results suggest that children of divorced parents show difficulty in many areas of functioning, the effects of family transition on behavioural development were dependent on the child's age and the specific behavioural dimension assessed. Compared to other points in development, early childhood divorce was associated with long-term increases in anxious, hyperactive, and oppositional behaviour during later childhood. The effects of divorce on children's fighting were short-lived. Unlike previous prospective studies that suggest predivorce effects, we did not observe behavioural disturbance prior to divorce or remarriage.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

Mealtime energy intake and feeding behaviour in children who fail to thrive: a population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The essential link between energy needs and energy intake is feeding behaviour, yet few studies have directly observed feeding behaviour in children who have failed to thrive. A cohort of 961 term infants was screened to identify children with first year weight gain below the 5th centile in order to examine their feeding behaviour and food intake. METHODS: A nested case-control study was used with direct observation at 13-21 months over two lunchtime meals, one consisting of finger foods and the other of 'spoon foods'. Thirty children who failed to thrive and 57 controls were studied. The video-tapes were coded for feeding behaviour using a behavioural coding inventory which distinguishes between children feeding themselves and responding to being fed by their mother. The main outcome measures were counts of five feeding actions (give, accept, feedself, refuse, reject) and measures of energy intake, the weight of food eaten and meal duration. RESULTS: There were systematic differences in feeding behaviour between meal types, with mothers feeding their child more often at meals comprising spoon foods and children feeding themselves more often at meals comprising finger foods. By weight, more food was consumed at the spoon food meals, but energy intake was no higher, showing that the children compensated for the differing energy yields of the foods. Children who failed to thrive took in less energy than controls, and were less likely to sit in a highchair throughout the meal, but there were no clear differences in other aspects of feeding behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: Food type is an important variable when studying childhood feeding behaviour. Children who fail to thrive take in less energy than controls of the same age, despite there being no major differences in mealtime feeding behaviour.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1988

Relationship between extracellular 5-hydroxytryptamine and behaviour following monoamine oxidase inhibition and L-tryptophan.

1. The present study investigates the effects of selective and a non-selective monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors combined with L-tryptophan on MAO-A and -B activity, hypothalamic extracellular 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in vivo and the occurrence of the 5-HT behavioural syndrome. 2. Selective inhibition of intraneuronal MAO-A with MDL 72394 (0.5 mg kg-1, i.p.) had no effect on extracellular 5-HT and following administration of L-tryptophan (50 mg kg-1, i.p.) the 5-HT behavioural syndrome was not induced. 3. Selective inhibition of MAO-A at all sites with clorgyline (5 mg kg-1, i.p.) increased extracellular 5-HT but did not induce the 5-HT behavioural syndrome when combined with L-tryptophan administration. 4. Selective inhibition of MAO-B with selegiline (10 mg kg-1, i.p.) had no effect on extracellular 5-HT and the 5-HT behavioural syndrome was not observed after L-tryptophan administration. 5. Inhibition of MAO-A and -B with a higher and therefore non-selective, dose of MDL 72394 (2 mg kg-1) markedly increased extracellular 5-HT but failed to induce the 5-HT behavioural syndrome after L-tryptophan administration. 6. Inhibition of MAO-A and -B at all sites in the brain (tranylcypromine 20 mg kg-1, i.p. or clorgyline 5 mg kg-1 plus selegiline 10 mg kg-1) increased extracellular 5-HT and induced the behavioural syndrome on administration of L-tryptophan. 7. The results demonstrate that inhibition of MAO-A and -B both within amine neurones and elsewhere in the brain is essential for the development of the 5-HT behavioural syndrome. Whilst the syndrome is associated with increased extracellular 5-HT this does not appear necessarily to result in the syndrome and may indicate that increased extracellular 5-HT is not solely involved in the induction of the '5-HT behavioural syndrome'. Whilst the syndrome is associated with increased extracellular 5-HT this does not appear necessarily to result in the syndrome and may indicate that increased extracellular 5-HT is not solely involved in the induction of the '5-HT behavioural syndrome'.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
PubMed1991

Characterization of the 5-HT receptor subtypes involved in the motor behaviours produced by intrathecal administration of 5-HT agonists in rats.

