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Throughout the reproductive years, from around age 13 to about 5o, the menstrual cycle provides continual, mainly positive, changes in the internal environment of women. This cycle of change is an integral and influential part of normal existence. Knowledge of the reproductive cycle and of its effects is essential to a full understanding of women. This paper describes each phase of the cycle in terms of broad psychological and physiological changes. Although personal and social events will clearly affect each woman's experience, it is clear that a background climate is set by the cycle which predisposes towards certain feelings and behaviour.With information and advice, not only can there be great benefit from the whole menstrual cycle, but any distress in the premenstrual days can be alleviated. More serious menstrual disorder should be appropriately investigated, preferably with continued counselling support.The counsellor must first discover whether any menstrual disorder is a central problem, or possibly an exacerbating factor. Occasionally the cycle is made a focus for problems which have a quite different basis. In all cases the counsellor can help women to turn to good account a biological cycle which is predominantly favourable. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Questions are frequently raised about possible impairment of cognitive function in the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle. There is also concern that women may be at a disadvantage premenstrually on important occasions such as examinations. This study compared the marks on final-year psychology degree examinations in the premenstrual phase with those of the rest of the cycle. All of the 26 women students who were eligible to participate did so. Comparisons, within and between individuals, of Premenstrual and Nonpremenstrual marks, gave no indication of significant fluctuations with the cycle. Pre-examination arousal and anxiety, which were similar to the relevant published norms, did not appear to be related to the examination marks. There were no significant differences between students taking or not taking oral contraceptives. If there are any physiological and/or social-psychological effects of the cycle on high-level cognitive functioning these are presumably compensated for by the students in this situation. These findings suggest that women taking final degree examinations are not at a disadvantage during the premenstrual phase of the cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A study of the ability of children to describe verbally spatial relations depicted in line drawings was carried out. The subjects were 60 children between the ages of 4½ and 7½ years. The test material consisted of 27 cards. Each card had one or two lines and a circle drawn on it. The lines and the circle were drawn in different spatial relations to one another. The results show that the ability of children to describe such spatial relations improves with increasing age. Furthermore, comparison between scores obtained from the children's own verbalizations and those obtained from a test of the ability to comprehend verbal material describing the spatial relations in the same drawings showed that there were no significant differences in the accuracy of response in any age group. The study also analyses the words most frequently used by the children in describing the cards, as well as the correct usage of such words. Some theoretical implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparison of the ability of young children to discriminate visually between different spatial relations in line drawings with their comprehension of the verbal instructions regarding the same relations was carried out. The subjects were 60 children between the ages of 4½ and 7½. The test material consisted of 27 cards. Each card had one or two lines and a circle drawn on it. The lines and the circle were drawn in different spatial relations to one another. The results show that the ability of children to discriminate visually the spatial relations between line drawings improves with increasing age. Similar improvement with age was found in their ability to comprehend verbal material describing the spatial relations of the same line drawings. Comparison between these two abilities indicates, however, that the visual discrimination of spatial relations is easier than the verbal comprehension of the same relations in all the age-groups tested. The results also show that there is no correlation between individual performances in the visual discrimination test and the verbal comprehension test. Some theoretical implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the effect of letter reversals (mirror reversals) on the direction of reading words exposed tachistoscopically was carried out. The subjects were twenty experienced readers, and the test material consisted of words which could be read meaningfully in the right-left as well as in the left-right direction. The words were presented with and without letter reversals. The results show that, under these conditions, subjects read from right to left the words containing the reversed letters. The effect of word frequency, as well as the position within the word of reversed letters, has also been analysed. Some theoretical interpretations of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study which is aimed to determine the psychological aspects of the stereotactic treatment of Parkinsonism in Great Britain. The beneficial clinical effects of stereotactic lesions in the venterolateral nucleus of the thalamus in the treatment of Parkinsonism are well established. Personality changes were considered at three weeks and nine months after operation. The psychological tests have given no evidence of any permanent change resulting from stereotactic lesions of the venterolateral nucleus of the thalamus.