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The temporal stability of obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions was studied in a nonclinical student sample. The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory- Revised was administered twice to 132 undergraduate students during a 2-year period. There were no significant changes in symptom dimension scores between the baseline and follow-up, except for the Obsessing scale. The score of each dimension at follow-up was strongly and uniquely predicted from the score on the same dimension at baseline. The results indicate that obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions tend to be temporally stable in nonclinical participants, replicating similar studies in clinical populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The factor structure, psychometric properties, and relationship with personality variables of a Spanish version of the Savings Inventory-Revised (SI-R) are investigated in a sample of 381 undergraduate students. A maximum likelihood factor analysis suggests a three-factor structure, which is similar but not identical to that of the original English version. The three factors mirror the three hypothesized domains of compulsive hoarding: acquisition, difficulty discarding, and clutter. The Spanish SI-R demonstrates acceptable high internal consistency and test-retest reliability, but its divergent validity is weaker than expected because of a significant overlap with depressive symptoms. Different SI-R factors are associated with different personality traits: Whereas the difficulty discarding dimension is predominantly associated with susceptibility to punishment, the acquisition dimension is predominantly associated with susceptibility to reward. The authors conclude that the Spanish SI-R is a promising instrument to measure hoarding symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence is growing that two modalities of computer-based exposure therapies--virtual reality and computer-aided psychotherapy--are effective in treating anxiety disorders, including fear of flying. However, they have not yet been directly compared. The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of three computer-based exposure treatments for fear of flying: virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), computer-aided exposure with a therapist's (CAE-T) assistance throughout exposure sessions, and self-administered computer-aided exposure (CAE-SA). A total of 60 participants with flying phobia were randomly assigned to VRET, CAE-T, or CAE-SA. Results indicate that the three interventions were effective in reducing fear of flying at posttreatment and at 1-year follow-up; furthermore, there were no significant differences between them in any of the outcome measure. Large within-group effect sizes were found for all three treatment conditions at both posttreatment and at follow-up. The results suggest that therapist involvement might be minimized during computer-based treatments and that CAE can be as effective as VRET in reducing fear of flying.