Evidence That a Very Brief Psychological Intervention Boosts Weight Loss in a Weight Loss Program

Reducing morbidity and mortality associated with being overweight is a crucial public health goal. The aim of the present research was to test the efficacy of a very brief psychological intervention (a volitional help sheet) that could be used as an adjunct to standard weight loss programs to support increased weight loss in an overweight sample. Seventy-two overweight participants currently participating in a weight loss program were randomly allocated to either an intervention (volitional help sheet) condition or a control (distracter task) condition. The main outcome measure was weight at 1-month follow-up. Participants in both conditions lost significant amounts of weight, but those in the intervention condition lost significantly more than those in the control condition (d = 0.66). The findings support the efficacy of the volitional help sheet to promote additional weight loss in an overweight sample engaged in a weight loss program. The volitional help sheet therefore represents a very brief, low-cost intervention that could be used to supplement ongoing weight-loss programs.     

女性主义认同:理论、研究与实践

在过去的三十多年中,女性主义认同发展理论一直是西方心理学研究中一个活跃的研究主题。女性主义认同是一种基于女性主义立场并自我标签为女性主义者的社会认同。基于Downing和Roush的女性主义认同发展理论,心理学研究者开发了FIS、FIDS、FIC等旨在评估女性主义认同发展阶段与水平的测量工具。研究表明,由于女性主义赋权女性挑战其生活及社会文化中的性别主义偏见,因此,女性主义认同发展能够有效地提升女性的自尊、自我效能感、主观幸福感,从而促进女性的身心健康。未来的女性主义认同研究应该重点致力于女性主义认同理论的完善和深化及研究方法论的变革,包括运用交错性范式与多元方法探讨不同性别、种族/民族、年龄、阶层等多元群体经验,使用追踪研究探讨女性主义认同发展的历程,以及致力于女性主义认同研究工具的本土化,从而推动我国女性主义认同研究的发展。     

Selling Stereotypes: Weight Loss Infomercials,Sexism, and Weightism

Research suggests that television reflects the negative cultural stereotypes of women and heavyweight people. The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent to which paid programming reflects the gender role expectations that have been observed in other kinds of programming and, in particular, the gender representations and weight-stereotypic messages in weight loss infomercials. The results show that images of women outnumbered those of men 2:1, thin women appeared 3 times as frequently as heavyweight women, and the “scientific expert” was always a man. Weight loss infomercials contained more references to unrestricted than to restricted eating, promoted weight loss without exercise more than with exercise, and portrayed heavyweight people as unhappy and unattractive. The implications of the findings for weight-related prejudice and stigma are discussed.     

A Decade of Career Development Research: Implications for Theory,Practice, and Research

This study examines trends in the area of career development programs, practices, and research during the last decade based on program sessions at the American Educational Research Association's annual meetings.     

Attachment in Adult Child-Older Parent Relationships: Research,Theory, and Practice

Greater longevity has increased the years that adult children share with their older parents, yet it creates the potential for family stress situations that may be amenable to counseling intervention. In this article, the authors examined an attachment theory perspective for conceptualizing adult child—older parent issues by introducing the basic constructs of attachment theory and by demonstrating how the theory and its related research can be applied to adult children's struggles with older parental issues.     

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy With Chinese Americans: Research, Theory, and Clinical Practice

In this article, we discuss how to conduct cognitive-behavioral therapy with Chinese Americans. We present an integration of theory, research, and clinical practice to help mental health practitioners understand how Chinese culture may potentially influence the CBT treatment process for Chinese immigrants. Several recommendations are provided as to how to adapt and modify CBT to better meet the therapeutic needs of Chinese American clients. A case example demonstrates how cultural modifications of CBT can lead to effective psychotherapy outcomes for Chinese American clients.     

