Examined relations among adrenocortical stress reactivity, infant emotional or proneness-to-distress temperament, and quality of attachment in 66 infants tested at 9 and 13 months. Adrenocortical activity was not associated with attachment classifications. Significant only at 9 months, elevations in cortisol were small. (RH)

This discussion of the importance of psychotechnologies such as biofeedback, meditation, and guided imagery to education focuses on the potential of such techniques to expand human learning capabilities and consciousness. The work of many theorists and researchers in the fields of education, physiology, and psychology is reviewed, citing evidence…

In the area of industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology and physiological psychology, issues of gender have only begun to be addressed. An examination of the recent literatures in I/O and physiological psychology was undertaken to document the extent to which women are used as research subjects, to determine whether or not research relevant to…

Although smoking cessation techniques have been effective, few programs have long term results. To investigate the effectiveness of a tobacco dependence relapse prevention program, 123 adult smokers (51 male, 72 female) voluntarily participated in one of four small group treatment conditions (6 or 30 second aversive smoking plus skill training, or…

A within-subjects, three condition design was employed to examine the effects of three relaxation techniques on blood pressures, pulse rates, and self-report measures of relaxation for 12 college students. Respiratory Manipulation Training incorporated instructions to exhale and not to inhale for as long as possible. When breathing could no longer…

Reports relationship between asymmetries in frontal-brain electrical activity and individual differences in affective response in 35 ten-month-old females. Stranger-approach, mother-approach, and maternal-separation experiences were presented while an electroencephalogram (EEG) from scalp regions was recorded and facial and other behavioral…

Offers perspectives on the role of extrinsic factors in the aging process, the long-term consequences of extrinsically initiated changes, and implications for gerontological research. Explains the distinction between usual and successful aging in light of physiologic and psychosocial characteristics. (ML)

The present study was designed to examine the effectiveness of post-experimental debriefing in reducing both self-reported anxiety and physiological arousal among participants who differed in their characteristic responses to threat. One hundred five female undergraduates were classified according to their Repression-Sensitization type and were…

Describes the establishment of a psychological space for any set of stimuli by determining metric distances between the stimuli with the probability that a response learned for a stimulus will generalize to the other. (Author/TW)

Presented as a contribution to the discussion on aesthetic stimulation, the role of imagination, and the identity of specific aesthetic stimuli and their relative intensity within a given microcontext, this paper proposes the application of biometric tests to monitor readers' physiological responses to selected literary texts as a precedent for…

Few studies have attempted to measure the strength of attachment in personal relationships or the stress associated with the loss of those relationships. To measure the perceived strength of attachment and stress of loss of 20 typical relationships (e.g.,wife or husband, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, friend, lover, grandparents, and…

Until recently it has been possible only to measure the behavioral products of cognitive processing, e.g. reaction time. However, this is a rather indirect way of studying brain substrates of cognition. Psychophysiological techniques can be used to study the neural mechanisms of cognition. In this experiment brain electrical activity was measured…

Presents an interview with Susan Lederman that contains a fascinating and informative overview of the recent developments in neuropsychological research concerning the sense of touch. Discusses the physiological processes that support this sensory experience and reveals them to be much more flexible, intricate, and adaptive than previously…

Twelve community residents (10 women, 2 men; average age = 67) registered for a continuing education class in "creative living for elders." In 10 weekly, 2-hour sessions, a clinical psychologist and two artists led the group in exercise, muscle relaxation, regulated breathing, guided imagery, affirmations, and sensory awareness integrated with art…

This exploratory study of the effects of the new visual communications media imagery (e.g., video games, digital television, and computer graphics) on the visual perception process is designed to provide a theoretical framework for research, introduce appropriate research instruments for such study, and experiment with the application of biometric…