Pretty patient - healthy patient? A study of physical attractiveness and psychopathology

Recent research has shown that physically attractive persons are viewed by others, and by themselves, as "better" in many ways than less attractive persons. The trend in research findings is pervasive, and a stereotype has been proposed: "what is beautiful is good." This study explored the relationship between physical attractiveness and emotional adjustment of hospitalized schizophrenic patients. It was hypothesized (1) that judges would consider attractive patients better adjusted than unattractive patients; and (2) that attractive patients would appear healthier or better adjusted than unattractive patients on standard diagnostic measures. The results of multivariate analyses supported the first hypothesis, but consistently failed to support the second. Limitations of the present findings and of the "beautiful is good" stereotype are discussed.

Therapists' expectations for in-therapy roles of hospitalized patients

Therapists' expectations with regard to in-therapy behavior of hospitalized patients were measured and factor analyzed. Five interpretable factors emerged and supported the conclusion that therapists' role expectations for patients complement patients' role expectations for therapists. Mean scores on the factors were independent of therapists' experience and professional training.

Patients' expectancies and improvement in treatment: the shape of the link

It has been hypothesized (a) that patients' expectancies for therapeutic gain are linked to the clinical improvement that the patients realize in treatment; and (b) that patients' expectancies may play a causative role in such improvement. The first hypothesis has received empirical support, but the second has not. This study tested the causativeinterpretation of patients' expectancies and a second interpretation, which states that patients' expectancies predict, but do not cause clinical improvement. The shape of thelink between expectancy and improvement for hospitalized schizophrenics was explored. Based on motivation research it was reasoned that a curvilinear relationship between expectancy and improvement would support a causative interpretation and that a linear relationship would support a predictive interpretation of the nature of expectancy. Multiple regression analyses found a linear relationship between expectancies and objective measures of improvement for the patients, but no evidence of a curvilinear relationship between these measures. The results were interpreted as supporting a predictive interpretation of the expectancies of hospitalized schizophrenic patients.

Therapists prophesy

Therapists' expectancies for therapeutic gain in patients reputedly are linked to the actual outcome of treatment for their patients. Theoretical papers have suggested that therapists' expectancies may cause or facilitate patient therapeutic response to treatment. Unfortunately, empirical data related to these notions are greatly lacking. The present study tested the relationship between therapist expectancy and treatment outcome for hospitalized schizophrenic patients. It also tested two opposing hypotheses re the nature of the link between therapist expectancy and outcome (causative vs. predictive). Multiple regression analyses revealed that therapists' expectancies are multi-dimensional, formed partly on the basis of therapists' knowledge of psychopathology in general and partly on their perception of their patients' pretreatment adjustment. The analyses also revealed that therapists' expectancies were associated significantly with treatment outcome; the data supported a predictive, not causative, interpretation of the nature of therapists' expectancies.

Patients' expectancies and hospital outcome

Although it is widely held that patients' expectancies for therapeutic gain are related causally to treatment outcome, a recent review of expectancy research found scant evidence for the hypothesized expectancy-outcome relationship. Supportive findings were reported only in studies with serious methodological weaknesses. This study tested the relationship between the prognostic expectancies of hospitalized schizophrenic patients and several objective measures of hospital outcome. It also tested the hypothesis that expectancies may bear primarily a predictive, not causal, relationship to outcome. Multiple regression analyses found patients' expectancies to be correlated significantly with 8 of 15 measures of posthospital adjustment and with 14 of 15 measures of prehospital adjustment. The findings supported the expectancy-outcome relationship and also were consistent with a predictive interpretation of patients' expectancies.

The schizophrenic as soothsayer

It is generally believed that patients' prognostic expectancies are linked to the outcome of treatment. It is also generally believed that the nature of the expectancy-outcome relationship is causative: patients' expectancies are viewed as causing or facilirating patients' responses to treatment. The study reported here tested both notions. The expectancies of hospitalized schizophrenic patients were tested by multiple regression for association with objective measures of the patients' pre- and post-treatment adjustment. Expectancy measures were closely correlated with patients' pre-treatment adjustment at hospital admission, were moderately correlated with patients' post-treatment adjustment at discharge, and were almost completely independent of post-treatment adjustment at 9-mo. follow-up. It is speculated that patients may base their prognostic expectancies partly on their pre-treatment adjustment, that patients' expectancies are associated with short-term measures of outcome, and that patients' expectancies predict but do not primarily cause or facilitate a therapeutic response to treatment for hospitalized schizophrenic patients. Finally, limitations of the findings and their generalizability are discussed.

Therapists' expectancies and treatment outcome: some overlooked factors

A recent study found factored measures of therapists' expectancies significantly correlated with 8 of 15 objective measures of treatment outcome for hospitalized patients. A subsequent study of the same relationships using unfactored expectancy measures with a diagnostically homogeneous sample of patients showed therapists' expectancies significantly correlated with 14 of 15 measures. This study reexamined the initial expectancy-outcome data using unfactored expectancy measures. The over-all results showed that characteristics of samples of subjects and the adequacy of expectancy measures both significantly influenced the results of tests of the expectancy-outcome relationship.

Fermentation tubes for in vitro digestion of forages

During in vitro digestion of forages by rumen microorganisms in polycarbonate centrifuge tubes, forage particles formed dense mats which were raised above the level of media by entrapped gas. This did not occur with polyethylene centrifuge tubes. In vitro organic matter digestion was higher in polyethylene than in poly-carbonate tubes. Vacuum infiltration of water into samples prior to inoculation increased in vitro digestion with both types of tubes but to a greater extent with samples of high than of low digestion. Regression analysis of in vivo digestibility on in vitro digestion showed that the lowest residual standard deviation was with polyethylene tubes and vacuum infiltration, but omission of vacuum infiltration gave satisfactory results.

Chlamydial infection of conjunctival tissues in culture

Baboon conjunctival cells removed as scrapings from the conjunctiva could be disaggregated and maintained in culture for up to 5 days without appreciable loss of viability. Attempts to infect cultures with a TRIC agent or its “fast” variant were unsuccessful. Nevertheless such cultures appeared to support the growth of TRIC agent since conjunctival cells obtained from infected baboons developed inclusions while maintained in vitro.

Cell viability and tissue structure were preserved over 6 days organ culture of conjunctivae. Organ cultures supported the growth of chlamydiae: the TRIC fast variant grew in low titre in baboon cultures; the highly virulent gp-ic agent grew to high titre in guinea-pig cultures. Frequent inclusion bodies and damaged epithelium were seen in histological examination of infected guinea-pig cultures; occasional sub-epithelial inclusions were detected, some of which were atypical in morphology.

Virulence of trachoma-inclusion conjunctivitis agent after passage in baboons

The virulence of a strain of trachoma-inclusion conjunctivitis agent was increased by passage in baboons as judged by the severity of clinical signs and the number of inclusions found in conjunctival scrapings. Clinical scores increased substantially with a corresponding rise of from 5-20 to several hundred inclusions per conjunctival smear. Organisms from the heavily infected animals were reduced in infectivity for the baboon after 2 passages in chick embryos.