Identity schemata serve to organize the content and regulate the processing of identity related information. The dissimulation of undercover agents and others has been associated with fundamental changes in the mental schemata and cognitive structures associated with their identity. This processing of identity information can be can be detected and quantified through Event Related Potentials (ERP). The purpose of the study was to compare the P300 ERPs in persons predisposed and not predisposed to dissociative experiences as they responded to factual (real) and counterfactual (false) personal identity information when asked to be themselves or dissimulate their real identity by adopting a false one. The interest was in examining whether information previously irrelevant to one's self-identity would be seen as meaningful when participants cognitively adopted a false identity and when they engaged in social-behavioural role-plays of that false identity. The degree to which the false identity was seen as meaningful was expected to vary as a function of scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Male students (19--24 yrs), 18 scoring high and 17 scoring low on the DES chose among three fabricated identities one they were to assume for the study. Eighty words representing their chosen false identity, their real identity, and two irrelevant identities served as stimulus items in a self-referencing task. ERP recordings from frontal, central, and parietal sites were obtained under four conditions. A pre-test of ERPs to all stimuli was followed by a second presentation where subjects assumed a false identity and denied their real identity. Subjects then participated in three semi-structured role-play interactions while assuming their false identity over a 3--5 day period. ERP recordings while assuming their false identity and again while assuming their real identity were subsequently obtained. P300 ERPs were elicited to real identity and to false identity information when subjects assumed one or the other. Importantly, previously obtained P300 responses to real identity stimuli were suppressed when ERPs to false identity stimuli were obtained. Role playing diminished P300 to a false identity. High, compared with low scoring, amnesia subjects of the DES were less able to suppress ERPs to their real identity when adopting a false identity. Results are discussed in relation to identity schema theory, dissociative disorders, with implications for undercover policing.

To further understand the predictors of condom use for HIV prevention, this cross-sectional study surveyed 276 heterosexually active couples, between the ages of 16 and 29, who had been dating for less than one year. Each partner completed a self-report, multidimensional survey package and returned it via mail. Study objectives were to examine: (1) whether variables previously associated with condom use in studies of individuals (i.e., communication, attitudes toward condoms, knowledge, relationship variables), were associated with condom use in the context of the couple relationship; (2) whether there were paired-gender differences on the predictor variables; and (3) whether attachment style was associated with condom use among the couples sampled. The unique and innovative aspects of the study were its focus on couples and its exploration of the influence of attachment. The study yielded several important results. First, congruence of partner scores regarding the perception of need for condoms safe relationships was of particular importance in predicting the likelihood of condom use. Consistent condom use was more likely to occur if both partners held a positive perception; inconsistent or non-condom use was more likely if both partners held a negative view. Second, the variables that had been previously identified as predictors in studies of individuals, taken together, helped to correctly classify inconsistent/no-condom use, but did not do so for consistent use. Third, although females reported asking questions about their partner's sexual history more often than did males, and also reported carrying the burden of the decision to use condoms, their decision was ultimately influenced by their male partner's perception of whether condoms should be used. Finally, although there were no significant relationships between attachment style and condom use, it is not possible to rule out the absence of an association owing to the inadequate representation of all attachment styles in this sample. Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between condom use predictor variables and attachment working models that represent the individual's image of other people, and the individual's image of self. Results are discussed with respect to decision-making heuristics and optimistic bias regarding HIV/STD risk perceptions, and implications for intervention strategies are suggested.