1. The motor behavioural effects of intrathecal injections of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and a variety of 5-HT receptor agonists were examined in adult Wistar rats to establish; (a) which 5-HT receptor subtype/s elicit each behaviour and (b) whether these receptors are located within the spinal cord. 2. Intrathecal injection of 5-methoxy-N,N'-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeODMT), (+/-)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane hydrochloride (DOI) or 2,5-dimethoxy-alpha,4-dimethylbenzene ethamine hydrochloride (DOM) produced dose-related back muscle contractions (BMC) and wet dog shakes (WDS) which were both markedly attenuated by intraperitoneal pretreatment with either ritanserin (1 mg kg-1), ketanserin (0.16 mg kg-1) or mianserin (0.6 mg kg-1) indicating the involvement of 5-HT2 receptors in both these motor behaviours. Both fluoxetine (1-20 mg kg-1, i.p.) and high doses of 5-HT (50 micrograms) following fluoxetine (5 mg kg-1, i.p.) also elicited BMC, further confirming the involvement of 5-HT in this behaviour. 3. Intrathecal 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT) evoked a marked wet-dog shake response without producing any BMC. Intrathecal pretreatment with 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetraline (8-OH-DPAT) enhanced, while in contrast 2-methyl-5-HT pretreatment attenuated, 5-HT agonist-induced BMC without affecting WDS. These data suggest that the spinal 5-HT2 receptors mediating BMC are positively modulated by 5-HT1A but negatively influenced by 5-HT3 receptor activation and may be of a different subtype to the supra-spinal 5-HT2 receptors which elicit WDS. 4. A contrast, reciprocal forepaw treading, lateral head weaving, flat body posture and Straub-tail were evoked by 5-MeODMT, 8-OH-DPAT or 5-CT but not by DOI or DOM indicating that these behaviours were not produced by 5-HT2 receptor activation alone. Ritanserin (1 mg kg- 1, i.p.) or ketanserin (0.16mgkg-1, i.p.) pretreatment reduced the reciprocal forepaw treading induced by high intrathecal doses of either 5-MeODMT (25.pg) or 5-CT (50,ug) suggesting that this behaviour may be facilitated by 5-HT2 receptor activation. 5. Intrathecal injection of 5-HT (0.05-50pg, after systemic fluoxetine, 5mg kg 1, i.p.), or 1-(3-chlorophenyl) piperazine (mCPP) produced dose-related forepaw-licking and grooming, neither of which were attenuated by ketanserin (0.16 mgkg-1, i.p.) pretreatment suggesting these behaviours may be mediated by 5-HT1c receptors. In contrast, 2-methyl-5-HT (50 and 100pg) produced sideward tail-flicks, not evoked by any other 5-HT agonist and could therefore be mediated by spinal 5-HT3 receptor activation. 6. These data provide behavioural evidence for the existence of spinal 5-HT2 receptors which produce a novel motor behaviour, BMC. Ligand binding studies and dose-response studies with a range of selective 5-HT antagonists are required to establish whether BMC and WDS are mediated by different subtypes of 5-HT2 receptors.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗
PubMed1990

Acute effect of ethanol on the pattern of behavioural specialization of neurons in the limbic cortex of the freely moving rabbit.

Single-unit activity was studied in the limbic cortex of eight freely moving rabbits in order to find out what kind of changes in the organization of unit activity correlate with behavioural disturbances following an acute administration of ethanol (1 g kg-1). The rabbits were taught to acquire food by pressing pedals in the experimental cage. Unit activity was recorded during this behaviour in a control experiment and the alcohol experiment took place the next day. The number of behavioural mistakes significantly increased in the alcohol experiments. The pattern of behavioural specialization of the units also differed between the control and alcohol experiments. In the control experiments 55% of units did not show any constant activations in relation to the behavioural phases (non-involved units), 28% of the units were constantly activated in relation to one or more behavioural phases learned in the cage (e.g. use of pedals; L units) and 17% of units showed activations in relation to the behaviour learned before the teaching of food acquisition (e.g. movements in general; M units). In the alcohol experiments the number of active units decreased by one-third compared with that found in the control experiments. The relative number of non-involved units did not change, whereas the relation between L and M units was reversed (11% L units and 34% M units). This was the result of a decrease in the number of active L units, mainly in the upper layers of the cortex. The results indicate that ethanol has a selective depressing effect on cortical neurons with different behavioural specialization, which could explain the behavioural disturbances observed in the alcohol experiments.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Cognitive predictors of health behaviour in contrasting regions of Europe.

