Self-Criticism and Depressive Symptoms Mediate the Relationship Between Emotional Experiences With Family and Peers and Self-Injury in Adolescence

Although the relationship between negative childhood experiences, peer victimization, depressive symptoms, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is widely recognized, the mechanisms involved are not fully understood, especially among adolescents. This study aims to test the mediating role of both self-criticism and depressive symptoms in the relationship between memories of negative or positive experiences, current peer victimization, and NSSI. The sample consists 854 Portuguese adolescents, 451 female and 403 male, with ages between 12 and 18 years (M = 14.89; SD = 1.79), from middle and secondary schools. Participants answered self-report measures. Results from path analysis showed that memories of negative experiences, the absence of positive memories with family in childhood and peer victimization indirectly impact on NSSI through self-criticism and depressive symptoms. In addition, these stressful experiences led to depressive symptoms through self-criticism. Lastly, the most severe form of self-criticism indirectly impacts on NSSI through depressive symptoms, even though it also has a strong direct effect. It suggests that negative experiences with parents and peer victimization, as well as the absence of positive memories with family, have a negative impact on NSSI when these experiences are linked with a sense of self-hatred and depressive symptoms.     

儿童的同伴交往与孤独感:一项2年纵向研究

用提名法和问卷法对小学的3、4年级274名儿童进行两年追踪调查,采用交叉滞后设计,考察了同伴交往4个特征水平上的变量与孤独感的相互预测关系。结果发现：（1）自我报告的同伴交往变量——友谊质量和社交自我知觉与孤独感之间的交叉滞后效应显著;而同伴评定的同伴交往变量——积极提名、消极提名、受同伴欺负、消极退缩与孤独感之间的交叉滞后效应不显著;另外,前测的互选朋友数能显著负向预测后测的孤独感,前测的孤独感不能显著预测后测的互选朋友数。（2）在排除了早期其它变量的效应之后,积极提名分、消极提名分、受同伴欺负得分、消极退缩得分、互选朋友数在两年之间仍然呈现出高度的稳定性;友谊质量和社交自我知觉以及孤独感则表现出中等程度的稳定性     

Tailoring the Mode of Information Presentation: Effects on Younger and Older Adults' Attention and Recall of Online Information

Previous studies have mainly focused on tailoring message content to match individual characteristics and preferences. This study investigates the effect of a website tailored to individual preferences for the mode of information presentation, compared to 4 nontailored websites on younger and older adults' attention and recall of information, employing a 5 (condition: tailored vs. text, text with illustrations, audiovisual, combination) × 2 (age: younger [25–45] vs. older [≥65] adults) design (N = 559). The mode‐tailored condition (relative to nontailored conditions) improved attention to the website and, consequently, recall in older adults, but not in younger adults. Younger adults recalled more from nontailored information such as text only or text with illustrations, relative to tailored information.     

Treating Elders With Compulsive Hoarding: A Pilot Program

Hoarding among elderly clients can have serious health and safety consequences, including death. Because medications and standard behavioral treatments have yielded limited benefits for people with serious hoarding problems, we employed a specialized cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) based on Frost and colleagues' model of hoarding problems. Of 11 elderly clients who met screening criteria for hoarding at a community mental health center, 6 completed an average of 35 sessions of therapy administered by a B.A.-level therapist trained and supervised in CBT methods. Treatment consisted of weekly home visits that included motivational interviewing, organizing and decision-making skills, cognitive therapy regarding hoarding and related beliefs, and practice sorting, discarding, and not acquiring. Modest improvement was evident in ratings of clutter, risky situations in the home, and functioning. Clients were generally satisfied with treatment. Challenges in treating hoarding in elderly clients include health and safety risks as well as reduced physical capacity that required problem-solving strategies.     

AIDS Stigma and Contact With Persons With AIDS: Effects of Direct and Vicarious Contact.1

This paper examines the relationship between AIDS-related stigma and (a) direct, personal contact with people with AIDS (PWAs), and (b) vicarious contact—through mass media—with a public figure with AIDS or HIV. Data are presented from a 2-wave national telephone survey with a probability sample of US. adults (ns = 538 at Wave 1; 382 at Wave 2) and an oversample of Black Americans (ns = 607 and 420, respectively). Direct contact with a PWA was associated with less support for coercive AIDS policies, less blame for PWAs, and less avoidance of PWAs. Vicarious contact–operationalized as the self-reported impact of Earvin “Magic” Johnson's disclosure of his HIV infection–appeared to have its greatest impact among respondents who previously had manifested high levels of stigma. In that group, levels of stigma diminished somewhat to the extent that respondents reported having been strongly influenced by Johnson's announcement.     

