Motivational differences are reported when three performance levels of male tennis players arc compared on variables from Butt's (1987) Sport Protocol. The 46 participants in the study represent: 1) an elite group of players of Davis Cup calibre (current or ex-Davis Cup players); 2) a university competitive tennis team; and 3) a group of recreational players. The psychometric properties of scales and their intercorrelations are reported. Multiple-range tests yield significantly different levels of ambition, aggression, competence, competition and control between the groups (eta2 range from .20 to .48) with the elite group scoring most highly on all variables. The implications of the study for both theory development and applied sport psychology are discussed.

Seventy-four "high-risk" pregnant women interested in participating in a clinical trial comparing chorionic villi sampling and amniocentesis were initially assessed on five background measures and for anxiety, depression, hostility, and concern about abortion. The 61 women who then agreed to be randomized into the chorionic villi sampling and amniocentesis groups were assessed three additional times between 9 and 22 weeks' gestational age. Physical discomfort experienced during the diagnostic procedure was also assessed. Women in the chorionic villi sampling group underwent a reduction in anxiety up to 10 weeks earlier and reported less procedure-related discomfort than women in the amniocentesis group. The group X time interaction for depression was also significant, with women undergoing chorionic villi sampling reporting an earlier decrease in depression than women undergoing amniocentesis. No differences were found between the two groups in hostility or concern about abortion. Findings were discussed in the context of evidence linking prenatal maternal emotionality to an increased risk of obstetric complications.

Sixty-one women with high-risk pregnancies participated in a clinical trial comparing chorionic villi sampling and amniocentesis. They were assessed initially on five background measures and maternal attachment to the fetus, then were randomly assigned to either chorionic villi sampling or an amniocentesis group. Women were further assessed for maternal attachment three times during pregnancy. During the final assessment, those who were planning future pregnancies were asked which of the two procedures they would prefer. No differences between groups were found on any of the five background measures. All 31 women who considered future pregnancies indicated a preference for chorionic villi sampling, regardless of the procedure they underwent during the study. Women receiving chorionic villi sampling reported significantly greater attachment during the second trimester than did women receiving amniocentesis, who viewed themselves as being less attached than other pregnant women during this period. The findings were interpreted as evidence for attachment suppression among women undergoing amniocentesis.

The psychological impact of ultrasound scanning in pregnancy was examined in low- and high-risk pregnancies. Women in each category were assigned consecutively to a condition of either low or high feedback. In the latter condition, the women received extensive verbal and visual feedback, whereas in the former, subjects were denied visual access to the monitor. Psychological changes were measured using the State Anxiety Inventory and the Subjec- tive Stress Scale. When a male partner attended, he was included in the assessment. The emotional impact of ultra- sound was influenced by the level of feedback provided, with those in the high-feedback condition indicating signif- icantly less anxiety and more positive emotional experiences during the scan, compared with those who received less feedback.

The evaluation of contraceptive methods raises special methodological problems. These problems are being addressed as a result of an increase in the number of clinical trials of new contraceptive methods for men. The effects of the new methods on male sexual functioning is expected to have a significant impact of method acceptability. In monitoring sexuality to detect medication and trial effects, the accuracy of the report is a legitimate concern. Both interviews and diary cards have been used to monitor sexual functioning. Interviews assure compliance and diary cards allow reporting close in time to the event. Reactivity is a concern in both ongoing and periodic retrospective reporting. Repeated assessments have been shown to both decrease the number of reported symptoms, and in some instances, increase the variety of reported symptoms. Opportunities for verifying the reports are limited. Concordance between partners may be due to corroboration. Systematic distortions due to cultural norms, need states, or memory lapses may impair accuracy. Studies on the accuracy of reporting for different events are being undertaken. For example, monthly reports of frequency of intercourse, masturbation, and average number of sexual thoughts per day are significantly correlated with daily records; but frequency of morning erection is not. Another problem encountered concerns the acceptability of the measures to study the population. Diary cards may not be kept conscientiously in cultural settings where record keeping is not a customary behavior. The intrusiveness of the method is important, for example, 3 out of 29 men attributed potency problems to keeping daily records. A third issue relates to the subjective value attached to changes in sexual functioning due to a mediation or trial effect. Changes need to be evaluated with reference to the base rate in the population as a whole, as sexual difficulties appear to be fairly common. For example, change resulting in early or late ejaculation may be beneficial or detrimental depending on cultural factors, personal needs and so on.

Healthy aging is associated with a multitude of brain changes that often result in mild reductions in cognitive skills, spanning processing speed, memory, visuospatial skills, and executive functioning. However, the rate and extent of age-related brain and cognitive decline vary significantly across people, which can be attributed to a variety of health, lifestyle, genetic, and environmental factors. In particular, a substantial body of research has highlighted exercise as a key modifiable protective factor to support brain health and cognition in aging. In this chapter, we discuss the current evidence surrounding the benefits of exercise programs for cognitive health in aging, focusing on the specific cognitive processes and neurobiological mechanisms influenced by exercise. We include a discussion of questions that remain about the optimal exercise parameters for the promotion of brain health in this population. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for the safe prescription of exercise to support cognition in older adults.

The psychological characteristics of a consecutive series (n = 58) of women attending an AID clinic have been examined. Women were assessed prior to treatment on a number of attitudinal and acceptability measures, as well as required to complete personality and martial adjustment inventories. At the time of each insemination, over 6 successive cycles, state anxiety was assessed. Following an interval of 6 months women were reassessed on an acceptability measure. The results showed generally positive attitudes at the outset. No systematic trends in anxiety were identified, with no differences between women becoming pregnant and those continuing in treatment. At follow-up women acknowledged the strain involved in timing the insemination to coincide with ovulation, with both pregnant and nonpregnant women attributing outcome to their psychological and emotional state at the time. The implications of these results are considered in terms of the characteristics of women requesting AID and the ways in which clinics can attend to the psychological states of the patients.