Four important health behaviours--dietary fat avoidance, regular exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption--were assessed by questionnaire, together with measures of risk awareness and beliefs about the importance of each behaviour for health, in comparable samples of young adults from eight countries: Belgium, England, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Portugal and Spain. Results from 3223 men and 3930 women were analysed. Substantial differences in the prevalence of behaviours were identified, but no country consistently showed the most or least healthy profile across behaviours. Women tended to smoke and drink less than men and attempted to avoid dietary fat to a greater extent, while men exercised more than women. Ratings of the importance of behaviours for health were high, while risk awareness showed wide variations, with lower scores from samples in southern and eastern Europe. Across countries, few associations were observed between the prevalence of behaviour and either mean belief ratings or risk awareness. However, in comparisons of people who did and did not perform each behaviour, beliefs were consistently associated with practice. In multiple regression, beliefs about the importance of the behaviour for health independently accounted for 11.3 per cent of the variance in exercise, 18.9 per cent of the variance in smoking and 4.5 per cent of the variance in alcohol consumption. The association between beliefs and dietary fat avoidance was also substantial. In contrast, the relationships between risk awareness and behaviour were mixed. People who avoided dietary fat were more aware than others of the health risks of fat. But non-smokers were less aware than smokers of the risks of smoking, and people who drank regularly were more aware of the dangers of alcohol than were non-drinkers. The results are discussed in the context of the contribution of health psychology to European health promotion.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Relations between children's playground and classroom behaviour.

In this within-subjects design field experiment children's behaviour in the playground was charted as a function of gender and time in the classroom immediately preceding playtime. Playground behaviour was also related to post-recess classroom behaviour. Twenty-three 9-year-old children were observed for 14 weeks. Classroom behaviour (i.e., task relevant behaviour on standardised seat work immediately before and after playtime) and playground behaviour (i.e., social and non-social exercise and sedentary behaviour) were observed. Time in classroom before playtime was manipulated so that there was a shorter and a longer confinement period. Results indicated that children were less attentive to seat work as a function of time and that longer confinement resulted in more exercise for boys and more social sedentary behaviour for girls. Social behaviour at playtime and post-playtime attention to seat work were significantly related. Results are discussed in terms of Novelty Theory.

Attention↗
PubMed1993

The theory of reasoned action and cooperative behaviour: it takes two to use a condom.

The applicability of the Theories of Reasoned Action and Planned Behaviour to the cooperative behaviour of condom use were examined. Seventy-one male and 78 female students, all sexually active unmarried heterosexuals aged 17 to 21 years, gave information about their intentions for the next sexual encounter, as well as their attitude, subjective norm, expectancy-value attitude and subjective norm (including normative beliefs for their sexual partner), and their past behaviour with respect to condom use. After their next sexual encounter, they completed a questionnaire on their actual condom use. Results indicated that when behavioural conditions including the availability of a condom and an agreement with the partner to use it were satisfied, intention interacted with past behaviour to predict actual behaviour. These results imply that intentions which are consistent with past behaviour are stable enough to be carried out in the face of the interpersonal dynamics of a sexual encounter. Further, normative belief for the sexual partner had a direct influence on attitudes, subjective norm and intention. Neither the Theory of Reasoned Action nor the Theory of Planned Behaviour can fully explain these results, which point to the need for further theoretical inquiry into the dynamics of cooperative behaviour.

Adolescent↗