The purpose of this research was to first, investigate the application of Deci and Ryan's (1990) Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to a potentially problematic behaviour, and second, to investigate the relationship between gambling motivation and consequences. The SDT framework has been used to investigate the relationship between motivation and consequences in domains considered to be functional activities and to have positive consequences. It is unknown whether postulates of the SDT can be extended to activities that are potentially problematic and therefore may be associated negative consequences. The domain of gambling was chosen for this research because of its growing popularity and awareness of the negative consequences that can be associated with this behaviour. Vallerand's (1997) hierarchical model of self-determination and the previously investigated domain of leisure were incorporated into a gambling model to allow comparison of the results of this study with results previously found in other populations. A pilot study explored the relationships between gambling motivation and gambling consequences. The Gambling Motivation Scale (GAMS; Chantal, Vallerand, & Vallieres, 1995), the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS; Lesieur & Blume, 1987), the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSE; Rosenberg, 1979) and the Self-Rating Depression Scale, (Zung, 1965) were completed by 237 men and women from the general and university populations. Results did not completely support or refute the tenets of Self-Determination Theory. Study 1 tested a hierarchical model of leisure and gambling activities, headed by global self-determination, in a sample of men and women (N = 215) who had gambled in the last year. Respondents completed the Global Self-Determination Scale (Quay, et al., 1996), the Leisure Motivation Scale (Pelletier, Green-Demers & Dion, 1998), the GAMS, a measure of leisure activity consequences, the SOGS, the RSE, the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larson, & Griffin, 1985). Based on SOGS scores, 16.6% of the sample met criteria for possible problem gambling. Results from structural equation modelling analysis (with LISREL) support the use of Vallerand's (1997) hierarchical domain specific theory and SDT in research with adaptive behaviours. Results of the gambling side of the model provide limited support for the use of these theories in research with potentially problematic activities. There is some evidence that motivation plays a role in the development of problem gambling and that global self-determination moderates the relationship between gambling involvement and problem gambling.

The overall goal of this work is to critically assess and clarify methodologies for risk assessment and summary measure development which may be useful in appraising the risk involved in sexual transmission of HIV. The source of information for the available methods for risk assessment which various disciplines have developed, was a systematic review of the literature, the raw material being papers containing indexes assessing risk. Papers containing information about the development procedure were selected and sorted into reasonably homogeneous groups, which resulted in the proposal of a classification for risk assessment methods. The proposed classification identified the following methods: (1) the empirical method, which relies on collected data; (2) the judgemental method, which is based on the opinions of experts; (3) the psychometric method, which is built on a theoretical hypothesis about the construct; and (4) the mathematical method, which is based on an abstract representation in mathematical form of the phenomenon under study. A strategy similar to the one used in the search for risk assessment methods was employed in the search of the literature for existing indexes for the risk of HIV due to sexual behaviour. A logical progression of methods over time is evident, with the mathematical method as a foundation of risk assessment, followed by the psychometric method supported by a theoretical hypothesis, and finally, the judgemental and empirical methods, which require a sufficient amount of experts' knowledge and empirical data, respectively. The assessment of risk for HIV infection seems to be reaching the final stage of this progression. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Recent research indicates that the presence of aggressive behaviour in boys diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is related to a poorer prognosis, different etiological factors, interpersonal problems, and the selection of appropriate treatment components than ADHD without aggression. Unfortunately, many studies examining various deficits thought to be specific to ADHD children have failed to utilize data from different diagnostic sources to allow for comparisons between attention/overactivity and aggressive symptomatology. The present investigation utilized a between groups comparison design with group assignment based on a two step-multisource inclusion criterion (DICA-P Interview and IOWA Conners) to make comparisons across four groups: hyperactive-only (IO, N = 12), aggressive-only (AGG, N = 16), hyperactive/aggressive (IO/AGG, N = 35) and normal controls (N = 33). Subjects were compared on parent and teacher rating scales and interviews, laboratory measures of vigilance, impulsivity, higher-order learning/memory, family functioning, general and social attribution, and self-report ratings. The results of this study partially support the use of parent and teacher rating scales in making distinctions between aggressive and hyperactive children. In agreement with previous studies, mothers of boys in the AGG and IO/AGG groups described a greater number of depressive, anxious, oppositional behaviours, and family psychosocial stress than did mothers in IO and Control groups. All clinical groups were rated by parents and teachers as displaying a higher frequency of disruptive and impulsive behaviours, and peer-related difficulties. Discriminant analyses on parent and teacher ratings revealed that boys in the AGG and IO/AGG group were the most similar in terms of symptomatology. Prediction on scales of the separate rating and interviews was best for IO and Control groups. The IO/AGG received the highest ratings on parent and teacher rating scales. In contrast to the predictions made between experimental groups, the IO/AGG subjects displayed only some common characteristics with IO subjects. IO subjects displayed more evidence of cognitive dysfunction on the high-order learning task and Delay task of the Gordon Diagnostic System (GDS). The lack of reliable group differences on the GDS Vigilance task and Efficiency Ratio of the Delay task questions the validity of the GDS in the diagnosis of ADHD and highlights the importance of designing new tasks to assess impulsivity and attention which hold important social/motivational and age-related factors constant. Predicted group differences were also not evident on the Beitchman self-report rating or general attribution questionnaire. All clinical groups described greater rigidity in family interactions and were more likely to display evidence of social information processing biases than control subjects. Overall, these results suggest that the ADHD category includes a heterogeneous group of behaviour disordered boys, and that further study into the cognitive, social, familial, and attributional styles of aggressive and hyperactive boys warrants continued exploration.