Children of Color and Parental Incarceration: Implications for Research,Theory, and Practice

Practical information about culturally appropriate interventions with children of incarcerated parents (CIPs) of color and their families is notably sparse. This study uses a cultural–ecological perspective to contextualize individual, family, and legal issues inherent in many intervention programs for CIPs of color. The authors highlight demographic trends, review research limitations, and discuss ways that therapeutic models can help counselors address their clients' needs. Recommendations are provided for future interventions with this underserved population. La información práctica sobre intervenciones culturalmente apropiadas con hijos de personas de color encarceladas (CIPs) por sus siglas en inglés y sus familias es notablemente escasa. Este estudio usa una perspectiva cultural‐ecológica para contextualizar los asuntos individuales, familiares y legales inherentes a muchos programas de intervención para CIPs. Los autores destacan las tendencias demográficas, las limitaciones en la investigación de reseñas, y discuten formas en las que los modelos terapéuticos pueden ayudar a los consejeros a abordar las necesidades de sus clientes. Se proporcionan recomendaciones para intervenciones futuras con esta población desatendida.     

New Directions in the Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of OCD: Theory,Research, and Practice

The beneficial effects of cognitive-behavioral interventions (particularly exposure and response prevention) for OCD are among the most consistent research findings in the mental health literature. Nevertheless, even after an adequate trial, many individuals experience residual symptoms, and others never receive adequate treatment due to limited access. These and other issues have prompted clinicians and researchers to search for ways to improve the conceptual and practical aspects of existing treatment approaches, as well as look for augmentation strategies. In the present article, we review a number of recent developments and new directions in the psychological treatment of OCD, including (a) the application of inhibitory learning approaches to exposure therapy, (b) the development of acceptance-based approaches, (c) involvement of caregivers (partners and parents) in treatment, (d) pharmacological cognitive enhancement of exposure therapy, and (e) the use of technology to disseminate effective treatment. We focus on both the conceptual/scientific and practical aspects of these topics so that clinicians and researchers alike can assess their relative merits and disadvantages.     

Medical Ethics Research Between Theory and Practice

The main object of criticism of present-day medical ethics is the standard view of the relationship between theory and practice. Medical ethics is more than the application of moral theories and principles, and health care is more than the domain of application of moral theories. Moral theories and principles are necessarily abstract, and therefore fail to take account of the sometimes idiosyncratic reality of clinical work and the actual experiences of practitioners. Suggestions to remedy the illnesses of contemporary medical ethics focus on re-establishing the connection between the internal and external morality of medicine. This article discusses the question how to develop a theoretical perspective on medical ethical issues that connects philosophical reflection with the everyday realities of medical practice. Four steps in a comprehensive approach of medical ethics research are distinguished: (1) examine health care contexts in order to obtain a better understanding of the internal morality of these practices; this requires empirical research; (2) analyze and interpret the external morality governing health care practices; sociological study of prevalent values, norms, and attitudes concerning medical-ethical issues is required; (3) creation of new theoretical perspectives on health care practices; Jensen's theory of healthcare practices will be useful here; (4) develop a new conception of bioethics that illuminates and clarifies the complex interaction between the internal and external morality of health care practices. Hermeneutical ethics can be helpful for integrating the experiences disclosed in the empirical ethical studies, as well as utilizing the insights gained from describing the value-contexts of health care practices. For a critical and normative perspective, hermeneutical ethics has to examine and explain the moral experiences uncovered, in order to understand what they tell us.     

Imagined Intergroup Contact: Theory, Paradigm and Practice

In this article, we outline a new implementation of intergroup contact theory: imagined intergroup contact. The approach combines 50 years of research into the effects of contact with recent advances in social cognition. It represents both a versatile experimental paradigm for investigating the extended and indirect impacts of social contact, as well as a flexible and effective tool for practitioners and policy makers in their efforts to promote tolerance for multicultural diversity. We describe the theoretical basis for imagined contact effects, document emerging empirical support, and provide a practical guide for researchers wishing to adopt the paradigm. Finally, we discuss the potential application of imagined contact in educational contexts, and how it could be integrated with existing approaches to provide maximally effective strategies for improving intergroup relations.