Background: Adaptation is key to survival. An organism must adapt to environmental challenges in order to be able to thrive in the environment in which they find themselves. Resilience can be thought of as a measure of the ability of an organism to adapt, and to withstand challenges to its stability. In higher animals, the brain is a key player in…

Reviews lessons learned from research in Antarctica with relevance to understanding human behavior in other isolated and confined environments. Outlines four distinct characteristics of psychosocial adaptation to such environments and discusses some of the benefits for individuals seeking challenging experiences. (Contains references.) (SLD)

The past two decades have seen an explosion in research in the fields of violence and trauma and behavior genetics. These two fields came into direct conflict when Lisabeth Fisher DiLalla and Irving I. Gottesman outlined a fundamental conceptual limitation of trauma and violence research: that rather than being causal, the well-documented…

In attempting to isolate the characteristics of leaders which impede creativity, the author reviews research on the personality traits and behavioral manifestations of leadership, with particular consideration given to environmental, socioeconomic, and situational factors. (SBH)

Presents an overview of the development of motivational thought in the study of exploratory behavior and curiosity. Traces the way in which concepts of curiosity were considered from the perspectives of instinct and drive-reduction theories to the more recent notions of optimal stimulation. (Author)

Previous research in suicidology has revealed that Caucasian males in their 80's pose the greatest suicide risk of any segment of the population. Only a few people have begun to investigate the interrelationships of this target population with the particular environments in which they reside. Realizing that the median age of Skilled Nursing…

A conceptual model of the childbirth experience is developed which emphasizes: (1) maternal coping during labor and delivery; (2) postpartum evaluation of the experience; (3) stress and coping; (4) health and illness behavior; (5) interactions between individual physiological and psychological characteristics; and (6) physical and social…

Despite a substantial body of research suggesting genetic influence on educationally relevant behavioural traits, it is not clear how the nature-nurture question is perceived by teachers. In order to answer this question, we surveyed 667 UK primary school teachers, and for comparison also surveyed 1,340 parents about their perceptions of genetic…

The university's role in student drinking behavior includes understanding the practice. Nearly 98% of students have had at least one drink. Men drink more than women and those who become intoxicated do so intentionally. Suggests a rational approach to discourage intemperate drinking. (JAC)

Health educators may be expecting the public to accept too much personal responsibility for disease. Genetic, environmental, and other factors may be as important as health-promoting behavior in avoiding disease. If health educators overstate the role of personal responsibility for health, they may lose credibility with the public. (PP)

Examines Jones's and Nisbett's (1971, 1972) hypothesis that people generally attribute the actions of others to stable trait dispositions but see their own behavior as relatively more influenced by specific environmental circumstances. Discusses methodological problems in studies examining this hypothesis, suggesting ways they might be overcome.…

Presenting a model for the comparative analysis of farm organizations, this paper analyzes the farm firm as a complex organization; identifies key structural dimensions of an agricultural production unit; and reviews various organizational perspectives for their utility in understanding and explaining the behavior of farm operations and farm…

The theoretical perspective and naturalistic methods of ecological psychology developed by Roger Barker are described. Ecological assessment implies examining (1) naturally occurring behavior; (2) environment immediately surrounding behavior; and (3) the individual-environment link. The specimen record, chronolog, and behavior-setting survey are…

The author discusses the substantive and methodological contributions which several disciplines can make to naturalistic research in the field of special education and raises definitional issues. (Author)

Two papers, one on child abuse and the other on effects of preinstitutional history and institutionalization on the behavior of the retarded, are presented. In the first paper the author stresses the need to document the scope and nature of child abuse in American society and discusses the difficulties in defining where on the continuum discipline…