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This study tested the performance optimality hypothesis of action identification theory in the context of self-presentation. Optimal performance is said to occur when a personally easy action is identified in relatively high level terms (i.e., the action's goals and likely effects) or a personally difficult action is identified in relatively low level terms (i.e., the action's mechanical details). To test this idea with respect to self-presentation, subjects were asked to describe themselves to either a difficult-to-impress or an easy-to-impress stranger in advance of a get-acquainted conversation with him or her. Subjects were induced to think about the self-description task in either high level terms (e.g., demonstrating their personality) or low level terms (e.g., smiling when appropriate). Support for the optimality hypothesis was obtained in subjects' self-reports of their self-presentation effectiveness and in observers' evaluations of subjects. Discussion centered on the manifestation of self-presentation nonoptimality in the early stages of relationship formation.

Nonepithelial ovarian cancers are rare, and little is known about their etiology. Of particular interest are the effects of oral contraceptive use and pregnancy, both of which are associated with large decreases in risk for epithelial ovarian cancer. We examined the risk factors for nonepithelial ovarian tumors by combining data from four case-control studies conducted in the United States. We compared personal characteristics of 38 germ cell cases and 45 stromal cases, respectively, with 1,142 and 2,617 general population controls. All subjects were over age 18 years. For germ cell tumors, there was a weak negative association with parity but no consistent pattern of decreasing risk with increasing parity. In contrast, relative to nulligravid women, gravid nulliparous women were at increased risk of developing a germ cell cancer odds ratio (OR) 4.8, 95 confidence interval (CI) 1.2-18.61. The use of oral contraceptives was also associated with elevated risk (OR 2.0,95 CI 0.77- 5.1); however, no clear trends in risk were observed. For stromal tumors, oral contraceptive use was associated with decreased risk (OR 0.37, 95 CI 0.16-0.83), whereas pregnancy was associated with a small elevation in risk. A trend of increasing risk with increasing age at first term pregnancy was observed, with an odds ratio of 3.6 (95 CI 1.0-12.5) for a first birth after age 29 years. Risk factors for nonepithelial ovarian cancers do not appear to parallel each other or those for epithelial ovarian cancer. (Epidemiology 1992;3490-495)