No abstract

The present investigation further explored the utility of Finger Pulse Volume (FPV) as a measure of anxiety. Male and female subjects were exposed to threatening and nonthreatening situations and measures of FPV, pulse rate (PR), and self‐report of anxiety (AACL) were collected. Results indicate that: a) FPV was sensitive to changes in experimentally manipulated anxiety, and b) FPV and PR were temporally, differentially responsive as measures of anxiety: FPV was more responsive initially and recovered more quickly than PR following the introduction of threat. Implications of these data to the often noted low intercorrelations among physiological measures and the relevance of these findings to anxiety management are discussed.

Led male (N = 69) and female (N = 75) Ss to believe that they were rating the accuracy of a description of a mental health professional used to help clients choose their therapist. Ss were exposed to descriptions that were identical in content, with exception of the level of fee, high vs. low, and the title of the therapist, psychiatrist vs. clinical psychologist vs. counselor. Ss were asked to rate the individual in the description on various dimensions of credibility and attraction. The results indicate that Ss were not affected by the level of fee charged except on their willingness to seek therapy from the therapist. Ss consistently rated the psychiatrist higher than the counselor, who in turn was rated higher than the clinical psychologist. Explanations for this and the implications of these findings are discussed.

To determine the effects of anxiety and sex on various neuropsychological tests, 28 male and 28 female non-impaired, high and low test-anxious subjects were given the Finger Tapping, Trail Making (Forms A and B), Digit Span, and Digit Symbol tests. Sex significantly affected only the Finger Tapping Test; females made significantly fewer taps. High test-anxious subjects reported an increase in posttest state anxiety. However, test anxiety did not significantly affect performance.

The present investigation sought to examine psychotherapists' perception of client's satisfaction following termination. During a 6-mo. period, 86 clients who terminated treatment at a large mental health center were asked to evaluate the service that they had received from their therapists. Therapists were also asked to predict how their clients would evaluate them. Results indicated that clients were favorably impressed with the services provided by their therapists and therapists tended to underestimate the worth of their services. Further conclusions, which at this point can only be speculative due to the limited sample, were that there were no differences in reported satisfaction of clients among psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric social workers and para-professional groups, but psychiatrists predicted significantly greater satisfication by satisfaction by clients than the other groups. They were the only group which predicted more satisfaction by clients then was actually reported.