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the influence of exercise motivation and body image on exercise behavior (using a multi-method approach), in order to better understand the phenomenon of unhealthy exercise. The first phase of this study was quantitative, and served to compare the exercise motivation (using Self-Determination Theory, Deci & Ryan, 1985) and perception of body image of "healthy" and "unhealthy" exercisers using a questionnaire. Specifically, 233 exercisers (102 males, 131 females) completed a questionnaire compiled of a self-reported exercise behavior scale (Salonen & Lakka, 1987), the Commitment to Exercise Scale (Davis et al., 1993), the Sport Motivation Scale (Pelletier et al., 1995), and the Body Cathexis Scale (Tucker, 1981). The self-reported exercise behavior scale and the Commitment to Exercise Scale were used to divide exercisers into "healthy" and "unhealthy" groups. In order to obtain a deeper, more complex, understanding of the phenomenon of unhealthy exercise specifically, a second qualitative phase (Phase 2) consisted of interviewing 4 exercisers (2 males, 2 females) identified in Phase 1 as having the most "unhealthy" exercise behaviors. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

La présente recherche porte sur les facteurs permettant de prédire la rupture d'une fréquentation de violence, utilisant comme cadre théorique la théorie du comportement planifié (Ajzen, I., 1985, 1988, 1991). Elle cherche à démontrer un lien entre l'intention de cesser la fréquentation et la rupture proprement dite, et à prédire l'intention à partir de trois déterminants: l'attitude comportementale, qui est l'attitude de la personne à l'égard de la cessation de la relation, la norme subjective, qui correspond à la perception que se fait la répondante quant à l'opinion des personnes importantes pour elle au sujet de la rupture, et enfin la perception de contrôles comportementaux, qui englobent les ressources et les obstacles associés à la rupture. L'étude a également pour objet de déterminer la relation entre les déterminants et les croyances. Finalement, elle explore l'influence de trois variables externes, soit l'intimité de la relation, la durée de la relation et la gravité de la violence sur la force de l'intention de cesser la fréquentation de violence. Les participantes ( n = 138) sont des étudiantes célibataires n'habitant pas avec leurs partenaires et qui se disent victimes de violence physique, de violence psychologique, ou d'agression à caractère sexuel, recrutées dans des cours d'introduction à la psychologie dans deux universités ontariennes. Les hypothèses sont vérifiées par des corrélations bivariées et des régressions multiples. Les résultats concordent, en partie, avec les prévisions tirées de la théorie du comportement planifié. Comme nous le supposions, la rupture d'une fréquentation de violence est prédite à partir de l'intention exprimée à cet égard. Cependant, seules l'attitude comportementale et la norme subjective sont prédictives de l'intention. Les corrélations entre les croyances et les déterminants sont positives et significatives. L'intimité de la relation améliore la prédiction de l'intention. L'intimité et la durée de la relation et la gravité de la violence sont associées à la rupture par l'entremise des croyances.