Social and Behavioral Researchers' Experiences With Their IRBs

This article examines the responsibilities of researchers who conduct exploratory research to provide a service to vulnerable respondents. The term “service” is used to denote the provision of a tangible benefit in relation to the research question that is apart from the altruistic research benefits. This article explores what this “service” could look like, who might be responsible for providing it, and the challenges associated with such a service. The article argues that not providing a tangible benefit to vulnerable research participants is inconsistent with the principle of social justice that undergirds much of the rationale for conducting health disparities research.     

Behavioral Variability in the Play of Children With Autism and Their Typically Developing Peers

Invariable or repetitive behavior is a defining feature of autism and can limit a child's exposure to varying consequences and subsequent learning opportunities. We compared the variability in play material selection between 30 children with autism and 30 typically developing children, aged 2‐8 years, across three different activities: selecting paper outfits to dress dolls, selecting beads to place on a string, and choosing marker colors for coloring shapes. Selections of materials could be varied or identical to previous selections within the session. Although there was some overlap between the two groups, children with autism were more likely to respond invariably than typically developing children. Two‐year‐old children in both groups tended to display invariable play material selection, but variability increased across increasing age groups for typical children and remained relatively stable across increasing age groups for children with autism. Implications regarding the divergence in variable behavior across children with autism and typically developing children as a function of age are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中学生异性同伴交往的结构与类型研究

在文献、开放式问卷和访谈的基础上,编制了中学生异性同伴交往量表.对1,300名中学生进行了测试.结果表明,该量表具有良好的信度和效度;中学生异性同伴交往是由主动性、困扰性,礼节性、策略性和广泛性等五个因素组成;中学生异性同伴交往有策略型、疏远型、中间型和开放型等四种类型.     

Intergroup Contact and Prejudice Against People With Schizophrenia

There is a growing awareness that responses to mental health disorders differ according to the label. Still, research on contact and prejudice against people with mental health disorders has generally focused on the broader label, “mental illness,” as though various disorders were interchangeable. The present research specifically investigated the relationship between intergroup contact and avoidance of people with schizophrenia—a particularly stigmatized and challenging group—as well as mediators of that relationship. In Study 1, 78 students completed measures of their prior contact with and prejudice against people with schizophrenia. Prior contact predicted less desired avoidance of people with schizophrenia, and this relationship was mediated by more favorable attitudes. Study 2 (N = 122) replicated the results of Study 1, and also found that less fear and less intergroup anxiety mediated the relationship between contact and avoidance. This suggests that contact may effectively reduce prejudice, even against this highly stigmatized group.     

Children's Pets and Adults' Self-Concepts

Self-concepts of adults were related to the age when they had their first pet. The Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS) (Fitts, 1965) Total Positive self-concept scores were higher if subjects were under 6 years or over 10 years old than if they were between 6 and 10 years old when they had their first pet. Similar results were found for the TSCS Physical and Social subscales. Whereas gender effects were also found, no significant pet ownership or other childhood Companion Animal Bonding Scale (Poresky, Hendrix, Mosier, & Samuelson, 1987) effects were found.     

Structured Experiences With the Educational Growth Group

A five-step model is presented for conducting groups that enhance students' knowledge, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills. Differences between the educational growth group (EGG) model and other forms of group work are outlined. The goals and potential benefits for counselors are listed, along with examples of counselors' applications of the model. Counselors are urged to experiment with the EGG model, to adapt it to their work environments, and to report their results.     

