Task control and cognitive abilities of self and spouse in collaboration in middle-aged and older couples.

Collaborative problem solving may be used by older couples to optimize cognitive functioning, with some suggestion that older couples exhibit greater collaborative expertise. The study explored age differences in 2 aspects of collaborative expertise: spouses' knowledge of their own and their spouse's cognitive abilities and the ability to fit task control to these cognitive abilities. The participants were 300 middle-aged and older couples who completed a hypothetical errand task.

Improving the effectiveness of the medical visit: a brief visit-structuring workshop changes patients' perceptions of primary care visits.

Objective: To teach visit-structuring strategies to primary care clinicians with a 1.5-h experiential workshop and assess its effect on patient perceptions of their medical visits.

Methods: We developed and conducted a 90 min workshop for 75 clinicians from seven primary care clinics, and evaluated the effectiveness of the workshop by assessing changes in patients' ratings of visit qualities from 1 week prior (n=301) to 1 week after (n=322) the workshop.

Hostility, anger, aggressiveness, and coronary heart disease: an interpersonal perspective on personality, emotion, and health.

The related traits of hostility, anger, and aggressiveness have long been suggested as risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). Our prior review of this literature (Smith, 1992) found both considerable evidence in support of this hypothesis and important limitations that precluded firm conclusions. In the present review, we discuss recent research on the assessment of these traits, their association with CHD and longevity, and mechanisms possibly underlying the association.

Psychological predictors of adherence and outcomes among patients in cardiac rehabilitation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of optimism, depression, and neuroticism on adherence and outcomes among patients in cardiac rehabilitation (CR).

Methods: Participants included 46 patients (34 men) with coronary heart disease (CHD) who completed measures of psychological functioning (optimism, depression, neuroticism), physical functioning (exercise stress test, body mass index, symptom reports), and CHD knowledge during the first week (baseline) and last week of a 12-week CR program.

Results: Baseline depression scores accounted for 9.