Using validated tests of the MMPI2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) and the Conflict Tactics Scale (a widely used and validated measure of degree of intrafamily verbal and physical aggression), on 50 women, researchers at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas found that PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS OF THE BATTERED SPOUSE persisted no matter how long the relationship was terminated (Psychological Reports 1998, 82, 387-94). This in spite of the treatment provided to these battered women. Severity of both physical an psychological abuse was correlated with the degree of emotional difficulty in the battered woman. More distress was found in households with more children. The findings bolster appreciation for the impact of severe psychological abuse, and the enduring impact of intrafamilial trauma. Who should we be looking for and what's their preferred mode of operation? The MODUS OPERANDI OF FEMALE SERIAL KILLERS was studied a chronology of 58 cases in America and 47 cases in 17 other countries and finally computed over 25-year intervals (Psychological Reports 1998, 82, 495-498) The sample from other countries averaged 26.5 (yes, that's right) victims, compared to 6.89 in the American group. LONGER KILLING CAREERS WERE TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH USING A LOW PROFILE MODUS OPERANDI (use of poisons and drug overdoses such as strychnine, arsenic, and morphine) versus high profile (use of bodily insults and firearms)...TO STUDY THE PSYCHOPATH'S POWER TO FALSELY CONVEY SINCERITY, the speech amplitude of 10 psychopaths and 10 controls were analyzed (J Psycholinguistic Research Vol 27 No.3 1998). Results indicated that psychopaths spoke more quietly than controls, an effective way to draw the listener in and exhibit sincerity. The findings also showed that psychopaths did not differentiate, in voice emphasis, between neutral and emotionally laden words, supporting the view that PSYCHOPATHS ARE INSENSTIVE TO THE EMOTIONAL CONNOTATIONS OF LANGUAGE. These voice analyses agree with growing notion that psychopaths fail to process emotional material normally which coincides with a lack of empathy and lack of conscience...Forced choice testing is the state of the art mode of detection for revealing the faked impairment of a number of cognitive abilities. If the examinee correctly chooses items at a rate less than chance, he is likely faking, as even head injured patients can perform at a better than chance rate of success. IN ORDER TO DETECT FAKING, EXAMINEES WERE GIVEN THE SEASHORE RHYTHM TEST (SRT). They are rapidly presented with a series of sound rhythm patterns which they must answer if they match. Well, maybe not. In a study (J.Clin.Psycho 54:431-438, 1998) of 60 students advised to fake neuropsychological impairment, 70% performed better than chance on the SRT. This supports RECENT INDICATIONS THAT THE WORSE OF CHANCE RULE OF THUMB FOR DISTINGUISHING FAKING MAYBE OVERRELIED UPON... LETHAL (hanging) and NONLETHAL (wrist cutting) SUICIDE ATTEMPTS WERE COMPARED in 754 South Carolina males and female inmates (Psychological Reports 1998, 82 611-614). Hanging resulted in death over 8 percent of the time, and black inmates were more likely to use this method. Intoxication, first hour of incarceration, and smaller jails were more likely to be associated with hanging as a method of suicide attempt. Of all hanging suicide deaths, 63 percent occurred on the inmate's first day in jail. Sex, age, and number of charges or previous attempts did not reflect on type of suicide attempt.