The purpose of the study was to determine if exposure to a challenging interpersonal situation would have an adverse impact on intra- and interpersonal constructs. Individual difference variables including level of hostility and anger, Type A behavior, control in social situations, depression and sex were examined as "predictors" of those more likely to be adversely affected by personal challenge. Eighty subjects, 40 male and 40 female, completed questionnaires at a pretesting session including measures of hostility, the Type A behavior pattern, trait anger, exaggerated social control, depression, and self-other constructs. Twenty subjects then participated in a "supportive" role-play condition where the confederate was agreeable and friendly. Sixty subjects participated in a "challenge" role-play condition; the confederate was disagreeable, confrontive, and unpleasant. The posttesting measures were then completed.

The purposes of the study were to examine the psychosocial variables of hostility and social support, and their independent relationships with resting physiological levels and chronic pain symptoms, and to examine the independent relationships of chronic pain chronicity and social support with hostility.

Organizations are increasingly devoting interest towards understanding the causes of workplace deviance behaviors, which include interpersonal aggression, theft, violence, vandalism and sabotage. These behaviors are particularly relevant to organizations, in that the yearly losses due to theft are estimated at over 40 billion dollars for U.S. businesses (Coffin, 2003), and acts of workplace deviance could cost as much as 200 billion dollars annually (Murphy, 1993).In this research, I integrated theoretical perspectives from psychology and organizational behavior with neurocognitive evidence in order to examine the effects of sleep deprivation on workplace deviance behavior. In particular, I argue that cognitive resource theories offer explanatory power for the proposed linkage between sleep loss and deviant behaviors. Specifically, sleep deprivation was expected to reduce cognitive capacity and self-regulatory ability, and as a result decrease individuals' self-control, increase hostility, and impair moral decisions, which would in turn increase workplace deviance. Finally, proposed methods are presented for two studies. The first study utilized a field sample of shiftworkers with irregular sleep schedules (i.e., nurses). The second study utilized a lab sample of university students who were subjected to sleep deprivation conditions in a controlled environment.Results largely supported the model in both samples, with the exception of moral reasoning, which was unrelated to sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation affected self-control and hostility, which were in turn related to deviance, with the exception of self-control and interpersonal deviance in Study 2.

Background. Research identifies isolation (being alone) as a risk factor for cognitive decline— yet it is possible that subjective dimensions of isolation are more critical. Potential risk factors are loneliness (the distress stemming from feeling alone) and cynical hostility (an attitude of distrust and cynicism). The present study examined the relationship between these factors and cognitive functioning and decline. Methods. Data came from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative longitudinal study of US adults over 50. Loneliness was measured using the Hughes Loneliness Scale; cynical hostility was measured using items from the Cook-Medley Hostility Inventory. Cognitive functioning was indexed by the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Regressions were conducted to examine loneliness and cynical hostility as predictors of cognitive function at baseline as well as cognitive decline over four and six-year periods. Models were adjusted for demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and isolation. Results. Loneliness, [f2=.003, t(52)=-3.75; p<.001] and cynical hostility, [f2=.002, t(52)=-2.98, p=.004] predicted cognitive function at baseline. Loneliness and cynical hostility each predicted cognitive decline over four [f2=.001, t(52)=-2.29; p=.026 f2=.003, t(52)=-3.98; p<.001 respectively] but not six years [t(52)= -.78; p=.439; t(52)= -1.29; p=.203 respectively]. Discussion. Loneliness and cynical hostility are correlates of lower cognitive function and risk factors for cognitive decline over four years. The absence of significant effects of loneliness and cynical hostility over six years could be attributed to low statistical power in these analyses. The effect sizes in this study are small, yet meaningful in the context of the personal and social costs associated with cognitive decline.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-106). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-106). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-116).

Vissa ungdomar utmärks av att de utsätter andra för hostilitet i en viss vardagsmiljö. Andra ungdomar utmärks av att de utsätts för hostilitet av andra i samma miljö. En tredje grupp av ungdomar utmärks av att de både utsätter andra för hostilitet och utsätts för andras hostilitet i den miljön. Det förklarar ”ömsesidig hostilitet” för de ungdomarna. Syftet med studien var att se om ungdomar som själv rapporterade hög kriminalitet utmärktes av att de levde med ”ömsesidig hostilitet” i olika vardagsmiljöer – hemma, i skolan och på fritiden. Urvalet bestod av 2009 ungdomar i ålder 13-15 år från en mellanstor stad i Sverige. Data användes ifrån redan befintlig forskning utifrån olika skolor. Enkäter var utformade med frågor om hostilitet och kriminalitet. Resultaten visade att de ungdomar som upplevde ömsesidig hostilitet i olika vardagsmiljöer var kriminaliteten specifik högre. Ju fler olika miljöer ungdomen upplevde ömsesidig hostilitet i desto högre var den självskattade kriminaliteten. / Some youths are characterized by exposing others to hostility in a particular environment. Other young people are characterized by being exposed to hostility from others in the same environment. A third group of youngsters are characterized by both exposing others to hostility, and exposed to other people's hostility in the environment, explained "mutual hostility" for these young people. In this study the aim was to examine whether the young people who were high-criminal distinguished that they lived with "mutual hostility" in everyday environments - at home, at school and at spare time. The sample consisted of 2009 adolescents aged 13-15 years from a medium-sized city in Sweden who participated in a research project. The data from two questionnaires hostility and criminality were analyzed. The results showed that the young people who were experiencing mutual hostility in everyday environments engaged more in criminal activities. The study showed that youths who experienced mutual hostility in many different environments, were significant higher in self-reported crime.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-160).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on August 7, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-50).