Schedule insensitivity of behaviours that are established through elaborate instructions is a frequently reported finding in the behavioural literature. This insensitivity usually takes one of two forms: (a) behaviour pattern that is not appropriate to the schedule in effect or (b) failure of the behaviour pattern to adjust once a new unannounced schedule is put in effect. However, a number of methodological flaws in previously published studies hinder a clear interpretation of these findings. The current series of studies attempted to rectify these problems by including sufficiently large groups of subjects (n = 14 or 15) to allow for acceptable levels of power. In addition, the same experimental task was used throughout to provide continuity. This task involved first establishing steady-state responding on a multiple DRL6s/FR18 schedule, and then changing the parameters of the schedule, without alerting subjects to this change. Experiment 1 attempted to replicate the previous findings that indicated that elaborate instructions induced schedule insensitivity when the multiple schedule was changed to EXT/EXT. Experiment 2 investigated the generalisability of the findings of Experiment 1 by examining the effect of a change in contingency to FR18/FR18. Experiments 3 and 4 investigated whether the findings of the first two studies were due to the effect of a "social variable" (the salience of the social stimuli). Experiments 1, 2, and 3 also investigated the effect of a "warning" that conditions may change at any tune. Overall, the results suggest that the warning decreases the schedule insensitivity engendered by the elaborate instructions. The results also suggest that the salience of the social stimuli is an important factor in producing the "insensitivity effect," and may be responsible for some of the more dramatic results in the literature. Further, the findings raise the question of whether instructions do, in fact, engender schedule insensitivity.

The present study attempted to understand exercise behavior change by applying a solid theoretical motivational framework, namely, self-determination theory (SDT; Deci and Ryan, 1985) with stages of exercise behavior change. This study also examined the relationship between exercise barriers and stages of change. A questionnaire, composed of several validated scales that assessed exercise behavior, exercise intentions, different forms of exercise motivation, and exercise barriers was administered to 74 employees of an electric power commission. Based on their exercise behavior during the past three months and their exercise intentions during the next three months, participants were placed in one of the following 6 stages: Stage 1 - sedentary individuals who want to maintain their sedentary behavior (n = 11; 15%); Stage 2 - sedentary individuals who want to increase their exercise behavior (n = 14; 19%); Stage 3 - moderately active individuals who want to maintain their exercise behavior (n = 8; 11%); Stage 4 - moderately active individuals who want to increase their exercise behavior (n = 17; 23%); Stage 5 - active individuals who want to maintain their exercise behavior (n = 11; 15%); or Stage 6 - active individuals who want to increase their exercise behavior (n = 13; 17%). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

There has been increasing pressure on all health-related disciplines, including epidemiology to translate research findings into practice. As a result, the need for valid and reliable data has become increasingly important. The primary objective of the present investigation was to develop a clinically relevant and psychometrically sound measure of motivation for the maintenance of smoking behaviour. A balance of clinimetric and psychometric strategies for scale development was employed. Based on a sample of 200 regular daily smokers, the present study revealed that there are three prominent and important factors that motivate smokers to maintain their smoking behaviour. Specifically, our data demonstrated that regular daily smokers are motivated to maintain their smoking behaviour to reduce or eliminate negative emotions, to satisfy their addiction to cigarettes and to obtain pleasure and relaxation. The literature, however, has identified at least seven factors that motivate smokers to maintain their smoking behaviour. Explanations for the discrepancy in the number of smoking motive factors observed are forwarded. Preliminary psychometric evaluation of the Smoking Motives Inventory and two of its subscales, namely Reduction in Negative Affect and Addiction, indicate strong support for the internal consistency reliability of the scale and initial support for its validity, Further work is required to develop the Pleasure and Relaxation factor. Finally, the implications of the findings and directions for future research are presented.