Late Adolescents' Experiences With and Attitudes Toward Videogames1

A total of 229 late adolescents (a large majority 15 to 19 years of age) completed a questionnaire that assesses a broad range of videogame-relevant experiences, preferences, and attitudes. Videogame playing was found to be a more popular, and a more highly regarded, activity among males than females. Gender differences were also found in participants' ratings of their motivations for playing videogames, their evaluations of particular characteristics of videogames, and their selection of their “most favorite” videogame. The differences between frequent and infrequent videogame players appeared to be limited to differences in the extent to which videogame playing is pursued and evaluated as a positive leisure activity, rather than reflecting broad differences in interest or personality. Some relations were found between participants' self-reported personality characteristics (i.e., self-esteem, empathy, conscientiousness, and introversion) and their attitudes toward videogames.     

The Behaviour of Young Children with Social Communication Disorders During Dyadic Interaction with Peers

Children with social communication disorders are known to experience more problematic peer relations than typically-developing children. However, detailed observation of their behaviour and communication during interaction with peers has not previously been undertaken. Micro-analytic observational methods were used to analyse the audio-taped interaction of children (N?=?112) selected from mainstream schools (ages 5–6 years-old) on a computerised dyadic collaborative task. Comparisons were made between children with average-to-high- and low-pragmatic language skill as measured by the Test of Pragmatic Skills. Dyads were composed of an average-to-high-skilled child plus a low-skilled child (32 dyads), or of two average-to-high-skilled children (24 dyads). Consistently with their pragmatic language scores, low-skilled children were more likely to ignore other children’s questions and requests than were average-to-high-skilled children. When average-to-high-skilled children worked with low-skilled children, as opposed to with other average-to-high-skilled children, they showed some sensitivity and adaptation to these children’s difficulties; they used significantly more directives, clarification and provided more information. However, there was a cost in terms of the emotional tone of these interactions; when working with low-skilled children, the average-to-high-skilled children expressed considerably more negative feelings towards their partners than with another average-to-high-skilled child. In conclusion, observation of the interaction of average-to-high- and low-skilled children suggests promise for peer-assisted interventions and specifies which communicative behaviours could be targeted. However, care should be taken to manage the affective climate of these interactions for the benefit of all children involved.     

Contact Experiences Mediate the Relationship Between Five-Factor Model Personality Traits and Ethnic Prejudice

Prejudice has been studied as a function of personality and situation, but there has been little integration of these 2 domains. Our model suggests that people who are especially open and agreeable are more likely to initiate intergroup contact and interpret contact experiences favorably. Such experiences lead to positive intergroup attitudes. To test this mediation hypothesis, participants ( N = 163) completed a measure of (a) the Big Five personality traits, (b) past contact experiences with African Americans, and (c) pro-Black/ anti-Black attitudes. A second study used Asian Americans as the outgroup. In both studies, the model was supported. The results have implications for integrating personality and situational approaches to prejudice and enhancing our understanding of intergroup relations.     

Lived Experiences of Men With Dissociative Identity Disorder

Dissociative disorders affect 29% of the clinical population, with women diagnosed 9 times more often than men. For this study, the authors used a phenomenological approach to uncover experiences of 5 men with dissociative identity disorder. Findings revealed 5 themes: history, alters, male gender expectations and identity, challenges, and strengths and support. Implications for practitioners are discussed.     

A Study of Student Counselors' Experiences With Meditation

The positive effects of meditation have been shown to be helpful to a variety of client populations and counselors in practice. Researchers analyzed the journals of 60 counselor education students who volunteered to learn Jyoti meditation (JM) over a 6‐week period. Analysis revealed 5 major themes: (a) the scheduling of time for meditation, (b) issues with concentrating, (c) environment for meditation, (d) effects on wellness, and (e) adherence to daily practice. These themes suggest avenues for how counselor educators and supervisors can help student counselors integrate JM as a self‐care strategy.     

The Relationship Between Facial Contact With a Pillow and Mood

Three studies examined the relationship between facial contact with a pillow and mood. In the first, 414 undergraduates described their face and body positions when sleeping and upon awakening, and their moods upon awakening. Results indicated that more negative moods were associated with increased facial contact with pillows. Then, 2 experiments manipulated participants' face and body positions while they lay down and listened to affectively neutral prose passages and musical selections. Participants evaluated the passages and music. Results of both experiments showed that increased facial contact with a pillow led to more negative evaluations. It is argued that these findings reflect effects of facial contact on mood, and are consistent with the facial feedback hypothesis. Possible alternative explanations are considered.